Jude's Testimony

Jude's Testimony

I was serving in my church back in K.K, Sabah ( the best place to live! ) and I though that I served without much complaint, I thought that I gave God my all, and that I gave him all that I have. But as the years went by, I felt that it was getting a bit boring for me, I felt really complacent, and in the end I felt that it became a routine for me. I wasn’t improving musically and definitely not improving spiritually.

Then one day I came across a verse from John 4:23, which went like:

“And the time will come when TRUE WORSHIPERS will come and worship in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, for these are the kind of worshipers that the Father seeks"

It hit me then, coz’ I did not feel that way, I felt that I wasn’t a true worshiper, and I wanted to understand more of being a true worshiper, I wanted to know what does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth. I wanted to change myself. Thus the search began

I heard of 1a.m and their ministries years ago when they 1^st came to K.K back in the year 2001, coz’ they were doing some workshops and stuff like that. They came again at 2007, and one thing that caught me was their PASSION. I saw a passion in them that reflected in their worship, in their lifestyle, in their actions but I couldn’t really piece out what it was. Then during a Sunday service 1a.m led a worship session, and right after that I felt something different in me. I felt changed! I felt that I wanted MORE of God. Then I understood the vision that 1a.m has: WORSHIP BRINGS CHANGE. So I thought, I wanted THAT, and I wanted to be with a group of people whose heart is to worship, and inspire worship as well.

So I fasted and prayed to God, asking Him for his plans and His will to be done in me, coz’ I really wanted to change. So one day one of the 1a.m members came up to me and asked me if I would consider joining 1a.m. I KNEW that God answered my prayers! Eventually I said yes, and now I’m serving together with 1a.m, and it’s been a blast.

I know in my heart that I can live a lifestyle of the vision that worship really does bring change together with 1a.m, and really to understand how to become a true worshiper is really my worship to God changes me inside out, and I’m still changing today.

Jude joined 1a.m on Feb 17, 2008.

Sabah Trip

As a full-time worship ‘minister’, it doesn’t take too much before certain things begin to feel a little dry. Suddenly trying to stir people’s hearts in the presence of the Lord becomes something it should never be; nothing more than a duty, a responsibility that you bear the burden to carry. Even as you get more skilled at playing the songs, or more accustomed to building the environment with your instrument, there is still a stark difference that shows and comes through when you’re not there yourself for God, not tuned in to worship yourself. It’s something that can’t be explained.

Our first concert in Sabah went pretty well by technical standards, hardly any mistakes, the flow went down smoothly, a ‘performance’ by any means in which you’d expect a roaring uplifting of great enthusiasm from the congregation. However, sadly the reality was they didn’t sound much more than polite claps, it didn’t look as if they were ministered to very much if at all. There was something missing that night; it was the tangibility of the Holy Spirit. If there was one thing I learnt this trip, it’s the most important component to any worship service. Too many times we over emphasize the importance of skill, playing the right notes at the right time, and while nevertheless important, we forget the most important part, the part that makes the biggest difference; the Holy Spirit.You could visibly see the difference in environment when it came to our second concert. This time we took the time to prepare our hearts, internally and externally, to make it a point to worship him ourselves, and repented for not doing so in the concerts we did not. Most important of all, we humbled ourselves, that despite all we’ve been through, we still needed God to do anything at all.

To be frank, the 2^nd concert wasn’t that much different in how well we played. However, it was how we worshipped, and how we brought worship. The congregation went crazy, they lifted their hands, some bowed, some cried. The difference? It wasn’t us, it was presence of God.It teaches me that you can’t depend on yourself to make a difference in worship.

Make a prayer to God when you minister, we need Him.TJ1am