Pastor James Lee
In December 2018, I was introduced to the Archippus Awakening through Pastor Henson Lim’s second book, Alignment Check. God surely has His own purpose for me to read Alignment Check first instead of Say To Archippus which provides the Awakening Context. From the Alignment Check early readings, the Lord was nudging me to find out more on practical applications of discipleship principles. I have experienced various conventional discipleship “methods and materials”. They are all good. Somehow, I know that I am still missing something. I discovered that it is about experiencing an ongoing process of personal life transformation into Christ’s image by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible!
Praise God for His favour! In August 2019, Pastor Henson Lim and Team Archippus came and conducted the AAA Seminar at the church I am serving. In July 2020, I was invited to attend the AWE2020 via zoom. Only then did I realize that the focus of AWE is Alignment Check. Through it, God helped me to process what practical life transforming discipleship requires and how it looks like.
I was made aware of the Archippian Strategic Process – from understanding the awakening context to an alignment check towards assignment – whereby I made subsequent follow ups to the point I had to respond and act upon what God had revealed! At AWE2020, I was introduced to the Mentoring Alignment Process (MAP). Although not knowing what the requirement and commitment of MAP is, I just signed up for the information session. I discovered that there is a cost which is a lot for a Malaysian. Knowing that MAP is God’s immediate assignment for me to learn life transforming discipleship, I decided to sign up for MAP. Such discipleship is indeed costly! Jesus said that there is a cost to follow Him by denying ourselves and taking up our cross (Matthew 16.24)! MAP helped me to see life transforming discipleship is an ongoing learning process to follow Jesus.
Before signing up for MAP, I was not able to resolve a personal issue for quite some time. It was a personal struggle. It affected my life, my family and the ministry to some extent. My wife was doing her best to help but I still failed to overcome it. She advised me to seek help. But I was not sure who to ask for help. My struggle went on and on no matter how hard I tried to overcome it. I was very desperate. I looked forward to the journey of MAP where I knew I could come into a community of kingdom-minded people to learn to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2.12). While going through the MAP sessions, the Lord opened my eyes to see my misalignments and the root problems in my life. It was at that time I was convicted by the Lord to seek counsel and speak openly with my mentor. God kept speaking to me from His Word so I believe that the Lord is really working in me as Paul said in Philippians 2.13: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” I was enabled by the Holy Spirit to learn to submit to God and obey Him willingly and humbly. What is most amazing is that the Lord touched my wife who noticed and commented that MAP has helped me a lot indeed! Glory to God for He is still working in my life so that I can keep learning to follow Christ and to become like Christ!
Through MAP, the Lord reawakened me to the fundamental key of discipleship and that is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible! In order to remain aligned with God and to fulfil what God has assigned, I need the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible. I am still asking and learning to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to read the Holy Bible on a daily basis.
Thank God for awakening me again where I can walk with the King continuously to learn how to faithfully fulfil the ministry entrusted to me by the King. And I am looking forward to the King’s commendation: “Well done! Good and faithful servant! … Come and share your Master’s happiness.” (Matthew 25.21).
Dear Archippus…
It is not the Word or the Spirit, but both the Word and the Spirit. Whether you are posturing to discover and receive kingdom assignments, or already moving on them, you need the Holy Spirit. You need to feed on the Word. The Word is a Person, God Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth. Henson writes in Alignment Check, “You cannot do this on your own. Every kingdom initiative is a spiritual exercise that requires spiritual empowerment. Jesus Himself was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power (Acts 10:38).”
About Ps James Lee
Ps James is married to Emily and they have a son Elisha. Ps James pastors a church in Sandakan, Sabah. He keeps fit through his regular runs.