21 Apr 2015 -

Question: When my wife and I fight, it takes days for one of us to apologize. And when we do, I’m usually the one who says sorry first. Isn’t it reasonable for me to expect my wife to apologize first sometimes? Why should I be the one who always has to swallow my pride?

Answer from Mitch Temple:

Healthy couples recognize the value of mutual apologies. No matter how well a spouse communicates, he or she is bound to make mistakes in word choice, tone or body language. When that happens, a simple apology can help restore unity and peace. If a spouse never says he or she is sorry, something is wrong.

What is the best way to breach this topic with your wife? Let me offer some things to consider:

Ask God to reveal any pride, resentment or unforgiveness on your part. Not dealing with your own “stuff” will come through in words or behaviour.

Consider the possibility that your apologies in the past have been seen as insincere or as a way to stop the discussion dead in its tracks. Ask for the wisdom to deal with the issue the way Christ would.

Communicate your concerns to your wife at a time when things are going well, not when you are upset. When raising the issue, use a friendly, caring tone, with words that will not cause her to be defensive. Try beginning with “I feel . . .” instead of “You always . . .”

Your wife may have grown up in a home where apologizing was not modelled. If this is so, she will need time to develop the skill. Understanding her background may not resolve the issue, but it can give you a new perspective on why she does not apologize.

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Take a “couple checkup” – a test that evaluates your relationship’s strengths and weaknesses. For a good couple assessment, visit the Focus on the Family Malaysia website. Talking with a counsellor can also be helpful. Both steps may provide the opportunity to raise your concerns with guidance.

Though this issue may seem irresolvable, it is not. If you are willing to model the right kind of behaviour, be patient and seek the proper guidance and help together, there is hope.

This article was published with permission from Focus on the Family Malaysia. For more information, please visit or contact us.

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Focus on the Family 90-second audio program is aired over TRAXX FM at 8.15 a.m. and 6.45pm every Monday to Friday

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The post The Art of Apology appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

21 April 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

Getting off the couch is hard especially when one has not exercise for a long time. Many older folks came to believe that nothing could stop the body ailments that naturally come with the tide of age. 

However, research has shown that fitness amongst the middle-aged and elderly increases the quality of life when they reach their 70’s and 80’s. Chronic diseases including – heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, colon, or lung cancer – only develop in the last five years of those most fit in life, instead of the final 10, 15, or even 20 years. 

Yeoh Kit Koon explaining each step of the exercise to the older folks

On 9^th of April, more than 70 middle-aged and elderly people attended an exercise session held by the Joy Ministry in PJEFC, lasting slightly more than an hour.

Designed and taught by brother Yeoh Kit Koon, this Sit Down Exercise is designed with the middle-aged and elderly in mind. Most exercises can be done when sitting down that even an 80-year-old can perform the exercise.

Accepting Christ at 59 years old, Yeoh was still fit for his age as a sports coach.

The participants working out with the rod they were provided

However, when he attended church, he was surprised to see his peers becoming increasingly frail and more prone to falling down. 

“This passion for the older people made me create this exercise. And I want to give glory to God,” said Yeoh. 

Although Yeoh was experienced in competitive training for athletes, he was unfamiliar with developing exercises that are low impact, with a high range of motion exercises. 

Yeoh Kit Koon doing a stretching series in the Sit Down Exercise

But having heard about PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) stretching – a set of stretching techniques commonly used in clinical setting – Yeoh applied this technique in creating his exercise. 

The Sit Down Exercise Yeoh designed focuses on 11 components of fitness, which he has simplified down to Strength, Stamina, and Suppleness. It is carefully designed to cover most of our skeletal muscles, and the exercise session is systematically conducted, working the muscles from the neck down to the toes. Believing that an exercise session is incomplete without stretching, the Sit Down Exercise ends with a stretching session, which again is done with care covering the muscles of the legs up to the neck. 

Another group of old folks also doing the Sit Down Exercise taught by Yeoh Kit Koon

“I came here to learn how to exercise because the doctor told me I have a spinal problem. And I wanted to learn how to exercise without injuring myself,” said 90-year-old Mary Loke, a participant who was delighted to try this exercise for the first time. 

Ninety-year-old Mary Loke who came to learn how to exercise properly

Sixty-six year old Jenny Mah added, “At our age, you cannot simply exercise. But because Yeoh is a professional sports instructor, I trust him for his exercises.”

The exercise session ended with Yeoh sharing the Word of God and saying a prayer of thanksgiving. He believed that God is the source of all blessings. And if we commit our exercise to Him, He will bless us.

“I always feel that the physical can lead to the spiritual. And because of that, I want to thank God for my health,” said 69-year-old Yeoh, who hardly looked like his age. He believes that taking care of our physical body is important because it affects our spiritual realm.

Finally, what touches Yeoh the most is seeing the hands of God over the lives of people through his ministry. Since his ministry started in 2009, he has taught over 940 people, having witnessed a number of people coming to God.

One of his best memories is witnessing how a 72-year-old lady came to the Lord, having been invited by a stranger she met in the market. Now, this lady is a fervent worshiper of God in church, having the faith of a little child.

Surely, this Sit Down Exercise is a testament of how God did not forget about the older folks and care about our physical health. 

Hence, if you are middle-aged and elderly, come join the next Sit Down Exercise or bring your parents to PJEFC. Contact PJEFC at 603-7957-4341. 

You can also participate in a Sit Down Exercise personally led by brother Yeoh Kit Koon held every Monday and Friday at 11 PM to 12 PM, at Canning Garden Methodist Church. Contact him at 016-521-6109.

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The post Exercise Inspired for the Older Folks – Yeoh Kit Koon appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

22 Apr 2015 -

Want to bless your Chinese-speaking friends or relatives with Biblical management and influence tips from renowned marketplace leaders? The well-known Global Leadership Summit conference will be facilitated in Chinese for the first time in Peninsular Malaysia, and it’s coming in just 2 weeks’ time! 

The Global Leadership Summit  

The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) was started by Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC) in 1995 as they are convinced that effective, Christ-centered leadership is critical to advancing the Kingdom of God on earth and the Church is at the center of this plan. GLS is a two-day, world-class leadership event now experienced by more than 190,000 leaders around the world, representing more than 18,000 churches. It’s telecast LIVE from Willow’s campus (near Chicago) every August to over 300 locations in North America. Throughout the fall, Summit events take place in an additional 300+ cities, 105 countries — and translated into 50 languages. This event is crafted to infuse vision, skill development and inspiration for the sake of local church transformation. 

The Global Leadership Summit is a world-class experience for Christian leaders who want to get better. The 1st Chinese Global Leadership Summit will be held at Seremban Agape Community Church on 1-2 May 2015. Speakers presented via videocast with Chinese subtitles and facilitation session will be conducted in Chinese.

Speakers

There are 7 sessions in this 1^st Chinese Global Leadership Summit, speakers are:

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Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church

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Liz Wiseman, President, The Wiseman Group; Best-selling Author

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Mark Burnett, Four-time Emmy Award Winner; Executive Producer,

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Don Flow, Chairman and CEO, Flow Companies Inc.

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Allen Catherine Kagina, Commissioner General, Uganda Revenue Authority

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Wilfredo De Jesús, Pastor; TIME’s 100 Most Influential People 2013

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Blake Mycoskie, Founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS

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Joseph Grenny, Co-Founder, VitalSmarts; Best-selling Business Author

The Global Leadership Summit is not just an event to attend, but a resource to be leveraged year round. Don’t miss:

• World-class faculty presented via videocast

• Live worship

• Networking with like-minded leaders

• Facilitated process time to help you apply what you learned

Join more than 190,000 leaders around the world at The 1st Chinese Global Leadership Summit 2015.

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The post The 1st Chinese Global Leadership Summit in Peninsular Malaysia Coming In May! appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

22 April 2015 by Esperanza Ng CM -

Have you ever been rudely cut off by a driver only to have his bumper tell you, “Jesus Loves you!”? Then, while you wait for your heart to return to it’s normal pace, you watch as he speeds off to inform a whole bunch of other terrorized drivers, “Jesus Loves You! Jesus Loves You! Jesus Love You!” Grrr. So geram-fying, right??

As Malaysians, I think most of us can agree that road courtesy is not our greatest strength. In fact, many of us claim that Malaysian traffic is the worst! Well, maybe. But then again, which city does not claim to have the worst traffic ever?

Traffic conditions in KL on a Wednesday evening

In any case, worst traffic in the world or not, driving in Malaysia can be stressful. It affects us on a daily basis, and we literally have to schedule our lives around the hourly traffic conditions. “15 minutes drive + rush hour means… we leave 2 hours in advance!”— And might still end up being late.

Many of us have learned the hard way that if we don’t go along with the flow and be somewhat aggressive in our driving, we will end up getting yelled at, honked at, in a ditch, or in the middle of a road divider somewhere, in tears. In order to survive the Malaysian roads, you just have to learn to drive like a Malaysian driver.

Ref: themalaysiantimes

Nevertheless, this is no excuse to drive like one who does not value life and has absolutely no consideration for others. We have all encountered people like that on the road. They weave in and out between cars, tailgate you if you happen to be going the speed limit, drive on the shoulder to skip the jam, and push you off the road if you’re in their way.

And what’s our natural reaction to this sort of behavior? We get upset, right? “[Insert unpleasant word here] fella! Cannot wait his turn wan ar?” Yes, we all confess, our language can get pretty colorful on the road. But that’s not the worst part! The worst part is when that driver blatantly announces to the world, “I FOLLOW JESUS!” I don’t know about you, but my insides knot up every time I see that and I cringe.

Ref: 959thehawk

It is so unfortunate that it is at Christian events, when traffic is already bad and everyone else is trying to get around the congestion, that these bumper stickered car drivers are often the ones that make the flow even worse by being selfish and thoughtless of the three hundred other drivers who are trying to turn into that same parking garage. All I can think at that point is, “I hope people don’t know that this is a Christian event.”

Because what kind of message are we sending to our fellow Malaysians when we behave so distastefully behind the wheel? What kind of love could they possibly feel from “Our Jesus” if we who claim to love Him refuse to even let the guy who has had his blinking signal on for five minutes into our lane?

If John Unbeliever Lim gets cut off by a rude driver bearing no bumper sticker, he would probably say something like “Stupid BMW,” and move on with his life. If that BMW happens to have a cheery rainbow sticker that says “Praise Jesus!”, however, you can probably guess John Unbeliever Lim’s reaction before I even say it. Ready? We can all say it together:

“Ahh. See la. Christians like that wan.”

It’s not that all drivers with Christian bumper stickers drive terribly, or even that drivers with no bumper stickers are more courteous. There really is no correlation. The point is that bumper stickers that shout out to the world that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! somehow amplifies any and all offenses to the other person simply because it declares “I am a Christian!”

As Christians, we can never forget that we carry the name of Jesus wherever we go. Bumper sticker or no bumper sticker, if we profess to follow Christ, we become ambassadors of Heaven. Our every thought, word, and action is a reflection of the Person we call our Savior. Whether we like it or not, we are held to a higher standard than everybody else, not just because society expects better of us, but because God demands that we live a life of excellence that is pleasing to Him.

Ref: chosen29

Yes, people are always going to judge Christians by their actions—more than they judge anyone else. But while some may think of it as unfair, we can choose to see it as affirmation that God expects His children to live by His principles and that He will hold us accountable for our shortcomings. Colossians 3:23 tells us that everything we do should be for the glory of God, and James 2:17 says that faith without action is dead.

Therefore, let us remember to live out our faith in every area of our lives. Whether it is at home, in the workplace, at a shopping mall, or on the road, our love for Jesus should attract others to Him—not repel them from Him. Wherever people know that we belong to Christ, the expectation to live up to that position is one that should not be taken lightly.

Ref: essex1

Indeed, it is an honor and a responsibility we all have as Christians to show the world through our actions that Jesus really is who He says He is. Our actions will either give credibility to the Gospel, or destroy it. So by all means, plaster your car with bumper stickers. Just bear in mind that your decision to give way to another driver or to cut him off will either reinforce or discredit the writings on your car. Don’t let your bumper sticker become an anti Gospel.

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The post The Bumper Sticker Anti Gospel appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

22 April 2015 by Tony Dibble -

Introduction

Prayer is based on our confidence in GOD and in His love. This is because He first loved us (1 John 4:10 & 19). By Christ’s death and resurrection, we have access to GOD through prayer. (Heb 4:14-16) 

Prayer is the most important activity of a Christian. John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon and R. A. Torey in particular, have emphasised this.

(See http://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/notes-prayer/ for a more specific treatment of prayer). 

This article aims to make our prayer life more meaningful. It poses an ‘audit’ of our prayer life. It asks questions so that we can approach our prayer life realistically.

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Prayer Objective

Are we praying because we are afraid of GOD?

Are we praying because we are afraid that GOD would not care about us?

Are we praying only for benefits from GOD? Are we treating GOD as, what Oswald Chambers terms, a “blessing machine” just to obtain benefits?

Are we treating prayer only as what R. Arthur Matthews terms an “emergency ambulance service”, as a last resort when we are unable to resolve a crisis?

Are we praying for GOD’s plans to come about on earth? 

Are we praying because we love GOD?

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The issues of our everyday existence are important. We all have our shortcomings when approaching GOD. However, relating meaningfully and completely to GOD should be our main aim in prayer. Only then would the secondary matters be relevant.

Prayer as a Priority

If we do not treat prayer as a priority, we risk postponing it. Prayer could then gradually fall away from our daily lives.

The great Christians would rise early in the morning and devote hours to prayer before commencing their other activities. It was prayer that made them great. 

The Bible does NOT fix a specific time of day for prayer. David and Isaiah wrote about seeking GOD early in the day (Ps 5:3; Isa 26:9).

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Though GOD’s people prayed three times daily, this was not prescribed for in the Old Testament (Daniel 6:10). 

The New Testament records the times of prayer as the third, sixth and ninth hours(9.00 am,12.00 noon & 3.00 pm). They coincided with Christ’s suffering on the cross (Mark 15:25; Mark 15:33-34;Luke 23:44-46).

However, any time of day is appropriate for prayer. The main thing is to stick to praying no matter what time of day it is. Consistency and staying power are important.

Clarity of Prayer

What do we pray for? 

Are we specific or are we vague in what we pray for?

Chapter 17 of John’s gospel is a prayer by Christ. Meditating on it would show us how to be clear when we pray. 

The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 is another prayer that we could also meditate upon. 

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From these two prayers, we can see how prayer is a clear and specific relationship with GOD.

Charles Spurgeon said that it was not the length of our prayers that mattered, but the depth of our prayers. Prayers, if clearly formulated, would result in a strong and deep pursuit of GOD.

Prayer Content

Do our prayers focus on the will of GOD and on His glory being fulfilled?

What is the will of GOD? The will of GOD is for all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4).

What is the glory of GOD? The glory of GOD is anything accomplished which gives praise and overwhelming significance to GOD, and not to the ego or pride of man in any way.

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Do our prayers include those two aims as their focus?

Are we merely confined to making only relief from disasters the substance of our prayers?

Do we pray for specific church members regularly or, only when they have critical needs?

Do we pray for those who persecute and manipulate us (Matt 5:44). 

Do we pray for those with whom we have disagreements with or, are our prayers blocked by our bitterness (Matt 5:23 & 24 & Heb 12:15)?

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Do we surrender personal conflicts totally to GOD?

Do we pray for the spread of the gospel in all countries? 

Do we have specific missionaries or missionary organisations that we pray for in these countries?

Do we pray for the deliverance of persons in countries going through religious persecution?

Are we using the things we request for, for the happiness of our fellow Christians?

Are our requests incorrectly based on hedonism (love of pleasure) and the personal lusts of the flesh?

Are we including thanksgiving in our prayers?

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Sieving/ Selective Prayers

Do we surrender all matters in our lives to GOD in prayer? 

Do we selectively keep some issues away from GOD and deliver only the more ‘difficult’ ones to GOD? This is a breach of our trust in GOD. In 1 Peter 5: 6 & 7 we are asked to cast all our cares to GOD in humility. Keeping matters away from GOD is cultivating spiritual pride.

Prayer is to be made always (Eph 6:18), continually (1 Thess 5:17), everywhere (1Tim 2:8) for everything (Phil 4:6). 

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Everything must be delivered to GOD. All things, no matter how insignificant, should be prayed for. There are no exceptions to prayer whether (say) for driving a vehicle or being engaged in sports.

Neither is secret sin to be kept away from GOD. It may turn out to be too late (James 4:14). We must deliver sin to GOD in prayer without delay.

Prayer is a total, non-stop activity in our lives. It is a full relationship with GOD.

Prayer Logistics

Do we have a prayer record/note book or mobile with the names of the persons and the items to pray for? This is a common neglect. 

Are our prayers reactions to the needs of the moment?

Do we pray only when we casually recall our prayer items?

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Do we organise our prayer requirements into a proper system?

Do we have a prayer calendar from our church? If none, could we prepare one for the congregation?

Are we part of a prayer chain contacting each other to pray in emergencies? If none, could we start one?

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Conclusion

Prayer requires total commitment at any moment. We should develop a clear and systematic approach to prayer. 

Nothing is too small for prayer.

Our commitment to prayer is neither legalistic nor mechanical. We are not under pressure to pray. But we should not take a light view of prayer. Prayer is serious business with GOD. 

We should experience the sheer joy of praying, with strong conviction in what we turn over to GOD. Our prayer efforts must not stress us out. The joy of the LORD is our strength (Neh 8:10).

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NOTE: Tony Dibble worships at Endeavour Christian Gathering, in Perth, Western Australia. Prior to this, he was attending the Church of Our Holy Saviour, in Labuan, East Malaysia. When in Kuala Lumpur, he worships at Faith Oasis Fellowship (FOF) Subang Jaya, Selangor.

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The post The Prayer Life: simple requirements appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

23 Apr 2015 by Jason Law CM -

Stevens Chan is probably no stranger to many of us. He is the founder behind such organizations as the Malaysia Glaucoma Society, Dialogue in the Dark Malaysia, and Save Ones Sight Missions Bhd. Battling and overcoming his own hurdles in life, his ministries have already blessed so many of the less-advantaged in Malaysia, particularly among the visually-disadvantaged. Stevens Chan and his partner in life, sis Kaye, are among the people with the strongest faith I have ever known personally.

Brother Stevens and sis Kaye.

Before all this, however, Brother Stevens had to go through severe struggles of his own. Many of these struggles would have destroyed another man, but God reached down to him at the bleakest moment of his life, and gave him a purpose. Recently, bro Stevens shared his story with Christianity Malaysia and it’s an extraordinarily powerful one.

Early Part of Life

Stevens came from a challenging but closely-knitted family background. ‘I was born into a poor family,’ he shared. ‘My dad was an odd-job labourer and my mum was an odd-job seamstress. Though we were poor my parents made sure that I have what I needed to survive.’

Brother Stevens Chan with guide dog Lashawn.

This background, however, planted an ambitious heart and a determination for corporate success in the young man. ‘I was an average student and after completing my A-levels I started my working life in a local Bank. 5 years later I joined the Insurance industry. As an agent, I wanted to make a lot of money. In my mind was Prosperity, Power and Position; nothing else! Not even God! To me God or Gods was like a Spiritual Gangster and you need to pay your annual and seasonal Protection Fees to ensure a safe and blessed journey in life. I prayed to every god that I heard of, and occasionally, I would also go to church and pray.’

From the insurance industry, Stevens joined the Direct-selling industry and for the next 10+ years he was running his own consultancy firm, helping business owners to start their own direct-selling firms and also helping foreign direct-sales companies to start in Malaysia.

‘One day I was given a high-status contract worth RM2.5 million. Earning the contract was for me the beginning of my journey upwards to even more financial success that will also bring me Power and Position! Or so I thought! A month later there I was sitting on a hospital bed waiting for surgery.’

Diagnosed With Glaucoma

At the age of 40 Stevens was diagnosed with Glaucoma, the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. Brother Stevens shared about the ordeal. ‘It was indeed a traumatic news for me and my wife Kaye! Just about a month ago my Consultancy firm was awarded a 2 years contract worth RM2.5million. After striving in the business world I was indeed very ecstatic when I was awarded this contract. I felt then that the years of hard and punishing work which had inflicted much ravage on my physical well-being and not to mention the strains on my marriage! In many ways I was also sacrificing much of my integrity in many business negotiations. In gaining this contract I thought all of this sacrifices I had made was worthwhile as a price to pay for material success.’

Brother Stevens (2nd from left) as Save Ones Sight Mission Berhad Vision Guardian today.

The attending optomologist insisted that Stevens did a surgery to prevent further sight loss, but despite this and a further 8 more surgeries, he finally became totally blind in late 2007 at the age of 45. During this 5-years period he had to close down all his businesses and in the process, he lost all his money in frantically trying to seek for all types of remedies and cure for his eyes. It was a very tough time in his life. During this time Stevens also lost his dad.

‘I was not even with him when he passed away as I was unable to care for him in his old age and had placed him in an old age home. Initially I had thought I was prepared to go blind but when that dreadful moment came I broke down! One morning in late 2007 I woke up and could not see my wife’s face anymore. I didn’t want to wake up anymore as to me waking up made no difference. I still cannot see! I began to blame just about everyone and everything including my wife, family and even God for causing me to be blind!’

Coming to Know God

Initially, Stevens thought of committing suicide. ‘I thought of ending everything but I didn’t have the guts to do it, and in March 22 2008, I accepted an invitation by a married couple to attend a Christian healing meeting. I have only known this couple a few months and to Kaye’s shock and even to mine I accepted their invitation. I cannot remember what the pastor shared that night except for a statement he made during his sermon, that we can have a personal relationship with GOD by believing in Jesus Christ.’

That statement stuck with him the whole night and later, again to Kaye’s shock, he accepted the pastor’s invitation to go to his church the next day as it was Easter. ‘Kaye was surprised as I had on many occasions rejected friends’ invitation to go for healing rallies and services, and at times I even mock them. On that Easter Sunday, March 23 2008, both I and Kaye repented and invited Lord Jesus to be the Lord over our lives! At the point of repentance I completely ignored my own thoughts and feelings. I just prayed;”Lord Jesus, please take over my life. I am sorry for all the wrongs that I have done!”’

Brother Stevens and his partner in life sis Kaye, a pillar of strength and support.

Amazingly, for the first time in his life, Stevens felt a peace that surpassed all understanding and that night he slept peacefully after many years of poor sleep. ‘For about a year or so, I and Kaye were struggling along in our new life as a Christian but thank God for the many Brothers and Sisters that was somehow always there to pray for us and be alongside us in our struggles.’

During the time, they were struggling financially as both of them was by now not working and were trying to earn money through doing direct-selling. Kaye was also doing part-time work for a friend. ‘It was a tough life then but we were joyful and felt blessed that GOD was with us all the time in our sufferings,’ he related.

Gaining a New-found Purpose through God

In late 2008 the wife of Steven’s church pastor asked to do an interview with him in regard to his Glaucoma experience. It was only during this interview that she informed him that Glaucoma was now the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. According to WHO, it was affecting more than 60-million people worldwide, including close to 100,000 Malaysians. After the interview, Stevens was advised to start an NGO to create more awareness of Glaucoma for Malaysians, as well as to help the many Glaucoma patients and their family members understand their condition better. The goal was to prevent unnecessary Blindness from others.

Eye check-up photo taken from a mission trip to Myanmar.

Initially, Stevens was skeptical about the feasibility. ‘I laughed about it as I told her that not only do I not know how to start or run an NGO, I also do not have the money to start one.’ However, the thought of starting and running this NGO nevertheless kept appearing in his thoughts and in early 2009, he made an appointment to have tea with a Malay lady which he had met a few months earlier during a lunch meeting with another Malay friend.

‘I had vaguely remembered her mentioning that she was working with the Registrar of Societies KL. It was only during our next meeting that I found out that she was the main person in charge to approve Society registration in KL!

‘It was indeed amazing how God was working to awaken my calling to glorify His Name! I shared with the lady that I wanted to start the Glaucoma Society and that I do not know how to do it and neither do I have the money to hire a consultant to do it for me. I also told her that if possible I hope to register the Society by March as WHO had just announced that the second week of March was now to be proclaimed as World Glaucoma Week. Amazingly she agreed to help me ProBono and that I only needed to pay her lawyer friend who will oversee the registration papers and RM500.00 for her services, payable when I was able to.’  

The Inception of the Malaysia Glaucoma Society

The Malaysia Glaucoma Society was registered on March 5^th 2009 just a few days before the first World Glaucoma Week! ‘And I only paid RM30.00 for the Certificate,’ Stevens related. ‘It’s amazing how God works as I now begin to realize what Romans 8:28 was all about! Only God can do this as it normally takes about 12-24 months to register a NGO unless you are very well connected!’

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

‘From then onwards I truly did not know how or what was I to do with the Society! We had no money, struggling to survive; how were we to move on was truly troubling us. Soon after the registration I surrendered all to God as I knew in my heart that if this was my calling to serve, then God will take care of all of our and the Glaucoma Society’s needs! “God please help my unbelief and give me the wisdom and strength to glorify your Name in this works that you have call me to do!” was my fervent prayer ever since even until today!’

On a Life Journey with God

‘From 2009 till to date GOD has blessed us much, very very much indeed!’ Stevens shared. ‘In our surrendering to Him, God has caused our ministry to grow beyond my imaginations. From a small NGO operating from our home, we are now occupying a 7,000 sq ft center in the heart of PJ, Jaya One. To date we have conducted more than 150 community eye-health screenings nationwide as well as in Myanmar where more than 10,000 people were blessed. From taking care of 4 under-privileged Glaucoma Children, giving out free visual aids and surgeries to the needy, training and giving employment to more than 12 Blind Malaysians, to being accepted as a member of the International Agencies of Preventing Blindness’.

Sis Kaye (left) and a volunteer (right) on a recent trip with brother Stevens to Myanmar.

The Lord has taken brother Stevens to even greater heights; establishing and running the Malaysia Glaucoma Society; a Christian Non-Profit Organisation, ‘Save Ones Sight Missions Berhad’, and a Social Enterprise ‘Dialogue in the Dark Malaysia’! The Lord even sent a philantrophist whom Stevens did not know to provide a seed loan of RM1 million to start Dialogue in the Dark.

Save Ones Sight Missions Berhad is only the first Malaysian organisation to be given membership in the International Agencies of Preventing Blindness. Additionally, it is the only Asian organisation working with 2 leading Preventing Blindness Research Institutions in Oxford University, UK!

Hopes for the Future

‘I believe that God still has many great plans for me,’ Stevens conveyed. ‘God even inspired me to deny myself to bring the first Guide Dog back to Malaysia. I am not a dog lover and am afraid of dogs since the time I was bitten by a rabies-infected stray dog when I was 5 years old. Since then, I had stayed away from dogs and to now own and learn to love Lashawn? Only God can do this!’

Brother Stevens Chan educating about the role of guide dogs and how they can help the visually-disadvantaged.

‘I could not have done this at all. I am blind and perceived and treated as a disabled in our society. How can a disabled person do all of this?? It’s not me and neither is it all about me. It’s all about God and how He is using a disabled person like me to show His love to those who are suffering from sight loss including their loved ones.’

Today, Stevens’ work creed is founded on Matthew 6:21-23; ‘If I remember correctly it reads; ‘The lamp of our body is the eyes and if the eye is unhealthy the body will be full of darkness but when the eye is healthy the body will be full of light!!”. For brother Stevens and sister Kaye, this verse speaks not just about physical sight, but about spiritual truth. God illuminates the soul and spirit with His truth and light.

Brother Stevens and sis Kaye with Lashawn.

Knowing brother Stevens and sister Kaye personally has taught me many things. It has taught me that hope can be found in even the bleakest moment in our lives, and that God’s purposes often extend to more than a single person. Additionally, it has also brought home a truth in 12 Corinthians 12:9; that very often in our lowest moments, God has plans for us, and that He is profoundly concerned about the moulding process that will one day bring, not just one or two of us, but countless others that we have touched home to meet Him again in heaven.    

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NOTE: To know more about Stevens Chan’s ministries, you can visit the pages at Save Ones Sight Missions (SOSM), Dialogue in the Dark Malaysia, and Dogs For Sight. All pictures of brother Stevens and sis Kaye kindly provided by brother Stevens and sis Kaye.

The post God Gave Me a Purpose at the Bleakest Moment of My Life: Stevens Chan, Founder of Malaysia Glaucoma Society and Dialogue in the Dark Malaysia appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

24 April 2015 by Esperanza Ng CM –  

“The message I have today concerns the fate of humanity—and I’m not exaggerating.” Dr. Lee Chong Yew addressed a crowed of close to three hundred students that were packed into the hall at MCKL (Methodist College Kuala Lumpur) last Friday. “This is a true story about God’s love for us; how He has reached out to us in the past, and how He is still reaching out to us today.”

Ultimately, God will bring an end to all the suffering and pain we see every day, because in Him, we have victory over death! “As I look at so many young people here, the talk of death is not something that is very appealing.” Dr. Lee said. With so much to live for and look forward to, why talk about something so swey ar? Death…! After all, Chinese people like to talk about things like prosperity and blessing, right? Needless to say, death is not a topic that people enjoy discussing.

However, we read in Psalm 16: 9-11:

 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

 my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

   nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

You make known to me the path of life;

   you will fill me with joy in your presence,

   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

The psalmist says that his heart is glad and his tongue rejoices. His body will rest secure. There is no fear in death, because God’s presence will fill him with joy and eternal pleasures. To the psalmist, there is nothing swey about death. “I just want to make it clear that the death I’m talking about here is not just physical death,” Dr. Lee said. It has eternal implications as well, and that is why it is important that this topic is discussed—unpleasant as it may seem.

Two MCKL students greeting each other before the rally started

Dr. Lee went on to tell the students that as they look at where they are at right now, they have a full life ahead of them. They can participate in sports and exciting activities with friends, meet up at a new chic restaurant, or go to concerts… They can do their best in their studies in order to enroll into the university of their choice, graduate with flying colors and land their dream jobs so they can enjoy the nice things in life.

They chart their lives and seek to be in control. They execute what is best for them. There is even the exciting and exhilarating hope for love and a future someone. “Being in love is fantastic!” Dr. Lee exclaimed. “You can’t think straight, you can’t walk straight, and you talk silly.” 

However. “I will not be standing here today to talk to you about victory over death if there was not a major flaw in these beautiful plans.” Dr. Lee said. The truth is that life is not as rosy and straightforward as it seems. In fact, it is filled with burdens, and the Bible tells us why. When God created everything—the birds, the snow capped mountains, and the sun’s golden rays—He said that it was good. When He created humans, He said that is was very good (Genesis 1).

Students lifting their voices together in worship

God’s purpose for creating human kind was so that we can have a relationship with him and experience life to the fullest in fellowship with Him. But humans decided to rebel against God, and that was when all the beautiful plans became flawed. Because of our rebellion, this thing called sin came into the world. “Sin is not just aiyah, I did something wrong.” The Bible tells us that sin is like an animal. It is something inside us that pushes us away from God. It’s the little voice in us that says, “God, I don’t really need you. I don’t want to live according to your ways.” Sin tells us that we must believe in our own wisdom, and in our own understanding.

When sin entered our world, it corrupted everything. In this sinful world, sin will propel us to promote our self-interests above everything else. Sin is the desire to live life the way I want it. I become the center of the universe. It is because of this self centered, inward looking desires that humanity has resulted in so much disaster and plight that we see today. 

While God has commanded us to love others, sin asks us to love ourselves. I am the priority—not anyone else. Sin prevents us from loving others wholeheartedly and unselfishly. It has crept into every nook and cranny of life. Families are falling apart because money and success have taken priority in life, marriages break up because people find that their spouses are not meeting their needs and desires, and on the larger scale, global issues like modern day slavery and the sex trade are becoming more and more rampant—all because every one is seeking to meet their own needs at the expense of everybody else.

A special choir performance: “He Lives!”

Sin permeates every part of life, including our perception of God. People often think that God judges us based on our actions. The more good we do, the higher our chances of entering heaven. Too many bad deeds will send us to the fiery pit. We tend to think that if we don’t do enough good, God will not accept us. But the truth cannot be farther from that.

The good news is that even before we were born, God already loved us. In God’s eyes, we don’t need to be special to be accepted. God created us and already accepts who we are. Although we are powerless against sin, God did not give up on us. As humans, we cannot save each other because we are all sinful. That is why Jesus had to die! 

Ref: aubeacon

God saved us from eternal death by sending Himself; God Himself became man. In the form of Jesus, He became the only man who ever lived that never sinned. And when that sinless man died, He died on behalf of all of us—once and for all. It was as if God unleashed all His wrath on Jesus. Wrath that was meant for you and me. 

This was God’s grand plan for us. When Jesus resurrected after three days in the tomb, He overcame death. Therefore when we accept His plan for us and receive His forgiveness, we also will have victory over death. We also will be given God’s power to overcome sin—to love unconditionally, and to forgive when there seems to be no reason to forgive. 

Ms. Moey Yoke Lai, the CEO of MCKL, then closed the rally by saying that she has witnessed many deaths, both among those who had a personal relationship with Jesus and those who did not. She went on to say that her personal experience with watching her own parents leave this earth with the knowledge and peace that Jesus was waiting on the other side has given her the assurance that indeed, in Christ, we have victory over death!

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The post Victory Over Death! — MCKL Easter Rally appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

24 April 2015 by Adeline Lum-

A gang leader of 14K – the second largest triad in the world with 25,000 members across the globe – Teddy Hung Hon-yee had made his wealth from running gambling rooms, bars, casinos, and online gambling sites. 

On 15^th of April, more than 500 people came to listen to Teddy Hung in a dinner event held by the Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship (FGBMF), at the Oriental Pavilion, Jaya 33.

Teddy shared how God turned him from one of the biggest gang leaders in the world, to now a pastor of a church consisting of ex-triad members in Hong Kong.

His life was equally colourful as well, with a wife, four mistresses, and seven girlfriends who were the top Hong Kong actresses and models then. Wherever he went, he would have a few cars following him.  

Ref: citynews

“I want to introduce my background to you, not to boast. But I want to tell you that it is impossible for me to believe in Jesus,” said Teddy.

He could not stand even at the mentioning of the name Jesus. Any gangsters under him who said this name would earn himself a beating. So, they were careful of this name.

“I said to them, ‘You are in the triad. Who are you to qualify into Heaven? Are you out of your mind?’” said Teddy. 

But 12 years ago, the Lord sent a multitude of theologians to Hong Kong to interview him. They asked him to believe in Jesus, which upset him.

Guests gathering to listen to the testimony of Teddy Hung

“I strongly rebuked them and said, ‘Don’t convert me! You don’t know how much income I’m earning. The god I am worshiping is better than Jesus. If you want to save others, save the other gangsters,” said Teddy. 

So, he allowed the theologians to come into his clubs to share the gospel, even promising his protection over them lest they will be hurt. And in those two years, a stream of pastors and missionaries came to share.

“But the first person they want to preach to is me! I said, ‘You have preached to the wrong person!’

“But they said, ‘Bro Teddy, you value loyalty. You are the big boss. You will influence many of those under you to trust Jesus. If you trust God, many will accept Him,’” said Teddy who accepted their reasoning.

So, he agreed to follow them to church. The first church he was brought to was a Charismatic church, where he saw everyone speaking in tongues. Teddy thought Christianity was a cult, and warned the pastors to never invite him again.

Bro HP (left) sharing his testimony of God healing his cancer

But God did not give up. He used over 200 pastors to take turn in calling him. Every time his phone rang, it was about Jesus. Agitated with their calling, he called all the pastors to gather in his office.

“I said to them, ‘Do you have a problem? You are so educated but your behaviour is worse than a gangster! Why are you forcing me to believe in Jesus? You are too much!

“You take turn to call me and you don’t let me sleep. If you continue to do that – do you know who I am? – I will do something to you!’” said Teddy.

Just when all the pastors agreed to not bother him, a pastor stood up among the crowd and asked Teddy, “Would you come to church one more time?”

“I told him, ‘If all of you agree to stop calling me, I agree to go to church one last time. I dare your Jesus to do something on me!’” said Teddy.

He fell asleep during the church service. After that, the pastor invited him to his office and asked him what he thought. Teddy warned the pastors to never call him again. But before he left, they gave him a Bible, to which Teddy began insulting them.

“I said to the pastors, ‘My business is so big. We talk about planning and strategy, not like you – it’s like you’re playing a game with Jesus,’” said Teddy.

He stormed out of the room but his wife who was with him politely took the Bible and placed it by the bed, even though she was not a Christian.

Ref: crcna

The pastors did not bother him. But as he approached 40 years old, his guilty conscience suddenly struck him although his business was prospering and thriving.

“One day, when I walked out, I saw so many addicts and I got scared. I realized I just became the demon head. I alone had harm so many lives,” said Teddy.

So, he immediately closed all his harmful businesses though it was too late because he had been in this business for more than a decade. It already spread around the world.

Because his guilt conscience was too heavy, he had severe depression and insomnia. He travelled to meet the best doctors in Asia. But none could give him a cure for depression. Because of prolonged insomnia, Teddy started to think about committing suicide.

One day, while he was about to commit suicide, he suddenly noticed the Bible placed beside his bed.

Ref: faithlikemustard

“I pointed at the Bible and said, ‘Jesus! If You’re real in this world, You cure my illness. If You let me sleep, I will trust You,’” said Teddy, who went to sleep right away even before he completed his sentence.

From that day onwards, Teddy had no trouble sleeping, his suicidal thoughts disappeared, and there was an unexplainable joy in his heart that would cause him to smile. He forgot all about the prayer until his wife advised him to see the doctor because she noticed he had been smiling a lot to himself.

“So I thought to myself, ‘This world actually has Jesus. It’s impossible to have this coincidence because I have had insomnia for six to seven years, I have never experienced this before,’” said Teddy.

Convinced of Jesus’ existence, he called the pastors whom he threatened and apologized to them. He said, “This Jesus is greater than the gods I worshipped. I will trust and accept Him.”

But life gets interesting after Teddy accepted Christ. His business started losing money. And because his triad members have a share in the business, they begged him not to believe in Jesus.

Ref: reverandandys

“They said to me, ‘Big boss, we have followed you for decades and I can see how much money you have made. But I never see you smile. Now that you are losing money every day, why are you still smiling?’”

“I did not understand why I was smiling as well. So, my triad members thought that I was going nuts, which added to my pressure. For one year, they begged me to leave Jesus,” said Teddy.

He finally decided to quit Jesus after one year of losing money. Throwing his cross away – which was the souvenir from his church for his salvation – Teddy cursed Jesus and flew to Thailand. There, his triad members welcomed and celebrated him leaving Jesus. They partied with him day and night. Yet, although he was exhausted, he could not sleep for even one hour.

“I know that Jesus is behind my insomnia. So, I picked up the cross again and when I buckled it back to my necklace, I immediately went to sleep,” said Teddy.

Ref: cloudfront

When he woke up, he took a plane and flew back to Hong Kong, to meet his pastor.

“I said to my pastor, ‘If I believe in Jesus, I die. If I don’t believe in Jesus, I also die.’ I accepted Christ for one year now but I am nearly bankrupt! If I don’t accept Him, He used insomnia to threaten me. I don’t want this kind of love!” said Teddy.

The pastor asked him if he would allow his son to do his business, to which Teddy said no, for the risk of imprisonment. Likewise, as the son of God, Jesus did not want him to continue his business for the risk of going to Hell.

Thanking his pastor for his wisdom, he decided to follow his pastor back to church and see where Jesus would lead him.

But the next three years were miserable. During that period, he was still supporting his mistresses and girlfriends, whose large expenditure involved luxurious hotels, branded goods, and expensive dresses. He also felt responsible for the gangsters and staffs working under him. So, he would struggle with Jesus. Whenever Jesus closed one casino down, he would open another.

“I said to my pastor, ‘If this Jesus only wants me to go Heaven and does not care about my women and triad members, He’s not a good God. God will not teach me to desert them. If Jesus is this type of person, I don’t want this God,’” said Teddy.

Ref: bonders

Because of his faulty perception, his life did not change. He disliked studying the Bible as well because the more he read the Bible, the unhappier he got – every page seemed to talk about Hell.

After three years in church, he decided to quit following Jesus the second time. Teddy said to Jesus that he could not leave his worldly affairs of supporting his women and triad members, so he decided to go to hell.

Shutting the alarm clock that he usually set to go to church, he was suddenly gripped by fear. Covered in goose bumps and bursting into cold sweats, he leaped to the bed and asked his girlfriend to tightly wrap and to hold him in the blanket. But the fear was much to bear. Teddy knew that Jesus was behind this, and he asked his girlfriend to set the alarm clock for church. His Presence returned and Teddy became calm.

“I said to Jesus, ‘Jesus, You are God. I am man. I cannot fight You. I go back to church,’” said Teddy who stayed in church for another three years.

Ref: teluguone

At the end of six years after he accepted Christ, God closed all his casinos and businesses. Bankrupt with no strength to leave, he decided to quit Jesus the third time by committing suicide.

“I told Jesus, ‘Jesus, I finally figured it out. Actually, You are not saving me. You are playing with me. You are tricking me. Because I cursed You, You took revenge on me!

“You closed all my businesses and did not give me new ones. I’ve battled with You for six years now and I know that I could not fight You. But I would not let You play with me any longer. Now, I am going to commit suicide,’” said Teddy.

He cursed God more severely this time because he knew that it would be the last time he could. After that, he sat down to write his suicidal note to arrange his family’s affairs.

When he put his pen down, Jesus spoke to him in an unmistakably recognizable, soothing yet powerful voice. Jesus told him that if he committed suicide, one of his sons would rise and kill the whole family. Teddy knew what God said is true, knowing the hatred of this son had on his promiscuity.

Ref: ifscarscouldtalk

So, he left his suicidal note and went to sleep. When he woke up, he knelt down and thanked God. And God told him to sit in front of a big cross, hanging in his living room.

He sat down and closed his eyes. And something changed in him. For the past six years, he would argue with Jesus. But this time, when he closed his eyes, he was gentle in addressing God, like a son to a Father.

“I said to God, ‘Father God! Please don’t blame me for not reading your Bible. The Bible is so scary! If I follow you, I can’t do anything. You bind me so tightly. What can I do?’”

“God said to me, ‘Your rascal son, close your eyes and follow Me!’” said Teddy.

When he closed his eyes, he was taken up alive to the entrance of Heaven. There, he saw many people whose expressions were empty. Jesus told him that they are waiting for God to judge them.

Ref: henrylibersat

“Jesus said to me, ‘Those who obey my Word, I will allow them to get here.’ But if one is filthy and dirty like you, how can you get in? Look down and see,’” said Teddy.

He looked down towards Hell and saw many dark and deep tunnels of different lengths. The more sin one commits, the longer the tunnel a soul would be placed in and the more one suffers. At the end of the tunnel – the body, soul, and spirit – would explode and cease to exist.

“I asked God, ‘Father God, why those who sin more, die later?’ And God replied, ‘Down there, they would want to die faster, even one second faster. You go down and feel it,’” said Teddy.

But even before God completed His sentence, Teddy knelt down and clung to His robe. He sobbed and thanked God for bringing him up to Heaven. Teddy promised that He would study the Bible every day even though he feared studying and obey God in everything He says.

“Heaven is a place that’s beyond description. The beauty was fantastic. The happiness was manifold with joy unspeakable. You have to scream with joy there!” said Teddy.

Ref: pastors

Jesus rebuked Teddy for his false definition on loyalty. If he chose to continue his business, he would only bring his triad members to hell. The most important thing is to ensure their eternal destiny. That is the meaning of true loyalty.

When Teddy returned from Heaven, he enrolled himself in one of the biggest theologian universities in Hong Kong. He also went to his pastor and opened a special tailor-made church for the gangsters in Hong Kong.

“Because I have been in the triad for forty years, I know what is in their hearts. Gangsters are really scared of coming to church and hearing about Jesus,” said Teddy.

The Lord gave him a vision to start a chain of triad-member churches all over the world. And he has already started his first international church in Taiwan. In his church, every service is designed to be a concert performance, with free lodging and meals for the members. Upon acceptance of Christ, a group of pastor would verify their genuineness of faith. And they would be led to do a franchise business as a platform to leave the triad world.

“So, this is what Jesus want me to do. Had I think of this by myself, I will enter the mental hospital. With man, it’s impossible. But with God, everything is possible,” said Teddy.

Teddy Hung signing books

With more than 100 people in his church now, all of his members are former triad gang leaders. Teddy has also left all his businesses and triad members all at once.

He also left all of his mistresses and girlfriends. They accused him for being a conman, refusing his money for the break up. But after observing Teddy’s changes for the next six years – him remaining single and faithful to his one wife, him closing all his businesses, and him not having any cars following behind – all but one accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, with two even going to the Bible school!

All of his children accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as well, having witnessed his enormous change.

“So, your change in Christ is extremely important. The Bible said that you could bring the whole family to Christ. But if you don’t change, you will be a stumbling block to your family because they cannot see the power of God in you,” said Teddy.

Everyone gathering around Teddy Hung to autograph his written book

Lastly, Teddy shared that Jesus Christ is real, and there is no other way but only through Jesus Christ that we can go to Heaven.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6

After Teddy’s sharing, more than 75 people in the dinner accepted Christ. Praise the Lord! If God can change one of the biggest gang leaders in the world to now a pastor of ex-triad members, take heart and have faith. God can change you too and those you have been praying for, who are impossible to change.

Guests touched by Christ in the dinner and accepting Him as Lord and Saviour

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The post Biggest Triad Gang Leader to Pastor of Ex-Triad Members – Teddy Hung appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

25 Apr 2015 by Jason Law CM -

Nathan Morris became a Christian in 2002. In just 4 years, God took him from a former delinquent who did not know God to found the Shakes the Nations ministry which has impacted more than 100,000 people. One well-known testimony is that of Delia Knox, a woman who was paralyzed for more than 22 years, before God used Morris to restore her ability to walk.

On the 16^th-19^th of April 2018, he held a revival, healing, and evangelistic meeting at Wisma MCA in which countless people encountered the power of God. Besides the healing and revival rally, he also shared a crucial message about being overcomers with God, based on the text from 1 Corinthians 10:1-13.

Ref: Assembly of God Malaysia Facebook Page.

We are a generation that is living in the Last Days, Nathan shared. According to this passage in the Bible and in many other forewarnings, God cautions us about hearts growing cold and a time of lawlessness and unrest. One day soon, we will be standing before the judgment seat of God. ‘But I want to tell you that this is an exciting time for those who know God. Our hearts must be ready. Look up, be ready for His return!’ he urged. 

1 Corinthians 10 gives us a warning from Israel’s ancient history and lessons about idolatry. It speaks about the experience of the Israelites that were led out of bondage from Egypt. God brought the people of Israel out of bondage. He guided them with a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water.  Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:1-5).

Ref: art-prints-on-demand

‘How could this be?’ Nathan queried. Paul was giving a warning to the early church about the experiences of the Exodus Israelites. ‘Today, we are free from our bondages. Christ died for us so that we may be set free and made whole and God gave everything we need for us to be united with Him. Yet just as the Israelites died in the wilderness, many hearts – even Christian ones – will turn away from God. There will be times when the devil will try to snare us away from God’ he cautioned.

‘I want to tell you that it was never God’s intention for His people to die in the wilderness. If they trusted Him, He would have taken them to the Promised Land. This is God’s promise; if we walk with Christ, He will empower us so that we become overcomers,’ Nathan reminded. ‘Even though we walk through the valley of death, He will be our rod and staff and nothing in this world is going to be able to overwhelm us. God never intends for His people to be overcome.’

Ref: wpnitro

The healing that comes from God is more than just the healing of our bodies. He goes deeper into the soul, and God’s plan for our walk in victory is concerned about the spirit and soul which are eternal. We cannot live only according to our bodies which will one day perish. Regrettably, many of the Israelites tested God and some of them were bitten by serpents and they died (1 Corinthians 10:9).

‘When the Bible speaks about serpents, it often refers to the devil,’ Nathan pointed out. ‘Many of the Israelites were lured by the devil and the poison of the world and of bitterness got into their hearts.’

Nathan Morris and Chinese Language interpreter.

Nathan shared that he often sees Christians who are afraid of the devil. ‘I have seen many Christians who are living in fear of the devil and I always question; ‘why should we be afraid of the devil?’ The devil has already been defeated! Having disarmed their power and authority, Christ made a public spectacle of them! [Colossians 2:15]. As children of God, the devil has no power over us!’

Healing from God is more than just gaining strength back for our bodies; it is the Holy Spirit empowering our lives so that we may become devil-proof. How do we know of this power? Nathan communicated that the greatest miracles can happen in the lowliest places. When Jesus was alone in the wilderness, the devil tried to tempt Him. Jesus’ respond was simple; “it is written that man shall worship God and Him alone”.

Worship at the conference.

3 things happened in the desert when the devil was defeated. First of all, the devil had to flee. When we believe in the Word of God and use it against the devil, he has no choice but to take flight! Secondly, angels came to minister to Jesus. Finally, Jesus came out of the wilderness in the power of the Holy Ghost! This is who we are; we are called to walk in the power of the Holy Ghost!

Numerous healings took place over the night. A man who struggled to breathe due to lung cancer felt his lungs grow stronger each night. On the 3rd night, he testified of the healing power of Jesus. He can now breathe without struggling.

A young boy injured his back at futsal and could not bend since then. On the same night, God miraculously healed him. 

Unable to walk properly and in constant pain after spinal surgery, a woman was confined to her wheelchair. She felt the power of God touch her. She stood up and regained the ability to walk!

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The post Be Overcomers with Christ!: Nathan Morris Healing, Revival and Evangelistic Meeting appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

26 Apr 2015 by Lim Poh Ann -

How many of us prepare ourselves to meet our Maker, even when death isn’t looming on the horizon?

Most of us know how to prepare ourselves for examinations. We spend considerable time and effort to plan our holidays. But do we know how to ‘set our house in order’ if we receive news that we have only a few months to live?

Ref: cloudfront

Long ago, King Hezekiah fell ill. The prophet Isaiah, God’s messenger, told him, “Set your house in order because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Shocked, he pleaded with God for mercy because he was then only 39 years. The Assyrians had just invaded his country. As king, he should be the one to lead his nation into battle. He must have thought, This is certainly a bad time to die.

Timing

But is there ever a good time to die? Death messes up our lives and derails our plans. This is especially true for the rich and powerful. They would gladly pay almost anything to live a few more years.

We might say, “A good time to die is when we’ve seen our great grandchildren.”  For most, however, there is never a good time to die.

Ref: danpontefract

It must have been most untimely for Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, when death came knocking on his door — especially when the company is riding the wave of success.

While addressing Stanford College graduates in 2005, a year after he was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer, he said: “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.” 

Ref: blogspot

Facing Our Mortality

How many of us prepare ourselves to meet our Maker, even when death isn’t looming on the horizon?

One day, we will be lowered in a casket into the ground or cremated. Our relatives and friends will then depart for a meal or some refreshments. Life goes on for our family members but we will no longer know what happens to them on earth.

Ref: 7-themes

Though no one fancies being reminded about death, we cannot run away it. So it’s better to be realistic. For it is only when we learn how to face death squarely that we’re able to live a fulfilling and productive life.

It’s so difficult to come to terms with our mortality unless we’re forced to — when death starts knocking on our door as in Hezekiah’s case. The Roman senator, Seneca, was right when he said, “It takes all of life to learn how to die.”

Ref: wordpress

Few can confidently proclaim like the apostle Paul: “The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. Now heavenly rewards await me” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Though we’ll never be able to match a spiritual giant like Paul, we should still be proactive — plan and live out our lives so that it will be glorifying to God.

Life is uncertain. “How do we know what our life will be like tomorrow? Our life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14). Perhaps this will motivate us to face our mortality and ‘set our house in order’.

Values and Goals

The crucial question is this: “Do we know where we will spend eternity after we pass away?” Gripped by the fear of death with advancing years, some senior citizens attempt to set their mind at ease with pleasurable distractions. They travel round the world and splurge on the best cuisine and fashion, evading this critical issue.

The philosopher and scientist, Blaise Pascal, wrote: “The immortality of the soul is a matter which is of so great consequence to us and which touches us so profoundly that we must have lost all feeling to be indifferent about it.”

Ref: blogspot

Relatively speaking, life on earth is only a “fraction of a second” compared to the period we will spend in eternity.

Thinking about eternity forces us to reassess our values and goals in life. In the final analysis, are the things that we pursue and cherish in life worth our time and effort?

Or to put in another way: Is our ladder leaning on the right wall? Won’t we be disappointed with a cottage in the hereafter after having lived in a mansion on earth?

Ref: wordpress

Wealth reflects our toil in life as well as God’s blessing. But to be focused on continual accumulation of riches at the expense of eternal goals is foolish. We should not wear ourselves out to get rich but have the wisdom to show restraint (Proverbs 23:4). Have we moved from success to significance?

Jesus told the story of a rich man who pulled down his barns and built bigger ones, thinking that a bigger storehouse will comfortably provide for him the rest of his life. Now I can eat drink and be merry, he told himself. He was sadly mistaken when the Grim Reaper suddenly knocked on his door.

Paul exhorts believers that since they have been raised with Christ, they are to set their mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-2). Of course, this does not mean that we flee to the mountains, live a monastic lifestyle and fail to provide for our loved ones.

Relationships

Have we examined the quality of our vertical and horizontal relationships?

Are there any sins, bondages or bad habits which we need to settle with God? Have we over-emphasised good works that we no longer cherish the intimacy we once had with God? For it is possible to perform well but lose our first love (Revelation 2:2.4).

Conversely, we may reckon that everything rests on God’s mercy and, as such, we need not bear fruit or work out our salvation (John 15:8, Philippians 2:13). We may become complacent and take it easy.

Ref: truthbook

Truth be told, we need both: an abiding relationship with God from which good works spring forth. We need to be like Mary first; and then, spontaneously, we will be like Martha.

Concerning interpersonal relationships, is there someone we should forgive? Do we need to ask for forgiveness from someone? We should resolve any hurts — especially those involving family members — lest we allow bitterness to fester (Hebrews 12:15).

In many areas of life, such as business and management, our skill earns us the right to influence others. But competency is not the only thing. Our character — and that includes humility, meekness and unfeigned love — is what makes lasting impact in people’s lives.

Ref: shutterstock/thirteen

What legacy will we leave behind? Kind words and loving acts? Or is it rash words that continue to sting even when we’re gone? Have we left an indelible impression in people’s lives which continues to inspire them in future? As the tagline from the movie, Gladiator, reminds us: “What We Do in Life Echoes in Eternity”. 

Tying Loose Ends

The final aspect of preparation involves the legal and financial aspects of bequeathing our assets and resources to our children. “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22).

Pitfalls await the unwary in an increasingly complex world. As such, we should be willing to pay for the professional services of financial planners and estate planners. The breadwinner should also teach his children the basics of personal finance. Without financial literacy, the inheritance may not be passed beyond a single generation.

Ref: .startupspro

The main tasks involved in estate planning include creating a will, establishing a guardian for living dependents, naming an executor to carry out the terms of the will and setting up of a power of attorney to manage the assets.

Other preparations include funeral arrangements and passing on of digital information (such as user name and password) to enable close family members to access the deceased’s bank or social media accounts. The dying may decide to pray and bless family members just like what Jacob did.

Begin with the End in Mind

When it comes to preparing ourselves to meet our Maker, we would do well to take a leaf from the best-selling book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”.

Though we may not share the religious beliefs of its author, the late Stephen Covey, we can certainly see much wisdom in the first two habits: “Be Proactive” and “Begin with the End in Mind”.

Ref: wordpress

Being proactive means we plan way ahead, not when death is at the doorstep. And when we consider our end, we will live wisely with eternity in mind.

‘Setting our house in order’ enables us to finish life’s journey well. Hopefully, when we reach the final lap, we’ll be able to say calmly and truthfully: “I’ve lived a full and productive life for God’s glory; I’ve lived life the way I envisioned it with few regrets.”

NOTE: The above article was first published in Asian Beacon magazine, Oct 2012, issue 44.5

RELATED POST:

MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES

John had great plans for his retirement. Having made his pile in the Malaysian real estate business, he dreamed of spending his twilight years with his wife in his own retirement cottage in the Cotswolds.

But before he could fulfill his dreams …

HOW TO QUICKLY ACCESS PORRIDGE                         

ABOUT Author: 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

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

To access similar articles, type ‘Porridge’ in the search box of http://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/ or type ‘Lim Poh Ann’ in the search box of http://www.asianbeacon.org/

For the source article, go to http://limpohann.blogspot.com/2012/10/setting-our-house-in-order.html

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April 26 by Esperanza Ng CM – 

We live in a world that emphasizes the beautiful and minimizes whatever the common people deem as unattractive. We like to say that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but beauty is almost always there—whether the beholder sees it or not. Beauty is all around us. In our every day activities, whether it is in our words, our actions, our relationships, or our vocation, beauty can be gleaned. Even from the ugliest and most frustrating of circumstances, beauty can be present. We just have to look for it.

Ref: jimpix.co

As Christians, it is essential to have an appreciation for beauty. Since God is at the heart of all things beautiful and we ought to reflect His beauty, we must be able to recognize and be affected by beauty in order to fully revel in His love and truly enjoy His communion. The thing about beauty is that we cannot actually be awestruck by something we perceive with arrogance.

I could hardly stand at the peak of a mountain and gaze out at God’s majestic creation, breathless at the sight as I drink it in, only to cynically scoff that it is “no big deal” all at the same time. In order to appreciate beauty, we must first have humility. When we do appreciate beauty, we find that beauty humbles us all the more.

Ref: women2

In beauty, we find God. In response to beauty, we worship God by giving back beauty to Him through the imagination and gifts/talents that He has given us. As human beings, we have been endowed with various skills and abilities that are unique to us.

Some of us pick up a paintbrush and can transform a canvas into a masterpiece, some of us open our mouths and crowds flock around to hear that angelic voice, some of us look at bits and pieces of electronic components and are able to transform them into a workable machine, while others of us can create entire parallel universes through books and films.

Regardless of whether or not we are considered “creative” or “artistic” in the traditional sense of the word, each and every one of us are artists in our own right, according to the imagination we have been given. In some small way, we are all constantly creating little fragments of beauty as we go about our lives.

Ref: architectsdigitalworkshop

This is precisely what Janine Langen is talking about in her article, “The Christian Imagination” when she says that the Christian imagination is “sacramental” and that it has a “priestly role” with which we give beauty back to the Author (67). It is also along the same lines that Luci Shaw, in her work, “Beauty and the Creative Impulse,” refers to us as co-creators to the Creator (99). Therefore, my expression of imagination through my God given gifts and talents can be considered my way of returning beauty to Him who created beauty.

However, it does not stop here. My artistic response to beauty by participating in the creation of beauty is not enough. In fact, my appreciation for undeniable beauty is not enough. What is equally if not more important is how I look for beauty in things that are not commonly seen as beautiful.

Ref: buildart

If I only allowed myself to be awed by the things that easily catch my eye and dismiss all the other things this world has to offer, I miss out. It is not a matter of how “Christian” a text, movie, stage performance, or piece of art is, but rather a matter of how I perceive the subject as a Christian.

Too many times, we sit on our high horses and shun works that do not shy away from the ugliness and perversity of this fallen world, not realizing that such a response is probably the most un-Christian response a Christian could give. This is where the importance of humility comes into play.

All of mankind – Christian or not – is made in the image of God and therefore possesses that creative quality of the Maker. Because of this, we must approach all forms of human creation with an open mind to intentionally look for the beauty that may be imbedded within.

Ref: vangoghgallery

At times, it may be blatant; other times, it may never be found. Regardless of how obvious it is, the important part is to look out for it. To disregard artistic pieces or the things we see around us as worthless trash just because they do not sparkle is not only arrogant, but shameful.

As Christians, we have a higher obligation to recognize the Maker of the universe in the products of His creation’s creation no matter how distorted it may look on the surface. We never know how much more profound that tiny speck of beauty could be, and when it finally reveals itself, one can only imagine how fulfilling and humbling such a discovery would be!

Langen, Janine. “The Christian Imagination.” The Christian Imagination. Ed. Leland Ryken. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2002. 63-80. Print.

Shaw, Luci. “Beauty and the Creative Impulse.” The Christian Imagination. Ed. Leland Ryken. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2002. 81-99. Print.

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27 Apr 2015 by Rev Dr Jai Kumar -

Gal 1:10     

If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Your identity in Christ is the most crucial question that you need to define as you walk this journey with the Lord.  Your identity in Christ is how God looks at you through the blood of Jesus that was shed for you on the cross. Your foundation must rest in the Lord rather than in the opinions of what others say about you.

Ref: claritywithcharity

Many people unfortunately have not dealt with their past failures and disappointments completely. Therefore they carry the residue of these memories in them which keeps resurrecting from time to time, crippling them from progressing and moving forward into their God-given destiny. They are unable to see themselves as how God sees them!

Until you disagree with those who have mistreated you or things that have crippled you emotionally, I am afraid you will remain trapped in a prison of your own making. Many of us strive in vain trying to change somebody else’s opinion of us. We go to great lengths sometimes to prove to them that we are not what they think we are in their minds.

DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

You know what? Never allow someone else’s approval to become your goal! Because at the end of the day, sadly many people will yet never be able to see your good qualities in view of their bad judgments.

Ref: wordpress

Here is what you need to understand, anytime you get into agreement with somebody who rejects or abuses you, you put yourself into bondage to them. You tie yourself up with their opinion, rather than who you are in God’s opinion. And besides, when their opinion of you becomes your opinion, you have built a prison inside your soul with only one prisoner and that is you!

You know what? You are wasting your energy on them. So often, the person you are trying to impress all along may never be impressed at all!  Besides, from God’s point of view, it doesn’t really matter at all!

MAKE GOD’S WORD AS THE FINAL AUTHORITY, IT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR THINKING

Rom 12:2

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

How many people alive today are either under the influence of God – or under the influence of someone else?

Ref: brycecooley.com

The scripture says to think soberly according to the word. If our thinking is not according to the word then our thinking is going to be under the influence of something else or someone else.

The question is who is influencing you in your thinking. Is your thinking measured by the word of God or is it influenced by the philosophies of this world?

When events takes place in your life the way you think will determine how you are going to handle each episode that confronts you.

HUMAN WEAKNESS IS TO BE DEFENSIVE

Have you ever noticed that humans have a tendency to always be defensive when something goes wrong? They will always blame someone else when they are confronted with a problem. Quite rarely you would come across someone who would sincerely admit that they failed because of a weakness in them. More often than not they would blame circumstances out there and never take the blame on themselves.

Ref: truehdwallpaper

Here is a key that we need to understand. Your success or defeat in your life is not going to be based on your circumstances! It’s not based on the people you deal with! Neither is it based in the system out there! Blaming circumstances will not make you successful or unsuccessful.

A MINDSET PROBLEM

The mind is the battle ground where your battle is worn or lost? If you fail in your MIND you will be defeated in your LIFE! Your problem is not circumstances out there! Your problem isn’t bad luck! Your problem is not even the devil!  Your problem is a THINKING PROBLEM!

You problem is renewing of your mind!! (CHANGING OF YOUR MINDSET)

You know what? Have you ever given a thought that your life today is the creation of all your thoughts of yesterday? What you are today is A PRODUCT OF A SEED that you conceived in your mind yesterday and that seed has obviously given birth and produced after its own kind. BECAUSE, God’s law says, everything (SEED) WILL produce after its own kind (Gen 1).

Ref: qcrefugechurch

What happens inside you determines your outcome. Your success or failure is an inside job (Heart & Mind). You don’t have to change the circumstances in order to change the outcome of your life. Some people think “if I can change everything and everybody out there, only then I will be successful in life”. They fail to realize that even if they succeeded in changing everything out there, they will still not be successful because SUCCESS IS NOT OUT THERE! If you ever want to SUCCEED IN YOUR LIFE, you need to do a lot of CHANGING IN YOUR MIND AND HEART.

Ref: wordpress

Have you forgotten that you are created in the image of God? You are a creative force of God. You can take charge of your life by taking charge of your thinking. You can be TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND..

Your problem is renewing of your mind!! (CHANGING OF YOUR MINDSET)

Nothing is closer to you than your own thoughts. Therefore, if we can fill our thoughts with God’s consciousness, we will begin to experience peace, joy and victory in our everyday life. And this will ultimately transform your mindset.

CHANGE IS A VERY POWERFUL FORCE & GOD WANTS YOU TO CHANGE SO THAT HE CAN WORK HIS DESTINY IN YOUR LIFE.

The devil will lock your mind off by sowing seeds of lies in you. He will make you believe you are hopeless and helpless. He will paralyse your thinking and reasoning power and imprison you under his control. By doing this you are unable to know the truth because the moment you come to know the truth it has the power to set you free.

Ref: workwithdaria

Satan uses the spirit of lies and doubt to attack you and erode the trust you have on God. When he can conquer you in this area he can literally take over your life.

 Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of      Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is a mission    minded pastor who carries an apostolic anointing who  preaches  and teaches an uncompromising gospel  with  boldness. A member  of ECCM (Malaysia)  Spiritual Adviser &  overseer to various  ministries and churches. An itinerant  speaker.  He is also the  author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time  Clock.’ Currently he  worships  at C3 Subang.

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28 Apr 2015 by Clara Plett, Contributed by Focus on the Family Malaysia –

You’re not curious in the slightest about Fifty Shades of Grey, are you? No Christian or self-respecting woman would want to read this “mommy-porn,” would they?

Or perhaps you’ve read E.L. James’ novels, convinced they’ve been the best thing that’s happened to your sex life since you said “I do.”

Ref: spanish.fanshare.com

Why you should avoid all shades of erotica

Wherever you stand with regard to this trilogy and erotica like it, the Barna Group’s research found that nine per cent of American adults have read Fifty Shade of Grey. The real shocker, though, is that the same proportion of practicing Christians have also read the novel.

Why do Christians seem to be no different than unbelievers when it comes to erotica?

Here’s the truth: Women, including Christian women, are drawn to erotica. They’re lured in by the fictionalized stories of romance, even ones stripped of pure love and clothed in chains, pain and false gain. That may sound like an unfair overgeneralization about the female gender, but how else could erotica seduce its way into the position of the fastest-selling genre to female readers?

What are the risks and rewards of erotica? And is it worth it? Read on for answers.

Ref: 7-themes

What’s wrong with a little “mommy porn”?

The advent of the Internet opened the floodgates for men and boys of all ages to access pornographic content with a quick click. And increasingly more women wade through the crude content, too. But now, Fifty Shades makes it less crass and more culturally acceptable for women to delve into the X-rated files.

Some proponents soften the guilt of the genre by calling it “mommy porn.” But we all know putting the word “mommy” in front of something doesn’t make it any more family-friendly.

Ref: mommymatters

Others ask whether embracing erotica could be sexually empowering for women – a genre for the modern-day feminist. In reality, mainstreaming this type of “literature” has quite the opposite consequence. At best, it’s a double standard to applaud mommy porn while maintaining that regular porn (daddy porn?) is taboo. Not to mention that supporting the genre supports the objectification of women and sex.

Even before the book’s reception, the layers of wrong began at the book’s conception. E.L. James admits to intentionally redefining morality and bending the lines between black and white in her novel. Readers make an intentional decision, too. To read erotica is to choose selfish sexual pleasure rather than sexual intimacy with your spouse. And while it can be a one-time choice, the effects are not single-shooters, as you’ll read later.

Your needs and erotica

Fifty Shades doesn’t shy away from the s-word – or at least the idea of it. That’s right, it’s time to talk about submission and why it’s so tantalizing in erotica and sadist sexuality, yet shirked in general society.

Dannah Gresh (Ref: purefreedom.org)

In Pulling Back the Shades, Dannah Gresh writes that “erotica strategically and masterfully pulls you in by exploiting what your heart secretly longs for.” And what do women long for? Psychologist Juli Slattery, co-author with Gresh, identifies a woman’s five desires:

1. To escape reality

2. To be cherished by a man

3. To be protected by a strong man

4. To rescue a man

5. To be sexually alive

All of these needs are God-breathed since Eve, the first woman created as a “helper” for her man (Genesis 2:18). Yet the modern woman’s I-can-do-anything-you-can-do-better attitude casts these relational longings as antiquated and even offensive.

“Now we secretly yearn for the very thing our independence has destroyed – strong, confident men,” Slattery continues. “There is something wonderful and even erotic about trusting the strength of a man who can provide, protect, and lead. So, women are caught at the crossroads of wanting the strength of a man, but not wanting to be controlled.”

Ref: wallpapershdin

Strategically, Fifty Shades hits on all of these needs. When tossed into a blender of bondage and dominance, somehow these longings are socially acceptable. “Because our culture has rejected the notion of female submission and male leadership, the deep hunger to return to how we were created to function leads us to counterfeits—like BDSM,” Slattery writes.

Your brain and erotica

Reading pornographic content doesn’t just arouse your sex organs, it also stimulates your brain. Specifically, when your body experiences new and exciting sexual encounters, it releases different chemicals than oxytocin and dopamine, which are released during “normal” intimacy. Instead, phenylethylamine and adrenaline surge through your synapses. Their effect is similar to that of cocaine on your brain.

Ref: shutterstock

Here’s where it gets dangerous: To experience this same sexual high, you constantly need to experience new sensations. That means that these addictive chemicals could lead a loving, happily married woman from romance stories to erotica to having an affair – all to satisfy the insatiable craving she’s awakened.

But erotica isn’t visual to the eye, so it’s not as bad as watching sex tapes, is it? It is, because reading explicit content is mentally visual, piquing the imagination to conjure images of your ideal sexual encounter. This personal mental and emotional exercise, which can lead to fantasizing, can be even more compelling for women than staring at images or scenes directed by other people.

Your relationship and erotica

You may have heard it before, or even said it yourself: Reading erotica helps me get excited about sex again. It gives me ideas so I can be a better sexual partner for my husband.

Though the intentions may be honourable, the methods are not – and they aren’t helpful, either. Reading about imagined, aggrandized sex in a novel leads to having a fantasized view of sex that a real-life, hardworking and loving husband cannot – and in the case of the abusive relationship in Fifty Shades, should not – live up to. Instead, “normal sex in your marriage – the kind that requires communication, sometimes involves frustration, and doesn’t always end in rapturous orgasm – will now be disappointing,” warns Gresh.

Ref: equip.org

When you married your spouse, the two of you became one flesh (Ephesians 5:31). At that moment, you were given the go-ahead by God to “know” each other in the Biblical sense. But “erotica like Fifty Shades of Grey is aimed at awakening your physical sexual desire without any connection to emotional, relational, or spiritual reality,” Slattery writes. “Even if the main characters are ‘in love,’ you are not!”

You are not in a love-triangle with the characters in the book, so what right do you have to be sharing in their physical intimacy, even to the point of sexual arousal? And how can you benefit your marital intimacy by reading about what pleases Christian Grey?

Ref: desktopbestwallpaper

However you answer, being involved in someone else’s sex life, especially one as abusive and void of morals as Christian and Anna’s, will never bond your heart, body and spirit to your spouse. The opposite is more likely to happen. When consistently shown images that reinforce a specific sexual relationship, such as BDSM, women will begin to see that as normal and anything different as subpar for sexual satisfaction.

All that to ask: Who’s in your sacred marriage bed? In Passion Pursuit, Juli Slattery and Linda Dillow are strict about who has admission into your bed of love:

“The marriage bed is to be kept pure. This means that it is never acceptable to involve someone else in sexual intimacy, including images, movies, fantasies, and even sexually explicit romance novels. The real or imagined presence of someone else will taint and compromise God’s design for intimacy. So you do not bring someone else into your one-flesh intimacy in your mind, in your heart, on a DVD, on a computer screen, or on a piece of paper.”

This article was published with permission from Focus on the Family Malaysia. For more information, please visit or contact us.

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29 April by Esperanza Ng CM – 

Who’s got talent?? Well, the finalists at this year’s “Who’s Got Talent 3” sure do! After a preliminary round, 10 acts were chosen to compete in the grand finale for a prize of RM2000 and a recording of one song with Pulseworks Studio in first place, RM1000 in second place, and RM500 in third place. Additionally, the audience was given the chance to vote 2 wildcard participants back into the competition at the beginning of the show.

To start off the night, Kimberly Sng, a finalist from “Who’s Got Talent 1,” beat boxed her way into the audience’s inner jive and got them pumped up for a full night of performances.

Kimberly Sng getting the audience prepped for a talentful night

One after another, the contestants made their way to the stage and impressed the members of the floor with some incredible talent. From rock bands to solo vocalists, various musical instrumentalists, and even an acapella group, each act delivered a unique blend of originality and style.

Kimchi Fried Rice – Got their name because they’re hungry. Hungry to win!

Grace Ebenezer singing “When You Tell Me That You Love Me”

Hari a/l S. Shankar getting lost in his piece with the electric violin

Abel Gerald Law, WGT’s own Josh Groban, singing “You Raise Me Up”

Broken Minders breaking our minds with their “surprise performance”!

Benson Yap singing  Jessie J’s “Who You Are,” dedicated to “Everyone out there who feels like you’re not good enough”

Mark Chuah blowing us away with what  judge, Joanne Yeoh, called “The highlight of the night”!

Samuel George giving a stunning performance of “Pirates of the Caribbean”

Kaevin Ong singing “This is the Moment” in English and Korean!

Daniel Tan wooing the audience with his soulful playing

The Singaholics got the audience cheering with their special acapella Michael Jackson mashup

Beat Nation getting serious with their beat

There to spice up the evening even more was a panel of celebrity judges! Multiple Award Winning violinist, Joanne Yeoh, acclaimed singer and songwriter, Juwita Suwito, and Malaysian singer/composer, Geoffrey Woo, were there to offer their expert opinions and constructive criticism to the contestants, as well as choose the winners of the competition.

Each of the judges also graced the stage with performances of their own. Geoffrey Woo sang his very own “Ayisha” with the participation of a rather enthusiastic audience, Joanne Yeoh, together with Suzanne Adams and Yeoh Pei Ann, presented a beautiful rendition of Felix Mendelsohn’s Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor, and Juwita Suwito serenaded the audience with her latest single, “Belle of the Ball.”

Geoffrey Woo engaging the audience with “Ayisha”

Joanne Yeoh, Suzanne Adams, and Yeoh Pei Ann delivering their beautiful performance

Juwita Suwito captivating the audience with “Belle of the Ball”

While the judges were coming up with the final results, the audience was entertained by some special performances, first, by the youngest contestant of the entire competition, eight-year-old soloist, Reia Enora, followed by a guitar performance by Goh Xi Wen, and finally to end the night with a bang, an exhilarating number by Checkpoint Dance Crew!

Reia Enora’s sweet performance had the audience swooning

Goh Xi Wen playing “My Heart Will Go On” on the guitar

Checkpoint Dance Crew’s unique number was just the right performance to pump everyone up for the results.

The judges then returned with their decision. Before announcing the winners, Juwita Suwito addressed all the contestants by saying that “Music is a combination of skill and soul. Tonight was a good mix. Some of you have more soul than skill, and some of you have more skill than soul. Our decision was made based on the participants we think are most ready for the professional stage.”

With that, beat boxing team, BeatNation was pronounced the winner, drummer, Mark Chuah, who happened to be one of the wildcard contestants, came in second, and pianist, Samuel George was given third place!

The winners and the judges.
Ref: Janning Lai

“I think it’s a very good platform for outreach and for the church to find talent as well as to encourage the young people,” a member of the audience commented. Saxophonist, Daniel Tan passionately declared, “When I play… I love playing it! I’m not here to win, but to show that God is beautiful by giving each one of us a talent.”

What we wanted to do was to connect with the community,” Dr. Peter Ng, the chairman of First Baptist Church said, “and we found that the best way to do that is through performing arts. There is a lot of energy and talent out there. Having this kind of show brings everybody together, wherever they come from. Those who come love it, and they come back every time!”

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29 April 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

The recent moon eclipses or better known in the Christian circle as “blood moons” and solar eclipses, have been a popular subject these days for being signs from God in the sky.

Gen 1:14 tell us that God has placed “lights” in the sky to serve as “signs to mark sacred times.” And yes, Scripture does tell us that God displays heavenly signs for all to see. (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:17-21) That was how the magi found Jesus in Bethlehem – through the star they saw in the east. (Matt 2:1-2)

But let us examine if the blood moons and solar eclipses in 2014 and 2015, are truly signs God have for us.

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (Joel 2:31)

Solar Eclipse

For this verse to be taken literally – the sun turning black depicts a solar eclipse and the whole moon turning to blood depicts a lunar eclipse. And let’s not forget they are signs “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

But let us talk about the blood moon first. And no, we are not talking about one, but four blood moons, identified as the “lunar series tetrad.”

Ref: mreclipse

What is a lunar series tetrad?

A lunar series tetrad is “a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, with no partial eclipses in between, occurring at approximately six months intervals.”

A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon are aligned in syzygy – meaning a straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies – with the earth in the middle. Hence, it must happen only when it is a full moon.

The sun, earth, and moon in a straight-line configuration in a lunar eclipse

Hence, if you are standing on the moon, you will see the whole earth covering the sun, with the sunlight framing the earth. If you are on the moon, you will see the all the sunrises and the sunsets happening on earth, all at once.

Why is the moon not in complete darkness then if it lies in the shadow of the earth? This is because the atmosphere of the earth refracts and bends the sunlight into a shadow cone. If the earth had no atmosphere, then the moon would be completely dark.

What gave the moon its reddish or ‘blood’ appearance? When the sunlight passed through the atmosphere on earth, the shorter wavelengths of the sunlight are scattered by the air molecules and small particles in the atmosphere. As a result, the longer wavelengths dominate as they passed through the earth’s atmosphere and reach the moon. This causes the moon to reflect a reddish color, which marks the longer wavelengths, giving rise to the description ‘blood moon.’

The color red has the longest visible wavelength | Ref: theskepticsguide

But to be accurate, a lunar eclipse is not necessarily red in color. But it can range from a very dark eclipse (almost invisible) to a very bright orange eclipse, according to the Danjon scale.

How unusual is a lunar series tetrad?

It can be unusual in one century and not that unusual in another century. For example, no tetrads happened in the last 300 years (1600 to 1900). But there will be 8 sets of tetrads happening in the 21^st century (2001 to 2100).

Hence, we can say that a lunar series tetrad is not that unusual. In between the first century (AD 1 – 100) through the 21^st century (2001 – 2100), Earthsky reported that there are a total of 62 lunar eclipse tetrad series.

So what makes the ongoing lunar tetrad special? What created the hype of the ongoing tetrad is how they all fell on the Jewish Feast of Passover and Tabernacles. (15^th April 2014, 8^th October 2014, 4^th April 2015, and 28^th September 2015)

The blood moons in year 2014 and 2015 | Ref: ieinashville

And according to Earthsky, there appear to be a total of eight lunar series tetrads that fall on the Jewish feasts of Passover and Tabernacle in the past 2100 years (AD1- 2100). The eighth lunar series tetrads are happening now in 2014 to 2015.

But are lunar eclipse on the Feast of Passover and Feast of Tabernacles unusual?

According to answersingenesis, lunar eclipses falling on Jewish festivals are not that unusual. This is because; again lunar eclipse must happen only when it is a full moon.

And like many ancient people, the Hebrew follows a lunar calendar. Their months start with the first appearance of the new moon. And from this point, 14 days later or on the 15^th day, the new moon’s appearance will turn into becoming an full moon, which is when a lunar eclipse must occur. Coinciding with this full moon, on this very day as well, the 14^th day of the first month was appointed as the day to celebrate the Feast of the Passover (Exo 12:17-20), and the 15^th day of the seventh month was appointed to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacle. (Lev 23:34)

Ref: photobucket

Hence, lunar eclipses falling on the Feast of Passover and Feast of Tabernacles are not that unusual. Also there are 15 full lunar eclipses happening exactly on the Jewish festivals (although not all are tetrads) from 1900 to 2000 listed in answersingenesis – others may be off by one day and a few are off by two days. If we look at the biblical Scripture (Acts 2:17-21; Joel 2:31), you will also realize that the Bible never mentioned four lunar eclipses. It only mentioned one solar eclipse and one lunar eclipse.

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. (Acts 2:17-21)

How unusual is the solar eclipse?

According to NASA, solar eclipses are fairly numerous and can happen twice to five times a year.

Solar eclipse | Ref: i.telegraph

But what made what cause the hype of this solar eclipse on 20^th March 2014 is the “total eclipse of the sun for two minutes over the North Pole, which coincides with the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, the first month in the Biblical calendar year, a solar occurrence that has never happened before in human history.” However, answeringenesis says that this too is “technically incorrect since the eclipse is on the last day of the previous month and year.”

How shall we respond to all these signs and wonders?

In conclusion, the sun turning black (or solar eclipses) and the whole moon turning red (or lunar eclipses) are not that rare as it is made out to be. Earthsky says that one calendar year has a minimum of four eclipses – two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses.

How a solar eclipse would look like from space | Ref: dailydesktop

Also, let us examine the Scripture. Acts 2:17-21 and Joel 2:28-32 did say about the sun turning black and whole moon turning red, before the coming of the Christ.

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (Acts 2:17-21)

Another part we can find the sun turning black and the whole moon turning red is in Revelation 6, also before the coming of Christ.

But apart from the changing appearance of the sun and the moon, there are other accompanying signs in Rev 6 that appear to happen around the same time, namely a great earthquake, every mountain and island removed from its place, and inhabitants of the earth hiding in the caves and in the mountains.

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us^f from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

(Rev 6:12-17)

Ref: kingjamesbibleonline

Remember also this is sixth seal. In the second seal, we are told that people would be made to kill each other on earth. (Rev 6:3-4).

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. (Rev 6:3-4)

Ref: thebookofrevelationmadeclear

In the fourth seal, the sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts would kill a fourth of the people on earth. (Rev 6:7-8)

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:7-8)

All these should happen before the sixth seal, where the sun turns black and the whole moon turns blood red. But we have not seen the previous seals happening.

Ref: westernseminary

Mark 13 also suggests that besides the sun darkening and the moon not giving its light, “stars will fall from the sky” and “the heavenly bodies” will be shaken, suggesting something more terrifying to happen.

“But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,

    and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

(Mark 13:24-26)

Ref: blogspot

Also, according to Charisma News, although the tetrads appeared during significant events in Jewish history – namely the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1482, Israel’s independence in 1948, and the Six-Day War in 1967 – the blood moon occurred after Israel has gained independence, and a year after the Jewish people were expelled from Spain. How can it be a sign, if it happened after an event?

Prophecy and Bible scholar Mark Hitchcock in Charisma News wrote, “Consider, for instance, if you are driving down the highway and see a sign for an exit after you pass it. That sign isn’t much help. [Likewise], the blood moon tetrad of 1493-1494 cannot be a sign of what happened … in 1492. This just doesn’t fit the definition of a sign.”

Ref: yimg

The heavenly wonders of God are always awesome to behold. But more importantly, we are called to ponder if there are any biblical relationships, based on Scripture. The Scripture holds the final authority of everything. Although inferences are drawn, the authenticity of the Scripture verbatim must remain.

Also, I plead that every believer-in-Christ to seek and examine everything that you hear based on Scripture, even the words of this article. Test and research for yourself. Nothing can replace the Bible itself as Truth. But the Word must remain as the primary source of information and inspiration.

Ref: dailyps

Furthermore, no man can vouch on perfect knowledge about when Jesus is coming back, unless God has specifically revealed it to him, for the Word of God has stated that no man knows the hour (Matt 24:36). The purpose of this article is only to present another look at the Blood Moon movement itself.

And for me, the real question should rather be, not about when Jesus is returning, but whether I will be ready to meet Him when He does. Will I be ready? That is the more pertinent question.

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The post What do the Blood Moons and Solar Eclipses in 2014 and 2015 really tell us? appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

30 Apr 2015 by Jason Law CM –

Christianity has very often been presented as a relationship with God that brings rewards in its journey. Yet our Lord Jesus Christ also taught much on the principle of sowing. This is the other aspect of our faith that every Christian must cultivate and take care of.

Rev Dr Delmer Guynes

In 2015, Glad Tidings PJ is taking the aphorism ‘Sowing and Reaping’ as a rallying cry, and on the 19^th of April 2015, Rev Dr Delmer Guynes, the first General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God (Malaya and Singapore) shared a message on this principle.

A Willingness To Sow

Rev Delmer’s message was taken from the parables found in Matthew 13, which he described as a Chapter of Parables. A total of 7 parables are found within this one chapter, an indication that God takes what is written in it – specifically surrounding the topic of harvest – very importantly.

Ref: issacharinitiative.org

Rev Delmer shared that if we want to understand the words of God, we have to seek for it. We must have a hunger after God and a willing heart to invest, and it is not enough to just attend church. In Matthew13:11-13, Jesus tells us that to those who diligently pursue after God, will be given the power of knowledge and understanding.

This power of knowledge and understanding speaks not just of worldly knowledge but of the secrets of God’s Kingdom of Heaven. ‘It is very important as Christians that we need to hunger for the truth,’ imparted Rev Delmer. We can’t understand spiritual things by just hearing or reading about it. It is a matter of both the mind and the heart and it comes through personal experience in our walk with God.

Ref: simplyjuliana.com

‘If we want the Holy Spirit to talk to us, we must prepare our life and hearts for God by walking and living for Him,’ he shared. In this way, we can discern and protect ourselves from the counterfeit power and deceit of satan which Paul spoke of in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. So, the foundation of our faith itself is founded on our willingness to sow into the things of God.  

The Parable of the Sower

There are some principles about sowing that we can learn from this chapter of the Bible. The first is found within the Parable of the Sower. In this parable, Jesus spoke about the sowing of seeds into good soil. 3 elements in this parable stand out; the Sower, the Seed, and the Good Soil. What do these elements stand for?

Ref: cumc.info

The Sower symbolizes Christ, the Seed the Good News, and the Good Soil the children of God’s Kingdom. There are a lot of good things in this parable, but there is an important groundwork underpinning all these good things. For a land to become good soil and produce fruits, it must first be cultivated.

Rev Delmer gave an example through the land in Israel. The ground there was hard and dry when it was first settled. Yet it produced and is still producing some of the best fruits being exported and distributed throughout the world. ‘Somebody had to plow and prepare the land. There was a process of breaking, moulding, clearing the land before it could bear fruit,’ he shared. “Where you see fruit, somebody had cultivated it.’

Ref: images.fineartamerica.com

Rev Delmer’s father himself, a farmer in America, was an example to the young man. Such work of tending to the land was difficult. It required discipline, faithfulness, a sense of responsibility and a persistence to never give up. This principle of cultivating the physical land applies in the same way towards consecrating the spiritual land.

Today we rejoice at the great revivals we see in our own homeland as well as in other nations. Yet it was not always easy. In the early days, somebody had to plow the spiritual land. It required commitment and sacrifices from people who loved the Lord and His Word and were willing to work hard under burdening circumstances and few tangible rewards.

Ref: wallpaper4god

We owe what we have today to people who were willing to live and die for the Gospel. ‘Don’t give up on the soil,’ Rev Delmer urged. “Prepare it. Love our neighbours. Keep walking and praying for them. Never give up on our burdens for our loved ones, our cities, our nations.’

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares  

Another parable in Matthew 13:24-29 speaks another fact about the seed. The remarkable thing to take note in this parable is that we have a part to play in the story.

Ref: assets.inhabitat.com

Many Christians today are afraid of going through trials and challenges. However, in order for a seed to grow, it first has to be planted or sowed. Being planted in the soil, the seed sprouts. Often, this will require a process of being broken.  Nevertheless, seeds are supposed to develop and to bring life.

A seed can stay on the mantelpiece, polished and beautiful, but it never matures, Rev Delmer communicated. In ten year’s time, that seed will still remain merely a seed. The seed that was planted in the soil, dirty and broken at first, has meanwhile in that 10 year’s time, grown into a beautiful tree.

Ref: bigtreestrategies.com

One nut or seed planted into the ground, cultivated with care by the Sower, blossoms into a huge tree with multiple seeds.  That seed had first to be willing to be put into the ground.  It had to be bendable and submissive to the Sower. It had to trust the Sower fully even in a difficult environment.

This is God’s blueprint for us, reflected even in the way He designed nature.  The New Testament speaks of fruit, but in order to bear fruit, we must first be willing to trust the Sower to plant, cultivate, and prune us with His care and guidance.

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The post For There to Be Fruit, There Must Be a Sower: Rev Dr Delmer Guynes, Glad Tidings PJ appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

30 April 2015 by Tony Dibble –

Introduction

A ‘limited’ Christian here is a genuine Christian who has not been able to enjoy the full Christian life. This may be due to an incorrect perspective of the faith. We need to know how to live the complete Christian life. This is done by being totally in Christ through:

• prayer
• perspective
• meditation and study of GOD’s word
• witnessing
• participating in the Body of Christ
• avoiding presumption and legalism.

#1 Develop a prayer life

To the Christian, prayer is just as important as ammunition and weapons are, to a soldier in battle. It is a Christian’s whole life, for his defence, as well as his offensive: for survival as well as a fruitful life.

Ref: integratedcatholiclife

A Christian is defenceless without prayer. He is exposed to attack by the devil and the world. Without fervent prayer, the Christian is on quicksand. He is unable to dismiss the temptation to sin.

Prayer is also important for spreading and sharing the gospel. Gods directs the spread of His gospel through the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6 & 7). It is the work of GOD for His own glory. Therefore, it must be delivered to GOD in prayer.

Ref: lovethispic

The Christian must never compromise his time for prayer. Prayer keeps him afloat above water. It is his priority. Calvin, Spurgeon, Chambers & Torey considered prayer the most important work of a believer. It is to be made always (Eph 6:18), continually (1 Thess 5:17), everywhere (1 Tim 2:8) for everything (Phil 4:6). The Holy Spirit helps us pray (Rom 8:26-27).

Prayer must cover all areas of a Christian’s life no matter how insignificant anything may seem. A full life in Christ means that every area of our lives is signed over COMPLETELY to Christ through prayer. Prayer is the life of GOD in the soul of man, to paraphrase Henry Scougal.

#2 Develop a Christ-centred lifestyle

We do not function independently, outside of GOD (John 15:5). We look for GOD in everything we do, say, and think about. We must not separate ourselves from GOD, carving areas exclusively for ourselves. We are on earth not to enjoy life, but to enjoy GOD in this life. It is not a question of extremism. Rather, it is consecrating (presenting spiritually) all that we are engaged in, to GOD.

Ref: provoketive

If we view events as outside GOD’s authority, it is dangerous. We are then no different from the agnostic who does not care whether GOD exists or does not: he simply fails to see GOD in all that happens.

Everything is for GOD’s glory (I Cor 10:31). GOD alone is to be praised for everything that happens (Job 1:21; 2:9 & 10), good or bad. GOD does not perform evil: that is done by the devil or by sinful man. Instead, GOD makes good arise out of evil (Gen 50:20). Whenever evil develops, GOD has ensured the occasion would turn out for His own glory, completely. We must not go into panic-mode when something bad happens. We instead need Christ as the immediate lenses for our ‘spectacles’. We must be still and really know GOD (Ps 46:10).

Ref: dw3c

Be careful not to be trapped by self-motivation. Success and motivation techniques have no place for Christ-dependence. They instead teach self-dependence as the source of success. Adopting these motivational techniques would not lead to a complete life in Christ. Success is fine, provided it is delivered completely through enjoying GOD.

#3 Meditating and Studying the Word of GOD

Meditating is personal reflection with GOD. When we meditate, we are inspired by GOD.GOD speaks to us through the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:16 & 17). GOD enters our mind to show us truths about Him and His will as we read His Bible.

Ref: thechristiantrust

Meditating on GOD’s word is to be a complete activity (Josh 1:8). His word must not depart from us, day and night. When we meditate on GOD’s word, we are cleared from the danger of sin. We do not listen to the advice of those who do not care about GOD. Neither do we position ourselves to take up sin with others. We do not join those who make fun of GOD’s commandments (Ps 1:1-2). We respect GOD’s ways (Ps 119:5).

Studying the word of GOD would teach us the role that GOD has in our lives. It would cut through us and would cause us to examine ourselves more thoroughly (Heb 4:12). We know what GOD requires of us and are well-equipped to do what GOD wants of us (2 Tim 3:17).

Ref: allsaints-church

We get closer to GOD through time spent on His word. This also gives us a complete way of life, the way we are designed to be.

#4 Witnessing and Spreading the Gospel of Christ

We are not Christians for our own self-preservation or glory. Christians are meant to spread the gospel of Christ. We do not hold on to our lives (1 Cor 15:31). Instead, we use our lives as examples to build on, in order to spread the gospel (Matt: 28:19 & Acts 1:8). The parable of the talents explains this (Matt 25:14-30). We should let GOD use our lives and whatever resources, assets and skills He has supplied us with. Others may then find in us a hunger and thirst for righteous. That makes us complete persons: when GOD uses us to bring people to Him. Otherwise, we are the equivalent of withered branches, meant to be thrown into the fire (John 15:6).

Ref: umcgalena

#5 Participating in the Body of Christ

The church is the Body of Christ. All members are equal. No one is more important than the other. Christ is its Head (1 Cor 12:12-31; Rom 12:4-5; Col 1:18).

The church is integrated with Christ. It has no existence on its own. Its activities must be solely in line with the plan of GOD to spread the gospel, give praise and glory to Him, and worship Him only.

The church is neither a social club nor a holy huddle praising or boasting in itself. It is the equivalent of the kingdom of heaven but temporarily limited to earth. The church under the Holy Spirit moves GOD’s kingdom in spreading the gospel.  A complete life in Christ is to be found in His church with evangelism, prayer, fellowship and worship. We are Christ’s workmanship, created in Him for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph 2:10).

Ref: nanettepatterson

#6 Avoiding Presumption and Legalism

We do not presume on GOD, casually. Whist we have assurance of salvation, we do not take it for granted, lightly. We need to be walking with GOD (Gen 5:24), working out our own salvation seriously with Him (Phil 2:12).

Legalism is a cold attitude towards the faith. It is concerned with conforming to appearances and systems rather than living in the Holy Spirit. It looks at religion rather than at Christ. It seems to be concerned with the way religion is organised rather than at the relationship with Christ.

Ref: catch-fortywinks

Presumption and legalism often creep in when the prayer life is neglected. They really are anchors that the flesh falls back on when the life in the Holy Spirit has disappeared.

Conclusion

The complete Christian life is secured by immersing ourselves totally in Christ. We talk to Christ. We think of Him. In all we do, we see the hand of Christ directing events. His word is our lamp and our light (Ps 119:105). We participate in His plan for saving the world from itself, and for Him instead. The Holy Spirit of GOD moves us towards being sanctified (made perfect in Christ) completely.

We must have the Christian world view in order to live the life for, and in Christ. We are in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-16; 1 John 4:5). The perspectives of the world do NOT give us the complete life (John 10:10).

Ref: staticflickr

NOTE: Tony Dibble worships at Endeavour Christian Gathering, in Perth, Western Australia. Prior to this, he was attending the Church of Our Holy Saviour, in Labuan, East Malaysia. When in Kuala Lumpur, he worships and preaches at Faith Oasis Fellowship (FOF) Subang Jaya, Selangor.

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The post How to avoid being a ‘limited’ Christian— or how to develop the full Christian life appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

1 May 2015 by Esperanza Ng CM – 

There are many reasons not to have sex before marriage—or at least, we have been given many reasons not to have sex before marriage. Many Christians in their teens and young adulthood today have grown up in a church culture that frowns on premarital sex but are unfortunately given all the wrong reasons not to have sex.

These reasons range from the extreme “God will send you to hell,” to perhaps the most common concern that parents and young people share: “what if you got pregnant, or contracted an STD?” The sad reality is that many Christians who grew up in church have been given a myriad of floppy reasons why they shouldn’t have sex before marriage, and have been groomed to fear the consequences of premarital sex rather than to see sex and marriage the way God intended it to be.

Ref: static1.1.sqspcdn

Perhaps, on the surface, this method seems to have “worked” over the past few decades, and good churchgoing boys and girls actually seemed to have restrained themselves from “falling into this heinous and unspeakable sin.” By glorifying virginity and emphasizing the negative implications, young people should think twice before they have sex. However, in recent years, with the Internet becoming a channel for free speech and the expression of opinions as well as emotions, it has become evident that such teachings have not been helpful, but in fact, detrimental.

Through the Internet and social media, we see young women writing articles and posts about how they saved themselves for marriage only to find themselves completely disillusioned when they finally get married and “give themselves to their husbands,” and these posts go viral. That “wedding night” experience that was supposedly everything they had lived for up until that point in their life turned out to be the most disappointing and devastating nightmare they could have imagined.

Ref: notthisgirl

Why? Because they kept the rules. They lived according to what tradition and culture taught them. They were raised in an environment that enforced strict and stringent morality, which caused them to fear the horrible things that could happen to them if they gave in to the ways of the world.

As a result, they completely turn away from God, their marriages suffer, and they tell the whole world that saving oneself for marriage is a bad idea. From there, stems the whole concept that women need to take control of their own bodies and sexuality. Nobody should be able to tell us what to do with our virginity—not our parents, not society, not men, and especially not the church.

Ref: idiva

While we might like to argue that only a handful of people have “suffered” such experiences, it’s effects are far reaching. From the comments in these posts, we see people cheering them on, telling them, “You go, girl!” Other young girls who have been similarly raised will begin to question their convictions to keep themselves pure for marriage. Those who feel trapped in their world of rules and fear will feel liberated that finally! Someone out there knows exactly how they feel!

Yes, it is sad—in fact, it’s heartbreaking. We are seeing more and more young people turn away from their Christian upbringing because it just does not seem viable in this present culture with all of its pressures. Premarital sex is running rampant among young people in our churches today. But can we blame them? Not really. If all they have been taught are the negative repercussions for giving in to temptation, then no. We cannot blame them.

Because we—the church, parents, Christian educators—have been going at it all wrong. Because in reality, there is only one reason not to have sex before marriage, and that is the same reason to avoid any and all other sins that our human nature is vulnerable to committing. Because we have placed so much emphasis on scaring our young people into sexual abstinence that we have forgotten the only and most important reason for sexual purity:

1. My love for God.

That’s it. My decision not to have sex before marriage has nothing to do with what culture, tradition, society, my parents, or the church expect of me, and everything to do with me loving God and wanting to honor Him with my body and my future marriage.

Ladies, there is no such thing as “We are not having sex because my boyfriend respects me.” If that is his only reason for not having sex with you, then you should not marry him because he will not be fit to be the spiritual leader of your home.

Men, there is no such thing as “We are not having sex because I respect my girlfriend.” Your reason for not wanting to have sex should be the same as hers: Because you want to honor God with your body.

Christian couples, if you love each other, your reason for not having sex until you are married should be because you want to obey and honor God with your body, and because you want your significant other to obey and honor God with his or her body. There is no need to “say no,” because such a question should never be posed in the first place. 

That should be every Christian’s stand. If your relationship with God does not mean enough to you to remain sexually pure, then by all means, go have sex. In fact, you can do more than just have sex; you can do whatever you want with your body, because sexual purity is not just about abstinence before marriage. Sexual purity encompasses every area of sexuality including extramarital sex, pornography, homosexuality, and even how far we allow our thoughts to wander.

Ref: f.tqn

So, if what everybody else thinks takes precedence over what God thinks, or if my fear of consequences is the only thing stopping me from indulging in sexual sin, then why bother to try to keep the rules? If obedience to God is so far down the list after all the other reasons, it only means that my relationship with Christ is not priority in my life, right? And if Christ is not priority in my life, then why should I even bother to call myself a Christian? And if I’m not a Christian, then why should I live the way Christ has called me to live?

Perhaps this is a rather radical stance, but if you think about it, isn’t that the only thing that separates the Christian life from the rest of the world? The only thing that keeps us from letting our sinful nature get the better of us is Christ’s forgiveness through His blood. Yes, His gift of salvation is free, and He will not retract it if we fail to obey Him.

However, the moment we give ourselves to Jesus, we are saying to God, “Yes, Lord. I want to receive your forgiveness, and I want to honor you with my life so that all glory and praise can be given back to you.” Our obedience to Him is a response of love to Him because He first loved us.

Ref: 41.media.tumblr

Christian morality without Jesus in the picture is as good as no morality. If Christ is not the center of my life, then it makes sense for me to say that my attempts to keep myself pure for marriage is futile. The results would be unfulfilling and possibly even painful. But with the right motivation, every Christian couple who is on that journey to honor Christ together in their relationship, can look forward with anticipation for their sexual union to be every bit as beautiful as God meant for it to be.

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The post 1 Reason Not To Have Sex Before Marriage appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.

1 May 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

Many times, I find myself too busy for God. Sometimes, spending time with God almost feels like a morning chore. And while my responsibilities kept adding onto my plate, overwhelmed with life, I began negotiating the time I spend with Him.

From one hour, I would tell God, “Father, I don’t have time. I think I would just give you half an hour.” And because I was so anxious to start my day and go on a frenzy mode of ticking off my to-do list, the time spent with God did not bring me to the deep rest I wanted.

Ref: pinimg

What kind of rest am I talking about? I longed for David’s type of rest, whose heart said to God these words:

1 My heart is not proud, Lord,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child I am content.

3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord

both now and forevermore.

(Psalm 131)

I felt convicted. Reading these Words felt like a gush of water flowing down my drying soul.

Ref: funandfaith

The first verse here says, “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty.” David was a king and yet, he knew who the King of kings and Lord of lords is. David knew who was standing before him. Hence, he was humble in addressing his King.

Following this verse, David said, “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” When I spend time with God, I felt that my grandiose plans for the day are more important than spending time with Him. I could not wait to fulfill my tasks, imagining the triumph of me achieving them all. And yes, I want to quickly achieve it! So, my heart says, “God, you are important but you see, I have more important things to complete than You, I have bigger things in life.”

Ref: quotespin

This thought brought me to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus said to His disciples, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ” (John 15:4-5)

Ref: ccsouthbay

All of us want to do great, big things in life. But God says in His Word, that apart from Him, we can do nothing. A branch can only bear fruit if it is attached to the vine, the life giver and supporter. And no matter how strong a branch is, if it is cut from the vine, it would only decay in a few days. But that is how I usually function. Spending time with God for me is like taking a deep breath of His Presence, and then holding on to it for a few days before I am completely exhausted. At that point of burnt out, only then I will come crying to my Father and sit quietly at His feet. But God did not meant for us to have this touch-and-go type of relationship. In fact, Jesus says to us, “Remain in me.” What He meant is stay with me all the time, from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep.

Ref: csahm

But I also wonder if this is possible, to constantly remain in Him and be aware of His Presence. So, I search the Word. In the Bible, you will find that God is faithful in His Words. He is trustworthy. He is not double-minded. He does not changed. If we follow His commandments, He will do His part to fulfill His promises because He is a covenantal God. He does not change His commandments like the wind. And He makes His commandments readily for all to see and to follow, because they are good. God is not the “sometimes” type of God. He is the “always” and the “never” type of God. In His Word, He said to us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5) and “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of age.” (Matt 28:20) God is “always” with us. And because of that, He wants us to “always” remain in Him. What a great promise and assurance we have from our Father in Heaven!

Ref: agodman

But to my best effort, I believe that my flesh readily fails me. Forgetting about Him can be easy while I go about my daily work. But thank God because He has sent us a helper, the Holy Spirit, who will teach us all things and remind us of everything God has said to us. (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit would also put the laws in our hearts and write them on our minds (Heb 10:15-16) That is why we are called to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17-19), to ask the Holy Spirit for help. In other words, to be with God, to remain in Him, is to go with the flow of the Holy Spirit. That means not fighting against the Spirit but to follow and to surrender. And what a paradox is it! Because if anything, I am striving not to strive, or I am learning and practicing to always be in God’s presence.

Ref: staticflickr

Hence, like David, I prayed to God to help me calm and quiet myself down “like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child I am content.” (Psalm 131:2) And when I surrender and let go, the peace of God that transcends understanding (Phil 4:7) comes upon me, sapping all forms of stresses and burdens. In his steadfast love, there is an inner and a stable form of joy. And with His Presence, I find my day, albeit troubles and inconveniences, very much more enjoyable because God is with me. I can see how remaining in Him is such a good thing!

Ref: blogspot

Therefore, like King David who put his hope in the Lord both then and forevermore (Psalm 131:3), I will put my hope in God as well. I remember once asking myself in the darkness of my heart, “What do I really get from spending time with God?” And one day, I heard God say to me, “My child, you are spending time with me more for yourself, than for me.” What I get is His Presence and that is enough. Like the psalmist who said – “Whom have I in heaven by You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26) – the Lord is my portion and my prize! To personally know Him is therefore my greatest reward from spending time with Him. 

Ref: restoredthroughgrace

I learned that I have nothing to lose but everything to gain, in my time spent with God. 

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2 May 2015 –

Do you get who you are and know where you’re going? These are very important questions and many of us think we know the answer. However, knowing the answer and getting the full picture on life is a very different thing. If we truly get what these questions are asking, our whole life would revolve around them and it would determine the direction of our lives. 

The Geddit Logo.

Taking this call very seriously, a young church, Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC) from Bandar Sunway and Seksyen U5 Shah Alam has started an initiative known as Geddit. Geddit’s aim is to help non-Christians get the full picture of what Christianity is all about. Their core vision and belief is that trusting in Jesus’ work on the cross brings forgiveness of sins. Geddit does this by involving the whole church in the conversations that bring about understanding.  

The Geddit Sessions

The CERC is a youthful and vibrant church full of young people who are not just passionate about the Lord but also very purposeful about their faith and relationship with Christ. What sets Geddit apart from many evangelical projects is that it has a two-prong approach. 

In the Geddit session.

The sessions are down-to-earth, not aimed as a top-down preaching meeting. Rather, it is where Christians get to invite non-believers to come for a casual get-together over dinner. The members of CERC are regular people who simply love the Lord and want to share with the world the hope and important message of the Gospel. 

However, the Geddit sessions are also where extremely important issues of life can be discussed in an authentic manner without any sham about it, not so that non-believers can be aimed at in a pedantic manner, but rather so that they get to understand what Christianity and Christians are all about. Geddit sessions for 2015 go through the Book of Luke. 

Interview with Dr Elden.

On 3 April the central question conversed about was ‘Who will forgive our sins?’. It took Jesus’ healing of the paralytic man (Luke 5:17-26) as the discussion point, and answered questions that may baffle non-believers about this episode in Jesus’ earthly life. The session opened with an interview with a doctor explaining some of the issues and concerns surrounding paralysis, such as the different causes and the chances of a complete recovery from it.  

Pastor Robin Gan’s Message

Pastor Robin Gan opened his sharing by giving the context of the account. In this incident, Jesus demonstrates that the number one problem with men is not our physical condition or any other problems but our rebellion against God and need for forgiveness by Him.   

Pastor Robin Gan presenting the message.

A lack of understanding of this occurrence, especially if we were there at that time, would raise questions like ‘Is He crazy?’, ‘Is He like the moral police who has no mercy?’, ‘Who is He to forgive sins; is He a blaspheming liar who pretends He is God?’. Understanding the answers to these questions would help to make the account real to us.

How Jesus Views It and How We Might See It    

This account is one of the clearest examples of the different way Jesus and we might often view an incident. What we would see with our natural eyes is a crippled man coming to Jesus for healing and expects Jesus to do just that. What Jesus sees is the real crisis of the man.

 “Jesus sees sin for what it is and Jesus sees us for what we are. In the Bible sin is the denial in thought, word and deed of God’s Rule in all of life” says Pastor Robin. 

Attendees listening to the message.

Pastor Robin communicated that Jesus is like a good doctor who treats the real sickness, which is sin, instead of camouflaging it. He tells us what makes us better. He fixes problems where they actually are. He sees the truth and leads us to rectify and overcome them. Like the best doctors, He is serious about His mission, always recognizes the truth, and never camouflages it.     

How do we know that Jesus is not crazy or being legalistic? It is by the extraordinary transformation that He brings into people’s lives no matter where He goes. Jesus led a remarkable live that was visible to the people around Him. He had a focus and calmness about Him, and many times He amazed people by showing them things that they were never able to see before. He sees everything as it is and sees it truly. In conversations such as with the Samaritan woman, He revealed things that astonished them (John 4:16-19). 

Discussion in the Geddit session.

In so many instances, Jesus clearly showed that He cared for the sick. He healed the sick both individually and in mass healing events, raised the dead, released people from demonic bondages. He exhibited mercy so many times in contrast to the Pharisees. Far from being a moral police or being blind to people’s problems, He in fact understands issues theologically and objectively.     

Jesus Sees Sin for What It Is

If Jesus is not crazy or being legalistic, was He being presumptuous in the way He healed the paralytic? The Pharisees understood that sin is foremost a denial of God’s perspectives and plans for our lives. It is presumption and disrespect for the One who created us. If there’s anyone with any right for anger or justified in meting out punishment to men, it is God. 

The Geddit April session.

The Pharisees also understood that sin is not a mere matter of feeling. It is an objective fact that has to be accounted for. It needs to be dealt with, either through punishment, or through forgiveness conferred on the repentant. And only God has the right to do so, for only He is above all authority. So the Pharisees were in fact, in their understanding, rightly offended. 

By comprehending this context, we can understand why Jesus healed the paralytic in the strange way He did. Pastor Robin communicated that Jesus is doing what He is doing because He is on a mission from God. Jesus was laying His cards on the table! There was a purpose in Jesus forgiving the paralytic of his sins and not in the first instance healing him. When he did heal him, it was to make clear his authority and therefore that genuine forgiveness had been given. 

A family at Geddit April 2015.

Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecies. Even before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, prophets had foretold of His coming as the Messiah. He was meant to lead us out of darkness by the authority of God given unto Him. Jesus did not die on Good Friday because He was helpless; He died because of His mission to put sin to death! This is the true meaning of Good Friday and Easter, and the resurrection has a meaning! It was a demonstration of Jesus’ authority as the Son of God.    

Who Will Forgive Our Sins? 

Pastor Robin conveyed that sin is a real and serious problem but there is hope in Christ. The paralytic man was blessed with friends who were men of action. They recognized the need to deal with their friend’s predicament, and they looked for solutions. They were determined people. As a people we ought to take inspiration from them. 

Attendees at Geddit April 2015.

Jesus was and still is at the center of God’s plans. Just as He restored the spine of the paralytic man, He also has the authority and power to restore broken lives. Jesus has been given authority to forgive our sins. We need to get on God’s programme, because the plan of God’s grace is our only hope.

NOTE: Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC) meet at Bandar Sunway every Sundays at 4.45pm and Subang Bestari at 10am. Visit them at their website on http://www.cerc.com.my/.

The next Geddit session will be held tomorrow with further upcoming sessions in the months ahead. To find out more about upcoming Geddit sessions, including how you can be a part of it, visit their page at http://geddit.my/. All pictures from the April 3 Geddit session kindly contributed by CERC.

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The post Geddit: The Evangelical Mission by CERC appeared first on Malaysia’s most comprehensive Christian news website and was launched in September 2012, incorporated with the vision of delivering up-to-date news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines.