13 August 2014 by Rev Dr Steven Kau -

Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministry had published a booklet entitled, “The Formidable Christ.” In his booklet, Dr. Kennedy states, “There was much more to Jesus than is portrayed in most of our churches today. We do not see Jesus as formidable but merely ‘Gentle Jesus, meek and mild.’ We have turned His meekness into weakness and His gentleness to fear. There was something formidable about Christ.”

Dr D. James Kennedy (ref : http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ6JXru4XwE/Ukv02s5obvI/AAAAAAAAAXU/mzn6-qV2_Q4/s1600/DJamesKennedy2.jpg)

Kennedy writes, “He could look into the hearts of people and read their thoughts and there was something about His purity and holiness that seemed to be seen in every glance of His eye. He would look into the face of a man who was about to stretch out his hand and take Him and the man who freeze with fear.” Over and over again in the Bible we read this phrase: “What kind of man is this?” (Matthew 8:27) It was the formidable Christ who could excite dread and awe in the hearts of men.”

It is interesting to note, when delicate or controversial issues arise within our communities, we are instructed by clergy and church members to be “Christ-like” in our response. I have heard and read it so many times before; let’s see, we are to turn the other cheek, love and do good to our enemies, be accepting and not offend anyone, mind our own business and not judge anything, just simply be nice, a “have a good day” sort of thing. But in a dying world, any pastor that adjusts his sermons to appease the cowardly is not worth the price of a good spittoon.

ref : http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-the-morality-of-compromise-sounds-contradictory-compromise-is-usually-a-sign-of-weakness-or-an-andrew-carnegie-32026.jpg

What does it really mean to be “Christ-like?” The apostle John said we must be willing to “walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6) So with that thought in mind, let’s take a quick stroll through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to see how our Master walked. For the time being, let’s leave His teaching aside, which we are also admonished to follow and look solely at His actions.

Let’s look at what Jesus actually did, rather than what we would like to believe about Him!

• Jesus did not preach the good news only. His prophecies about the future were often very frightening. His teachings are not some “Here are my feelings, what do you think?” philosophy. Almost every time Jesus went into the temple it was to have controversy with the wicked leaders. (John 2:7-8; Mark 11: Luke 19; Matthew 21) When He visited the synagogue it was the same. (Luke 4; Mark 1-3)

• In Matthew we find that Jesus rebuked His followers and irritated religious leaders by healing on the Sabbath. He called the Pharisees hypocrites and vipers and didn’t care when they were offended because they didn’t like that He “collared outside the lines of their man-made religion.” He rebuked Peter, was exasperated at the people’s unbelief and stood up for children.

ref : http://www.laidlaw.ac.nz/images/blog/pharisees-question-jesus.jpg

• In Mark we see Jesus was angry and distressed at stubborn hearts, “borrowed” a colt without permission, cursed a tree and it died.

• In Luke He said true but insulting things to people from His home town, rebuked John and James, insulted religious leaders, made sure His disciples were armed with swords and referred to Herod as a “Fox.”

ref : http://www.joyfulheart.com/easter/images-tissot/tissot-the-merchants-chased-from-the-temple-746×471.jpg

• In John He made a whip and drove business men from the temple and vandalized their property. He talked to a strange woman (against the custom), called people on their duplicity, offended people with His hard teaching and called religious leaders children of the devil. He considered it better to let Mary use expensive perfume on Him rather than sell it and give the money to the poor and showed no respect for the high priest.

• Jesus praised His cousin, John the Baptist, who judged and publicly ridiculed Herod for adultery. Jesus said of him, “For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.” Can you imagine Jesus apologizing to Herod for what His cousin said about Herod’s adulterous lifestyle? Not in your life?

ref : http://www.thinkingfaith.org/sites/default/files/styles/article_full_687/public/field/image/20100218_TheTemptation.jpg?itok=dW25PbFz

• Though it may anger some, it happens to be a fact that when some people attempted to seek Jesus for help, he would withdraw to a private place and not immediately help them. One illustration is in Matthew 15:21-29 where Jesus innately refused to answer the request of a Canaanite woman whose daughter was demon possessed. Today’s popular Jesus would have emptied every graveyard, hospital and healed every disease, cast out every demon and answered every prayer and never refused a request for aid. Yet, the real Jesus did refuse to listen to this woman initially and had it not been for her persistence and intensity and for her faithful answer to a question she was asked, the account in Matthew clearly indicated Jesus would have stolidly refused to have helped the woman’s daughter.

• A chilling analogy comes from the parable in the nineteen chapter of Luke where Jesus said, “But bring here these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and slay them before me.” (19:27)

This was the kind of person who drew great crowds of thousands, yet often made people terribly uncomfortable. His brand of kindness was not always a sweet medicine. If, Webster says, nice means to be pleasing, agreeable or socially acceptable, then Jesus was not very nice. His life and His death proved the point.

The principle of give or forgiveness, loving and sharing was what Jesus preached and practiced. But never did He intend to imply that a Christian under His New Testament teaching was not obligated to obey the commandments which He Jesus, in His pre-existent state had written with His own finger! The Christian Church would not have advanced beyond Jerusalem and would have been stopped before it got started if it had relied on the timid, soft-sell propaganda that is used today to define our Lord.

ref : http://www.writingsinrhyme.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/jesus-synagogue.jpg

If there are clergy in your church aggressively speaking out regarding the evils that have invaded our society (and there are a few brave souls who have), why not call or write them? Show them your appreciation and offer your support. The road can be lonely if traveled alone.

To the Christian leaders who suggest we retreat to the safety of our “holy burrows” and “holy huddles,” I would like to ask:

• At what point will you rise to defend your beliefs, or have you lost your spiritual backbone completely?
• Is there any evil plummeting our country that you would put your reputation in jeopardy to challenge?
• Is there any sin within our society where you would draw the line and say “no more?”

Maybe it’s moral ignorance. Maybe its past generations which clung to nothing of virtue. Maybe we have neglected to pass these ideas along; imagining society would somehow derive the principles needed to guide our lives. I don’t know what it is. I only know it scares me that so many people have become blasé about ethics and public trust and others, so alert to the public affront, seem incapable of moral indignation. How long have you watched the ethical free-fall around you without speaking your mind?

Former Alabama Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore sums it up quite well. Moore says he sees the American nation wandering in a maze, searching for a lost morality. “That’s where we are,” he concludes. “We don’t have a distinction between right and wrong. That’s why I see before my court kids committing murder. That’s why I see politicians ripping off the public. That’s why I see education standards plummeting; we’ve lost our morality. We’ve lost a sense of right and wrong. We’ve lost a relationship with God.”

ref : http://jonmcnaughton.com/content/ZoomDetailPages/OneNationUnderGod_files/one_nation_under_God.jpg

The original disciples of Jesus paid with their lives for doing what they believed Jesus would do. Jesus showed us how to live and how to die. He showed us how to uphold God’s purpose for our lives and has called us to be His salt and light in a dark and dying world. You cannot refuse His call and still call Him Lord.

Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. Those that customize Jesus in order to justify all manner of wrongful behavior, are the same frauds that teach He will reject no one for His Kingdom. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were religious fanatics that were spiritually proud while being morally corrupt. They were hypocrites. They persecuted Jesus and finally succeeded in killing Him.

ref : https://backofthechoir.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/throne-of-judgment.jpg

Brethren our Jesus is a formidable personality. Be proud to keep His banner lifted high. Don’t you dare “declaw” the Lion of Judah! He is and will always be “The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.” Amen.

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14 August 2014 by Jason Law CM -

Malaysian Christians are favored by God when it comes to music. This year alone, we have already had Jesus Culture, The Planetshakers, Paul Baloche, Paul Wilbur, and Dez Duron come to lead us in wonderful sessions of worship. And before the year’s end, we will have the Grammy-award-winning Israel Houghton come to Malaysia. Last July 5th, tNCC was blessed by Bob Fitts and his wife, Kathy.

Bob and Kathy Fitts has led worship across the world (ref : https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5269/5766337478_11c16369b0_z.jpg)

Bob Fitts and his wife Kathy are unique in that they are a husband and wife songwriting and worship-leading team, working closely together and on equal levels. Together, they have performed in thousands of concerts all over the world, having close fellowship and working together with fellow song-writers and composers like Don Moen, Paul Baloche, and Kelly Willard.

Bob and Kathy during an earlier trip to Malaysia, 2013

Back during an earlier visit to Malaysia last year, Bob and Kathy shared a little about their ministry. It was a dream that they had ever since they were in high school; to bring healing to God’s people on a global level. In 1990, they started a school of worship in Hawaii and they have never looked back since then. During his concert, Bob shared that he and his wife spent most of their time travelling the world, in obedience to God’s calling for their ministry.

‘We belong to one family, and though Christians from across the world may not get to meet each other, we do have the same Father and we should learn to enjoy His presence together. There is no limit in worship before our Father, so be encouraged to express our hearts and feel free in our worship,’ sis Kathy Fitts invited at the start of the concert.

Sis Kathy Fitts sharing at the concert.

Sis Kathy shared about their first trip in Malacca and that they had a special bond for Malaysia, with lots of history with our nation. In fact, the Fitts’ second son was baptized in the Straits of Malacca! ‘We say Amen and give thanks for every good thing He gives, individually and in this country. There is a lot more going on, and Jesus is absolutely the Lord of all,’ sis Kathy encouraged.

Bob and Kathy Fitts in concert, tNCC

There is an authoritative and captivating atmosphere of joy in the songs that the Fitts write, and in songs like ‘He Is Lovely’, ‘I’m Held By Your Love’, ‘Sacrifice’, and especially in such celebrated songs as ‘Blessed Be The Lord God Almighty’ and ‘The Lord Reigns’, this joy at the sense of God’s great love shine out. From the start of their serving about 30 years ago, they have lifted up the spirits of many within their special area with these songs, sharing the message of God’s abundant grace, bringing hope and healing throughout the world.

Bob Fitts

‘I am so grateful to God for coming into my life. Kathy and I are grateful that because of His truth, the glory of God is in the house. The Church is a bride in His house. David celebrated the presence of God back in his day in Israel. I am so grateful that what we have today with God is not just sort of a moveable presence of God, but a set presence of God in our lives, and He never changes.

‘Jesus said these words; “I’ll never leave nor forsake you. Isn’t that awesome? He is with us. Our God! And when we come into His presence together like this, we celebrate His presence and His Truth,’ bro Bob shared, before leading the church into the revered hymn, ‘Blessed Assurance’.

Bob and Kathy Fitts during autograph session.

Bob and Kathy shared two hours of praise and worship with tNCC, before ending with a meet-and-greet as well as an autograph session with their many supporters after the concert. Bob and Kathy also led praise in Grace Convention Center on the 6th of July and are currently on an Asian tour until September 2014.

Further Links
You can find out more about Bob Fitts at www.bobfitts.com
Find out more about tNCC at http://www.tncchurch.org/

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14 August 2014 -

Meet the boy band C-Four-J, which stands for Come-4-Jesus!

Home-grown from Kajang Assembly of God in 2004, C-Four-J consist of Jeshurun Vincent as Vocalist and Lead Guitarist, Gabriel Daniel as the Band’s Bassist, Joel Rabbinath as the band’s drummer, and Jason Jeba as the band’s lead guitarist.

The band is inspired by Contemporary Christian Bands and Christian Rock Band such as Casting Crowns, Hillsong, and Planetshakers, where they recently debut their first album ‘Agape My Friends’ at the Kajang Assembly of God.

The C-Four-J Band

Take a sneak peak for their album, consisting of four English songs and four Tamil songs. One of their songs is currently played in the local radio ‘Minnal FM’.

If you love their songs, download them for FREE on their website www.cfourj.com !

“Our motive is to give the songs for free for the purpose of salvation for all friends who have yet to know Jesus,” said Jeshurun quoting Matt 10:8 that says, “Freely you have received, freely you give.”

Contact them for concerts and any praise/worship events. The band has ministered before in Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia.

ABOUT C-Four-J

Co-founder of the band, JESHURUN is the vocalist and lead guitarist. He grew up listening to Petra, Megadeth, Metallica, and S.O.A.D. Playing the guitar in his church worship team since 16 years old, he is also a songwriter, financer, and producer for their ‘Agape My Friends’ album.

GABRIEL, also known as ‘Gabby’ is the band’s bassist and a church musician for the past three years. An experienced ‘sound man’, he is currently studying multimedia in Malvern College in Kuala Lumpur.

Drummer JOEL grew up in a family of talented drummers. Starting from the church’s praise and worship, he started his interest in drumming at 10 years old.

Sixteen-year old JASON, guitarist and also the youngest member in the band, came from a family of musicians. Starting to play the guitar at 10 years old, he leads the band and creates riffs for the songs.

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14 August 2014 by Mindy Oon CM - 

你是否对自己的生活感到厌倦呢？或总是觉得自己不知还能撑多久呢？相信我们都曾经历过，觉得自己不堪重负、压力和疲惫至极。其实我们可以不用这样过活，因为靠着上帝的帮助，我们能够不需要对自己的生活感到过分压力。

撒旦一直要我们相信压力是生活中的一部分，是很自然的事。同时，也想要我们尝试并应付生活中所面对的压力与厌倦感，却不愿意我们战胜这些压力和厌倦！正是因为我们不习惯战胜压力，因此每当我们碰到棘手的事情时，我们自然的第一个反应就是紧张。举例来说，当有人要到家里来做客，而家里稍微需要一些整理的时候，我们就会感到压力；或是当老板要约见我们的时候；又或是让我们担忧的房屋贷款。

翱翔风暴之上

无论如何，每当我们感到压力太大的时候，上帝总是有美好的预备留给我们。以赛亚书 40章31节这么说，“但那些仰望耶和华的人，必重新得力；他们必像鹰一样展翅上腾；他们奔跑，也不困倦，他们行走，也不疲乏”。无可否认的，一些比较挑战和艰辛的日子确实是在我们生命中免不了的。但是，无论日子有多挑战和复杂，神的话语告诉我们，我们可以在祂里面得着安息。

在以赛亚书40章31节中清楚告诉我们，神会使我们如鹰展翅上腾。就像鹰一样，当风暴来袭时，它并不会慌张。鸡或许会逃跑，而鸵鸟会将自己的头埋在沙堆中，但是鹰却会利用风暴的风势来帮助自己翱翔在更高的天空里。鹰是会翱翔在风暴之上的。我们其实需要像老鹰一样，当风暴来袭时，不需要感到压力不堪。我们只需要学习如何平静安稳在神的面前等候神。

改变你的外在

不知道你是否发现到，往往都是我们生命中一些芝麻绿豆的小事让我们感到压力不堪及疲倦。就像车子抛锚、孩子上学迟到、年幼的小孩将奶瓶打翻、困在车龙中、薪水迟迟不发等。

对我们而言，相信这些事情并不陌生。很多的时候，我们甚至对这些情况感到无可奈何。但是我们需要明白到，不单是这些事情让我们感到厌倦，而我们如何看待这些事情的态度也会影响我们的情绪。我们或许无法改变环境，但是我们能够改变自己的态度和处事方式。

当你清楚知道有神在你的心里，而祂是你力量的泉源，在祂凡事都能时，压力就无法在你生命中占有一席之位。那些挑战你极限的事正建立你的信心；那些让你觉得很为难的人正提醒你向神祷告；还有那些很可怕的问题如今也要使你变得更刚强。我们是时候明白到有神与我们同在，即便遇见困难和挑战，我们都能欣然度过。

马太福音 6:25-34提醒我们不要为了生命的繁杂琐事而感到压力不堪，因为天父永远都看顾我们。

“所以我告诉你们，不要为生命忧虑吃什么，喝什么。为身体忧虑穿什么。生命不胜于饮食吗？身体不胜于衣裳吗？你们看那天上的飞鸟，也不种，也不收，也不积蓄在仓里，你们的天父尚且养活它。你们不比飞鸟贵重得多吗？你们哪一个能用思虑使寿数多加一刻呢？（或作使身量多加一肘呢）何必为衣裳忧虑呢？你想野地里的百合花，怎么长起来，它也不劳苦，也不纺线。然而我告诉你们，就是所罗门极荣华的时候，他所穿戴的，还不如这花一朵呢。你们这小信的人哪，野地里的草今天还在，明天就丢在炉里，神还给它这样的妆饰，何况你们呢。所以不要忧虑，说，吃什么？喝什么？穿什么？这都是外邦人所求的。你们需用的这一切东西，你们的天父是知道的。你们要先求他的国和他的义。这些东西都要加给你们了。所以不要为明天忧虑。因为明天自有明天的忧虑。一天的难处一天当就够了。”

将你的忧虑交托给你在天上的父

就像老鹰一样，我们也能够翱翔在风暴之上。若你感到太过压力或疲惫，千万不要放弃，因为神与你同在，祂永远不会撇下你。彼得前书 5:7说，‘你们要将一切的忧虑卸给神，因为他顾念你们。’不要再让自己过不堪重负的生活了。当碰见使你措手不及的事时，向神求那出人意外的平安吧！腓立比书4章6至7节说到，‘应当一无挂虑，只要凡事借着祷告，祈求，和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里，保守你们的心怀意念。’

Note: This article was translated by Joycelyn Loh in Christianity Malaysia (CM).Amen.

References for pictures:

http://www.blackstoneorthopedics.com/stress-can-affect-body/

http://www.izreke-citati.com/eagles-in-the-storm/

https://amanderings.wordpress.com/2011/10/

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/cast-your-cares-on-lord-j-l.html 

14 Aug 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

We love different things in life, from coffee, books, soccer, traveling, food…and then, there is God. Somehow, talking about loving God amidst these trivialities makes loving God sound much weightier and more profound—a love that pierces into our hearts.

On 10^th of August, Pr Alex Tan shared about loving God in DUMC. He said, “The big idea is that you cannot completely love God without a more thorough understanding of his complete and covenantal love of his people. We love God who first loved us greatly. In other words, to love Him, we must know His Love.”

Pr Alex Tan, NextGen pastor

As a God of covenants, Pr Alex shared how God made a covenantal love with the fellow Israelites. From the beginning, the Lord has been trying to reach out to us in love.

⁷ The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. ⁸ But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ⁹ Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. 

(Deut 7:7-9)

When were these words spoken? Pr Alex shared that the words above were spoken to the Israelites who broke out from their Egyptian slavery of 400 years. (Acts 7:6) Wandering in the hot desert, they were traveling to the Promised Land, depending on God to preserve them from the harsh desert conditions and also attacks of the King of Hesbon and Bashan. Yet, despite witnessing God’s miraculous powers, they still chose to distrust, disobey, and rebel against God in their journey.

“These are the people that God had been reminding them that his covenant with them is renewed in their generation, and that his promises are true,” said Pr Alex.

Ref : earnthis

While instructing the Israelites for God’s decrees, Moses called out, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.”(Deut 6:4-6)

Pr Alex shared that the word ‘HEAR’ or ‘shema’ in Hebrew above means reciting the Word of God every morning and evening to hear. To stay in covenant, we need to keep His Words in our hearts and minds, meditating on them every day.

He also shared that the word ‘OUR’ (in Deut 6:4 above) denotes ownership because we tend to neglect things we do not take ownership of.  He shared for example how a church-owned guitar began to deteriorate because nobody took ownership of the guitar. Likewise, if we do not take ownership of the love covenant God has made with us by actively pursuing Him, our relationship with Him deteriorates as well. Ownership of the covenant meant acknowledging who God is in our life and following His Way in all areas of our life.

“It’s not anybody’s God out there but He is my God who pursues me, beckons me, woos me, because I belong to Him and I am His, and He is mine,” said Pr Alex.

Ref : ithoughtiknewwhatlovewas

Finally, the word ‘ONE’ (in Deut 6:4 above) denotes that the Lord God is supreme and there is no one else like Him. This is because the God we have is a God who consciously and deliberately ‘set his affection’ on us though we are not qualified. We love Him because He first loved us! (1 John 4:19) Commonly repeated throughout the Bible, prophet Jeremiah also testified on God’s love, which says, “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jer 31:3)

Only when we understand that the extent of God’s love for us, we can be filled to the measure of ‘all the fullness of God’! (Eph 3:17-19) And when we experience the fullness of His Love in us (1 John 4:8), we are able to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength! (Deut 6:5)

¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:17-19)

 

Ref : dvr-bible

But Pr Alex shared how many of us can truly love God with all our hearts all the time, in reality. Jer 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

“Some say that God has to have so many covenants. Is it because they fail? God’s covenant did not fail but it shows the extent of the human hearts that are so hard to respond and change,” said Pr Alex.

He shared the only way to we can get a hold of our hearts is to obey His commands because this is the love for God.

³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

(1 John 5:3-4)

Pr Alex Tan singing a self-composed song of his love for God

“We are here to respond to God’s love. Does my love for God make me live it? Loving God is not about perfection, but a whole-hearted affection. Even when we fall, we can always come back,” said Pr Alex. 

Do not worry, you are qualified for His Love.

For more information, please visit http://dumc.my/

Address | Dream Centre, 2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

English Celebrations @ Auditorium | SAT 5.00 PM | SUN 10.00 AM

Chinese Celebration | SAT 8 PM @ HALL 3 | SUN 9:30 AM @ HALL 1

Bahasa Malaysia Celebration | SUN 10 AM HALL 2

Tamil Celebration | SUN 2 PM HALL 1

Myanmar Celebration | TUE 11:45 PM @ HALL 3 | SUN 3:30 PM @ ROOM 103

Nepalese Celebration | SAT 8:30 PM @ ROOM 102

Note:  This article is written from the perspective and interpretation of the writer, to condense and accentuate the ideas of the pastor in a more understandable and readable way.

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15 August 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

On 9^th of August, LifePoint Subang Jaya Assembly of God (SJAG) held a spelling competition called Shuffle Champ Spelling Competition, which drew more than 130 children aged 4 to 12 years old, from the schools and kindergartens in the nearby community area.

Participants of the Shuffle Champ Spelling Competition singing

“It’s a creative way to reach out to kids. The Shuffle Champ Spelling Competition has its dual purpose of reaching out to the kids with the gospel and improving literacy in the community,” said Pr Petra Ho, creator of Shuffle Champ.

Held for the second time this year, Shuffle Champ is a fun game for children to learn spelling by stringing together cubes with printed letters of the alphabet to make the word they hear.

“I love to see children read at an early age. So, when I see children beginning to read at 2 or 3 years old, I get really excited! I am somewhat an educator at heart,” said Pr Petra Ho, whose passion budded from formerly teaching her own children and teaching at Rainbow Montessori School in SS18 and Tadika Tunas Didik in SJAG where she was the principal.

The participants playing games

Shally Chin from Kajang AOG came to observe the competition, in hope to run this same event in her church. Due to the decreasing size of her children ministry, she desires to grow her church through community evangelism.

“We are looking for a program that is not threatening.  We don’t want it to be churchy either. Because Shuffle Champ is a spelling competition for children, we felt that this is a good outreach program,” said Shally Chin.

Sr Pr Wong Yin Ming of SJAG added that Shuffle Champ is relevant to the community because education is very important for families with children, especially in mastering the English language.

“We are trying to build bridges with the community by having projects that are relevant to them. From this, we hope to build friendships and let them know we are here to help and serve, not pushing the gospel to them,” said Pr Wong.

Shuffle Champ Spelling Competition

While the children were competing, parents were treated to a Christian-inspired movie entitled ‘Fireproof’ in another room.  Pr Petra shared, “Many parents found the movie touching and some were even teary-eyed. It was great to see parents coming out together with their kids to have a fun family time!”

There are nine categories in the competition, with prizes for children getting first, second, and third. Here are the first-prize winners for each age-group category:

• 4-year-old category – Lim Zi Yip
• 5-year-old category –  Nathan Tang Yi Xiang
• 6-year-old category –  Alexandria Ng Shu Lynn
• 7-year-old category Group A –  Natalie Fong Su-Ling
• 7-year-old category Group B -  Hong Yi Cheng
• 8-year-old category -  Paris Chow
• 9-year-old category –  Joanne Yoong
• 10-year-old category –  Lim Jing Ren
• 11 to 12-year-old category – Ng Qian Xi

A joyful family who brought their children to join the Shuffle Champ Spelling Competition

SHUFFLE CHAMP, a reading program cum word game, is available in Cosway and bookshops such as Canaanland and Burning Bush. It comes complete with seven cubes, a game board, blue and red cards, two read/coloring books, a learning DVD, and a brochure.

ABOUT Pr Petra: She is also the creator of the Bible Phonics Program, which teaches children how to read. Every lesson has a Bible story, a puppet skit, and an object lesson. The program comes with   DVD for parents and a CD for teachers to print out teaching aids, flashcards, blending letters, word lists, sight words, matching activities, recording booklets, etc.  Just by watching the DVD alone, children can learn how to read.  Together with the bonus track, the Bible Phonics Program covers all the 44 sounds in the English Language.

Parents with children aged 4 to 6 year old can also enroll their kids for the Phonics and Reading Class held at Rainbow Montessori School on Wed, 4.00 PM – 5.30 PM beginning this September.  This class uses the Bible Phonics Program as well as Shuffle Champ. For further information and fees, please contact Rainbow Montessori School at 03-56310171, located at SS18, Subang Jaya.

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15 August 2014 -

iBridge Camp 2012 (ref : http://ibridgecamp-2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/ibridge-camp-is-back-once-again.html)

• Missing the good old days of Christian fellowship over meals, sharing and prayers?
• Have Christian friends from other churches or denominations?
• Looking to connect, to have fun, to learn and to contribute?

Join iBridge camp 2014!

Date : 29th Aug – 1st Sept 2014 (Friday – Monday)
Venue: Outbac Broga, Semenyih (www.outbacbroga.com)
Fee : RM200 (Fresh graduates that have financial difficulties can apply for discount)

GCF iBridge is a ministry for fresh Christian graduates and young professionals. A growing community of young adults Christians aims to encourage networking, build spiritual friendship and mentoring among young graduates. They are here to help graduates transition from campus life to the working world.

ref : http://ibridgecamp-2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/ibridge-camp-is-back-once-again.html

Every year, 80 to 120 graduates, age 23 to 40 from all over Malaysia attend iBridge camp. It is an inter denomination Christian camp, focusing on young adults, marketplace and nation building topics!

This year’s Plenary Speaker, Pr James Daniel (To find out more about Pr Daniel and the workshop speakers, go to http://ibridgecamp-2014.blogspot.com/p/camp-speakers.html)

This year, the camp is situated in a rural area where you’d have to pass by some old kampungs before reaching the campsite. It’s a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the big city. It’s also a good way to go back to nature while enjoying the sunny weather under the blue skies with green foliage surrounding the campsite. You don’t wanna miss this out!

ref : http://dusuntua.com/images/listing_photos/156_outbacbroga4.jpg

Registration Form : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGgteWRKOF9EVXFCTnEyOEtjUHJGbkE6MA#gid=0

iBridge Camp 2014 Blog : http://j.mp/ibcamp2014
iBridge Camp Video Promo : http://youtu.be/BPy62o_Yqyc
iBridge Camp Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/events/711754898889336/
Camp Speakers & Topics : http://ibridgecamp-2014.blogspot.com/p/camp-speakers.html

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15 August by Lim Poh Ann -

In light of the pressure faced by persecuted Christians in the Middle East, this is an important question that needs to be asked.

Many of us think it is highly unlikely that genuine Christians will deny God except under extremely trying circumstances—like when a gun barrel is pointed at one’s head.

However, it is possible for true believers to deny Christ because God gave every man a free will—that which ultimately determines whether His grace is efficacious for man.

Furthermore, various push and pull factors can cause even genuine believers to deny Christ whose blood was shed for man’s sins.

ref : http://www.mvmediaatl.com/Wagadu/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Push-Pull-theory2.jpg

Push factors include use of duress, blackmail and threats to one’s family, property, security or survival. One example is forced denial through gunpoint.

Pull factors include the lust for power, riches and fleshly pleasures. Initially this ‘pull category’ merely causes believers to backslide. As the spiritual decline worsens, the heart may become hardened—and satan has a veritable foothold in their lives. Evil indulgences and sinful pursuits may then lead to a ‘point of no return’—where even genuine believers may deny God.

ref : http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/054/8/d/The_Parable_of_the_Sower_by_randyw.jpg

In the Parable of the Sower, the seed which fell among thorns represents those who receive God’s message well at first but later get choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures. The result is that they fail to mature and bear fruit, unlike the seed which fell on good soil (Luke 8:14-15).

The predisposing factor for believers to deny God is their sinful nature. While there is no sin that God’s grace and mercy cannot avail, we must not swing to the other extreme and underestimate the reality of our inner nature.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Referring to the ugliness of our sinful nature, theologian John R. W. Stott states: “Indeed, an honest and humble acknowledgment of the hopeless evil of our flesh, even after the new birth, is the first step to holiness. To speak quite plainly, some of us are not leading holy lives for the simple reason that we have too high an opinion of ourselves.” — Men Made New (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1966), p. 74.

Denial of one’s faith is possible

“If we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12b). Paul was certainly addressing a young believer in his letter.

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1).

‘Bought by the precious blood of Christ’ (1 Peter 1:19) refers to true believers whose lives have experienced God’s forgiveness and cleansing.

Peter spent so much time moving around and living with the Master. He had the enviable privilege of witnessing His miraculous power and Transfiguration (with James and John of the inner circle). He confessed that Jesus was the Christ when others were not sure. We would think he would be the last person to deny Christ. But we are sadly mistaken.

So when people tell me that those who deny Christ were never really converted in the first place, I am truly puzzled. How are we going to reconcile this misguided stance with the evidence from scriptures, biblical examples and contemporary examples that show that it is possible for believers to deny God?

Denial of one’s faith will increase amid end time persecution

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:9-13).

In the above Olivet Discourse, Jesus was addressing his disciples, telling them what to expect during the end times (or rather the beginning of the end).

A state of apostasy is worse than a state of ignorance

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Peter 2:20-21).

God can overlook lapses of faith but denial is more serious

“If we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself”
(2 Timothy 2:12-13).

Impossible to restore believers who commit apostasy

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6: 4-8).

Everyone means all—no exception—Christians or pre-believers

“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

What is the fate of believers who deny Christ—whose faith does not endure till the end?

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
‘Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.’
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:36-39).

Jesus’ teaching implies that only those who do not give up their faith amid persecution will be saved

“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:9-13).

Humility needed

The purpose of sharing this post is to warn believers: We mustn’t think that we are so strong that we will definitely not turn away from God (1 Corinthians 10:12). Instead let’s “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) so that we may be preserved from this tragic state where we deny the Master who bought us with His precious blood.

ref : http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5UII_UOrP_c/TjitZQ64nCI/AAAAAAAAAMY/QrEAqSctGyc/s1600/Peter_denies_Christ.png

Lest we say it won’t happen to us, let’s remember what happened to Peter—he denied the Master three times.

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Let us emulate the tax collector’s humility. He, who would not even dare to look up to heaven, beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner’ (Luke 18:9-14).

ref : http://www.goandproclaim.co.za/downloads/image/worship.jpg

Of course, it would not be fair if I fail to allude to the fact that God who began the good work in us will bring it to completion one day (Philippians 1:6). Neither should I fail to mention that God gave a reprieve to Peter even though he denied Him three times.

However, we need to play our part too:

• Build ourselves up in our most holy faith (Jude 1:20).
• Be all the more diligent to confirm our calling and election (2 Peter 1:10).
• Bear fruits that befit repentance (Luke 3:8).
• Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him (2 Peter 3:14).

Lastly, let’s cry out to God that He will enable us to remain strong and steadfast in these perilous and tumultuous end times. “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge” (Psalm 16:1).

RELATED POSTS
SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT
Five ways believers could possibly jeopardise their eternal destiny
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SAVED AND SECURE?
Is there eternal security for believers if they deny God or continue living in sin?
http://bit.ly/1mIQKvq

REPETITIVE SINNING
What fate awaits those who sin repeatedly after they have believed?
http://bit.ly/1hhs75c

MOTHER OF ALL BATTLES
A clear understanding of the ongoing battle between the “old man” and “new man” is essential before we can walk in victory.
http://bit.ly/1awc42C

SAINT OR SINNER?
Is the believer essentially a saint or sinner? If he is a ‘saint’, why is he still struggling with sin?
http://bit.ly/1lTj26a

CAN A GENUINE CHRISTIAN COMMIT APOSTASY?
Solid meat. Hard sayings. Many will rationalise that Hebrews 6: :4-8 does not refer to believers; they were unregenerate in the first place. Is it so?
http://www.jesuswalk.com/hebrews/apostasy.htm

SUBTLE ENTANGLEMENTS
We have heard of turtles getting entangled in fishermen’s nets. As they can no longer roam in search for food, some may eventually die. Somewhere along the way believers too get entangled in various pursuits which either impede progress or lead them off the intended spiritual path.
http://bit.ly/1k4vhxw

HOW TO QUICKLY ACCESS PORRIDGE

For a quick overview: http://bit.ly/1ijiXHp

To access similar articles in Christiantymalaysia.com: http://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/?s=porridge

To access similar articles in Asian Beacon magazine:
http://asianbeacon.org/?s=Lim+Poh+Ann

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Source of Article : http://limpohann.blogspot.com/2014/06/can-true-believers-deny-their-master.html

NOTE : Dr Lim Poh Ann is a medical practitioner. He was the former editor of Asian Beacon magazine (December 2008 – October 2011). He can be reached at his blog, Porridge for the Soul : http://limpohann.blogspot.com/

15 Aug 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

我们每个人都有不同的喜好，从咖啡、书籍、足球队、旅游到食物等，而这当中也包括了神。然而，要在这些琐碎事当中谈论神那份刺透人心的爱就显得更有分量及深刻。

在过去的8月10日，Pr Alex Tan 在 DUMC分享了有关神的爱。他说，“若你不明白上帝那完全以及祂与祂孩子所立下那份爱的誓约，你就无法完全地爱我们的神。我们爱神，因为神先爱我们。换言之，要爱神，我们需要先认识祂的爱。”

Pr Alex Tan, NextGen pastor

上帝是一位守约的神。Pr Alex也分享到上帝如何与以色列人立下爱的约定。从起初，上帝都一直努力让我们在爱中与祂连接。

耶和华专爱你们，拣选你们，并非因你们的人数多于别民，原来你们的人数在万民中是最少的。只因耶和华爱你们，又因要守他向你们列祖所起的誓，就用大能的手领你们出来，从为奴之家救赎你们脱离埃及王法老的手。所以，你要知道耶和华你的神，他是神，是信实的神。向爱他，守他诫命的人守约，施慈爱，直到千代。

 

（申命记 7：7-9）

 

神在什么时候说过这话了呢？Pr Alex继续分享说这话是神在以色列人离开埃及，脱离400年为奴隶日子时说的。（使徒行传 7:6）在旷野中徘徊、等待进入应许之地的他们，因着神的保守，免遭希实本和巴珊王的攻击等，尽管在这旅程中经历了神的大能，他们依然选择不信、不顺服、悖逆神。

“这群百姓就是上帝不断提醒他们，神要与他们这一代的人更新祂所立的约，祂的应许是真的。”Pr Alex说。

Ref : earnthis

以色列阿，你要听。耶和华我们神是独一的主。你要尽心，尽性，尽力爱耶和华你的神。我今日所吩咐你的话都要记在心上，（申命记 6:4-6）

Pr Alex分享说‘听’或是 ‘shema’（希伯来文）指的是每天从日出到日落都背诵神的话语来自己聆听。要一直坚定在神的约定中，我们需要将祂的话深藏在我们的心思意念里，每天默想祂的话。

他也说到，‘我们’（申命记6:4）指的是拥有权，因为我们往往会忽视那些不在我们拥有权的事物上。他举例说，就像教会的吉他一样，因为他并不属于任何人，因此会被忽视而导致生锈了。同样的，若我们不主动寻求神有关那已赐给我们爱的誓约，我们与神的关系也一样会生锈的。当我们看重那约定的拥有权时，就表示我们在自己的生命中承认神，并在各个领域中跟随祂的道路。

 “我在说的并不是谁的神，而是那位寻找我、呼召我的神，祂是我的良人。我属良人，良人也属我。”Pr Alex说到

Ref : ithoughtiknewwhatlovewas

最后，‘独一’（申命记 6:4）指的是我们的神是至高的神，没有人像祂一样。即便我们是多么地不配，我们的神是一位特意将‘自己的情感’赐给我们的神。我们爱，因为神先爱我们。（约翰一书 4:19）除此之外，连先知耶利米也曾如此描述神的爱，“古时（或作从远方）耶和华向以色列（原文作我）显现，说，我以永远的爱爱你，因此我以慈爱吸引你。”（耶利米书 31:3）。

唯有当我们明白神对我们的爱时，我们才能‘得着神的一切丰盛’！（以弗所书 3:17-19）。当我们在神的爱里经历祂一切的丰盛（约翰一书 4:8）时，我们才能全心、全性、全力地爱我们的神！（申命记 6:5）

使基督因你们的信，住在你们心里，叫你们的爱心，有根有基，能以和众圣徒一同明白基督的爱，是何等长阔高深，并知道这爱是过于人所能测度的，便叫神一切所充满的，充满了你们。(以弗所书 3:17-19)

 

Ref : dvr-bible

 

Pr Alex同时也分享说，在现实生活中，又有多少人能够真正地时刻都全心地爱我们的神呢？耶利米书 17：9这么说，“人心比万物都诡诈，坏到极处，谁能识透呢？”

“许多人会问神怎么会立下这么多的约定呢？是否因为那些约定都落空呢？其实神的应许并没有落空，反而却反映出人心的刚硬和对回应及改变的艰难。”

他也说到，要控制自己心的关键，就是要顺服神的吩咐，因为我们需要爱神才能做到。

我们遵守神的诫命，这就是爱他了。并且他的诫命不是难守的。因为凡从神生的，就胜过世界。使我们胜了世界的，就是我们的信心。

（约翰一书 5:3-4）

 

Pr Alex Tan singing a self-composed song of his love for God

“我们在这里为的是要回应神的爱。我们是否为爱神而活着呢？爱神，并不是在讲求完美，而是全心情感的投入。尽管我们偏离了，我们仍然可以随时回到神的里面。”Pr Alex说。

不要担心，你值得领受神所赐给你的爱。

For more information, please visit http://dumc.my/

Address | Dream Centre, 2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

English Celebrations @ Auditorium | SAT 5.00 PM | SUN 10.00 AM

Chinese Celebration | SAT 8 PM @ HALL 3 | SUN 9:30 AM @ HALL 1

Bahasa Malaysia Celebration | SUN 10 AM HALL 2

Tamil Celebration | SUN 2 PM HALL 1

Myanmar Celebration | TUE 11:45 PM @ HALL 3 | SUN 3:30 PM @ ROOM 103

Nepalese Celebration | SAT 8:30 PM @ ROOM 102

Note:  This article is written from the perspective and interpretation of the writer, to condense and accentuate the ideas of the pastor in a more understandable and readable way.

Note: This article was translated by Joycelyn Loh in Christianity Malaysia (CM).Amen.

16 August 2014 by Jason Law CM -

We’re so accustomed to thinking that by being ‘dutiful’ children, we are showing love to our parents. By extension, we also treat our relationship with God in this way, and this is especially prevalent within Asian cultures. But we also know that dutifulness isn’t always a sign of a love relationship.

ref : http://file1.frontsql.cn/frontsql.cn/f-c-n/511741036.jpg

It comes by other names and in different contexts, but the same type of relationship also exists between ruler and subject, and between bosses and employees. Sometimes, this kind of relationship also exists between masters and slaves. However, in these other relationships, ‘dutifulness’ does not necessarily equate to ‘love’. So, what kind of relationship does God the Father wants with us, and could it be that it involves more than mere duties and obedience?

Lately, I have heard a few impactful messages about the love relationship between us and our heavenly Father, and it opened my mind about the true qualities of that relationship. In Luke 15 in particular, Jesus taught us about the heart of God. He told not one or two parables to illustrate this, but a total of 3 parables one after the other. Instantly, we know that this subject mattered greatly to God.

The Parables of Luke 15

In the first parable (Luke 15:1-7), Jesus told the Parable of the Lost Sheep. In it, a shepherd has a 100 sheep, but he leaves 99 of them behind just to find a solitary lost one. In the second parable (Luke 15:8-10), a woman has 10 silver coins, but she loses one. She painstakingly searches for that single coin, and when she does, she rejoices with all her friends and neighbors.

ref : http://bvpastord.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/img_0569.jpg

Jesus tells us in Luke 15:10 that the whole of Heaven rejoices when one single soul repents and reconciles with God. That is how much God values each and every single soul. And then, in Luke 15:11-31, Jesus tells one of the most famous and revered of His parables.

ref : http://worshiphousemedia.s3.amazonaws.com/images/main/s/mm/bbm/mm/theprodigalson.jpg

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is revered, not just because it is a beautiful story, but because it contains within it much Spiritual significance. It is the occasion when the True and Perfect example of Sonship tells us about that Sonship with our Creator. In order to fully appreciate its power, we need to understand the parable within the Jewish context.

The Prodigal Son

Recently, in the SOM Conference 2014 on Israel and the Mystery of God’s Favour by Pr Peter Tsukahira, he explained about this Jewish context of sonship. In the original context, the word ‘Prodigal’ indicates extravagance and recklessness, and this was so of the younger son. In Jewish custom, the inheritance was handed down from father to son only after the father’s death. As such, it had the significance and connotation of a separation. In other words, what the younger son was telling his father was that he was considering on cutting all ties with his father and going to live on his own.

Pr Peter Tsukahira

In the societal context, this was a greatly shameful thing to the father. Imagine him going to town to sell part of his possessions so that his younger son could take his money and leave the family. Furthermore, the younger son took this inheritance cheaply and squandered it all away. Very often, in our carelessness and lack of consideration for God, that is our attitude. We made other things our idols and we squander the identity as Christians that God has paid for so greatly with Christ.

Nothing temporal ever lasts, and sooner or later, the hard times hits. The Parable of the Prodigal Son strikes very close to home and is very true to life. The Prodigal Son comes to his senses, makes no excuses, and returns home in repentance to his father. The Prodigal Son had gone through a self-destructive period but he had one saving grace.

ref : http://1969j.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/prodigal_son.jpg

His situation led to the breaking of his self-will, and very often, this was the case for many authentic Christians as well. This was a good thing for the Prodigal Son because it led him down the road to reconciliation instead of lingering in a living death. Very often, it is when we are at our lowest point in life, when we are near breaking, that we surrender to God and He brings us through our greatest breakthroughs.

The Parable also tells us of the extravagance of God’s love through the response of the father. The father had been waiting the whole time for this return, and he makes complete restitution of the son with robes and rings (Luke 15:22-24). He even slaughters his only fatted calf to celebrate the return of the Prodigal Son.

ref : http://www.abrokenmold.net/uploads/2011/06/prodigal-son-in-fathers-arms.jpg

God does not twist arms in respect to our free wills; we need to come through the process through our own choice. When we genuinely repent and turn back to God, however, He takes us back fully. Here, Jesus echoes the refrain found in the earlier two parables and of the joy and value God places, when one sinner returns to God. So much of this is familiar to us through this parable.

The Elder Son

But Pr Tsukahira also shared that the other brother also has lessons for us. Like another pastor, he imparted the truth that God’s Kingdom operates on the foundation of a family relationship. Families are systems and cannot be compartmentalized. What affects one member of the family also affects another. And the story of the Prodigal Son turns out to be the story of not just one Prodigal Son, but two; both sons were actually broken in their relationship with their Father.

ref : http://fugelsoitconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/angry-eyes.jpg

In Luke 15:26-27, we find the elder son furious with his father, especially for not consulting or discussing things with him before receiving the younger son so extravagantly. In fact, he might have considered the fatted calf as his possession, probably kept for his wedding. In Luke 15:28, the father had to go out of the house and plead with him, and the elder son addressed his father disrespectfully (v29-30).

And suddenly, we remember that Jesus was not just addressing the sinners and drifters, but also the Pharisees (Luke 15:1-2). Additionally, this time He left the question of the elder son’s response open (Luke 15:31-32).

ref : http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I07d6NiaD_c/UVERLTBK3FI/AAAAAAAAUd8/OtXNPU4ulUY/s1600/tissot-woe-to-you-scribes-and-pharisees-747×483.jpg

What is happening here is that the elder brother was showing a spirit of superiority over his younger brother. He possessed a mindset of ‘I will serve and obey, for the day will come when I receive my inheritance’.  Very likely, at this moment in the parable, he had a picture of a father that is unfair and hard to please. In his mind, he had worked for years like a slave, and now, the rewards were going to the younger brother.

When we come to the root, he actually remained as self-centered as his younger brother; he was equally broken in his relationship with his father, and the only difference was that he was doing this in a dutiful way. This is the tendency of the human heart.

Jesus, The True Son

Jesus’s story and life has an impact that is beyond words because He was the best example we will ever have to a True Son of God, and He showed this example tangibly. Pr Tsukahira pointed out that a true son in the Parable of The Prodigal Son would have gone after the younger brother and do all he could in order to bring him back to his father, just as Jesus did.

ref : http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/11/94/50/119450f46918c0cac585aec1e9e22318.jpg

Both Pr Tsukahira and the other pastor shared that the church is full of the elder brother today, but praise God that we have a true Elder Brother who came and paid the price so that we can come back into God’s family. Do we love the Father from the heart or are we doing the right thing so that we can inherit His possessions?

It is not our dutifulness or faithfulness, etc.. that is the main thing; it is our heartfelt response to God. Is our relationship founded on the same lines as the elder brother’s? It is not a kingdom of servants that God wants, but a Kingdom of His Children. The whole of Heaven rejoices when a lost soul reconciles with God.

ref : http://osakachurch.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/reachout.jpg

Just as it was for Jesus, the true question for Christians should rather be ‘what pleases the Father?’. And our response should be ‘If you would show me, it would be my greatest pleasure to live accordingly.’ It is when we come into a real relationship with God that the favour that can only come from Him pours into our lives and sets us free from the bondages in our lives.

NOTE: This reflection was largely based on a session by Pr Peter Tsukahira.

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16 Aug 2014 by Natasha Kim CM-

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

“Jesus came to establish a new way of worship. He came to establish a new way of connecting with God and He is seeking out for true worshippers,” said Pastor Derek Dunn preached a strong message on the 2^nd of August at City Harvest Church Kuala Lumpur.

You need to place God first in order to know that God is an all-consuming God.

Ref : timbob

“When our life is consumed with God, we’re a better father, we’re a better leader and we live a spirit-filled life. To see the glory of God, you have to place God at the centre of your life. It’s the presence of God that makes the difference in our lives,” he shared.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

God is a good God and He rewards us as we seek Him. There many reasons why people seek God; some seek Him because they are afraid of death, some seek Him some because they need a miracle breakthrough because they heard God is a provider of breakthroughs.

Many people have their own individual reasons for seeking God and they are not necessarily bad reasons. However, the main reason we should come to God and give our lives to Him is because we are true worshippers and because we love and want more of Him.

If you have to wait for your wife’s birthday just to buy her a present, then something’s wrong in the relationship. If Christmas is around the corner and you’re buying people presents because you have to, then something is wrong with our love and action level.

Ref : flowingfaith

“We have to adjust our passion level and our worshipper level. God’s looking across to see who are those whose hearts are towards Him,” shared Derek.

“A true worshipper is someone who denies himself, who takes up his cross and says I’m going to follow Jesus no matter what, through the good times and the bad times. Bad things happen to good people, Paul was shipwrecked, left for dead, stoned, and he was still preaching the gospel and writing letters the while in chains, but he was victorious!” he said.

Ref : rightswiped

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8: 31-39)

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Some people don’t like the fact of placing God first because then, they would have to place their parents, children or spouses second. 

“What is He saying, is He saying that we should not love our parents? Of course not!” shared Derek.

God wants you to love and honour the people in your lives. Honour is birthed out of love. God is saying that our love compared to anything else is secondary because we are true worshippers.

“I love my children, I love my wife, I love my family, I love my Church but I love Jesus more!” he shared.

Just like if you go to Church every weekend and Jesus is not there, then there is no point in being where you are.

Pr Derek Dunn

The fact that we live and breathe today is because the breath of God that was breathed into us. Without the single ability to breathe we will not be able to walk this earth today hence we need to be true worshippers of the One True God who has bestowed life upon us, so that we can learn to trust Him in every step we take and experience all the beautiful things in the good and bad that happens in our lives.

Ref : livejournal

“If we don’t eat and drink we are going to die, and if we don’t eat and drink of Christ and his presence (spiritual food), then we die. Your life comes from Him, being the center of your life!” said Derek.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare^[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

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16 Aug 2014-

In times like this, when the nation is going through many crises, let us worship the Lord together, to reveal that in crisis, CHRIST IS. Songs and sounds of heaven will be released to invade the nation with His glory to flush out and sweep away all the works of darkness.

Full Gospel Fellowship (FGF) invites you to join their worship happening on Merdeka Day!

Ref : gatewayvisalia

Day | 31 AUG | SUNDAY

Time | 3 PM – 6 PM

Venue | 36, 1^st Floor, Jalan Semangat, Section 14 Petaling Jaya (opposite Jaya 33, above Pet Shop)

It’s liberty! It’s jubilee for Malaysia! They call for worship warriors, shofar blowers, and flag and banner bearers. All are welcomed to impart glory and impact the nation.

For more info, call

Pr Daniel | 017-367-1137

Marianne | 012-627-7611

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17 August 2014 by Tim Ong -

As a trained vocalist, I know that what can hurt our vocal chords. I have friends who could no longer sing due to continuous strain of their vocal, which were torn. It is sad to see this happening because our throats’ diaphragm cannot be repaired or replaced once it is damaged.

I would like to bring forward a topic, which would probably get a lot of disagreements from people especially worship leaders today. However, it’s my personal opinion and in no way, it reflects the philosophy and theology of the church I attend. Most importantly, I still love all of you no matter you agree or disagree.

ref : http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I00001SpaFuvh9C8/s/750/600/man-singing-002.jpg

Many would argue that if you can sing along with the key of the songs played in your iPods or phones, so why can’t you sing it in that same key at church? This key only applies to keys that are above normal range.

When I say ‘above normal range’, it’s at a point where most people generally no longer sing but shout or yell. I have been a vocal trainer, so I know the average vocal range from the majority I heard.

Here is why I do not think playing in this abnormal key range is a good idea for church services.

Worship is not about the band but it’s between us and God. This statement is overly used and also, overly misused. I feel that when people say that, most of the time, they meant it more as a justification than having a true understanding of what it really means.

One of the words that translates to the word ‘worship’ is first mentioned in Genesis 4:1 KJV, “And Adam ‘knew’ Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.” The word ‘knew’ in Hebrew is Yadah, which is one of the many words that translates as worship.

ref : http://ak2.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/2309771/preview/stock-footage-smiling-couple-singing-together-in-the-countryside.jpg

If you are with your partner and you feel uncomfortable, can both of you still get intimate? Say, if I am going to serenade my wife, knowing that I will be pitchy, will I be comfortable singing? Perhaps, it makes sense for me to lower my key to sound sweet to her.

Hence, if I would not subject my wife to that kind of singing, even more so, I would not subject God to that.

ref : http://fanathepurp.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/boy-guy-self-conscious-snow-street-trees-Favim.com-47415.jpg

How many of us are self-conscious by nature? I would say that most of us are. The fact that we put on make-up (for the ladies, not me, I promise) or comb our hair or wear the clothes we wear, prove that we are self-conscious to some degree.

But when I am alone, I do not mind embarrassing myself (trust me; I have heard myself singing in the shower). Would I do the same with others around although they have nothing to do with my singing? I can honestly say I would not because I have laughed at myself in the shower when I sang notes I could barely reach and went off-pitch.

So, here are the reasons I often do not play many of the praise and worship songs in their original keys, while singing it live:

1. I don’t want to be embarrassed

Even though I know singing off-pitch has nothing to do with the person standing next to me, it is still embarrassing. Many say that it’s okay because they can still praise God in their hearts. But let me explain to you why I feel that it’s wrong to say that.

As a worship leader, I do not want you to be too embarrassed to offer up praise and worship to God. My goal is to encourage the people in the congregation to sing to God during praise and worship. And praises are meant to be audible, not silent meditations.

ref : http://blogs.discovery.com/.a/6a00d8341bf67c53ef0153920f26d1970b-pi

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psa 51:5 ESV)

The word ‘praise’ here is Tehila, which meant to sing or to laud. It is to declare audibly. Have you tried praising someone quietly in your heart? I am pretty sure most people have not. Why?

The whole reason to praise someone of their achievements is to let them know that we have taken noticed of what they have done, and we appreciate it, we feel proud to be a part of it, and at the same time, we want others to know how it has enriched our lives.

ref : http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio-assets/img/collectiveworship/sing_full_vocal_640x360.jpg

Praises cannot be silent.

But there is only one reason when silence is acceptable.

The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. (Psalm 115:17 ESV)

Firstly, the dead cannot praise God, for obvious reason.

Secondly, anyone who is silent cannot praise God either. And unfortunately, the psalmist regarded those who are silent as the same as those who are dead, when it comes to praising. I will say it again: you cannot praise God in silence.

2. I do not want to be a distraction

Some people may not be affected by this as much as me. But I believe if a neighbour kept switching octaves mid-chorus because he or she could not reach the vocal range, thus becoming too pitchy, I believe that would affect all of us.

Someone may also highlight those who are tone deaf. Am I telling them to not sing at all? No, I am not!

ref : http://www.wbcjax.com/clientimages/50777/musicministry/ensemblepicture.jpg

Tone deafness is a disability and affects about four percent of the population. We should offer up to God the best we can offer. If the tone-deaf person offers his or her best to God, then I am sure that it will still be sweet sounding to God’s ears. I am talking about the other 96 percent of the people who can carry a tune.

As a worship leader, I should help people to bring out the best in them, so that they are able to offer their praises to God; not merely to bring out the best in me while others find it difficult to follow. As a congregational member in a worship service, I want to be able to offer up my best to God and hope that I will not end up being a spectator during the service.

3. I cannot get passionate when I cannot sing like me

When a key is too high, I would usually have to compensate the high notes by going into falsetto; because if I don’t, I will be pitchy.

For those who are not musically trained, falsetto is a method of voice production used by male singers to sing a note above their vocal range. So, they compensate their voices by singing high-pitch like a female but they lost the depth and power.

ref : http://www.easymusiccenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/iStock-man-singing09.jpg

This occurrence only applies to male singers because it is how our male vocal diaphragm is designed. However, for female singers, their vocal diaphragm is already stretched out and cannot be stretched any further. Therefore they don’t have falsetto range and would just end up sounding very pitchy.

As a worship leader, I need to keep in mind that not everyone has received training like the worship team. We need to learn to apply grace. As part of the congregation, I do not want to be singing half-way and start laughing at myself, which take the focus off God and turn the focus on myself instead.

4. I don’t want to damage my vocal chords.

I am a baritone. Baritone singers have a slightly deeper tone and cannot go as high as tenor. An example of a baritone would be Michael Buble, and a tenor would be Justin Timberlake.

Many songs on the CD nowadays are a bit too high for the average person because majority of them are tenors. Singing one song in those keys may be manageable but for more than one, your vocal chords can be strained.

If you ever start losing your voice after singing, you are starting to damage your vocal chords. Be very careful. Like I have said in the beginning, once you damage it, it cannot be repaired or replaced.

ref : http://blog.discmakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Vocal-Care-300×222.jpg

As a former recording artist, I can safely tell you that most of the time, we would try to push the songs key from half a key to a key higher for the recording.

If you know what you are doing and you are trained to do it, you will definitely sound more awesome. With a higher key, you will sound more passionate with more depth in your vocals.

ref : http://d1cabakah70zt5.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/chris-tomlin.jpg

Chris Tomlin revealed this trade secret not too long ago in one of his interviews with Discover The Heart Of Worship. New Song Café at worshiptogther.com for the song Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone. But when he plays live for a worship service, he would bring it down one key lower for congregational participation. Check out his official music video for the movie Amazing Grace and compare it with the live versions. You will hear the key difference.

Some of you may not know this but during recordings, we get to take breaks in between verses, as and when we need to give our vocal chords a rest and have our personal concoctions for our throats on standby for us to sip whenever we need to.

ref : http://onlineathens.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full/13015582.jpg

In conclusion, as a worship leader, I do not want to be the cause of damaging your vocal chords. Some people say, “If you can’t sing it, then don’t sing.” But neither do I want to be the one who encourage people to go down into silence.

I believe a worship leader’s calling is to help people get into God’s presence in consideration of where the majority is vocally, spiritually, emotionally, and theologically. Sure, there are going to be people who are superb singers, who might even be able to win The Voice or (Insert your Country Name) Idol, but they do not make up the majority.

ref : http://i43.tinypic.com/2dwia9z.jpg

Also, I am not trying to be overly critical over all the songs in the worship albums nowadays. At least, I hope I do not come across that way. Most of the songs in the albums are not that ridiculously high in key.

However, you will notice that most of the favourites in the albums are songs that are slightly above the normal range. Why did they become favourites? This is because the singers sound more passionate and for that, we can take it back to the recording trade secret.

Again, I am not criticizing anyone but it is only a personal point of view and also principles I uphold to make sure the majority get to declare God audibly during praise and worship. God Bless y’ all !

ABOUT Tim: Tim is a Christian singer/songwriter and was one of the founding members of Joshua Race Ministry (JRM) band, which also became the first Christian band to be signed by a major label in Malaysia. He has been involved in worship ministry for more than 20 years. Tim received his training from School of Worship, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and had the privileged to sing backup for worship leaders such as Paul Baloche and David Ruis. He was also given the opportunity to serve along side songwriters such as Malcom Du Plesis and worship leaders like Tom Inglis in worship conferences. JRM produced 3 albums from 1992 – 2000; Unity, Heavenbound and Experiment (Sony Music). In 2011, Tim recorded a solo album called Right Here and Now … The worship journey. It is free to download at http://www.noisetrade.com/timong. If you want to support his future music projects, you can leave a donation at the website itself. Tim now lives in Australia with his wife Christina and 3 children, Robyn Mae, Tammy Ann and Julian Ray. You can follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timongmusic and Twitter: @TimOng72

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17 Aug 2014 by Rev Dr Steven Kau-

I remember feeling shocked over the news that Heath Ledger passed away. I had just finish watching the movie “The Patriot” the night before. I remember feeling sad over Michael Jackson, although I am no fan of his. I remember where I was when I heard about Whitney Houston passing, when a friend broke the news to me. Although I am not strictly a fan of any particular celebrity, I remember always being shocked, always being sad.

It’s tragic. It’s always tragic when someone you feel you know dies, whether you really knew them or saw them on screen or heard their songs on an album. We really didn’t know them in real life, how they spoke to their friends, how they loved their family but in some way we knew them in our hearts. That’s where Robin Williams will now forever live. I am absolutely, positively, utterly shocked at the news that he is gone from this world.

What makes me sadder is the news that he died of an apparent suicide because of depression. If it was cancer or AIDS or Ebola or any one of those dreaded diseases I can accept that, but suicide makes us ask that eternal question: Why? It was in one of Robin Williams’ most memorable scenes that he said the words, “If you’re depressed, reach out to someone. Suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem.” That was back in 2009 on his movie ‘World’s Greatest Dad.’

Robbin Williams in World’s Greatest Dad | Ref : rogerebert

A few days ago, what were a few words to a camera became a devastating reality that has left the world in mourning for a man so talented, someone who made millions of us laugh so much, yet so deeply unhappy. You just don’t think it makes sense.

Robin made no secret of the problems he had in his life. He had admitted to having alcohol and cocaine problem in his 30’s. Robin had tried, he clearly wanted to get better and he clearly wanted to do what he could to live a long, happy, contented life with his wife Susan Schneider and his three children.

As a society, we have all around us counselors, therapy and more commercials for depression and bipolar disorder than ever before. After all, a celebrity has access to all the best resources, right? So how can they not help if he needed it? How can they not find a way to manage his problem?

Robin Williams in Patch Adams | Ref : nydailynews

I am coming to the realization that there is something a lot of people apparently do not know. There are certain issues out there that do not have a cure. They cannot be fixed. They are ongoing issues that must be MANAGED. But they do not EVER go away. They reoccur, they recycle and many are NOT responsive to medication.

We all think that someone who is depressed can just pick from any variety of medication and get happy in 6-8 weeks! After all, that is the time they say it takes for the anti-depressant to kick in. This is the great myth unfortunately. This is the great lie that is believed by more and more people than I can count.

Many mental health issues are not cured by any of the recommended medications. In fact, there are some people who have what they call ‘Treatment Resistant Disorder.’ It just doesn’t respond well to anything. And then there are some issues that might take someone repeatedly trying different combinations of medications before they find one that can stabilize them.

Ref : faithsmessenger

Do people know this? Are they aware that depression is not a one stop cure? I’m going to say that they probably don’t because every single time somebody dies due to suicide, they always say, “Why didn’t they get help?” or “Why didn’t they tell someone?”

Of course, there are some people who don’t reach out for help. But I’d venture to say those are in the minority. Most people who suffer with a mental health issue, depression or addiction DO reach out for help. In fact, they reach out for help over and over again. They tried everything. They tried counseling, hospitals, group meetings, medication and even spiritual help. They tried it all and then they try it again and again. Until one day, they wake up at 63 years old totally exhausted and most likely find themselves in yet another dark place. And perhaps they just grow tired of trying to get help. Maybe it’s exactly the OPPOSITE of what everyone thinks. Instead of them not seeking help, maybe they’ve grown tired of seeking help and never getting the help they desperately need. Of course the sentiment of the world today is such that truly and humbly seeking the intervention of our Lord Jesus Christ (which is indeed the wisest decision to make) is insane and out of the question and that fatal attitude may have sealed his fate.

Ref : breakingmuscle

Life is a journey. And many of the things that attach themselves to us in life are on going issues that we will have to deal with along the way. We will grow tired and weary at times with the struggle. There will be days when we just want to be done with it; when all we just want is to reach the finish line.

Instead of looking for that perfect solution that will fix you, try to embrace the journey. And even see it as a way to connect with other people who are uniquely like you. We have to encourage one another. We have to lift them up when they are down. We have to find a way to endure the storms without breaking. And that, my friends, is the hard part.

Even after I have said all this, I do believe there is hope. I even believe that there will come a day when all our struggles come to an end. Do I believe that will happen in this life? Not really. I do believe that we can find a way through to handle our problems instead of letting them defeat us. To manage them, to withstand the storms of life, for me that involves putting my faith in a God who has promised me that while struggles may come in this life, there is hope that one day we will see an end to it.

Ref : findhopeinchrist

I am a firm believer of ingraining in people a respect for life. I believe this respect for life, which comes from loving others and seeing them as God sees them, is the key to resolving many human issues. But it is also an important key to understanding how we see ourselves. In the song, ‘Seasons Change’ by Christian artist Crystal Lewis, she sings:

Are you going through a dry spell?
I was there a while ago
Now I‘ve come to a place where the rain falls
Where the trees bear fruit and grow
Where I find a refuge in my God
It’s a place of surrender I know
I look at God and see what I want to be
He looks at me and sees His own.

Lyrics like this remind me that no matter how awful I think of myself that it not the person God sees when He looks at me. It is the same for all of us. Give yourself a break and look at yourself the way God does.

When God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a new king (whose identity is unknown to Samuel) the prophet looked on Eli’ab and thought God chose this man. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 RSV) We must always remember God knows our hearts and loves us all. God doesn’t make mistakes, which means He didn’t make a mistake creating any one of us. Anyone suffering from depression (we all sometimes do), needs to remember that daily. But it is a truth we shall all keep in mind.

Ref : childrenschurch

So while we will never really know why Robin Williams died, we can take this time to reach out and help others who may be facing a similar situation. Remind them of the love that is there for them every single day.

One final set of lyrics to meditate on, also from Crystal Lewis. These are from her song, ‘Beauty for Ashes”:

“When sorrow seems to surround you
When suffering hangs heavy o’er your head
Knows that tomorrow brings wholeness and healing
God knows your name, just believe what He said
He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear
Gladness for mourning, peace for despair.”

Ref : irishcentral

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18 August 2014 - 

圣经教导我们凭着信心而活，而不是凭我们所看到和感知到的；然而，有些时候，神使用我们的环境对我们说话。

举个例子，当戴夫和我意识到神在对我们说话（关于制作电视节目）时，我们俩完全不知道该如何制作，我们不能凭空做它，我们需要钱。但我们没有办法独自筹集到足够的钱，所以神必须提供。

我们已经写信给我们的朋友和合作伙伴，但不能得到他们财政上的支持，我们再没有其它的办法。不管我们在制作电视节目上的信心有多大，我们还是要有钱。我们相信神在我们心里所说的，但我们也需要神通过我们的环境说话。

我们必须知道，信心，愚蠢和推论之间的区别。为了制作电视而陷入债务，这对我们来说是愚蠢的。

假定一个女人祷告后，她感觉她应该去工作，帮助她的家庭减轻开支的压力。她决定找个工作，但是她有两个小孩子。如果她不能雇到一个可靠的保姆，那么她不能去工作。

继续阅读 

References for pictures:

http://twcdaily.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/20140404-170532.jpg

http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5a5hrkmiX1ruiwyyo1_500.jpg

18 August 2014 by Rev Dr Jai Kumar -

You are what you are because of what you think in your heart (Prov. 23:7).

Change your thinking and you will change your life! As a man thinketh in his heart so is he (Prov.23:7). This is a powerful word of God that can seriously transform lives. Even the corporate world today is using this powerful principle to change mind-sets and increase productivity and prosperity in the market place.

ref : http://valen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/blog-gear-head.jpg

Our mind is impacted and developed by how you have been influenced by the people and the environment you have been exposed to over the years. We develop ideas, values, virtues, attitudes and decisions through the exposure to these influences. Eventually it forms a thought-pattern of thinking in you, and that in turn forms your behavior and character and ultimately your character will lead you to your destiny.

Rom.12:2
Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

You become a conformer when you have no control over your life. People who compromise the standards, values, virtues, morals and principles laid down in God’s word instead of allowing their lifestyle to be aligned to God’s standards fall into this category.

ref : http://robinharpe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/business_professionals_standout_400_clr.png

A transformer on the other hand renews his mind with God’s word daily. He allows God to speak into his life about His goodness and mercy and he flows in the purposes and plan of God. Such is a person who can hear from God and who is in absolute confidence of who is driving his life.

But sadly a large number of people who are living in this world are not aware of who is controlling their lives. They go on living as though it’s a norm to live like that limiting their power of thinking.

ref : http://make-me-successful.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/tunnel.jpg

The question is; have you ever felt that someone is driving your life? Have you ever felt that you are no longer in control and you have lost all balance and direction to your destiny?

Apparently it is appalling to discover that despite all that God has done for us to walk this victorious Christian life, unfortunately most of us are still very ignorant of this inheritance that belongs to us in the Lord. We are deceived to the extent of working out our salvation once again by trying to earn and perform our righteousness before God. Not realizing that no matter how much you try, you can never outweigh what Jesus has already paid for you on the cross.

ref : http://cdn.h3sean.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/discouraged.jpg

The problem is we easily buy into what the devil has been selling us and we get mesmerized and imprisoned by him because of our lack of knowledge of God’s promises. We tend to believe what the devil is showing us than what God is showing us in His word. We run after a quick fix which satan is always good at offering us than what God is showing us in His solid word.

You know what? The strategy of the enemy has never changed since the beginning of creation. His scheme is to keep us ignorant of what belongs to us with low self image along with neurotic fear and self-limitation.

WHEN THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT IN YOU, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO THINK RIGHT. YOU GOT TO GET INTO HIS WORD. THE WORD OF GOD IS TO BE THE FINAL AUTHORITY!

Otherwise your thinking would be intoxicated by a different set of values that are related to the opinions of this world. You must treat the Bible as a living word and let it shape the way you think. Then you will be able to find out what the Word has to say about the various issues we face in life.

The word of God is the ultimate guide and influences to determine each course of action in each problem we face in life. Not the opinions of the world. There is a way that seems right to a man but the end will result in death. (Prov.14:12)

ref : http://sermonjamtranscript.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/word-of-god-updated.jpg

To ignore the word of God in these critical times, you are going to put yourself in great risk. Because the issues of life are going to increase. Times are going to get very hard and tough in the near future and unless our thinking is lined up in God’s word and foundation, we will not be able to withstand the pressures of life. So to ignore the word of God in this critical hour is to run the risk of facing danger.

The word of God will determine the way you think. The way you think will determine the way you feel. The way you feel will determine the decisions that you make. The decisions you make will determine the actions you take. The actions you take will determine the habits you create. The habits you create will determine your character. And your character will determine your destiny.

ref : http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_koREr55ouc/Tb8DEPFJr0I/AAAAAAAAARo/N2WaBv7bUY4/s1600/punching-bag2.jpg

When we are faced with certain unexpected events in our lives, the way you think will determine how you are going to handle the different circumstances that are confronting you in your life. Many of us may encounter different events in life. Sometimes painful and sometimes hurtful situations happen to many people.

The way you think will determine how you will respond or react to these situations. So if your thinking is under the wrong influence then you have formed a thought pattern in your mind that will determine how you are going to react in such situations. What happens in your thinking determines your outcome.

YOU THINK WHAT YOU THINK BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE
Your life and future is controlled by what you believe. Nothing is more powerful in your life than things you believe to be true. If you believe a lie it can become as powerful as the truth.

Rev Jai Kumar

Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is also the representative of Faith International Bible School for Malaysia & Singapore. He is the founder and senior pastor of Full Gospel Outreach Ministry KL, a member of ECCM, Spiritual Adviser & overseer of  Capstone Ministries/Capstone Community Church -C3 ( Bangalore );Co-founder and adviser of Kingdom Christian Fellowship, Subang Jaya, he is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’

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19 Aug 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

On 10^th of August, Asian Beacon held their 45^th Anniversary Thanksgiving Celebration at JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, welcoming more than 550 guests.

The evening began with worship, led by singer and songwriter Patrick Leong, followed by an opening prayer by Rev Loh Soon Choy, founding member of EFCM.

Goh Khoon Seng, chairman of Asian Beacon shared his gratitude for the guests who took time to participate in the ministry’s 45^th Anniversary Thanksgiving dinner.

Goh Khoon Seng

“‘A bold new phase’ has been our tagline since the beginning of this year. Asian Beacon has really taken bold moves,” said Khoon Seng.

The first bold move Asian Beacon took is changing their strategy to be a ‘full-faith ministry’ after 45 years. No longer are they charging readers for printed issues and soliciting advertisements, they are turning to God in providing for the ministry through supporters, sponsors and churches.  

The attendees of 45th Anniversary Thanksgiving Celebration at JW Marriott Hotel

The second bold move is the launching of Asian Beacon into the digital platform, which began in a preliminary stage last September.

Finally, the third bold move is the formulation of a new vision, new mission statements, and a new logo representing their new strategy in the face of the digital era.

Chairman Khoon Seng shared that Asian Beacon has a vision to collaborate with all Christian communities in the media ministry to make known God’s glory.

Rev Dr Chew Weng Chee of SIB KL praying for Asian Beacon

He shared that the mission of Asian Beacon is to help their audience understand contemporary issues in the light of God’s Word through all platforms, to network and cooperate with churches and Christian organizations for a more impactful media ministry, to be the resource hub for services to the Christian community, and to equip and develop local talents to serve in the media ministry.

Taken into account of the new vision and missions, the four arrows in the new logo represent the wide and far-reaching connectivity of Asian Beacon as a Christian media with all churches and Christian organizations in Malaysia, Singapore, and even the rest of Asia.

Datuk Paul Low, guest of honor for the evening, highlighted the importance of the Media Mountain (amongst the Seven Mountains) in shaping the mind, attitude, and beliefs of Christian believers in this country. To him, there are three levels of the mountain—the ones at the foothill representing the citizen journalists or consumers of information, the ones in the middle of the mountain representing the media journalists, and the ones at the top representing the leaders who dictate the media.

Datuk Paul Low

“I am sure Asian Beacon is at the higher part of the mountain. I can see that there’s a strong role for Asian Beacon. While God has given you the name of a beacon, you have to shine light. And the mission for you is that you shine the right light because these days, it’s a battle of perception and a battle of who is telling the truth,” said Datuk Paul, urging journalists of Christian faith at all levels to always tell the truth.

Ed & Pae with Pr Edmund Smith and Paecy Wong

While the guests fellowship over dinner after a thanksgiving prayer made by Secretary-General of NECF Eugene Yapp, they were also entertained by many beautiful musical presentations by Doreen Tang (Choir Director of PJEFC and lead vocal with Canticle Singers in year 2003), Tenors for Christ (Joshua Lee, Victor Chua, and Tom Tan), and Ed & Pae (Pr Edmund Smith and Paecy Wong). Not to mention, the art presentation of a flying eagle by Tommy Chen was spectacular, shown as part of the fundraising auction.

Tenors for Christ

The event drew to an end with many honorable guests coming on-stage to cover Asian Beacon with their prayers, including Pr Dr Chew Weng Chee of SIBKL, Pr Dr Daniel Ho of DUMC, and Dr Chong Kwong Tek, the first Malaysian editor of Asian Beacon. Former chairmen and editors of Asian Beacon were also invited on-stage to receive their honorary gifts to appreciate and recognize their contributions.

Former chairmen and editors of Asian Beacon receiving their honorary gifts

With Asian Beacon’s new strategy, we certainly look forward to its great leap forward to the digital era!

The dinner is sponsored by Dato’ Mark Yeoh.

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20 Aug 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

Did you know that 12 percent of the world cannot read and an astounding two-third of the world population are oral learners? That means 775 million people have no access to God’s Word, and two-third of the people in the world cannot read or prefer learning through listening than reading!

The Faith Comes by Hearing (FCBH) ministry converts the Bible of different languages into audio recordings, with currently more than 800 languages that are spoken by over 5.7 billion people. The ministry uses a solar-powered playback device (called a Proclaimer) that comes with a designated language and can be audible for more than to 300 listeners. It can also be charged using electricity or kinetic energy through cranking the box.

“I believe all of us serve a purpose on earth. We are here as stewards to take care of this temporal world. So, it’s our duty to advocate stewardship of resources available. And as a good steward, in this instance where this amazing resource is made available to us, we help build the faith of others by giving them access to the audio Bible in their own language,” said Dr Anthony Ng, Executive Secretary of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship Malaysia (FGBMF).

Anthony Ng (most left) with church leaders holding the Proclaimer

He believes that the Word of God must be made readily available for Christians who lack access to the Word of God due to environment and illegibility.

“This is a very good tool for pastors and ministers to use with their church groups. We have seen churches grow by listening to the Word of God because their faith is strengthened.

“And because the audio Bible comes without theology, doctrine or hymns, it is neutral and is acceptable by all denominations. When people listened to the Word in the dramatized form, they find it very interesting and they want to keep on listening,” said Anthony.

He encouraged groups to listen to the Word of God for half an hour, followed by discussing what they heard, how the passage impacted their lives, and what are they going to do about it. This process (called Head, Heart and Hand) allows the listeners to chew on the Word and discover answers communally.

Church leaders holding the Proclaimers

Many encouraging testimonies have been reported from hearers of the Word of God, which is much needed by our Christian brothers and sisters who have no access to electricity or Internet in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak. At a rural church in Sabah, regular worshippers had grown five folds since the pastor started using a Proclaimer during services.

Although listening to the same passage, Anthony shared that different people can have a different perspective or understanding of God’s Word. In Mark 5, Jesus met a demon-possessed man. The demons begged Jesus to cast them into a large herd of pigs nearby, which rushed down into a lake and drowned. For this story, Anthony shared how a villager asked if Jesus had paid for the 2,000 pigs that died. As he came from a similar background, the villager speculated that the pigs could be the main economic income for the whole village then.

Ref: 19thcenturybritpaint

“Theologians don’t usually look at this economic aspect but the simple villager did. While discussing this, another man from the village wisely answered that ‘this shows the value of one person to God. Who would have cared for this dirty and insane person? But to God, his soul is worth more than 2,000 pigs.’ That person gave the smartest answer and it came from amongst themselves,” said Anthony.

Some people were also healed when they heard about the miracles that Jesus did. For example, Mark 5 tells about Jesus healing a woman who had a hemorrhage for 12 years but upon touching the cloak of Jesus, she was completely healed. People of simple faith with similar issues who heard and immersed themselves in that passage also testified of being healed!

Ref: richbrownforewords

“Just like the movies, you would imagine yourself as the hero and heroine in the picture. Similarly, when oral people heard the Word in the dramatized form, they feel that they are in the story with Jesus,” said Anthony.

Indeed, faith comes by hearing!

Proclaimers are available locally in English, Tamil, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien, Malay, Indonesian, Iban, and many migrant languages. You can also download the free mobile application called Bible.is.

The Proclaimer is available freely to all churches, ministers and mission groups who are willing to form listening groups and report their progress. Using a 40-day listening plan is preferred. Played half-an-hour once a week, the entire New Testament can be covered in 40 weeks. Sponsors are encouraged to support this ministry by donating to the general fund or by obtaining units for their own outreach work. For more details, please contact anthonyng@fgb.com.my or call 03-7805-7185/6. 

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20 August 2014 by Jason Law CM -

Good education is essential to a person’s well-being. The availability or lack of high-quality knowledge either shapes the person to be successful in a competitive world, or it can leave a person to struggle over their societal places throughout their life. But success is defined by more than what you earn; in the end, a person’s value is defined by the kind of life they lead and the legacy they leave behind.

ref : http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/BPI/EPA/images/new_interface_pages/30208394.jpg

Realizing the importance of holistic education, tNCC EduCenter aims to not just pass down knowledge but to shape culture through the next generation as well. tNCC’s EduCenter is pretty new to the scene, but already they have seen inspiring ways in how God can bring hope and change lives through edification. The EduCenter is part of the New Covenant Church’s vision of providing a Christian world-class education alternative for young people at affordable costs as a service to our community.

Pr Peter Sze, the pastor of tNCC, shared that this was a vision that God had planted in his and the other leaders’ hearts; one of the best ways to shape a Godly generation is through quality education. ‘When tNCC first mooted the idea of the EduCenter, we actually didn’t know if it would work out. We didn’t even know if there would be people with the heart for the ministry. We only did it through faith and obedience and the Lord answered. The timing was perfect, and sis Jennifer Lee (the principal coach at tNCC EduCenter) answered the call. She later shared that this has been her concern all the while.’

Pr Peter Sze of tNCC

Using a self-paced system known as EduSeeds, that combine multimedia-based online learning and in-class interactive sessions, students are shaped and equipped to sit for the Cambridge IGCSE, a Level 10 high-school exam internationally recognised by leading universities and employers. Since they have started opening their center in January this year, they have grown to cover two stages of the EduSeeds system; Junior (Levels 1-4) and Middle (Levels 5-6) with the aim to extend further to Levels 7-10 in another 6-12 month’s time.

Students at the tNCC EduCenter.

‘The subjects we cover include the usual ones like Maths, English, Science, BM, and Social Studies which include World Geography and History. We facilitate our students so that they’re able to sit for the Cambridge IGCSE, but we also believe in shaping a child through more than theoretical knowledge. At EduCenter, we also aim to build our children’s character through not just Physical Education, but also Life Skill sessions,’ sis Jennifer Lee, its principal coach shared.

The EduCenter is a comprehensive venue that caters for both outdoor and indoor PE activities and multiple discussion rooms. Subjects like Arts and Crafts, as well as Information Technology are conducted in rooms that are dedicated and specialized for them. The online system it uses has a personalized database that helps the coaches in providing committed guidance to each student.

PE sessions with the children.

‘We identify our instructors as coaches. That is who we aim to be : coaches do more than just teach. Our ultimate priority is to shape the child’s life so that they become pillars of society when they go out into the world. The approach has to be centered on the child; learn to understand them and you’ll find the seed of potential grow in them. The child has to understand the reasons for certain things ie. explaining and identifying with the child, before controlling their video game privileges near exam times.’

Sis Jennifer guiding one of the students.

‘Part of that has to do with the spiritual life,’ sis Jennifer communicated. ‘‘For Christians, we have Bible Studies 3 afternoon sessions (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday), a week but we make it flexible, according to our children’s comfort level. Chapel is conducted every Friday afternoon at 1-3pm.

‘When we talk about spiritual life, it sounds so mystical but it’s really not that intimidating at all. We guide our children to have spiritual values and to understand and walk with God, but we don’t impose our belief systems on non-Christians. What we do is we include them in our group discussions so that they are not regarded as outsiders by the other children, and we talk about values.’

The chapel at tNCC EduCenter.

The EduCenter have received many encouraging feedback, some even from non-Christians. ‘We had one student who was previously in a second last class in another school. He was 5 years backwards, education-wise, for his age. The teachers, probably overburdened with other workload, had given up hope on him. This boy was feeling neglected and aimless, and when his parents sent him to our EduCenter, he told us to give up on him because the others had already done so. In fact, he told us that even he himself had given up hope, and that broke our hearts.

The children having fun with their coaches.

‘The best way a child grows is when they have a strong bonding with not just their parents, but also their teachers. The teacher must have a strong relationship with the student, and opportunities must be given to the students, something which already overburdened teachers under conventional systems can ill afford. This boy started to see the potential in himself, and he started producing As, something which he previously thought was impossible. Remember, our standards had to adhere to those set by the Cambridge IGCSE.

‘And you know the best thing? He started reaching out to others, helping to coach them. His parents shared with us that our God must be working in his life, and they have already started encouraging him to pray. It is the opportunity to see things like these that is our greatest encouragement and reward.’

Sis Jennifer Lee, principat coach at tNCC EduCenter.

Sis Jennifer shared that the vision of the EduCenter is to bring hope where there may be none previously, and they do this through development, motivation, character, and conversation, with the ultimate end-goal of building the inner self-values of the child. They find and instill this inner motivator through constant positive encouragement.

‘It takes dedication, time, and patience to do this, but it pays off and you see impactful life stories first-hand,’ sis Jennifer shared.

Sis Jennifer Lee previously served as a children pastor, and has her own inspirational story to share. You can find out more about tNCC’s EduCenter and its inspirational life-stories through their FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/tNCCEduCenter or their website at http://www.tncchurch.org/ministries/tncc-educenter/They can be contacted through email at tncceducenter@gmail.com or phone at 03-7732 0506

tNCC’s EduCenter academic calendar consists of 3 terms each year:
Term 1: January – March
Term 2: April – July
Term 3: August – November
They follow Malaysian governmental holidays, and have short breaks between each semester.

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NOTE: Pictures of tNCC Educenter were contributed by tNCC. 

21 August 2014 by Joycelyn Loh CM –

耶稣对彼得说：“你喂养我的小羊。”（约翰福音 21:15-17）又说，你若爱我，就喂养神草场上的羊。

我们的大牧者耶稣基督将牧养神草场上的羊（也就是你和我）的职分托付了给那些爱神的人，譬如我们的牧师、教会领袖等，当然也包括了你和我。唯可惜的是在於我们人的有限：时间有限、能力有限、体力有限、金钱有限等等。这样，我们能给其他人的时间就变得有限了。

当我们感觉到牧羊人好久没有花时间关心我们的时候，或感受不到他们的关心时，我们可能就会在心里嘀咕，“我的牧者偏心，他都不来问候我”；“他怎么都只是约见某某某而已啊？”；“无事不登三宝殿，算了吧，我的牧者每次都是有事才会找我的啦…”

 “在每位牧羊人的眼中会看到有很多的羊，但是在每只羊的眼中就只看到那一位牧羊人。”这句话说得一点都没有错！所以，我们这些小羊常常会有刚提过的那些想法。然而，我们曾几何时又有站在那一位看见许多羊的牧羊人的立场思考过呢？正因为他清楚知道每只羊眼中只有他这一位牧养人，为了能兼顾到每一只羊，他相对也变得更忙碌！不是不关心你，只是暂时还没有走到你的面前而已。

那么，如果我们遇上了这样忙碌的牧羊人时，该怎么办呢？

走到他面前直接请他关心？！当然不是！当然也不是埋怨，或是做出一些为要引人注意的“调皮事情”。学习成为牧羊人的好帮手，才是上策！不但可以协助他，也可以和他一起同工。到时候，你想不见他都不太可能了。你若说，你没有办法成为忙碌牧养人的好帮手，那我还能做什么呢？

这样，我们也可以做其他的事。

祷告

当我们遇见忙碌的牧羊人时，我们要为着他向神代祷。我们的祷告并不是向神投诉那位牧羊人为别人的事情忙碌，而忽略了自己。反而是求神将更大的祝福倾倒在那位牧羊人身上，让他身、心、灵都兴盛，能够有更多的管理恩赐，作神百般恩赐的好管家。同时，也祷告求神来提升我们的牧养人，让他能够更妥善地处理所有事情。

不仅如此，我们也应该祷告，求神将合适的人在合适的时间安放在我们牧羊人的生命中，成为他们的好帮手。这样，就能够万事互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处（罗马书 8:28）。再来就是祷告求神提升我们，使我们也能够成为我们牧羊人身边的好帮手。一旦忙碌的牧羊人找到好同工了，他就能有更多的时间约见更多的人，关心更多的人。

其实我们都明白也知道，无论遇到什么事情，都应该先向神祷告，但试问又有多少人的自然反应或是瞬间反应是祷告呢？祷告，往往成了我们逼于无奈，走到尽头的选项。

转换心态

很多人会说，“我有祷告啊！但是，神好像听不见我的祷告一样。”若我们真的遇见了很忙碌的牧羊人时，我们不应该自暴自弃，或是自怜自哀地等待他来关心我们而已。神的话语说：牧养神的羊，这职分并不只是落在我们牧羊人的身上而已。若你是爱神的人，那么，我们在成为小羊的同时，也一样可以成为别人的牧羊人。

让我们等待牧羊人的同时，一起在神的话语上扎根，也装备自己成为我们牧羊人的好帮手，牧养神所托付的羊群。与我们的牧羊人分担，好使我们的家可以一直成长。

 

只要凡事借着祷告祈求，带着感恩的心，把你们所要的告诉神。这样，神所赐超过人能了解的平安，必在基督耶稣里，保守你们的心思意念（腓立比书 4：6-7）。

今天当你遇见了忙碌的牧羊人时，你的选择会是什么呢？

愿神祝福您！

References for pictures:

http://www.lingholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/sand-timer.jpg

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/wh6_uploads/wp_import/busy-day.jpg

http://deanneleblanc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/busy-person.jpg

http://images.catholic.org/ins_news/2013044801sheep.jpg

http://www.themotherco.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Attention-580×416.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8ez4dMuCr1rwwz0zo1_400.jpg

http://jonathanblankenship.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/how-can-i-help-you_t.jpg?w=620