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Remain Where You Are

Remembering our church' humble beginning, we actually started as a home church in our Point Cook residence and our very first service, though attended by Narre Warren delegations with a spirit of celebrations, were not more than ten (10) person who were from West Melbourne area. Everyone are really happy to witness this breakthrough in FBGC-IAFB Australia and they were congratulating us as we opened this worship service. However, that was only temporary as the succeeding services were attended only by few and always with the same familiar faces.

I was then beginning to ask our God, is this really going to progress or not. First, it was planted in a young town of Point Cook, although it is a progressing suburb, there are only few people that we know in this area and to complicates things, everyone of us are amateur in church planting. Second, I am not really an active evangelist although but thank God we have one who are so eager and passionate about his calling as an evangelist. Third, I was just a newly ordained pastor of this church and I am totally clueless of how to lead our Church. Lastly, our pioneering members are indeed newly converts.

I keep on praying to God and asking Him for more wisdom and fresh revelation of His Word that at least in ministering to His people, they will remain and continue to their faith and be equipped as we continue to build God's church in this area. Four months after, our place of worship were moved from our home to one of the Community Room in Featherbrook Community Centre and seven months later occupied the whole centre. And Now, a month before our First Anniversary; here is the ministry of God, remain standing and still growing from less than 10 persons, God draws more souls to Jesus and our strength increases 500 percent to 45-50 including the children. Indeed, the younger people are outnumbering the adults which gives me a vision that God is continuously blooming his vineyard in FBGC Point Cook.

I was reminded by Apostle Paul in his epistle at 1 Cor 7:20 when he wrote that "Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them." Our branches is rooted not in our own works but to Vine of God, our Lord Jesus, that as we keep Him to be the Core of our Faith as a church, He will take care of us and the rest of what our church needs. Instead of missing the joy in serving our God, why we don't simply enjoy it and focus in wholehearted service to the Lord while He continue to equip ourselves in preparation for the higher level of service in His ministry. He can bring us to anywhere He want whether we like it or not. It may look like difficult to grow, but with Jesus, this fear will be overcome by His abundant love.

As we face the new year with a new theme of Year of Spiritual Momentum, let us continue the work of God's hand in our lives not only in our church but also to our daily lives. Last year was a Spiritual Breakthrough and everyone receives our freedom from any bondage of sin through the love of Jesus in all aspects of our lives. And moving forward, we will continue the flame burning in our hearts to do the work of His ministries so that we can glorify our God through the empowering of His Spirit that works within us. I pray to you that "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph 3:20-21).

God bless us all!

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