14 April 2015-

Yes, Pastor Peter Tsukahira will be back in Malaysia in June.  With a rather impactful conference last year which attracted more than 1,700 participants,  many people have been anticipating for his next conference, asking when the SOM Conference will be held this year. 

If you have been following his annual conference,  you would not want to miss any of his teachings. Malaysia has been privileged to have him back every year. This year will be the 11^th year of the SOM Conference in Malaysia, organized by the Malaysian Graduates of the Mount Carmel School of Ministry.

Pr Peter Tsukahira

About Conference

This year’s SOM Conference will be held at Petaling Jaya Evangelical Free Church (PJEFC) on Saturday, 20 June 2015 from 9 AM to 5 PM

Be ready to catch his exciting teaching on the Theme:  “THY KINGDOM COME, Welcoming the New Jerusalem.”  Many people will be keen to know, “What does Israel have to do with the End Times and How can we Prepare?“  

Being an anointed Bible Teacher, Pastor Peter will impart his knowledge to us by explaining the “Power of the Remnant” on why GOD always uses a small number of the truly faithful to accomplish His sovereign Will.

To see this take place, the Body of Christ will need to realize what is the Lord’s “New Architecture for the Church,” i.e. how Israel provides the Church with a fresh mandate and design to meet the challenges of our generation.

Pastor Peter will also explain in-depth of how GOD wants to “Awaken the One New Man” by bringing Israel together in worship and service with all nations.

This conference is to impart to all believers revelation and cause us to search our hearts regarding how we should welcome the LORD’s return by “Preparing the Way of the LORD.”  

May GOD stirs us to receive what Israel teaches us about our calling and eternal destiny!

This conference definitely cannot to be missed!

Where to get the Attendance Coupons ?

Attendance Coupons which cover the full conference and 1 lunch and 2 refreshment breaks, are now available at Canaanland Outlets, Glad Sounds, Salvation Book Centre and The Burning Bush Bookshop @ Dream Centre, DUMC.  Hurry and get your Attendance Coupon today.   

For any enquiries, you may contact the SOM Conference 2015 Organizer, Ms Foo at 016- 211-3998.

About Pastor Peter Tsukahira

Pastor Peter Tsukahira is the Co-Founder & Pastor of Kehilat HaCarmel (Carmel Assembly), Director of Or HaCarmel (Light of the Carmel) Ministry Centre, and the Mount Carmel School of Ministry (SOM), which is a two-week intensive school and study focusing on the prophetic significance of Israel. He is also the author of three Books – GOD’s Tsunami (Understanding Israel and End-time revival), My Father’s Business (Guidelines for Ministry in the Marketplace) and Culture of the Kingdom (a Journey of Restoration).

The post Pastor Peter Tsukahira is Back in Malaysia in June 2015! 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.

2 May 2015 by Kim Yung CM –

Pastor Zac Loh preached at Faith Oasis Fellowship on the 11^th of April 2015. Zac is the founder of a ministry called “Discipling Africa.” He travels around the world to share about the importance of self-transformation and his love for God.

“Revelation in the Bible comes in two ways,” he began by saying. “One where there is a whale in front of you, blocking you so you can’t see. Hence, the removing of the whale is important, so that you can look for the object you are looking for, hidden among many other things. Sometimes it may not be immediately visible to you. This way of revelation is called ‘rhema’ (The Word of Faith and the Guiding Word) where you are guided by the Holy Spirit through inner feelings, impressions, and experiences,” shared Zac.

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” ¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:14-17)

Ref: biblesforamerica

The other way of Revelation is called Logos (The Logic and the Illuminating Word) that is found in John 1:1 (that tells about the definition of the Word of God).

“The Word of God gives life and life to men. When you read the Bible, you need both Rhema and Logos, we need the anointing upon that Word,” shared Zac. “Logos has a design and a pattern. When you look at the universe, you would realise there’s a designer, a Creator, because there’s beauty in it and harmony in it, as if there’s an artist behind it and that points us to our Creator.”

Ref: eweb4

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

“By anointed revelation, the Spirit and the Word came together as Jesus began His ministry. Reading the Bible should be an enlightening experience or encounter, we are never meant to read it any other way,” said Zac. We need God to come into our devotional lives and to anoint us so that reading the Bible will never be the same, directing you to a “bigger heart” that is filled wight the Spirit of God instead of a “bigger head.” 

Ref: kittimurray

The Word – The Essence of God

The Word is the essence that was made into flesh. He dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. A glorious manifestation of the Word, He died and then, He was resurrected. And because He triumphed against death, we now have are given the Holy Spirit through the Word Himself, Jesus Christ, the Lord our God. 

When we speak of a “word,” we usually imagine it as being something that is simply “spoken” or “written,” without giving it much more thought. However, these words are actually external expressions of a person. In essence, these words are a manifestation of what the person is. 

Ref: googleusercontent

The words expressed may be beautiful words of compassion and love or they may be words of envy and hate. When these words spill out of one’s mouth or flow from their writings, it shows us what spirit they come from. The words you express to the world reveals what are hidden in the core of your heart. The words you express, build part of your character. Hence, that is it is important to build a godly character, following His very own Word. Gather and keep the essence of God, His Word, and bring it along with you, in your walk of life through different endeavours and encounters. Allow God’s Word to uphold you and give you the power to discern right from wrong.

Ref: ggpht

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. (Proverbs 18:21)

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. (Proverbs 16:24)

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18)

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The post Cultivating the Spiritual Sensitivity and Discernment 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.

2 May 2015 by Simon Yap-

Luke 22:17, Matthew 24:36 (New International Version)

17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.”

36 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

The custom of taking a wife in Jesus’s day was full of beauty and symbolism. If a young man was interested in a woman, he would approach the father of his hopeful bride and express his intentions to him. Sometimes the couple already knew each other, but it must be done in proper order. The father would arrange a meeting in his home between the young man and his daughter, at which time a cup of wine was set before her. This was called “The Cup of Acceptance”. If she agreed to become his wife, she would drink from the cup, if not she would push the cup to the side. Once she drank from the cup, the marriage contract was drawn up. From that time forth she was off limits and set apart as being betrothed. This was the case with Mary and Joseph.

Ref: acelebrationofwomen

The young man would arise and go to his father’s house to tell him the news of his betrothal. This was the time of preparation. Under the father’s guidance, the young man would begin the building of his home for his future bride. Often times it was an addition to the father’s house, or if they were wealthy and had land, the father would give him a portion to build on. Jesus used this imagery when He said in:

John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Ref: ning.com

When all was finished and every detail for the up and coming ceremony complete, the father would then go to the son and tell him, “It’s time to go and bring your bride home”. Only the father knew when all was ready. Hence Jesus’s words in: Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Dear friend, stop condemning yourself. You are the bride of Jesus. Get ready! See yourself as perfect as your Husband has presented you to be. You are betrothed! You are deeply loved, highly favoured and greatly blessed!

Ref: openheaven

Thought of the Day:

Hey your wedding is coming. Why are you still complaining? Get ready!

Source : His Grace Is Enough

http://hischarisisenough.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/what-did-jesus-mean-by-no-one-knows-about-that-day-or-hour/

Disclaimer: The views or opinions expressed by the columnists are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Christianity Malaysia.com

Note: This post was republished from an article posted on 27 September 2012 for the benefit of our newer readers.

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The post What did Jesus mean by “No one knows about that day or hour”? 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.

3 May 2015-

 
The purpose of this conference is to study about divine healing and to glorify the divine healer Jesus Christ. During this 2-day conference, we will look at 9 medical cases with medical proof of divine healing after prayer.

 
Here is the list of cases:
 
A. Testimonies
 
1. Chronic Myeloid Leukemia by Dr Gilbert Chae, Korea
 
2. Contact allergic dermatitis by Dr Chang Gyu Yang, Korea
 
3. Breast Cancer 36 years, healed by Datuk Dr Daniel, Malaysia

B. Case presentations
 
1. Acute left ventricular heart failure with pulmonary edema by Dr Brian S Yeo, Korea
 
2. Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization by Dr Joon Sung Kim, Korea
 
3. Ebola virus disease in Congo by Dr Min Seok Seo, Korea
 
4. From Death to Life (Mesenteric Thrombosis) by Dr Armando Pineda Velez, USA
 
5. Brain Injury, trauma by Datuk Dr Daniel, Malaysia
 
6. Dead brought back to Life by Dr Phillip Lyn, Sarawak.
 
All these patients are alive and well now because of Jesus Christ and His healing power through prayer.
 
 
Come and join also the Healing Prayer Service on 16th of May!

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The post The 12th WCDN International Conference | For Medical Practitioners | 16-17 May | Sunway Putra Hotel | 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.

3 May 2015 by Jason Law CM –

One of the most distinct ways that we know God has a father’s heart and love for His children is through the foundation of marriage. While the book of Genesis did not mention the word ‘marriage’ overtly, God clearly brought the concept into being along with Eve.

Before Eve was created, Adam had already walked daily with God. God knew Adam intimately, even to his spirit. Yet although He was with him daily, God also knew that Adam yearned for a counterpart with whom he could share life together on an equivalent level. Furthermore, God knew that Adam hankered to have someone to share his heritage with.

So, out of a heart of love, God created Eve. And so that Adam and Eve could be one, He joined them together through a part of the first man.

Ref: lumenchristiparish

Through this, we can see clearly that the coming together of a man and woman as one mattered greatly to God. God cares about marriages and families, and He wants to be a part of that area of our life. Additionally, we also know that this concern of God comes of His compassion for men and a heart of love for His children. Understanding this would lead us to honour God in this area of our lives.

For a Christian, marriage is more than a contract. It is founded on the same nature of covenant established between God and man. Last Sunday, on the 26^th of April 2015, the church of Kajang Assembly of God dedicated its service for a marriage vow renewal commemoration. A total of 9 couples honoured God by renewing their marriage vows in front of Him and the church as their witness.

The 9 couples with Pastor Calvin Lee (Center Front) – [Photoshoot before ceremony]

Marriage vow renewal ceremonies are a way for married couples to renew their commitment to each other. It is also a way to demonstrate that the vows they took are still considered sacred.  Often, Christian couples may have married when they were still non-Christians.

For many of the couples renewing their marriage vows at KAOG that day, this was an answered prayer. It was an occasion to have the Christian marriage that they had wanted for years but did not have originally. For the first time, they had an opportunity to make their marriage special by consecrating their vows before God.

The Wedding Parade in.

It was a blessed day as the whole church took on a celebratory atmosphere.  ‘We are very touched and grateful that the church would do this for us,’ sister Angie Law, one of the participator said. ’They put so much effort into it.’   

The ceremony was an offshoot of the church’s Marriage Course that had been initiated a couple of years ago. ‘Even if you think there’s no problems in your marriage and don’t need to go for this course, my advice is still to go,’ brother Law advised.

Brother Law and sister Angie.

‘There were actually a lot of things that we learned in this course. I didn’t want this vow renewal to be something that we do just for the sake of it. The course helped us to understand each other better and the decision to renew our vows were made collectively.’

The nine couples ranged from being 15 years of marriage to a whole 42 years of marriage, a testament of their faithfulness to each other. Pastor Calvin Lee shared a short message about the importance and significance of the Christian marriage, especially in relation to the current cultural environment and situation.  

Pastor Calvin dedicating the couples’ marriage to God.

He shared that the 9 couples’ renewal of marriage vows is a very momentous thing. ‘As Christians, we believe that marriage is a gift from God and the very best relationship in which to share love and the blessing of family life. In a time in which marriage seems to be increasingly difficult and valued less – we hear of statistics of broken families and divorces that are happening all over the world – faithfulness in marriage is a very significant thing.

‘Therefore, it is important that Christians ought to be able to publicly announce their commitment to marriage as an exciting place. It is where they may share the most intimate and deepest bond of love, friendship and adventure of life together.’

Rings and Bible with Genesis text of Adam and Eve, a typical wedding text – the book illustration is copied from a 400 years old bible (Ref: pinterest)

‘Marriage, though a private place, has a public significance. It is so important that we are able to pass on to our children our belief in marriage for the future,’ he conveyed. ‘Marriage is not a contract, but rather it’s a covenant.’

Ephesians 5 teaches us that the Christian family model is based on a representation of Christ-likeness. Paul aims to show us in this chapter that the union between a man and his wife is a model of the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Ref: img.wikinut.com

‘It is that significant,’ communicated Pastor Calvin. ‘When we talk about the relationship between Christ and the Church, that is the model for the relationship between a man and his wife. It is not just we come together as partners, call ourselves husband and wife, and that’s it.’

In the Biblical sense, Paul was also quoting from Scripture in the Book of Genesis Chapter 2:24:   That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.   In a Christian marriage, the couple would take two separate lighted candles, use them to light one candle, and then blow off the flame from the separate candles. What does this symbolize? No more separate lives, but now two shall become one.

Zone pastor and cell group photo shoot.

‘That is the kind of unity, the kind of bond, when we talk about being joined together in a marriage in the Christian sense. In other words, the covenant involved in leaving your father and mother and holding fast to your spouse and becoming one flesh, is a portrayal of this covenant between Christ and His Church itself’.

‘I would like to thank the church for all these years and also to the Lord for being in the center of our marriage,’ shared sis Hui Ming who went through a tough period in her health. ‘Eventhough we didn’t go through a Christian marriage (previously) but God was there and He helped us through. If it’s not for God and Christian friends.. Thank God for the support and the people He brought along the way.’

Sister Hui Ming (right) and brother Kang.

Brother Kenny Ong who shares 42 years of marriage with Sister Peggy Ong conveyed that to him his marriage is very important. ‘Being a Christian, if you don’t go through the Christian way in our marriage vow, I feel that our marriage is not complete. So I very eagerly wanted this in my heart for us to go and have the marriage vow.’     

Brother Kenny and Sister Peggy Ong.

Besides the renewal of marriage vows, there was also an exchange of wedding rings. This was to demonstrate the pledge of commitment between the couples. Many non-Christian relatives and friends of the couples were also invited for the event. One relative thanked the church and her relatives for the invitation, ‘I am glad that I attended such a lovely and meaningful event. Thanks for inviting us.’

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The post Nine Couples Honours God in Marriage Vow Renewal at KAOG 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.

3 May 2015 by Esperanza Ng CM – 

With the recent release of faith-provoking movies like Noah, Exodus: Gods and Kings, and even The Avengers: Age of Ultron, it wouldn’t hurt for us to take a step back and ask ourselves, how should we, as Christians, view movies? We tend to swing between watching everything and anything there is out there, and not watching anything because it is “unwholesome.”

Somewhere along the way, in trying to keep up with living holy and righteous lives that seek to honor Christ, Christians have wavered in their understanding of “not being of the world” and equated it to “blissful ignorance,” or just ignoring the question of right and wrong when it comes to entertainment. Instead of learning to be wary and mindful of the things that go in and out of our heads, people tend to just run away from “objectionable” material and not watch anything at all, or make special exceptions in our standards and values for things like movies, because “Let’s face it, if we don’t make exceptions, then all that’s left as “permissible” to watch is VeggieTales, right?”

Wrong. Because there is a way we can watch movies and enjoy productions that are released from this multibillion industry we call Hollywood, and still remain steadfast in our thoughts and actions without making exceptions. It is possible to still glorify and honor God despite our love for motion picture.

Ref: offerpop

In my family, my father loves movies, while my mother has a strong aversion towards them, as it is her personal conviction not to fill her mind with “nonsense.” To her, she can get enough of what she needs to know from books and the Internet. Thankfully, while she was strict about asking for permission before turning on the TV in our younger days, she never prevented me and my sister from watching movies that did not go against our judgment.

What my parents did was that they brought us up in the ways of the Lord so that when it came to things like watching movies and reading books, we knew when something was good for us, and when we needed to shut them off. Going to the movies eventually became a tradition for me, my father, and my sister to go on “date nights with dad,” while mom stayed home or did her own work at a kopitiam. Occasionally when a particularly good movie comes out, we are able to persuade her to join us and she does, in her own way, appreciate undeniably good movies that are worth her time.

Due to the contrasting attitudes towards film between my parents, I believe I was brought up with a good balance. My mother developed my love for books, my father got me hooked on high-strung action movies, and my preference for chick-flicks and sweet little romances was something I acquired later on my own. That being the case, our home was never one that had the TV blaring 24/7 and yet, I developed a great appreciation for film. For that, I am thankful.

Ref: thetoddanderinfavoritefive

Because of my mother’s skepticism towards Hollywood, I was always careful of what I was watching. Whenever I was at my grandmother’s house with free access to my aunt’s movie collection, I knew even at a young age what kind of movies I could indulge in and what kind of movies I should stay away from. It was not a physical authority telling me what to watch and what to not watch, but my conscience that spoke to me, loud and clear.

As I got older and began to better understand the material I was taking in, I also began to glean from the movies I watched. What was once pure enjoyment began to make more sense in other areas that I never noticed before as a younger child.

That being said, when it comes to drawing standards towards film as a Christian, I have come to the firm conclusion that as long as we do not disgrace the name of the Lord through the things we watch, there is always something that can be learned. There is something about film that captures life so realistically that everything – the good, bad, beautiful, and ugly – is blatantly portrayed.

Ref: timeoutshanghai

While some people may claim that any movie with unpleasant content should immediately be ruled out as “bad,” I prefer to take the stance that unpleasant content is sometimes the very thing that causes beauty to emerge. It is in the depravity and ugliness of humanity and our actions that the wonder of the Gospel is that much more powerful. When films draw attention to how badly in need of a savior this world is and emphasizes the redemptive value in “goodness” although not specifically Christ Himself, Christians are able to see the parallels and give praise to God for His faithfulness. In this light, watching a movie could even be an act of worship.

In addition, when we take into consideration the skills, talents, and creativity that are needed in making a film, we are farther able to appreciate the creativity of God Himself. Being created in the image of God, when we use our artistic abilities to express ourselves, God can receive honor and glory. Different filmmakers express themselves differently and although some of them only ever produce bleak and depressing movies, there are still elements in the movie itself that can be drawn out and seen as beautiful.

Film captures truth—albeit in a staged environment—and truth is beauty. Although truth can at times be painful and unpleasant, it ultimately points back to the Truth that Christ died for sinners and that is Beauty as has never been seen. Therefore, in many ways, film can be seen not only as a way of capturing beauty that God has created through the recreation of reality, but also as a response to beauty that has been seen and portrayed by another human being. It is a shared experience of the human condition and beauty that can be found in the midst of immorality and perversity.

Ref: i.ytimg

At the same time, Christian parents should also be on guard of what their children are watching, as images and the spoken word are easily ingrained in young minds. As children grow older and mature emotionally, socially, and spiritually, they can be increasingly exposed to certain material that they really ought to be protected from at younger ages. Like it or not, a more mature viewer would be able to understand a certain scene within the context of the setting, and properly respond to it.

Young viewers, on the other hand, absorb everything they see and hear like a sponge. Even though I had a firm sense of right and wrong, I still remember the first sex scene I saw in a movie in which I realized too late that I needed to turn it off. For the longest time, that single image haunted me. Now that I have been exposed to many similar scenes, that particular one is no longer in the foreground of my mind—nevertheless, it will forever remain in my memory. For this reason, I am a firm advocate for film censorship and ratings. Although I turned out fine, there is a part of me that feels like my childhood innocence was somewhat violated, as I saw something I should not have seen.

Christians should not shy away from the film industry simply because there are things included in film that are not considered to be “Christian.” On the contrary, Christians should be well informed and educated about the film industry and know movies well enough to talk about them so that when a non-Christian asks about a certain film, the Christian knows how to give a credible response from a Christian perspective.

Ref: clker

At the same time, we also have the Holy Spirit within us to help us discern between watching with a purposeful attitude and simply wallowing in sin. An easy gauge would be to ask the question, “Would I watch this movie with Jesus sitting beside me?” Ultimately, it is important for the Christian to understand that this world is fallen and there is no getting away from it.

To try to stay away from any and all exposure to sin would be equivalent to trying to breathe in pure oxygen without all the other gasses in our air. Being disturbed by the sin that is portrayed on the screen and becoming further encouraged to share the love of Jesus to the lost is completely different from watching and drinking in the sinful acts in the film and enjoying them. The fine line which separates these different views is the defining factor between Christian and unchristian when it comes to watching a movie.

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The post A Christian Manifesto on Film 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.

4 May 2015 by Rev Dr Jai Kumar –

 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”: John 10:27

Christianity is the only unique faith. Whereas others try to appease God through a list of dos and don’ts, Christianity is a relationship with God.

Ref: ncicministry

You are created to have a relationship with God. Therefore you need to talk to God and God will talk to you. You need to communicate with God. Without communication there is no relationship. You need to cultivate an open mind in order to hear the voice of God.

John 8:47

Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.

Unfortunately some people refuse to listen to God. However, some people do. This is true with many of us at times. God wants to speak to us but our minds are closed, our hearts are hardened, we are unwilling to listen, we just don’t want to hear what God has to say to us.

BEING HUMBLE IS BEING TEACHABLE

Psalms 25:9 (NKJV)

The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.

You may not be as fortunate as Moses, who was walking up the mountain one day minding his own business, when he suddenly stumbled upon the burning bush and heard the awesome voice of God calling to him.

Most of us may not have experienced such encounters at least. Therefore we try applying all kinds of religious formulas to hear from God and most of time we end up hearing the wrong voice of the enemy.

Ref: img.ksl.com

It’s a matter of waiting, mediating and listening. 

Psalm 46 :10

Be still and know that I am God

When you are in a hurry you cannot hear from God. Many of us don’t realize that we have got to make time to hear from God. You can’t be pre-occupied all the time and expect God to talk to you. You can’t listen to God and worry at the same time. The Greek word for worry means to be pulled in different direction. Have you ever felt that you’re being pulled in different directions? You’re not going in the right direction when you’re preoccupied and distracted. That’s worry. So you discover whenever it takes too long for God to speak in such circumstances we are tempted to play God ourselves.

A lot of us are unable to hear God because of a closed mind which is a result of  :

1) Pride : fixed mind. ‘I don’t believe! I don’t expect God to speak. It cannot be true. I don’t need his help I can work out things on my own’.

2) Fear:  creates a mental block, fear that you will become more spiritual more like God. You can’t have your own ways anymore. ‘I can’t afford to sacrifice so much’. They fail to realize that the more they know God the more natural you become.

3) Bitterness : when you are holding on to a hurt, when you are holding on to a grudge, you will be unable to hear God because your heart is hardened. The resentment and bitterness in you will kill you. You are not hurting the person that you are holding resentment against, you are hurting yourself. It is a self-inflicting wound.

Those who harbor pride, fear and bitterness will close their mind from God and you will be unable to hear His voice. Your channel to hearing from God is clogged and messed up. When you let go and forgive, a new world sets into your life. You will begin to hear God. When you forgive somebody you are the one that is liberated not the other person who harmed you. You got to get on with your life. Bitter life is a wasteful life; it’s not going to take you anywhere. God cannot work out His plan and destiny in your life as long as there is a bitter root in you.

HOW CAN I KNOW IF GOD IS TALKING TO ME

We have often heard people telling us very loosely as a figure of speech “God spoke to me”. Or “I heard from God.” Sometimes we hear this phrase so often that one would start to wonder if it’s really God that is speaking to these people or are they hearing the wrong voice? 

Ref: acts17leadership.com

Here is what we need to understand seriously. A thought that is derived from one’s own mind is not necessarily a voice of God. More often we mistake our thoughts to be God’s voice.  The Lord can impress your spirit not your thoughts.  Therefore, we often miss the leading of the Lord in this area, thinking it’s our own thoughts.

Psalm 62:5 encourages us to silence our souls before God. There is a deep inner knowing in our spirits that each of us can experience when we quiet our flesh and our minds. If we are not still, we will sense only our own thoughts.

A lot of people try to manipulate God for their own personal ambition.

1 John 4:1

.. do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, ..

But the fact of the matter however is that God speaks when you and I are tuned in to the right channel.

Ref: westsidechristianfellowship.org

In order to actually “hear” from God, we have to know some details about God’s character. We have to develop an understanding of who God is, and the way He does things. God is the same God yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). He is an unchanging God. We must learn to recognize how God speaks.

You can’t have a relationship with God if you can’t hear God. The bottom line is God wants to speak to you but are you receiving Him on the right channel?

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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The post The Word This Week – YOU ARE ABLE TO HEAR GOD WHEN YOU ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM 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.

4 May 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

“He must become greater; I must become less,” those were the famous words of John the Baptist. (John 3)

On 3^rd of May, Rev John Kok of the Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church (KLBC) presented a poignant message on Jesus becoming greater as we become lesser in life.

Jesus was baptizing people in the Judean countryside near John (verse 22-23). During then, an argument broke between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing (v 25).

The Singing Ambassadors of KLBC singing lovely hymns to God

It is uncertain what the argument was exactly about, as Scripture did not mention it. But we can assume that the matter of ceremonial washing had to do with the authority of John versus Jesus.

Thus, this explains why the disciples of John came to John and said, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan – the one you testified about – look, he is baptizing, and everyone else is going to him.” (John 3:26)

In other words, the disciples are saying, “John, that Jesus who was with you – the one you talked about – look at Him, He is baptizing like what you do, and now everyone is going to Him!”

John the Baptist sharing about the coming of Jesus | Ref: ldscdn

The disciples felt threatened by Jesus, the supposed newcomer, who became more popular and influential than John. Furthermore, John was known as “John the Baptist.” (Matt 3:1) It was his identity, his thing.

But let us look at how John replied to his disciples.

To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. (John 3:27)

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him (Jesus).” (John 1:32) | Ref: pcpronline

Firstly, John stated that Jesus had the authority to baptize because that authority was given to him from Heaven. Hence, rather than looking at Jesus as a competitor, both Jesus and John work for the same Kingdom, for the same God.

And since the disciples said – “the one you testified about” – as if they had no part in believing, John used the same words to remind them, “You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ (John 3:28) Having held John’s words as true, they must believe in everything that John said.

Also here, John was stressing that the purpose of his ministry is not to elevate himself but to elevate Jesus Christ.

Ref: communityjournal

John continued by saying, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom.” (John 3:29) Who is the bride here? In Scripture, the bride refers to the church. (Eph 5:25-27; Matt 25:1-18, Isa 62:5) In other words, the people who were baptized by John or were coming to John for baptism did not belong to him in the first place.

Pr John shared how pastors or church leaders also compete for the size of the church or the success of a ministry. But the truth is all members of the church belong to God. All of us make one bride of Christ.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:1-3)

So, how did John see himself? He referred to himself as ‘the friend who attends the bridegroom,’ one who ‘waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.’ (John 3:27)

Ref: chicagoillinoisweddingphotography

As the friend of the bridegroom, John knew that Jesus is the main character of the wedding. He counted himself as Jesus’ worker or helper, rejoicing when the Jesus meets His bride.

In fact, John continued saying, “That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” Why complete? This is because a wedding is only complete with the groom comes to seal the wedding with the bride. Have the groom not turned up, the wedding would be incomplete.

Ref: emilia-jane

John counted this joy as his also because he knew the arrival of Jesus would mean that his purpose is fulfilled, which is to prepare the way for Jesus.

John then concluded to his disciples, “He (Jesus) must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)

By this time, having explained why he must decrease, the disciples must be thinking, “Who is this man, Jesus Christ, who warrant such authority?”

John continued by directing their entire focus to Jesus Christ now.

The worship team of KLBC, lifting praises to God

Firstly, unlike John who came from earth, Jesus came from Heaven, and therefore He is above all. Furthermore, because He came from Heaven, He can testify to what He has seen and heard. (John 3:31-32) But because John came from the earth, he spoke like a man from earth. (John 3:31)

Secondly, God Himself sent Jesus. John said, “For the one whom God has speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.” (John 3:34) Who is this man that God sent? John continued saying, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.” (John 3:35) In this verse, John is revealing to his disciples that Jesus is actually not a mere man, but He is the Son of God!

Correcting their disbelief, John ended by concluding with these important words to his disciples, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains in them.” (John 3:36)

Ref: aneededword

When we place Jesus Christ as the focus and purpose of our life, all competitions and arguments cease because what matters is no longer our personal agenda but the fulfilment of God’s Kingdom.

We are all but one in Christ.

Rev John Kok, Pastor of Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church (KLBC)

Note: This is an expanded and approved review of Rev John Kok’s sermon by the writer.

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While I slept, my husband, John, tiptoed to the refrigerator, quietly removed a two-liter of Pepsi and unscrewed the lid. He heard the ssss of the carbonation and thought of the pleasure that would soon be his. Suddenly—WHUMP, WHUMP, WHUMP—footsteps thundered down the hall. The refrigerator door hung open as he ran from the kitchen into the dining room. And that’s where I found him: hiding in a corner and chugging as much Pepsi as he could before I stopped him.

So I may have been a bit controlling, but I had good reasons for forcing my husband to give up soda. After all, it’s loaded with caffeine and calories. John had a problem and needed help.

Ref: mydearvalentine.com

What self-respecting woman doesn’t try to improve her husband? Couldn’t all men use a little help to watch less TV, eat less junk food, exercise more, go to bed earlier, be more tactful, attend important functions and wear trendier clothes? As a devoted wife, I just wanted to help my husband become the man he was meant to be. What’s wrong with that?

It’s destructive—that’s what.

The making of a better man

At first, he humoured me and went along with my “improvements.” But John is a confirmed soft drink addict, and I might as well have signed his death warrant. Not surprisingly, he soon began his late-night soda binges—and probably drank more than he did before my ban.

John resisted my efforts to improve him in other areas, too. He went to bed late and failed to show up on time to functions I thought were important. Every time he went against my wishes, I obsessed about how great our marriage could be if John would just . . . (fill in the blank). The harder I tried to change John, the more we fought and the farther apart we grew. Ironically, my controlling behaviour caused far greater harm to our marriage than John’s soda drinking did to his health.

Ref: walthampton

The funny thing was, I hated being controlled myself. But for some reason, when I saw the chance to tell John what to do, I seized the opportunity like he seizes a two-liter of Pepsi. So if I hated being controlled, why did I feel so compelled to control John?

I came to realise this soon thereafter.

The making of a better wife

One day, after a series of conflict-ridden months, I called my friend in tears and confessed for the first time that I was a control freak. That day I began peeling back the layers of my behaviour to see why I needed to stop trying to control my husband.

The core issue was my lack of faith in my husband. I took matters into my own hands. I realized that I focused so much on John’s need for change that I missed my own. I also realized my own lack of self-control. It was much easier to control someone else than to control myself.  I needed self-control—not husband-control.

Ref: pinimg

A strange thing happened after I started down the road to control-freak recovery. Not only did I become more laid-back and happy, but John began to change, too. I stopped complaining about his going to bed too late, and once in a while, I find him in bed before me. I stopped nagging him to quit drinking soda, and he still drinks it, but not quite as much—and late-night soda binges are no longer necessary.

So I am learning that I need to change and that I am not responsible to change John. It’s funny how, when I shut my mouth, John can hear the small voice within himself so much better.

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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6 May 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

Elizabeth Swan (Tan), a songstress who never dreamt of becoming a singer, found herself in the limelight after she posted a YouTube video of her rendition of ‘Havoc.’

“God seems to be using this talent of singing in me for a goal that I cannot see. But I am just trusting Him and really going with the flow,” said Elizabeth whose dream was to become an actress.

Since ‘Havoc’, she continued to perform more songs in YouTube, reaching over 120,000 subscribers over a year. She was also nominated for the most popular New Artist in Malaysia, in conjunction with the annual Anugerah Bintang Popular 2014.

One of her earliest memories of singing was in church, where she recalled feeling “extremely nervous.” But this experience has helped to build her confidence of singing onstage.

Elizabeth Swan singing

“It truly is such an honour to be used by God like that. Just by letting Him minister us, He ministers others through us,” said Elizabeth, recalling how a few people were touched by her singing in the house of prayer in the Bible College she attended.

Growing up, she also looked up up to her older sister who used to sing onstage, even recording her own Christian album at 21 years old. Besides her sister, Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger from Bethel Music, also inspired her.

“Steffany’s songs spoke to me so much when I was going through a phase of feeling really lost, confused, and hurt. She writes her songs from her heart and sings them straight to God every time. That has truly been an inspiration to me,” said Elizabeth.

Looking back, Elizabeth could see how God has already prepared her since her college days, when she heard and obeyed God to go to a Bible college.

“Going to the Bible College is such a good preparation for me and it forced me to grow up in so many ways.

Elizabeth Swan

“It taught me so many things and the time there with God has really shaped me into who I am today, through the classes, through the people, and through the whole experience of being away from home and everything that was familiar,” said Elizabeth.

She attributed all her success to God and her prayerful parents who constantly covered her with prayers.

“It’s definitely God’s grace and favour for all the success I have today. As cliché as that may sound, it is only the truth. I don’t want to believe that I am more blessed or loved than others because that is not true.

“However, I do believe that I’m called for something though I’m still figuring out what my purpose is for such a time like this. Just like Esther, I will be placed in a specific place and time to be used by God,” said Elizabeth.

In handling popularity and attention, Elizabeth is vigilant in keeping herself grounded in her values.

Elizabeth performing onstage

“I try not to think about popularity too much. If I find myself checking my social media way too often, I will sometimes delete the App from my phone for a while to make sure it doesn’t get to me,” said Elizabeth.

Apart from surrounding herself with good and healthy friendships, she stays grounded by keeping a continual relationship with God, by talking to Him throughout the day.

“Before every show, I will say a prayer to commit the show to Him. Even through the busiest of days, I will make sure I set aside time to pray before I head to bed.

“It’s only because of Him, I am here. So, I really need Him to guide my steps as I myself am not sure where this path is taking me,” said Elizabeth.

Although she felt out of place and uncomfortable at times to be in the entertainment industry, she knew that God has a purpose for her.

“My friend once mentioned that God would put us through things that we cannot handle, so that we will have no choice but to rely on Him. That is where we practice our faith.

“And truly, that is my life every day. I am finding my steps only after I have taken them, so I always make sure that my relationship with God is strong, so that I would not wander off,” said Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Swan

A songstress after God’s heart, Elizabeth thought of beauty, as an intricate masterpiece consisting of many factors beyond looks alone.

“I feel that a woman of beauty is someone who respects, loves, and accepts herself, and also the people around her. It requires a core of sincerity and a glow that are infectious. That is beauty to me,” said Elizabeth.

Finally, if we are faithful to God’s ways, He will surely lift us up one day. The trials and troubles you have today are only preparations for His bigger plan in the future. God loves you.

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The post A Songstress after God’s Heart – Elizabeth Swan (Tan) 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.

When we think about the church, a variety of things come to mind, including the universal body of believers, various ministries within the church, Sunday services, youth programmes, evangelistic meetings, Bible studies and small groups, or a physical place for Christians to grow in their relationship with God. Indeed, the church has a major influence on those who profess to follow Christ, and plays a major role in cultivating spiritual maturity.

However, while many churches like to refer to the body of believers as a family, the emphasis given to the family unit itself, and how the individual families within the church affect the overall population of the church’s health and spirituality has been grossly inadequate. In the midst of attempting to build numbers within the church and evangelizing to the lost, one of the church’s most vital building blocks has been ghastly overlooked, and the church is today suffering its effects of such neglect.

Ref: cdn.shopify

Over the past century or so, the church has been paying less and less attention to the importance of family life in the homes of her members. While many may presume to think that what goes on in the lives of individual families is none of the church’s business, they could not be more wrong, as the health of a family is the church’s responsibility, and the church is also affected by the relationships within the home.

When family relationships are strained, the church suffers because her members, affected by these stresses, are not able to function to their full potential. A pastor who attempts to give a sermon to his members after an unresolved quarrel with his wife is unable to fully deliver his message and thus affects his entire congregation.

Parent and child relationships that are tension-filled will affect the spiritual health of both parents and children, and can subsequently affect anyone within their circle of influence at church. Like it or not, strain between family relationships has a rippling effect on the church’s functionality.

Ref: cf.ltkcdn

Many churches throughout the world are facing the crisis of the aging church. An entire population of young people who grew up in church is falling away from the Christian faith due to their parents’ failure to build up their faith during their vital growing up years. That ownership to call Christ “my God” and “my Savior” never took place and so as they get older, the pull to stay in church gets weaker and weaker until finally, there is no reason to go to church at all.

So what does God have to say about the family, and why is it important for us to call the church’s focus back to family ministry? Ps. Matthew Ling, the chairman of the Family Commission of National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Malaysia, says this:

“God’s plan for passing on the faith from one generation to another is primarily via the family. He is very specific in His instructions on how this is to be done. The Scriptures found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Ephesians 6:4 clearly show this; passing the faith from one generation to the next. God gives the family the jurisdiction to do this.

“Families do not automatically become effective in faith formation of the next generation. Each family must be intentionally and systematically equipped to carry out this task. Their capacity for such equipping is affected by the state of marital relationships, parent-child relationships, human sexuality, care for the aged, family resource management, and so on. These are areas in which the family needs to grow in order to do the assigned task.”

The majority of churches today are church-centric, home-supported. This means that members of the family are expected to serve in the church in order to promote church growth. However, in order to truly raise God-fearing, people-loving disciples for Jesus, the church needs to become family-centric. In other words, when the church emphasizes the importance of building strong families and strong relationships within families, the church will in turn reap the benefits of the seeds that are planted and nurtured at home.

Ref: revfred.files.wordpress

In Malaysia, people are beginning to realize the importance of family ministry in the church, and Christian leaders are starting to seriously explore how this can be developed. Recognizing the need of the hour, a group of family ministry providers and church leaders in Malaysia have started a process since 2013 in forming a platform called Family Ministries Malaysia that rallies interested parties to focus on a key task: To help the church build up strong and lasting curriculum within the church that would cater to the needs of families.

Through their combined efforts, these family ministry providers are better able to support families that are struggling. However, their expertise and resources are limited such that they are only able to respond to family crises. Their solutions are reactive rather than preventive, which does not solve the problem of the family breakdown in the long haul.

The major breakthrough that is needed, which is the equipping of families with a holistic family ministry framework, cannot take place without the participation of the church. This is because the church holds the key to building strong families right from the start. Through her position as the institutional body of Christ, the church can take preventive measures to support and encourage families in their relationships within the home in such a way that family ministry providers cannot do on their own.

Ref: stockarch

If we want to see our younger generations growing up strong in the faith and on fire for Christ, this cultural shift is not an option, but a must. In order for the church to regenerate and continue to be firmly grounded in the Lord—in order for the church to survive the changing tides that are rapidly happening in our world today, change has to happen.

“The family care providers are ready,” Ps. Matthew said. “We are equipped and eager to help the churches, if only they would open their doors to us.” Family Ministries Malaysia is now reaching out to pastors and church leaders, in hopes that they will realize the need for strong families. They are asking churches to partner with them to help build up this movement and to allow them to help the church become family-centric. Because when families are strong, the church becomes stronger still!

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Pastor Jeff Lucas of Timberline Church in Fort Collins in Colorado graced City Harvest Church Kuala Lumpur (CHCKL) on 12^th of April 2015. International speaker and bestselling author, he also broadcasts his own weekly television programme on Revelation TV, which can be heard daily on over 350 radio stations worldwide. And this was the first time Jeff preached in Malaysia, lifting up the congregation with his sense of humour.

He began the message by referring to John 21:1-23 below, which talks about Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish by his disciples. Standing on the shore, Jesus instructed them to cast their net on the side of the boat. They caught a lot of fish! And when they came ashore, Jesus cooked breakfast for them. This is also the time when Jesus had his well-known “feed my sheep” conversation with Peter and foretold him about his martyrdom. John mentioned also that it was also “the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.”

Pastor Jeff Lucas preaching onstage

“The disciples did not know it was Him, because Jesus showed up in such an ordinary way,” shared Jeff. One might expect a great heavenly entrance with dozens of angels dancing around Jesus. If that were to happen, then no one would have to figure it was actually Jesus.

Faith or Fish?

Many people tend to dwell and focus on things that may not be important, just as many people tend to harp and figure out the significance of the number of fish caught that day.

“You see Peter had been called to be a fisher of men three years earlier. But at that time, the metaphor has changed and he was called to be a shepherd of sheep.

Ref: pinimg

“Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t care how successful you are in business, I don’t care how much money you make, I don’t care how successful your career is, if you have been kissed by a vision of the kingdom of God, mere survival will never work for you!” said Jeff.

He added, “It’s no good that you’re just trying to go to work to buy the food to give you the strength to go to work. Don’t spend your whole life living on repeat. There’s an opportunity for you to realign your priorities. It’s wonderful when you catch a 153 fish but let us say, ‘God, that is not going to be my life purpose because my life purpose is found in Jesus.'”

Ref: s6img

Sitting at the Fire side – Jesus Reinstates Peter

While the disciples were sitting by the fireside by the Sea of Galilee, they had a chance to resolve their regrets. Jesus was cooking breakfast for the disciples by the fire and invited Peter to sit down by the fire with them, which symbolized His forgiveness for Peter even though he denied Him three times prior to His death.

In the same way Jesus forgave Peter, He invites us to sit down by the reality of our history and our shame, and once again express our love for Him.

Ref: deacongarydumer

“Shame silences our worship, and shame makes us back away into the shadows but now Jesus invites Peter to sit down once again by the fire and once again expresses love for Christ,” shared Jeff.

He added, “The grace of God does not minimalize or marginalize our sins. But what God says is, ‘Yes, you did it. Yes, it was wrong. And yes, you are really forgiven now.’ Christ doesn’t pretend that sin doesn’t matter. But Christ faces the reality of our history and He says, ‘You can sit down by the fire and know My forgiveness.’”

Ref: markmcmillion.

Moving beyond pettiness – What is that to you?

¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) ²¹ When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” ²³ Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” (John 21:18-23)

Pr Jeff Lucas preaching onstage

When Jesus prophesized to Peter about what was going to happen to him, Peter was curious about what Jesus had prophesized for John. In reply to that, Jesus simply said, “What is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:22)

“Sometimes what happens to us is that we start to follow Jesus and then something upsets us in the church or someone in the church irritates us. Church isn’t quite like the way we like it to be and we start getting uptight. We need to hear Jesus say to us, ‘What is that to you? You must follow me,’” shared Jeff.

Ref: gerhardy

Do not allow your passion to get hijacked by irrelevancy. It’s impossible to have everything your way. So, do not get upset about things that do not matter.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the church is not about how I want it to be or what you want it to be. The church is not Starbucks, it is not a coffee shop! But it is the gathering of the people of God for the purposes of the kingdom of God! Sometimes, when we say I don’t like that, I think Jesus says, ‘What is that to you? You must follow me,’” said Jeff.

Jesus has a work for you to do that is unique. Do not look at what He has given others to do. But look at the work He has given you. Will you trust Him for His grace in completing the work He has given you to do?

Ref: pinimg

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The post What is that to you? You must follow Me – Pastor Jeff Lucas in CHCKL 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.

One of the most common challenge for men is coming to understand the Father’s love, not just in their heads but also deep down in their hearts. Juxtaposed to this is another common question to men; why are we here?

The Men Alive session.

Some of us seek for answers in philosophical field such as ethics and so on. Some of us strive to improve ourselves constantly, never finding a place where we can truly rest and be assured that we’re really living according to our purposes. So what is life about?

Becoming a Man Alive

On the 25^th of April 2015, the Men Alive session at DUMC looked into coming to understand the Father’s heart of love and how He relentlessly pursues us. The sessions are being guided by a book study on Patrick Morley’s ‘Man Alive’.  

Becoming A Man Alive.

In the coming weeks, topics studied will include ‘Every Man Has A Story’, ‘A Father in Relentless Pursuit’, ‘Created for a Life of Purpose’, ‘Breaking the Cycle (of Destructive Behaviors)’, ‘Soul Making’, ‘To Love and Be Loved’, and ‘How A Man Makes His Mark’. God has a unique purpose for us as men, and these are topics that men are encouraged to ask.       

The Importance of Focus on Men  

Pastor Chris communicated that continuously the most supportive people for men ministries have been wives. Though the ministries are targeted to provide assistance and support for men, wives have been the ones that are enthusiastic and concerned in them. This seems kind of odd but if we were to do a study, we would invariably come to the finding that the crux of broken families has been men who had not come alive.

Pastor Chris Sharing the message.

The Rabbi Harold Kushner once said, “No one on their deathbed wish they had spent more time at the office”. ‘We need to develop the right perspective of the things that matter in life,’ communicated Pr Chris.

‘When you build a strong man, you build a strong family. When you build strong families, you build strong societies. Strong societies will lead to strong nations. Men need to start leading. If you don’t know how, come and learn together, and start with men who are still young.’

The challenge of men ministries such as Men Alive is to produce men who are able to go out in turn to influence and leave a legacy to the other men around them.

Coming to Know the Father’s Heart      

In order for men to start embracing their true purpose, they need to understand their identities in God.  Unfortunately, one of the key factors that have led many men, especially from typical austere families, was their relationship with their fathers. Fathers play an important role in the shaping of their sons. However, we also need to forgive fathers if they hurt us, and move on.  

Brother Keong, coordinator of Men Alive (left) and Pastor Chris Kam.

Many men know in their heads that God loves us but we need to know this in our hearts too. Due to upbringing, many men are hindered from really coming home to God unreservedly. We set qualifiers on our understanding of God’s heart for His children. We constantly feel that we are not good enough for Him. Our relationship with Him becomes an act of performance, and we don’t really understand Him.

Pastor Chris shared that the experience of fatherhood brings new perspective. Fatherhood is not an easy responsibility, and many times children will test the patience of their fathers to the limit. Sometimes fathers would need to discipline their children. Yet few fathers would love their children any less because of this. Furthermore, most fathers want a relationship with their children and not a serf.

If earthly fathers who are imperfect know how to love their children, how much more so our Perfect Father in Heaven? (Matthew 7:11)

The Parables in Luke 15

Jesus shared three parables in Luke 15, one after the other, and all of them about the Father’s heart of love for His children. Obviously this is important to God.

The parables are familiar to us but it also speaks about personal faith. Just like the Prodigal Son coming home to his father, coming to know the Father deep inside us can only come through intimate experience. And very often the reality of faith comes through growth in times of trouble. In the deepest of fear, can we still trust God?

A brother shares his testimony.

Other parables in the chapter such as the Parable of the Lost Coin tell us how precious we are to God. We are not collateral damage or ‘acceptable losses’, Pastor Chris communicated. Though men are so used to achieving so that they can feel loved, God really loves us just for who we are.

Especially for men who are so used to struggling alone and accomplishment in order to feel significant, understanding the Father’s heart is crucial. None of us are wholly perfect, but we need to come back to God.  

Having a Passion for What Concerns the Father   

The father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son waited for years for the prodigal son to return home. When he did, the father ran to embrace him. To the father this was the most important event in his life, and the prodigal son was clothed with a new robe. Today, Christ is the robe of our righteousness. It is no longer about earthly striving but in recognizing and honoring God as the Father.

Discussion during the session.

Be passionate about the things God cares for; build each other up in Godly ways and be responsible stewards of the blessings God has given to us. If we already have a relationship with the Father, we need to be passionate for the things that concern Him. We need to have a heart for souls so that everyone will come to salvation. What it all comes down to, our purposes as men is to recognize our identities as children of God, and to start living according to it.   

Fellowship over a cup of coffee.

God would never force us to love Him. It is for our sakes that He wants us to come home to Him. Pastor Chris conveyed that the greatest gift God has given to us is our free wills and loving God needs to be a matter of a conscious choice from the heart.  

NOTE: This is a personal reflection of the writer based on a session in Men Alive at DUMC. All photos kindly provided by the church’s photographer. Men Alive meet one Saturday every month.  The next sessions are as follows:

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8 May 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

The eagle is an elegant creature of form, stature, and character. No wonder it was made as the national emblem of United States.

“At first, I was intimidated by how an eagle looks. But an eagle is a very focused bird and a master of its environment. Most importantly, we are made to be eagles! We are made to be people of significance,” said Dr Peggy in launching her seventh book – Soar like the Eagle: the 7 Principles to Success – on 25^th of April at Canaanland in Ara Damansara.

Pastors, elders, ministry leaders, FGB brothers, brothers-in-Christ and sisters-in-Christ gathered for this wondrous occasion of launching this book, which took two years to write.

The emcee of the launch was Erik Lai of FGA who did a great job of keeping the crowd entertained with his witty remarks.

Erik Lai, the witty emcee of the book launch event

Datuk Chua Jui Meng, former Minister of Health opened a prayer of blessing for Dr Peggy Wong, “Father, as we gather here before you, we thank you for Dr Peggy whom you have raised up to be a blessing to those you love, the poor amongst us. May she be strengthened in her faith and soar like an eagle.”

Datuk Chua Jui Meng covering Dr Peggy with prayer of blessings

The launch began with a powerful worship service by Associate Pastor Ramesh Kumar of Full Gospel Christian Church in Brickfields, followed by an introductory video of LIVING HOPE.

LIVING HOPE is an NGO that has helped 42,000 poor, needy, and marginalized children between 3 to 12 years old inclusive of children from 26 indigenous tribes.

“When God ask you to do something, do it obediently because He only needs us to be available. He does not need our abilities. He will equip, train and provide for us. It is really about trusting and obeying,” stressed Dr Peggy.

Compared to other birds, the eagle flies at an elevated altitude. Because of the height, they could only fly with other eagles and not sparrows and crows. Likewise, we are called to lead and be an example to others like an eagle, without getting entangled in the petty affairs of the sparrows and the endless gossips of the crows. We are called instead, to be the head but not the tail (Deut 28:13), victors but not victims (1 Cor 15:57), and the salt and the light (Matt 5:13-16).

Dr Peggy Wong (middle) with Pr Dr Chew Weng Chee of SIBKL (3rd from right); Tommy Chen, painter of the book front cover (2nd from right); and her brothers and sisters-in-Christ who contributed and supported the launching of her book

An eagle also has excellent vision, being able to see as far as 5 kilometres away. A very focused bird; an eagle would swoop to its marked target and claim its prize. Likewise, we are called to fix or eyes on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb 12:2) We are called to press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ (Phil 3:14), which takes focus and faith.

Dr Peggy, participating in a cutting-cake ceremony, in celebration of Living HOPE 8th Anniversary

Dr Peggy continued to share other gold nuggets in the book, of the 7 characteristics of an eagle that we can learn from. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, this book is short and concise, bearing many biblical and fundamental truths we can immediately apply in our home, work, and Christian life. In fact, this book can be given as a gift to our pre-believing family, friends, colleagues, and staffs. It only cost RM15.00.

Dr Chew Weng Chee, Senior Pastor of SIBKL and spiritual mentor to LIVING HOPE ended the launch by sharing how God is likened Himself to be the “Father eagle,” carrying us on eagle’s wings. (Isa 40:31) And because we are made in God’s image, we too carry the same characteristics of an eagle. Hence, we must act like an eagle, instead of a sparrow or a crow. Remember, eagles soar but they do not fly.

Pr Dr Chew Weng Chee explaining how the Bible talks a lot about the eagle

“Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary”. (Isaiah 40:31)

Pr Chew also shared that one of the things Solomon described as too amazing for him, which he did not understand, was the “way of an eagle”. (Prov 30:18-19) Even the psalmist sang of how God satisfies our desires with good things, so that our youth is renewed like an eagle’s. (Psalm 103:5) In fact, did you know that an eagle would need to choose its course of life or death at the age of 40 years old? An eagle has a possible lifespan of 70 years just like a human being!

Dr Peggy (middle) with her group of mentees, also called the “Power Angels”

Find out more about the 7 distinct characteristics of an eagle, one that is frequently referred in the Bible, so that we too can rise on eagle’s wings!

This book can be purchased in Canaanland Sdn Bhd or directly from LIVING HOPE Resources (M) Sdn Bhd.

LIVING HOPE

Address: No. 65A Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: (03) 7727 5887 / 7728 0710

Fax: (03) 7728 7857

Email: info@livinghopeglobal.org

Website: livinghopeglobal.org

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). What does this verse mean? And why, if God is so loving and kind and compassionate, do we have to fear Him?

We often refer to godly people as god-fearing men and women, and the Bible repeatedly reminds us to fear God. In fact, the subject matter of fearing God is mentioned over 400 times throughout the Bible. However, even though fear is often perceived to have a negative connotation, the fear of the Lord is one of the most positive “feelings” a Christian could have toward God.

Ref: faithlivedout.files.wordpress

The first thing we have to understand is that the kind of fear that we ought to have for God is not the same kind of fear we have for evil things or scary stuff. In fact, the Bible tells us time and time again to fear not, because He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

When we face challenges in life or stand up against evil, it is natural for us to feel fear. When we walk down a dark alley in the middle of the night or when we hear noises in a big old house, we become jumpy and nervous. When someone holds a knife to our throats and asks for our valuables, we freeze, try to fight back, or run away. When we get bad news from the doctors, we try to block out all the awful possibilities that could happen—and no wonder.

Because these things are frightening. They incite a fear in us that incapacitates us and causes us to want to get as far away as possible from that source of fear. And yet these are kinds of situations that God tells us not to fear, because He is with us. These are the kinds of situations where we can go running back to God to seek His comfort, His peace, and His protection.

Ref: hisinfinitegrace.files.wordpress

Why then should we fear Him? If He is the one who dispels all fear, shouldn’t we feel safe with Him? Absolutely! There is nowhere in heaven or on earth that is safer than to be in God’s very presence. However, it is also the most dangerous place to be in all of heaven and earth if we do not have fear for God. Because although God’s love for us knows no bounds and although His compassions and mercies and grace are new every morning, we cannot forget that He is also all-powerful, almighty, and holy.

We tend to place so much emphasis on the soft and mushy side of God that sometimes we forget that He is the God of the Universe. He created everything from the largest galaxy to the minutest microorganism just by speaking. He spoke us into being and can wipe us out again with a single word. But most importantly, on top of all the things that He can do, we must remember who He is.

Who is God? He is the Great I AM. He is the very embodiment of perfection. He is sovereign, He is just, and He burns with wrath for anything that goes against His nature, which is sin. God is so averse toward sin that He had to cover all of us with the perfect blood of His own Son so that His anger would not burn against us every single time He looks at us.

Ref: pinimg

The truth is, God is scary. His magnificence is altogether beautiful and terrifying. He is the last Person you want to mess with, and the only Person whose side you should want to be on. Matthew 10:28 tells us: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” That is the God we serve. He is the Lion, ferocious and petrifying, but He is also the Lamb, gentle and kind.

When we recognize God’s holiness in contrast to our sinful nature, our response should be fear. Not out of the kind of fear that makes us want to run away in the opposite direction, but the kind of fear that brings us to our knees in reverence and awe. Knowing all that He is capable of, we can take comfort and joy that we have been given the gift of salvation which allows us to find shelter in the shadow of His wings rather than to be on the receiving end of His wrath.

Our fear for Him ought to stem from our love and respect for Him. It is the kind of fear that a child has for his father—an innocent dependence that causes us to want to please Him and not anger Him. It is a kind of fear that attracts us to Him and causes us to want to stick close to His side because we know that without Him, we are nothing.

Ref: huffpost

Ecclesiastes 12:13 says: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” At the end of the day, after all has been said and done, the most important thing for us to do is to fear God, which causes us to want to keep His commandments and therefore live a godly life.

When we fear God and obey Him, we begin to see the world from His perspective. When we begin to see the world from God’s perspective, everything changes, and our very reason for living would shift from self-centered motivations to God-centered motivations. It is this reason that King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived and had everything he could ask for, came to the conclusion that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

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Believers who earnestly desire to be God’s instruments must be prepared for satan’s reprisals.

Recently, a lady in church shared her story of spiritual warfare which sent shivers down my spine. While serving God in Cambodia as an English teacher, she stayed in a notorious part of the town where crime was prevalent. In fact, the place she called home used to be a brothel. Surrounded by barb wire, her abode was like a self-imposed prison. On the first anniversary of her work in that location, she became accustomed to hearing gun shots at night.

One day, because there were three murders over the past year, she felt led by the Holy Spirit to pray against the forces of darkness—that the streets would be safer.

Ref: wikimedia

So at five in the morning, she awoke and went to the balcony on the first floor of the home to intercede for the city and its people.  To her horror as she was about to sit down to wage spiritual warfare, she found a big dead rat lying on her rattan chair. Because of her phobia for rats, she screamed and returned to her room shivering in fear. After what seemed a long awaited dawn, she asked a brother to help her dispose the carcass. Unfazed, she tried the next morning to pray but this time she was shaken to find another dead rat at the door entrance. This almost put paid to her desire for early morning prayer. Being determined, however, she stood her ground. The next episode was even more unnerving. On her third attempt, as she was splashing cold water on her face to refresh herself before prayer, she felt a rat crawling around and over her feet. At this stage, she felt that such prayer warfare ministry was probably not her cup of tea.

Over the next few months, refusing to be intimidated by satan, she persevered in intercession and prayed for her personal sanctification. Then she waited on the Lord for a revelation. One day, as she was  praying and confessing her sins, she sensed the waft of a strange and sweet fragrance. By then she realised a spiritual breakthrough had come. Henceforth, she was able to intercede for others.

Spiritual backlash when we attempt to serve God and extend His kingdom is a grim reality. But believers must be bold and persevere in spiritual warfare, not easily intimidated by satan’s devices.

• The righteous are bold like lions (Proverbs 28:1).

• For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Spiritual warfare is real but in a highly technological world, we tend to dismiss or downplay its significance. I have come across some conservative believers who call upon their more charismatic friends to do deliverance ministry. But I think this should not be the case. We should embrace the full gospel and know our position in Christ—that we are more than conquerors and greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Satan is already a defeated foe and we just need to enforce the victory that is already ours (1 John 4:4, Colossians 2:15, James 4:7)

References

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him (Colossians 2:15).

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Put on Armour of God

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

(Ephesians 6: 10-18)

Victory through Prevailing Intercessory Prayer

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

(Exodus 17: 8-13)

WHY SOME BELIEVERS EXPERIENCE MORE SPIRITUAL WARFARE THAN OTHERS

“When someone on earth wants to bring the influence of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, Satan erupts with fear and anger against them.”

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/2015/04/spiritual-backlash.html

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Prov. 31:28-30

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Behind every great man, is a great woman (mother)”. You know what? People are what their mothers make them! Lincoln also said, “All that I am or hope to be, I owe it to my angel mother”.

Hi Moms! How can we ever return so much of what you have given us!! The very precious gift of life will speak volumes about you. God bless you moms! Thank you Moms!!

Ref: the intelligentnest@wordpress

For all the tireless sacrifices that you have made in your lifetime, towards your children!, towards your husband!, towards your household! Your worth is unequal and unmatched! No measure!, no  price!, can be compared to your dedication! Your sacrifice!, and  your unfailing love is beyond any measure that can be compared. You need to know that in your heart this evening that what you have given towards your children and your family is priceless!! A love that gives all the time and a love that does not expect a return.

SACRIFICE OF A REAL MOTHER

A story was once told about a young mother who was desperately making her way across the hills of South Wales, and she was apparently carrying her tiny little baby in her arms.

Ref: wordpress

Suddenly, she was overtaken by a blinding snow storm. Unfortunately she never made it through that storm. Her body was later found by the recovery team buried beneath the snow. Surprisingly, the search party discovered that before her death she had taken off her clothes and wrapped it around her baby. But you know what? As they unwrapped the child, they discovered to their greatest joy that this child was alive and well!

This woman had given her own life for her child and that is the very depth of a mother’s love and sacrifice. That’s the heart of a mother!

Never forget that mother’s make sacrifices all the time.

A GODLY MOTHER

1 Samuel 1: 27- 28 speaks about some exemplary qualities of an ideal mother. As you read this passage you will notice the Godly characteristics of Hannah as a mother.

Hannah ( he nah ) was desperate and longing  for a child. Her barrenness caused so much sorrow and grief, and the stigma was hurting her tremendously. The Bible says, despite her situation of grief, sorrow and bitterness, Hannah was a woman of prayer! She knew that there was a God out there who could change the circumstances of her life.  She had faith to believe that her name (he nah) which meant GRACE in Hebrew was not given to her by mistake! Indeed because of her overriding faith and trust in God, ultimately God answered her prayer. You bet your life, BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE BELIEVED SHE RECEIVED! Hannah saw herself as God saw her. God didn’t make a mistake when He made you. YOU NEED TO SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU.

Ref: hookedonthebook.com

You know what? NOTHING BUT PRAYER CAN BREAKTHROUGH FOR US IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES.

Listen to this: Hannah was a God-fearing woman who took a stand and promised the Lord that she would give that son that God was going to bless her with, back to him to serve him all the days of his life.

1 Sam 1:11

Then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head.

And the Bible says:

And it came to pass, after Hannah had conceived, she bore a son and called his name Samuel. One of the things that you and I need to understand very clearly in this situation is that Hannah only won her victory through prayer not by any other way. Isn’t our God an Awesome God? It is very encouraging this evening to learn that we too can win our battles through prayers.

You know what you and I have? You and I have the ‘Power of Prayer’ at our disposal! Prayer is the greatest weapon that you and I have to overcome and change situations in our lives.

Ref: wikimedia

Listen! Hannah must have loved and adored her son so much and she knew he was “a miracle gift of God.” The scripture says in verse 24-28, Hannah returned to the temple a year later and dedicated  the boy Samuel to the Lord (as a gift to Him).

Unlike worldly mothers today, who want their sons and daughters to be placed in high office in the secular world, Hannah not only gave her son back to God but she gave the best gift to her son. She knew heart to heart, there is no better place! There is no greater place! There is no safer place!  Than to give her son back to serving God all the days of his life.

When you do a small thing right in the sight of God, you touch the heart of the Father.  A THOUSAND MIRACLES WILL CHASE AFTER YOU!

Because of Hannah’s faithfulness unto the Lord, the scripture tells us in chapter 2:21 the Lord further blessed Hannah with 3 sons and 2 daughters.

Ref: wikimedia

Here is a God’s principle you need to understand.  She gave that only son she had to the Lord and God blessed her in return with more than double of what she gave to the Lord.

How many of you know the story about poor old mama Newton?   Poor old mama Newton has been tirelessly praying and crying her heart out for her son John, day in and day out. Her face was swollen grieved with sadness and tears night and day.

Her son was a rebellious run-away kid. Later John became a sailor. He was a very ungodly wicked man, a drunkard, disowned by his own father and everyone who knew him kept a distance from him.

But Mama Newton never gave up on God. She believed in two things, THE POWER OF PRAYER and the FAITHFULNESS OF GOD. Mama Newton was a woman of prayer!

Years later, one day God answered the prayer of Mama Newton’s cry. The power of prayer convicted her son John Newton. The drunken wicked sailor who apparently became John Newton the sailor preacher.  At the age of 54, he wrote the famous song “Amazing Grace How Sweet Thy Sound“.  God used this very man, once a wicked, rebellious, hopeless drunkard to reach thousands for Christ. Great men of God like Thomas Scott and William Cowper was touched by this one man.  You bet, what the power of prayer can do!! 

1 Cor. 1:27

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Can you imagine what God can do? 

You know what’s the secret behind this?

One poor believing, Godly old mother who trusted that ” PRAYER CAN CHANGE SITUATIONS NO MATTER HOW HOPELESS IT MAY APPEAR.

Hey! Listen to me this evening. A Godly Mother is different from all others. She is special in the sight of God. God will hear her prayers. She has a worth that is unequaled because of her love for God.

A GRATEFUL SON

Once there was a very poor widow who discovered some very special abilities in her son. She did everything within her ability and power to give him the best education. She struggled in her life, she grew vegetables, kept chicken and did all the low menial jobs and worked very hard day and night to send her son to university.

Ref: pakistantoday

The day finally came for her son’s graduation and he gave his mother the invitation to attend. The mother initially declined the invitation; she said to her son she wouldn’t be able to make it as she had nothing decent to wear for the occasion. But the son insisted and finally out of great persuasion managed to take her to the ceremony wearing her simple plain cotton dress.

The son took her to sit with his classmates- elite wealthy -parents. At one point she felt out of place so, the poor mother moved very humbly to the back of the auditorium and sat at a far left insignificant corner only to be able to get a glimpse of her son.

The turn came for her son to deliver his speech and finally he was handed his degree (a piece of paper) and a medal was also given to him for his excellent performance. With the crowd cheering and the loud sound of exploding applause, he walked straight over to his mother and pinned the medal on her saying, “Mom!, this belongs to you!, you earned it!!” The mother replied I would have never made it through if it had not been for the Lord Jesus who was my sustaining hope and strength throughout my struggles to make it this far.” I can do all this through him who gives me strength. “( Phil.4:13)

YOU DESERVE MORE THAN A PRAISE

We are to praise our mothers because of the wonderful things they have done to bless us. Think of all that she has done to give you life: offered her body, her time, her own physical nourishment, her attention, her affection, her pain, her care, her sleep and her LOVE. Think of all those special moments in your life. Moms! I want to tell you this evening you are the greatest!!!

There may be some mothers who may be unfortunately disappointed with your children. You may be thinking despite all your sacrifices throughout your life you may feel you are not proportionately rewarded with the kind of gratitude and praise that you duly deserve.

Ref: aztechbeat

I want to tell you what the Lord has placed in my heart today for you. Never forget that you are a human being just like anybody else capable of making mistakes. You are not perfect just like none of us are perfect!  Perhaps sometimes you have missed the mark! Or even rocked the boat and fell below the expected standard. Maybe you feel nobody understands you. But the fact of the matter is that God understands you.

Jesus is saying: Why are you carrying the load of pain and hurts upon your shoulders? Why are you crying! When I have paid it all on the cross for you! Caste your care upon me for I care for you (1 Peter 5:7).

The Lord is reminding me to tell you what you gave is nowhere compared to what God has given you (John 3:16).  What you gave is perishable and likely to fade away. You gave human life to your children but God has given you eternal life. A life that will never perish!  An everlasting life, incorruptible and undefiled, that does not fade away, kept in haven for you.

ref: stmag

You know what? The real superstar women in our world are not the shooting stars which twinkle for a while and diminish away. The true superstar women are those who have sacrificed their life in the form of love and service to the children and family.

Mothers! Once again, you are so special! You are awesome!!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! GOD BLESS YOU RICHLY.

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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One of the saddest things afflicting Christians today is a lack of real enthusiasm in coming together to meet God. Attending many Charismatic events, I see people really on fire for God. Stadiums are packed full, miracles take place, and people go home with a nice feeling in their hearts. It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t admit that this is a good thing in itself.

Ref: charismanews

Yet I hardly saw the same number of people at discipleship seminars, stewardship workshops, and some of the other conferences which are perhaps deemed a little boring. Many of these workshops seem to be attended by only a handful of people. This is not to mention yet regular attendance at Bible study classes and prayer meetings in many churches. And this got me to thinking.

As time went on, I met people who identified themselves as Christians yet never went to church. Some claim they have busy schedules. Others claim they feel lonely in church, or that the message seems tired and to lack inspiration. Some are exhausted by the focus of churches on programmes. It seems to me that many people don’t really understand what churches are about.

Modern-Day Perception of Churches

If we really examine the way we used to picture churches in an honest manner, especially when we were non- or young believers, we may come to certain discoveries. These used to be the way many people view churches and some still do so today:

As an organization: ‘The church has a leadership board and most of the decisions are made by them without referring to the congregation. Vision and purpose of the church are decrees made by the ultimate leader in the church. If anyone in the congregation finds a problem in the way the church seem to be heading, they’re not supposed to question or bring into discussion their concerns but to be obedient to their leaders. Some churches, even Protestant ones, haven’t changed much since the days of the Reformation’.

As a Social Club: ‘If you want to be a part of the church, you have to adapt a certain “code”. You’re supposed to dress a certain way, worship in a certain way, and think a certain way. The mindset seems to be if people have different ways of doing things, they must be wrong’.

Whether these are true kinds of perception or not, these types of understanding frighten people. Yet, even among people who do make attempts to go to church, many might not have a complete comprehension of what churches are:

• As a religious building: It is the place where Christians worship their God.

• As ‘entertainment centers’: It is the place where I can see God perform miracles, people prophecy, or enjoy good music with the latest band equipment.

• As hospitals: It is the place where you heal emotional, medical, or spiritual wounds.

• As schools: Churches provide affordable education for kindergarten children or for the less-advantaged.

• As ‘social clubs’: It is the place where I can hang out with people who are the same wavelength as me and where I can feel justified.        

Most of these are blessings that God has bestowed on His people. Many are also essential and meaningful functions of churches. However, the problem comes when we have a limited perspective. People inevitably end up in disappointment if churches have failed them in any of these areas.

If we really want to understand what church is about, we need to examine it in the light of what it meant to Christ’s followers during His day.  

The Early Church

While healing, education, and a sense of belonging flourished in the Early Church, they did so in circumstances that were extremely challenging. One could say that all these things thrived despite the circumstances.

The early followers of Christ did not have the advantage of great musical bands, many of the prophetic exhortations were not about wealth and earthly comfort, and they were a minority despised by the mainstream culture. Many did not even have an allotted building to meet in. Nevertheless, the early Christians possessed an understanding of what church is.

ref: proecclesia.net

Churches play multiple roles in a society; they serve as a place of worship, places of joy and comfort, healing centers, schools, and a place where we can truly belong. What other body fit all these into one? It is a community.

Churches are foremost communities, and because we are set apart by God, we have a unique collective identity within that community. Because our unique collective identity is established by God and through Christ, our focus as a Church must be upon Christ and God. Even today, churches that understand this almost invariably grow rapidly.  

Why Do We Go To Church?

Paul refers to the Early Church through the Greek Word ekklesia, a word which occurs in the New Testament a total of 115 times. Generally, ekklesia in the Classical Greek was used to refer to “an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly”. The word as used in the New Testament is taken from the root of this word, which simply means to “call out.” 

Ref: wp.com

Because one of my goals in this article is to keep things simple, I will not go into this but certain connotations are clear. I will just simply state what I believe is the chief foundations for churches. Why do we go to church? The primary reason must be as an act of obedience to God who has called us out to Him.

Among the higher-listed commandments that God handed to His people through Moses was one about keeping the Holy Sabbath. This commandment was listed just below the ones concerning the Lord Himself. Jesus Himself showed an example to us in Luke 4:16:

¹⁶ When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.  

Why does God place such importance in this? In Hebrews 10:25 Paul urges the early church not to neglect [their] meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Ref: linworthbaptist.org

Paul recognizes that when we were born-again as Christians, it is no longer just about us. We are now a part of the Body of Christ, also known as the Family of God. Like all good and strong families, each member in the Family of God is inter-dependent upon the others. This reflects a true unity and what happens to one member of the Body should affect the other members of the Body. We must look beyond ourselves when we go to church.

Acts 2:44-46 gives us a picture of what the church is really all about:

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. ⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — ⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).

Church is where we worship God, and it is also where we learn to be accountable to the others in God’s family, where we receive the preaching of the Bible that will help set the direction for our lives, where we can learn to define what we believe, and where we can have an outlet to serve others beyond ourselves. It is where we learn what it is to be a people of God, love our brothers and sisters, and being loved in return.

Ref: pixshark |

When we go to church, let it be out of a heart of obedience to God. Let it be a holistic thing including disciplining ourselves. Let us prioritize what is truly important in God’s eyes, that we are really going because we consider ourselves as part of the Family of God, and that we are not just looking for people to entertain or feed us, but rather in maturing and discovering what we can do as a service to others now that we are part of His family.    

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Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,
    and a gentle tongue can break a bone. (Proverbs 25:15)

The Bible verse above isn’t literally possible, and should not be observed in its literal context. It would be silly to think that a tongue could literally break one’s bone. It simply means to set forth the fact that there is a tremendous power in a kind word. Although it may seem insignificant, the verse is trying to convey that the force of kindness in itself is indescribable and powerful. It is not lowly to be kind, in fact being kind requires strength; it is the weak that acts otherwise.

Ref: pinimg

Through observation, “bad words” or vulgarity were the “in-thing” to some while growing up as it’s believed that these words make you “the bigger man.” And often, there would be a comparison of who was more unrelenting during a quarrel. We live in an era where kindness is not appreciated but considered to be demeaning and lowly. As a result, people are cold towards one another and untrusting due to the lack of kindness that has been established.

Ref: synonym

Has bitterness ever solved a quarrel? More often than not, many can attest that it simply causes and results in more bitterness. These days, especially in the big city, people have an unhealthy tendency toward being self-focused, that it’s either “bite or be bitten.”. Perhaps we ourselves hold the barriers up in this case, when we ought to instead bring them down.

Prior to acting on your impulses during a quarrel, whether it is to be defensive or to strike back after you have been verbally assaulted, listen to the better spirit, that quiet voice that is calling for you to reconsider that matter. Seek Christ’s guidance under these difficult circumstances and in the process, it may actually even improve your health and well-being. There are many positives in being kind.

Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. (Luke 6:28)

Ref: pinimg

More Christians today pray for the “gift of tongues” (which appears so spiritual) or for other blessings than for the grace of kindness. Some Christians even treat their unsaved relatives less kindly after being saved, because they find the behavior of their unsaved relatives to be “unspiritual” but they are ignorant that true Christianity sweetens every relationship. Others concentrate on preaching the Gospel to their loved ones but fail to show evidence of the Gospel through love, that is by showing Christian kindness to them.

Ref: fastcompany

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

To grow, a new heart is required, one that beats for Christ. This can only happen if we submit wholly to the Holy Spirit who will help us nurture a positive character change that will be reflected in our relationships. The sustaining power of the Holy Spirit, will help you to turn that cruelty into kindness and when that happens, you will be able to walk without bitterness.

Ref: pinimg

Mankind is dying due to the lack of kindness, the lack of knowledge and sight of God’s kindness, and grace that should be shown through each and every one of us. Be gracious to one another for kindness is about stopping at our tracks and becoming aware of what Christ did for us and what He would do if He was in our place. Remember that an act of kindness acts as a ripple effect that unfolds towards the world that surrounds us in our daily lives.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3: 4-7)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

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1. She taught me to appreciate the little things.

My family was not rich. We could not afford toys or expensive meals. We didn’t starve, but my sister and I were also taught not to ask for anything we didn’t necessarily need. To compensate for our lack of toys, we would play “drums” on the kitchen floor with mom’s pots and pans while she cooked, or make our own little “guitars” out of tissue boxes, rubber bands, and toilet paper rolls. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of playing with soap and water in the bathroom or of making up wild adventures with my sister using blankets and strips of old cloth as props.

As a result, I grew up not expecting material things, and learned to be content with the blessings that I did have. Even when we began to become more financially able, the roots of our upbringing caused me to be very careful about buying “wants” versus “needs.” I learned to make wise investments, and to take good care of them so that they last for as long as possible.

Getting the latest gadgets or most up-to-date technology was never a priority and, until today, I am not swept away by the marketing schemes out there. For this, I am truly thankful, and even though I want to shower my children with certain luxuries that I never had as a child, I also know that I will never give them an excess of material possessions so that they will learn to see value in the simplest things in life.

Ref: nexcesscdn

2. She taught me to do my best for the Lord.

Mom never once compared me to my friends or even my sister. Throughout my growing up years, she only ever asked me one question when it came to performance: Did you do your best? Regardless of whether I came home with an amazing achievement or a horrible failure, her question remained the same. All that mattered to her was that I was giving my all for Jesus, because that is also all that the Lord requires of us.

Colossians 3:23 says: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Just as she taught me to do just that, she also put that verse to practice by not infringing her desires or expectations on me. She taught me to be my own person, to excel to the best of my abilities, and to be obedient to God above all else.

That is the kind of mother I want to be to my children. They do not need to be the top of their class or the best at everything they do because the world’s standards pale in comparison to God’s standards. The most important thing for my children is that God is master of their lives, and they seek to please Him in all they do.

Ref: photosharingsites.files.wordpress

3. She boldly prayed that my sins would find me out.

I can’t say that I liked this. What child would? I got into trouble for basically every sin I tried to cover up and could never get away with even the smallest white lie. Nevertheless, I am eternally grateful that she had the strength to pray such a prayer. Now that I understand how difficult it is for a mother to watch her child hurt and face the consequences for his or her blunders, I also realize that it was not an easy prayer, but one that wholly surrendered me to God. By praying that prayer over me, she was letting God hold me accountable for all the times that she couldn’t be there to correct my wrongs.

Through the many instances of facing unpleasant circumstances as a result of my bad decisions or actions, I learned the importance of honesty, integrity, and justice. I learned to become a person of character and substance, and I also learned that God is very close by.

He cares enough about me to that He would send people into my life who will correct me when I stand corrected, and support me when I need support, even when mummy wasn’t there. It will not be easy, and quite likely even painful, but I know with absolute certainty that I will pray that my children’s sins will find them out.

Ref: ingles200h

4. She disciplined me in love.

My mother believes in discipline, not punishment. She was firm with me and did not allow me to manipulate or disarm her, but she also always made sure that I knew that she was disciplining me out of love for me. I firmly believe that it was because of her methods of disciplining me that I truly learned to understand why it was important and why I did not resent her discipline.

For one, she never disciplined me in public. If I misbehaved while we were out, she would give me a warning that she will deal with me when we got home, and she would keep her word. This way, I knew that she meant business, but I was also never shamed by my wrongdoings because she made it a point not to humiliate me in public.

She also had a designated instrument and style of discipline: the deadly rotan—on the backside. Whenever I needed discipline, she would tell me to go get the rotan myself, and bring it to her. She would then put me over her knee and give me a proper spanking. Afterward, she would always ask me why she did that, so that I would affirm with my own mouth that it was because she loves me. Because she had this systematic way of discipline, I learned to respect her and her authority, but I never had to fear that she would strike me with her hand or some other object out of frustration or anger. Without hesitation, I know I will adopt her methods of discipline with my children.

Ref: worldpediatricdental

5. She taught me to ground my security in the Lord.

We live in a world that is full of pressures that come at us from all sides. Especially as a young girl, the social expectations to be pretty, funny, athletic, talented, smart, and well loved by everyone all at the same time can be quite overwhelming. Mom saw through my insecurities and made it a point to teach me to find my worth in God and God alone. She prepared me for all the times people would disappoint and hurt me, and constantly reminded me that my security in God’s unfailing love is the only thing that will never fail me.

Over the years, God has truly proven Himself to be a jealous God who wants all of me and nothing less. The struggle to be fully content with only God’s approval is very real, and I know that I am not the only person who deals with such challenges. We can blame the media, and our environment, but when we take a step back and just think about it, it’s really up to us to consciously fix our eyes back on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

I am thankful that I was taught to ground myself deep in God’s love from a very young age, because although I still look for acceptance from people and sometimes allow my insecurities to get the better of me, my mother’s persistence in reminding me of my identity in Christ is the one thing that has brought me through many difficult seasons in my life. For that reason, I know that my children can expect no less from me.

Ref: static.guim.co

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The post 5 Things My Mother Did That I Will Do When I Become A Mother 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.