Lightbulb Learnings | Rachel Ann Thong

You're listening to a message to go from X Church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

How many of you saw you made it for the

opening at least you started opening performance. Okay, that's a

light about. Light about is our our It started off

as the Creative Arts Ministry and EX Church when I

first joined. So I joined X Church in two thousand

and three. Yeah, I was a student then first year

in university in MMU. I know, so you're counting right

or something. You're not born yet and uh and Elbert

was Elbert was. He was there from the start, I think.

So I started in year two thousand. I think that's

when roughly the time he came to KL and then

he started joining EX Church. So two thousand and three,

I joined us in my first year, and I really

joined the dance team then. I think during the first

year there was a small team. El Shirley, you know

l Shelley.

Yeah, the King.

Yeah, he's spoken here before. Uh. So el Shelly is

el King Young's wife, and she used to lead like

she she started off the Creative as Ministry. She can dance,

she still can, uh and yeah and all the other

creative actions. She's very expressive, so she started the ministry

and yeah, and I remember, and that's however I met

by the way. So he was part of the team

to perform for I can't remember what it was. Could

have been any of the street, could have been, but

some event, I can't really remember what it was.

Maybe Aya was not sure where it started then, so.

They they had I think there were about five of them,

but one person had to pull out at that time

for the performance, and so they were looking for dancer,

and that time I was relatively new in x and

Eler Shelly said, Hey, ratual dancers. She's from MMU. Why

don't you asked her? So they asked, they approached me.

I said okay, and I joined the dance team and

doctor Jill. Doctor Jill was also part of the team then.

I think maybe she was one who pulled out, I

can't remember, and her sister was dancing. But anyway, there

were five of us. We performed and the rest is

history because that's where our friendship growth through dancing, through

all the performances, working together, and then in twenty ten

we got married. Two thousand and actually two thousand and seven,

I think about two and seven was when he proposed

also after that. So those days we had a Ya Awards.

Those of you who haven't been, who are not around,

used to have this awards to award the most youth

friendly company of the year and most outstanding youth in Malaysia.

So there were nominations from all over the country and

then people nominate and you know we will have it

at like big places like care Pack.

Where else?

I do you remember where we heard it? Those are stadiums?

Are stadiums or care Pack? So it was a care Pack.

It was right after after everything, we're having debriefs. So

Elsally us in the I think she was calling everyone okay,

all volunteers and one hundred other people were there and

they were debriefing. I don't know why I'm telling the story,

but anyways, maybe because how animone should just passed? Uh

so so call us all in. I had fans who

came that day to watch, so I was outside with them,

but everyone was like, Rachel coming in. They're debriefing now,

So I ran in, went in and then everyone's there.

There's there's this huge in you you've been the k

pack before, so there's this like huge stairs that that

goes up. So Sly was standing up there and then

everyone's standing down, and she was addressing the crowd, and

then she was thanking different ones and then suddenly, oh

and one, thank Rachel. So she calls me up up

to the staircase and understand with her, and you're thanking

for putting together the dance and all that. Da da da,

And then suddenly, I'm trying to recall, suddenly music starts,

music starts, and uh and suddenly the crowd.

Is did the crowd move nor?

The crowd didn't move yet, but the group a group

of guys, so there was a dance team. Elbert had

a crew, a bee Boy crew at that time who

performed with us.

Yeah, bee boyer break dancing. So they he had a crew.

I can't remember how many of them, maybe eighty nine

of them. They were holding candles. So they came up

and started dancing. No, so I'm watching whose birthday is it?

Whose birthday is celebrating? Said candles? Are dancing, And then

when they finished the dance, then Sally the crowd split

open like the sea splitting open, and Albert walks through

the crowd and suddenly this huge banner drops from the

top top floor and too much right, question right everyone,

the pressure. I also just got married. The pressure, so

this whole yeah, I got huge banner. I think Rachel

will marry me, so you can't remember. Uh, and then

Albert comes true and I can't hear anything because everyone's screaming.

Everyone is screaming, and he's saying something there he's probably asking.

Me to marry him. And they can hear past pasta.

Sandra too noisy, and then I can hear past I

think she was by then standing on a table or

she's like, you can't say no, you know, you know

versus she's like, yeah, not not, don't just say yes

because of the pressure you can say no.

But but yeah, I say yes. We're married.

So that that's our proposal story. Uh so, so we've

been Hallelujah fifteen years. It's been fifteen years that we've

been married. So back to lightboub So that's our journey.

I mean, my my whole time in exchurch. Actually a

lot of memories have been with the dance team. Every

Christmas okay sorry, the New Year, like every anniversary, uh,

some Easters, Christmas. These are the three mean, you know,

big events that we usually have and and the team

will always be preparing.

So a lot of memories, good memories.

We always had a good team strong, you know, strong

and dancing, strong and choreographing. But over the years, right

so you know, pandemic h uh. And even before pandemic,

I think that were you know, ex was already going

through certain changes, and then pandemic hit even more so

you know, to be friand we did lose a lot

of people, and we lost most of our dance team.

So a lot of our dancers had left for different reasons,

and it was quite discouraging. I remember the the during

a pandemic when we're still in lockdown. Anivers three we

didn't have we couldn't have a big anivers three service.

It was online, still online. So what we did was

we did dance online. So we got all our dancers

to just record yourself. We came up with the choreography,

we shedded, everyone practiced on their own. Everyone record and

you know during those times, even the worship teams and all,

we're doing that online thing, right, so you have all

your what do you call it square squadrons, like a matrix,

a matrix of people on screen.

So our dancers, who was a matrix of people on screen.

We just you know, pretty cool. God led us to

do that. But after that, yeah, a lot of.

Those, even those dancers who dance with us, slowly left,

you know, for different reasons.

And so it's quite discouraging for me, especially uh at

that time. How ol.

So we were just around pandemic time. We are reaching

out fortiss. Now we're passed for the really but reaching

out fourtheast. And I was always like looking forward to

who's the next Who's the next generation that I'm going

to pass the baton to. I mean, I'll dance as

long as I can, as long as these old bones

still working, joint still working. I would try to still dance,

but I was always looking for Who's who's the next

person that can take up you know, I can't be

holding I mean eld Shlly so El Sally passed on

the leadership to me. You know, I kind of remember

exactly when, but probably somewhere around my final year in

university or where I just started work. So she passed

me to Beta. Now she's doing other things, right, she's

leading x Mandrin, et cetera. So I'm always thinking, yeah, God,

who Who's Who's.

Next you know.

And then the people that I thought, yes, this is

the one, they are gonna be the next one.

Also say goodbye.

So we're like love with us, and you know, really

in the core team that was left is Albert, myself

and Leona.

So those who don't know Leona, she was the.

Girl, the other girl who was standing beside me part

of the dance, you can hear Passsandra shouting from front

of mamas. Yeah, she's referring to us because we are

the two mamas there, and we've been we've been in

university together, we've been choreographing together, dancing together. All was right,

like about let's what we call shut out dance partners,

forever dance partners. Yeah, so I thought I had these

people to pass the Bitton too, but they also left

and it was discouraging. And then last year, right last year,

we also were asked to do a dance and like,

oh no, who who is gonna dance with us? But

in twenty twenty two, actually so don't let's yeah backtrek

b In twenty twenty two, of course we're already thinking

about okay, twenty twenty three, going to plan for aniversitary

and in twenty twenty two, I was introduced to a

young lady named Angelie or some call her Joey, and

she was, you know that we didn't know each other.

We speak I would say, different language because she's more

and you saw her just now on screening and she

she's she was speaking Mandrine, so she's more comfortable in Mandrine.

Me cannot speak begin But the moment we connected, we

were just on the same pitch because she was so

passionate for dance. She wasn't she didn't even know. So

at that time, she didn't even know X had a

dance team. That's how did like what was there's nothing

going on? I mean before this, before pandemic, we used

to have workshops, you know, we involved in all the events.

But yeah, it was quiet. So she she was newish.

I can't I'm not sure how many years she's been

in ex but she was quite new at that time

two So she didn't notice a dance team. And but

she shed that God was speaking to her about dancing,

about using dance as ministry in church. And she was

like in egts like I don't know nothing, she doesn't

know anything but any dance. But she's she I think

at that time she was part of her dance society

or club in IPG okay kneeli right neel like IPG.

And so we spoke and I'm like wow, and you know,

God's giving her.

Dreams and vision like you know, and I'm like, you

are you are like an unswered prayer. I mean when

we spoke about it, we just connected over dance. You know,

we had the same the same kind of vision of

using dance in ministry and using for His kingdom. So

at that time we really, I mean both of us

felt like we were each other's unswer pressed. I was

praying for next next generation. She was praying about how

do I use this talent? How do I bring dance

into church? And then and then of course in twenty

twenty three we worked on the you know, the the

whole opening performance as well, and maybe some of you

when they yet, but that was you know, from like

thinking there's only three dancers left, we had fifty over

fifty over, so all great to God that'll say anything

in three hallelujah, And that already blew my mind. You know.

Historically we for big events, we usually have maybe ten

to twenty people max dancers and maybe for stadium. So

we also did some performances in stadium maximum maybe thirty

plus LA okay for stadium performance, but fifty.

Plus was really like, Wow, where do all these people

come from?

You know? And that is the powers of decentralizing. I mean,

we decentralize. We don't know who's out there and all

the different church plants, but then when they come together, hey,

actually they're all there hiding you know, hidden talents and

even some maybe not not even dancers, but they say yes,

and I'll share a bit more about that. And then

even through so even through the twenty twenty three performance

that we met another girl called Naomi Naomi John.

She's from XPJ Okay. She's a.

You M me and you you em you am student,

also involved in her dance club, and she is an

amazing dancer and choreographer. So she's she's probably the most

professionally trained among all of us. Angually is so not

professionally trained. None of us, Albert, myself, Leonard, none of

us are. So we just we're just passionate about dancing.

But Naomi has you know, background, and she she was

trained in ballet and then now she does everything else

that hip hops my name it, name it, she does it.

And then August last year, so fast fast forward August

last year, twenty twenty four. Quite early, Passenger already texted

me Rich, twenty fifth anniversary, let's make it big. Okay,

faster so August I reading message Angelie and Nilmi girls,

we gotta make it big next year twenty twenty twenty five.

He's our twenty fifth aniversary. So come on, let's let's

start planning and thinking already. And and uh when we

when we met, of course we're like, yeah, we have

a lot of time to prepare right from August by

no life, life goes on, it still gets busy. And uh,

I think by the time we started practicers actually was December.

Because there's so much going on.

But yeah, so at the start of uh when August

September time, like we really started like finding out who

are the dancers you know in your church plans. They

start calling people and there was some that were either said,

you know, they can't dance this year. They are you know,

someone leaving leaving Malaysia, leaving KL and so it felt

like they were going to be less. We felt like,

you know, it was going to be less dances this year.

But again he blew my mind because at the end, right,

so towards the end, when we already plan, we get

all the teams and then we call for briefing and

Ajals said, yeah, I need to do an account, so

she start accounting and the total counsel of you may

have heard, came up to ninety six, ninety.

Six performers Alan Lujah, all Glory to God. Yeah, it's

really all glory to God.

And again really just I was just even when I

met them, So why what is ninety six Because not

only you know, the main core dancers, every church plan

we reached out and then our global church plans. So

you know what I thought of at the time and

you started planning, was like, hey, we have dancers in

Africa for sure, Bartswana, we definitely have dancers. I know

in Thailand there's some of them that can dance. So

those were the main tool the thought. Oh and Indonesia.

So two of our key dancers last time they returned

to Indonesia that they were students here in Malaysia, Olivia

and Christian.

So I say, hey, are you coming for a conference?

Do you want to dance? And they are.

They're actually more into hip how key pop and all this,

but but can you do Indonesian dance?

They're like, okay, we've never done before.

Okay, so yeah, so involving our global church plans and

that's how we came together. Now, yeah, I know I

have some slides up, so I thought since I had

the mic, I can't explain to y'all because not everyone

gets the meaning of the whole performance right.

It may just look like, ah nice.

But I'll share you a little bit of the meaning

of the whole performance, and then I'll go into some

points oh past the dance slides from whenner last week,

nine February. Oh first forward one month okay, while they

find their slides. Yeah, so I'm gonna there are six

points that I put in my slides that I learned,

you know, throughout this process. But actually, as I was

preparing this morning, seventh one came in and maybe some

others coming back. We'll see what we can go through. Okay,

bound to bring you through the meaning of the whole performance. First,

so at the start, do you remember what was happening

at the start the first part of the performance. The drums, Yeah,

the twenty four Festival drums. And you can see at

the start it was like one, two, three, three guys

playing it. And that's how I started with three people.

Three people, and then you see Albert and a few others.

You know, the rid cloth comes out. Yeah, that's the fire.

There's a fire of God. And then it spread, right,

so there's one and then there was three. And then

if you notice the men and the two boys switch positions,

you know these are they're so good. Oh my goodness.

I was so impressed with Adi and and listen, like

on their first practice really after.

You know, they recorded, after they practice, I'm like, wow,

the two boys got it. It's so good.

And he's so small, right, so it's like the drums

is so big for him. Anyway, you see them switch

and they switch positions, and that is you know, that

speaks about the next generation taking over. And it's a

beautiful picture, right they take the forefront, the young boys,

and then the Chinese dance, the Chinese dance, they had

the red ribbons right, they were throwing in and that's

also as a symbol of fire. Fire spreading, you know,

from from city to city can be country to country.

And then what was not very obvious, I think because

the dance is going on, right, you can see that

someone's painting at the red yeah, can could you see

that they were passing the brush from one dance to

another and then each one you know, continued the pictures.

So that's also again passing on from one culture to another,

passing on from one country to another, disciple ship of

all and to all peoples and generations. Okay, so that

was that was the idea of the whole dance that

can move forward the slight. Yeah, there's the ninety six

performers if you go forward.

Yeah.

So those are the things that highlighted, right, And then

this year I also was like, hey, cannot miss out

our death community. There's another language altogether and a different

culture together, so we got them involved. It's kind of

interesting for those of you who don't know sign language

is very literal, so if you give them a song

like it's lyrical, it doesn't make any sense. So I

just sit down with Deafney and then kind of like

think of how to explain it in literal language because

now the words of the song goes like I feel

the fire in my bones that it doesn't make any

sense in sign language, so to change that to you know,

passion of God in my something like that.

So yeah, so even sign language was represented there.

And so my first point after telling this, this whole story,

the first one is that God builds the church.

Right.

We read in Psalms one hundred and twenty seven, if

you can turn with me, you're got your bibles.

Palms one hundred and twenty.

Seven, the first verse already it says, right, unless the

Lord builds the house, they labor in vain, who build it?

Unless the Lord gods the city, the watchman stays awake

in vain. And I was just encouraged, Like I said, right,

we lost people, you know it. It's been difficult the

past few years. We felt like we had no one left.

And yet when I look back, you know, God's been

there the whole time. He has already prepared the people

the whole time. Even though I couldn't see it right,

I didn't know who they were, but God was already

preparing them. God was speaking to ANGELI. You know, God

was raising up different dancers in every church plan. God

builds the church. It's his church, it's his people. I

didn't need to beg I didn't need to run any

big campaign to recruit you know, we thought, oh no,

we need to recruitment drive, right, but I didn't need

to do that.

Right.

Someone introduced me to angy y Yi Ashly who introduced

me and she said, oh, I have one girl who

loves to dance. Because she didn't even know the full

story of what God was already speaking to at that time,

and the rest was history.

Right, It was just at the right time God brought

us together.

We met and it felt like the last year when

we in twenty three, when we gather the fifty old dancers,

that was like preparation, and then this year was even bigger.

So my encouragement to save you here and all those

of you who are laboring or you're looking out on

whose nags?

Who's here to help? Just take heart.

Yeah, don't don't do it with your own strength. I

believe as long as we are aligned to His will

and you know, whatever which is part of building, you

know we are building, it would never collapse. Yeah, because

God is with us. And actually even through like I mentioned,

even through the twenty two so twenty two years in

X Wow, there's many there's been many ups and downs

We've seen people coming, people going.

Especially those of us here who are discipling people.

You know how painful it is when you invest so

much time in people and then they and then they

go they need right. But you know, I've I've learned,

and I've grown through the years to understand that really is,

at the end of the day, no matter what happens,

it's God's church.

It's his purposes.

His purposes will be established right with or without you

and me, He and I, his view will still be done.

So it's better we want to be a part of

it or part of this church. That's my first point. Okay,

God bills this church. The second one is that, Okay,

I'm going to go to the verse verse Joshua chapter one,

karenton me Joshua chapter one. So the whole time preparing

for this, what comes to mine is Moses and Joshua.

But let's look at josh chapter one, verse one to nine.

If you're there, say yeah, carried after the death of Moses,

the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that

the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nune, moses assistant, saying, Moses,

my servant is dead. Now Therefore, arise, Go over this Jordan,

you and all these people, to the land which I

am giving to them, the children of Israel, every place

that the soul of your foot will tread upon. I

have given you, as I said to Moses, from the wildness,

from the wilderness, and this Lebanon, as far as the

great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the

heat Tites, and to the great sea toward the going

down of the sun, shall be your territory.

Right this all said to Joshua.

No man should be able to stand before you all

the days of your life as I was with Moses.

So I will be with you. I will not leave you,

nor forsake you.

So I say, amen, be strong and of good courage,

for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance,

the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may.

Observe to do according to all the law which Moses,

my servant commanded. You do not turn from it to

the right hand or to the left, that you may

prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall

not depart from your mouth. But you shall meditate on

it day and night. We all know this verse that

you may observe to do according to all that is

written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous,

and then you will have good success. Have I not

commanded you be strong and of good courage. Do not

be afraid, not be dismayed, for the Lord your God

is with you wherever you go. Amen, and you read,

you know, this is when the next generation is coming up. Right.

Moses has died, He did great things, many miracles. But

now Joshua, the Joshua generation, he's here. And so my

encouragement and the law encouragement is that God raises the

next generation and they will do greater things. You know,

we always soundliss We feel like, oh no, who can

take my place?

Who can you know, do more?

And even when we read the gospels, righteous like you

will do greater things than I have. And I'm always like, really,

how do we do greater things than Jesus or his apostles?

You know?

But God does raise the next generation and they will

do greater things.

You know. We at that time I felt like, you know,

we lost the best dancers, We lost people who could

put the songs together. We lost people who could choreograph,

who could you know, think of.

The whole flow.

But God raised the next generation to take things to

the next level. Number one, we've never had these many

dancers ninety six. And number two, we never had so

many things involved. I mean this round, there was drums,

there was artists. Right, It's not just dancers. It's every

talent that we have, creative talent, just bring to the lot.

It's strength to strength, faith to faith, glory to glory.

Amen.

Even with Joshua and Moses. Moses brought them, brought the

people out of slavery, but Joshua brought them into the

Promised Land. Yeah.

Amen.

And there are many other examples in the Bible. There's

Elisha and Elijah. You know, Elisha also asked for for

a double portion, and you know they're probably more miracles.

Although Elijah was the modrum, I think one of all

his all his miracles were like big, big ones. But

Elisha then did Yeah, Elijah, Elisha also did many things.

And I think there are more things recorded in the Bible.

We used to do big.

Events, I said at the stadium at Kalpek, but none

of them had ninety six performers.

You know, we used to involve.

Dancers from outside of church, but never outside from the country.

So we had international dancers, like I say, we had

teams from Indonesia, from Thailand, from Myanmar, from Botswana.

Oh and yeah.

On top of the artists, we had drama We're the kids,

and we had diebolow you know, on the there's a

bit of mishap. But just just disclaimer doing practice.

That never happened. Okay, all the practicers, yeah, all of

the all the rehearsals.

The that one never flew out. It's okay, maybe it's prophetic,

go far, hit shot. Yeah, the fire flew really far.

Yeah.

So you know, I'm just thinking some of us who

may have been ministry for years, you know, we're wondering

who whose names, who's gonna take over, who's gonna take

on the baton? Or maybe you are that next generation

looking at the youth, so you may be that next generation.

Will you say yes to Jesus Man? All right?

Okay, go to our third point. Third thing that the

Lord encouraged me. So I was talking about we had

done as from the different places. Now Indonesia is the

only one where they're like yeah, because they're dancers, you know,

anytime they just say yes Thailand, all those who are

dancers in ex Chang Mai who were not coming, so

they just nominated one of them to do it.

And it's funny because in.

The car so alb and I hosted whom we call

Ajan Bannjob and Metio, which means a jan is pastor,

so pasta Banjob.

He's our Thai pastor in chang Mai.

And Metho is mother mayor is mother in Thai, and

her nickname is is so they yeah, so they usually

go by nicknames. They stay with us, and when we're

chatting in the car with my very limited tie, then

I found out they didn't even know that the girls

who danced her name's view. They didn't even know she

dances to first time. First time we're gonna see her

dance because yeah, no one in the church knew apparently.

But when they said, you know, we need someone who dance,

can you do it, She's like, oh, well, I danced

when I was a little girl in school. Sometimes she

did before the Thai dance, so so she said, yes,

there just doing it and she did so well.

Yeah, she did so well. And she really has said,

really that elegance mey and Ma.

So when we said we have Indonesia with Thailand, we Africa,

what about Meyama.

Let's let's just ask that.

Let's just ask so Leona reach out to pass Samuel, Hey,

pass them, would you like to dance with us? And

he's like, it's only because you know it's very it's

very challenging times in Mayanma. It's very hard to get

out of the country. You're to pay a lot to

get out. And so it's only three of them, right, Samuel,

his wife Ninni and one more leader. Only three of

them were coming. They can't even bring their kids out.

So they only brought their baby because there are no choices.

I have to bring their baby. And he said, yeah,

none of us are dancers, but okay, we'll try.

We'll try it. I'm asking you now try means what

yes or no? I'm not sure.

I need to.

I need to make sure we have it in place.

You know, we know the songs. We can put it

all together.

But you see, they did it anyway. You know they didn't.

They weren't dancers, but they did it anyway. Another one

experts one so Viki, she was the only dancer in

the team when she said only dancer is the only

one in the dance teamler, but I told her everyone

in Africa can dance, right, they all can move, but

she was the only only dancing. She said, yeah, none

of the dancers are coming to us, but we have

thirteen in the team. And then a few messages later

she's like, yeah, I asked all them to dance and

they say okay. So all fourteen thirteen, fourteen of them,

they just did.

It anyway and in exemoneys.

So I know Shaquina sing right, Shakina Kina, Shaquina Shaquina.

And she was also just now on X campus, one

of those speaking. She just really the whole compomer. She

just asked, okay, everybody danes. None of them dancers, So

she's just say you're dance, okay. So they two parts

in different different person of the dance. I'm not even

sure are they, but she's just rarely them. And so

really my point is we don't always need to have

the skills or experience to say yes to Jesus. Yeah,

a lot of them just okay, you know, we just

represent our church plan, We represent our country. We're gonna

say yes anyway. And you know that there are so

many Bible examples. I'm sure you can think of Moses.

Since you're talking about Joshua and Moses. Let's look at

Exodus chapter four, Verse ten to twelve. Did there's a year?

Exodus Chapter four of US ten says, then Moses said

to the Lord, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent,

neither before nor since you have spoken to your seven.

But I am slow of speech and slow off tongue,

and say so.

The Lord said to him who has made men's mouth,

or who makes the mute, the death, the seeing or

the blind, have not eyed the Lord. Now therefore go,

and I will be with your mouth and teach you

what you shall say. You know, you know the things

that Moses did after that. He's an amazing prophet that

we all read about.

But we know his story.

He was not eloquent, and he's sow speech, but God

still chows him. He said yes quite reluctantly, but he.

Did say yes. Yeah.

And we know David as well. David was just a

young boy, not even a warrior, but he slaid the

giant and kind of thing of it, you know, even

myself leading leading Light Bolt ministry. So when we run workshops,

when we used to do like revo and all that,

and then you know we have dancers coming from other

states and all that, I feel so what's the word.

Not equipped or inadequate. Yes, that's the word, thank.

You her husband, inadequate because none of us are professionally trained.

The court team.

Now myself, Albert, I'm probably one of the least flexible.

It's funny during during our practices, right, I got Nailmi.

I said, the XPJ girl to help us with warm up,

and she made.

Us stretch like you should like push us down.

And all that, and then she she was laughing. She's like,

what is Rachel? She don't like she's flexible and she's dancing,

but actually she's not.

Because when when she was making us, I think stretch down,

like touch touch the floor, what's sitting down? She pushed

me and she said she's Rachel's the only one I'm

pushing and pushing back.

Right, I think, yeah, you were there, so well I

was there.

Yeah, so least flexible, not professionally trained, and yet leading

the dance ministry.

But it's not about the talent, isn't it.

It's not about the talent, but saying yes to God

and then He uses us beyond, beyond who we are

and what we have, even preaching not my forte pas

preach is a preacher for sure, give very gifted preature.

Paster Daniels or power preacher. I cannotppreciate them, know the

the energy and the and putting points in like I

don't know. Past Daniels is telen of picking out things

and yeah, very deep and very deep. No, no, it's

good or putting all the points in J L D.

And you know, I do really correct my head to

do that. I tried looking at this and like, no,

no way, I'm going to come up with something cool.

I'm just giving you my points. But whatever God has

deposited in my heart, you know, is.

What I will deliver to you.

Whatever He has encouraged me. I hope, I hope you

know one of these points will encourage one of you.

So for yourself, you know, what what is God prompting

you to do? My question this year? You know what

is your homes leader? Maybe asking you to do aw

is your pastor faster then you're PC asking you to

do this year?

Is there anything they're asking you to fulfill. Is it

time to say yes?

Even though we may not have all the skills all

experience that we need, can we say yes this year?

And if we read further down, I want to you know,

still still an exodoship to four we read until verse twelve.

Just now verse thirteen we read onwards. He said, Moses

continued now, but he said, oh, my Lord, please send

by the hand of whomever else you may send. Please, Lord,

send someone else. That's what Moses was saying. And verse fourteen,

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.

And he said, it's not Aaron the Levi, your brother.

I know that he can speak well. And look, he's

also coming out to meet you. When he sees you,

he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall

speak to him and put the words in his mouth,

and I will be your mouth and with his mouth,

and I will.

Teach you what you shall do.

So he should be your spokesman to the people, and

he himself should be as a mouth for you, and

you should be to him as God. The anger of

the Lord burned against Moses. Let's not let God's anger

burn against us this year? I mean God is still merciful,

and he's still gracious, and he's still Okay, since you

really don't, I get your brother to be your mouth

and you'll be as God.

So God speak to Moses, Moses, speak to Eron, speak

to the people.

You know.

But let's not do that.

Why ask God to use someone else when actually God

can use you. Yeah, so say as to Jesus this year,

ask him what it is and don't let his anger

burn against us.

Amen.

That's my third point, okay point for it's not about

a talent, but about unity and love. And I was

really encouraged by all the practices that we had, you know,

in different years and seasons that we went through with

the dance team.

There are times where we have, you.

Know, different people who are a little bit maybe wonder

limelight a bit, the spotlight a little bit, or there

may be disagreements and frictions and all that. But this year, right,

I saw such a different spirit in every single world

dances right up to the youngest. One. Youngest one I

think is Clayton returns to twelve. The thing this year,

the thing, Oh yeah, it's just from one. He's the

youngest in the team. But all the way through from

the oldest me I think, yeah, me, right down to

and forty three, eight forty three.

The thing, Wow, that's the theory.

The thes three decades difference, but every single one just

showed such unity and love. No one did mander any attention.

Everyone gave generously. Like I saw people giving generously of

their time. Thank your parents also for releasing your kids.

You know, they may have come back late before, you know,

on a school night, but they gave their time, their talent,

their treasure. Some of our dancers traveled, you know, they

spend like I think twenty ring gate to take LRT

from Churrus to USJ something back to Churus and it

takes them almost two hours. Some of our young people,

of course, we after that, we bless them, you know,

we grab get them home on certain nights. But they

gave generously, not not a single complaint of getting there

and you know, spending their time, their money. And they're

also very generously their praise and encouragement. I could see

different ones.

Not like we can't not just encourage can you can

do it? Try this?

Everyone's just very generous and to give to one another.

And again when we look at life of Moses. If

it was about the talent, God would have chosen Moses,

because I'm sure he knew that Moses wasn't good at speaking.

But now he has to speak to the entire nation

of Israel to lead them out of slavery. Why would

he have chosen Moses. Jesus would have chosen to tell

disciples if it was about talent. We all know that

right they were. They had all their quirki weaknesses. But

you know God made them, and Jesus made them amazing apostles.

So turned with me.

Why don't need turn me to John. You know I'm

going here and there, here and there, but just some

versus to encourage us. John chapter thirteen, John chapter thirteen,

verse thirty four. And you know John is he always

writes about himself as the one whom Jesus loved.

So he writes a lot about love, first thy forall.

A new commandment.

I give to you that you love one another as

I have loved you, That you also love one another.

Amen. So so important.

Not about just delivering a good performance. I always tell

I always tell dancers when we meet, you know, better

for workshops or for for practices, it's not about at

the end. It's not just the result, the outcome of

good performance. It is the process. Do we care for

one another? Do we love for one another? You know,

throughout the process, and we see this, this God's word.

It's about love, and we move forward still. John move

on to chapter seventeen, verse twenty to twenty three. There's

a year, so I know you're following. John. Chapter seventeen, vers.

Twenty to twenty three. It says, and er Jesus praise.

He prays for all the believers, and that's us as well.

I do not pray for these alone, but also for

those who will believe in me through their word. And

let's us, you know, because at that time we're not

alive yet, right and verse twenty one. That they all

may be one, as you Father are in me and

I in you, that they also may be one in us.

That the world may.

Believe that you sent me, and the glory which you

gave me, I've given them, that they may be one,

just as we are one.

He repeats it a few times.

I in them and you in me, that they may

be made perfect in one, and that the world may

know that you have sent me and have loved them

as you have loved me.

Amen.

A few times are three four times Jesus praise that

they may be one, and so important for the church,

for the families to be one, to be united.

And that's what I saw in the whole dance team.

Everyone was one, everyone's united. All of us had.

Different practices all over the Klang Valley and you know,

outside the country. But when we came together, there was

just a spirit of oneness and we met and I

told them, you know, during our final rehearsal, we said, look,

this is this is a glimpse of heaven.

Rite people from every tribe and tongue and we're just

all together and we are here to worship God and

bring our gift to the King of Kings. Yeah.

And you know when I recall past performances where we

involve people not from church, so they un church, some

not believers. The main thing that they have commented in

the past is that their experience love. It wasn't about

the again, the skills that we have, because we don't

have as much skill as you know some people out

there maybe, but what the experience was love and care.

So let's remember that unity and love, not just about talent.

Even where we serve in the house, you know, we

bring our talents. But it's not just about the spotlight

and being really.

Good in men.

It's love one another and SB one fifth point. So

when I rewind to my childhood, I've always loved dancing.

I danced in church. I dance in school. Yeah, like uh,

I was that peaks street boys and spicy girls time.

You know, in school we used to perform some of

you don't know who they are, okay, yeah, so I

dies in church and then in schools. I also dance

in clubs. Oh, I was having a conversation. Even during

my college days, I was yes, quite a heavy club patting,

you know.

With friends.

And it was it was actually about the time that

I came came to ex church. So I started university.

Actually college days are from first that time I started

a levels ENTI college, I really started Guinea exposed to

the wildlife because before they're very protected with my family,

my parents, my parents well like yeah for us, my

parents were quite strict. My mom was very strict, and

so I hit a lot of things not so good. Sorry,

I hit a lot of things from them. And but

when I went to college freedom went all out with

friends party. But what it did to me or my

faith is always feeling guilty and call them and stop.

You heard it. I shed it before when I first

started coming to X.

Every Sunday I'll be at the author repenting and boiling

my eyes out Sunday.

Yeah, the song, because the.

Night before I was partying at the club, drinking, dancing,

And then Sunday I repenting in church. And I remember

very clearly one leader at that time. I don't know

whether it was doing U turn when his prayer first

time ride, this leader reminded me.

That the enemy is up.

Their enemy tries to rob us of our destiny. I

was already serving in the dance ministry. I was really

serving in church, but I was also partying outside. And

God knows that that talent and that gift and the

passion that I have which is done right, He takes

in use it outside the enemies, who can use whatever

we have, whatever talent we have, that we can also

use it.

For His kingdom, not opposite kingdom.

And if we read John ten ten, John ten ten,

the thief does not come except to steal and to

kill and to destroy.

Right, That's what the enemy does.

But Jesus says, I've come that they may have life,

and that they may have it more abundantly.

So I can see. You know, the enemy tried to

rob it. I could have let him.

There's many years that it's not like put overnight that

I stopped living the double.

Life, you know.

But but.

See what if if I had not repented, if I'm

not around, if I had not let God work in

my life or not let you know, my mentors and

different leaders speak into my life, we wouldn't have I

wouldn't say. It's not that we wouldn't have what happened

to your faith anivisy someone else. He would have used

someone else and not me. But I'm so privileged to

be a part of that because because God restores a man,

God restored me. If there is you know some of you,

maybe you know there's a calling on your life, maybe

a talent. God spoke to you many years ago when

you're younger. This is what I'm calling you to.

This your talent, but you find it keeps getting used

by other things other than God.

That God restored it. What enemy is stolen got restores. Yes,

I don't have time to go through all of versus,

but we know that it sounds twenty three of us three.

You know, it says that he restores my soul in

Joel Joel two, verse twenty five. Just read that quickly, Jel.

Chapter two Joel.

You there, okay, Chapter two, verse twenty five. It's says,

so I restore to you the years that the swimming

locusts have eaten, the crawling locus, the consuming locusts, and

the chewing locusts.

My great army, which I sent among you men, the

lot will restore.

And yeah, if this's really those of you, because I

have many friends, you know, who know that they're calling

on their life, but just different things. Again, life happens

and the enemy robs them off their calling and they

end up just leaving a mediocre life, just doing fam

just doing life, get married, have kids, have my job,

and that's it. But it's really said because I know

that they have a higher calling. Yeah, so I don't

want anyone next KK to miss that. Okay, hold on

to that. And I also want you to know that

God hasn't forgotten. Even though life happens, God hasn't forgotten.

But you also need to do your part. If you

be speaking to you today. Please obey, obey Shamah Sharmada

word of the Lord. Amen, hallelujah.

Okay, I will close with this last point in Joshua.

We go back to Joshua, chapter twenty four, verse fifteen.

Twenty four, verse fifteen. We all like this verse.

I'll just read the second half. But as for me

and my house, we will serve the Lord. Amen.

One of the reasons why I tell some one of

the reasons why I took so long to have kids

six years I was six years after we got married.

Then only we had kids was because I was afraid

that they will slow me down in ministry. And I

know some some young couples may feel bad also if

you're already in ministry, it's like they will take up

a lot of time.

But again, the one story for another day. But here

we are on third February.

We're standing there and you know whatever, I looked to

each other and we're like our whole families serving, our

whole family.

Is on stage today.

And you know again, essentially they actually made it possible

because I wasn't involving the kids in the dance. But

someonly she's like, oh, we're gonna do resiss im. Can

we get the kids, you know, to join in?

And it reminded me so you.

Know, we saw in the youth the youth, so then

in our kids and it was just a prop moment

for us to see that, Yeah, our family is serving.

And you know, Eli right has been like a few

times when we planned performance for here, he's either sudden

they say I don't want to do it, or sleeping.

I think Christmas he was sleeping in the stroller. But

I'm so glad he pulled through this one.

He was.

I mean they were up since six am in the morning,

but they actually made it. But I just want to say,

you know, young young parents or parents to be hear

me out, the greatest gift you can give you a

child is allowing them to grow up in God's house

and serving with you as a family because at the

end of the day, ultimately we want them to have

person a relationship with Jesus. Right. It's not going to

be the classes that we send them for, you know,

all the skills that they're going to learn, extra curricular stuff.

It is.

Being in God's house and knowing him. And it doesn't start,

you know, like just started this year noise. Yeah, the

two seventeen one is we were running a dance workshop

and share is there just whatever it is around our

legs or but from then, from the time they are born,

actually before that, we know, we really prepare ourselves, like

we will bring.

Our children along to serve with us. And I won't lie.

It is tough. It will be tough, you know.

But once you make that commitment to just stay to

church to serve it my family, Come on, it takes

a whole I'm bung to raise a child. It's a

good place to be. Yeah, everyone else here to also

care for your for your child.

Amen. I will end there, even though I could go

on with some other learnings, but I'll close it. This

band can come up. What would your journey be?

Right? I mean God can speak to us through through

anything in our lives. This is what God has been

speaking to me and encouraging me throughout this time, preparing

for the dance and after the dance and just looking

back with thanksgiving.

What would your journey be this year? Where you say yes?

Won't you say yes to Jesus?

Won't you let him restore your calling or anything that

the enemy has stolen? Once you unite with fellow believers,

be one. Let's love one another. That's up in our

love because because what says right when we are one,

that's when people know.

That He has called us. That's that's the differentiation for

people to know that we are called by Jesus is

when we are one united. Amen.

And I'm blessed to see families serving together here in Kka.

Many of you are serving together as family. And what

do you encourage the younger, the next generation of parents,

those who will have kids, those who are expecting kids already.

They will need our encouragement to keep going. Amen.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

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that this week is going to be a good week

ahead for you. God bless