Sunday Sermon 31-July-2011 - Elder Sim Say Khim

Speaker: Elder Sim Say Khim

White Fields Assembly Seremban

http://www.mediafire.com/?obwkbhz5xih7bjm

Worship Team 7 August 2011

Chairperson: Caleb R.
Worship Leader: Peggy Tan
Back-ups: Hong Lu, Foong Yee, Gigi Lim

Pianist: Lydia Sim
Synth: Jonathan L
Guitarist: Nigel Dusanjh
Bass: Weng Ern
Drummer: Darren

Projectionist: Terry C.

PA Personnel: Hiew FF, Tommy Q.

Can One Partner Make a Difference?

Kimberly has a problem. Her marriage to Carl is in bad shape, but Carl won’t discuss it or help repair it. Can Kim do anything that will make a difference?

Usually, positive change requires joint action. So, if one marriage partner doesn’t want improvement, what can the other partner do? More than you think. In most damaged marriages, healing begins when one mate sees the possibility of healing and starts the process.

Are you that person? Will you be the one who lets healing begin? It isn’t easy, and there is no guarantee that your partner will change, but your efforts will still make a positive difference.

As you work for healing in your marriage, guard against destructive attitudes. Like outlaws, they gang up on weak, hurting people. Here’s a short description of each gang member so you’ll recognize them:

Self-pity

It hurts, really hurts, when your spouse rejects you and your desire for improvement. Be honest about your pain, but reject self-pity.

Self-pity is such an innocent looking little attitude, a baby-faced bandit. In a weird way, we even like it. It’s more dangerous than it looks. Self-pity never leads us to God, never improves the situation, and never improves us. It only makes us want to give up, crawl into a hole, and bury ourselves.

Dear Elder / Pastor...

from here

A Pastor Is…

A pastor is an unusual person, indeed!

He gets his assignments from a voice no one else can hear.

He works for a bonus check that is only legal and tender in heaven.

He starts his day in the prayer closet instead of the wardrobe closet.

He climbs the ladder of success by taking the lowly place.

He receives nourishment by feeding sheep.

His greatest gains come by what he gives away.

He is more attracted to what people look like inwardly than outwardly.

He lives for God's approval rather than following the opinions of others.

He speaks from the depths of his heart rather than from the top of his head.

His richest treasures come from the investments he makes in the lives of others.

Problems Have a Purpose

by Max Lucado

Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Psalm 50:15 NLT

God will use whatever he wants to display his glory. Heavens and stars. History and nations. People and problems. My dying dad in West Texas.

The last three years of his life were scarred by ALS. The disease took him from a healthy mechanic to a bedbound paralytic. He lost his voice and his muscles, but he never lost his faith. Visitors noticed. Not so much in what he said but more in what he didn’t say. Never outwardly angry or bitter, Jack Lucado suffered stately.

His faith led one man to seek a like faith. After the funeral this man sought me out and told me. Because of my dad’s example, he became a Jesus follower.

Mister Right

God always entrusts his treasures to ordinary people. The man I want us to think about today was one. He was a craftsman, a carpenter, but he could have been anything . . . plumber, farmer, shepherd, or even a scholar. His occupation isn’t the important thing. His character is. It’s not what he did, but how he lived that makes him Mister Right.

This man lived at a time when many people used religion as a cosmetic. It was useful for hiding blemishes and giving an imaginary glow of righteousness. But Mister Right had no use for cosmetic religion. He truly believed in God and tried, in every way, to orient his life with God’s commands.

You would have liked him, respected him, and trusted him. I know God did. For he chose this everyday man, this carpenter from Nazareth and Bethlehem, to be husband to Mary, and the guardian of Jesus, the Son of God. Joseph is Mister Right.

As a husband and a father figure, Joseph has much to teach us. Looking at his life in the few verses that describe him, I see why God trusted him with his treasures. I see the kind of man every wife and child needs, and I see the kind of man God makes us, if we’ll let him.

Joseph was fully devoted to God, therefore, a righteous man. (Matthew 1:16ff). That's why Joseph was Mister Right. He centered his life on pleasing God. As I have said so often, to so many groups, it is the center that matters, because your center controls your thoughts, actions, and relationships. So many families suffer because the head of the home disregards God and his Word. So, is pleasing God the center of your life? That is the first step to becoming Mister Right.

How to Deal Effectively With Conflict

by Gary Chapman

I have observed a common pattern across many areas that I work (and live) - people avoiding dealing with tense or conflictual situations in their relationships with others. And almost always, not dealing with the situation creates additional problems or makes the conflict larger and more intense (often involving more people than were originally involved).

And it happens it lots of settings:

• in family businesses, between family members working together
• in office settings, between coworkers who can't get a long
• in marriages, between spouses
• in extended families, between parents-in-law and their children's spouse
• in schools, between teachers and parents of the students
• in wealthy families, between siblings who are inheriting wealth
• and on and on.

Now, I am not going to try to address all the issues relevant to conflict in relationships, that would require a book (or two). But let's look at some core concepts.

First, why do people often try to avoid conflict? I think there are lots of potential reasons, but let's identify a few.

Peter's Wife : Forgiveness - part 2

continued from here

Forgiveness and Trust

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we have to trust the person. A young PW confided her fear of bandits to one of the older PWs. She thought she was talking to a trustworthy advisor. In a short while, she noticed little comments by others on the team to make sure she locks her door at night followed by some muffled chuckles. Her fear was exposed to ridicule. She forgives, but she does not have to trust this co-worker with any more confidences.

In American adventure movies you sometimes hear this warning: “Watch Your Back!” It means that there is danger all around and you must not let down your guard. Consider what Paul wrote to his dear friend Timothy:

 “Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.” (II Timothy 4:14-15, NIV)

We may never know whether Paul had forgiven Alexander, but if he practiced what he preached, he did. Yet he knew that Alexander could not be trusted, so he warned Timothy to watch his back.

Forgiveness and Privileges

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we automatically restore all privileges that were forfeited through the offence. Suppose a woman’s husband is unfaithful to her. Wanting to do the Christian thing, she goes to her pastor for counsel. The pastor, a compassionate man, though perhaps too legalistic, tells her to forgive her husband. So far so good. Then she asks, “Does that mean I have to share my body with him, although he is still going to bed with the other woman?” The pastor, thinking he is doing the right thing, tells her she must allow her husband to have sex with her. That kind of counsel is quite common in the places where PWs live and work.

Don’t Settle for a Fake Anointing

J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

Many Christians today can’t distinguish between the sweat of the flesh and the dew of heaven.

Gideon is one of my favorite Bible characters because I relate to his struggle with inferiority. God pulled this runt of a guy out of a hole in the ground and called him to deliver Israel. Gideon’s classic “Who, me?” response reminds me of conversations I’ve had with the Lord. None of us feels qualified to do God’s work, but we know from Gideon’s example that reluctant wimps can be transformed into valiant warriors.

I’ve heard people criticize Gideon because he laid out a fleece of wool on the ground and asked the Lord—not once but twice—to confirm His promise (see Judges 6:36-40). But the Bible doesn’t say God was mad at Gideon for wanting assurance. In fact, God answered Gideon both times with moisture from heaven. The dew was a sign of God’s favor and blessing.

“I love it when the Holy Spirit does miracles. But when people fake the supernatural in order to get an audience response (or a big offering), I run for the door.”

You know how the story ends. Gideon’s impressive army of 22,000 is downsized to a ragtag band of 300, and they carry only trumpets, clay pots and torches into battle. Through their supernatural victory over Midian, God made it clear that His anointing has nothing to do with human ability.

How many of us have learned Gideon’s lesson? Do you trust the Holy Spirit to work in you, or do you lean on the flesh? Do you have the precious dew of His miraculous anointing on your life, or have you manufactured a cheap form of human moisture to do the job?

Trusting God Together

Nick and Nora have an attractive home, two cats (one who hides from his shadow, another who is, as Nora says, "an uppity princess"), two often-frustrating jobs, two trucks, and two hard, one-hour commutes. In their five years of marriage they’ve had many opportunities to feel isolated in their personal struggles. Though they love each other, they have often felt disconnected. Both of them were frustrated, but didn’t know how to break the cycle. It took a mission trip to Honduras to do that.

With twenty-eight others, they journeyed into a remote area of the Honduran mountains to simply do anything they could to help. They built houses, taught children, fed the hungry– all the while hoping for something to happen to them and to their marriage.

It happened on the last night they were on the mountain. The whole team met for several hours to pray, and to cement the lessons they learned while they were away from the familiar. That night Nick and Nora experienced a breakthrough.

Let me interrupt their story to do a little explaining. There are breakthrough moments in our lives. They can come gently and gradually, like the dawn, or with the intensity of a sudden thunderstorm. But they come. When they do, change begins. We’re like one of those "before and after" commercials, except that our "before and after" is real, not a made-up story or an imaginary change.

Peter's Wife: Forgiveness - part 1

about Peter's Wife   April 20, 2011

This month my husband and I have been counseling several different people with the same problem. Maybe you have been struggling with this issue or maybe, like us, you have been trying to help someone else with this trouble. That issue is unforgiveness! It seems like there is an epidemic of offended people right now.

Just because we are PWs, recognized and commissioned to serve others, doesn’t mean we never need forgiveness. And just because we have been believers for many years doesn’t mean we are pros at forgiving. Maybe because we don’t have the kind of support system our family and friends have back home, we may need a refresher course on this all important issue of forgiveness.

Some years ago my husband wrote this article on forgiveness. I’ve adapted it in places for our cross cultural community. You can see the original article written for husbands and wives at: intermin.org

Every one of us need forgiving people around us. The reason is obvious: we need forgiving because we make mistakes. That would explain two interesting facts in the Bible:

• Fact one: God’s Word urges us to pursue perfection, to grow and mature in grace, and to become like Jesus.
• Fact two: The Bible also teaches us to forgive one another. On the road of life we step on many toes, so we need to forgive and to receive forgiveness.

Change!

After 34 years of marriage and ministry, Diane and I are right in the middle of one of the biggest changes of our lives. Unexpected? No. Challenging. Yes. All changes are. This one involves selling our house and moving to another country. You can imagine the stresses that can bring. And that is just one part of the change.

Some marriages breakdown during major changes because they had little strength to begin with. You've heard the stories. The children marry and move away, and the couple has no other reason to stay together, only a long list of unmet needs and unresolved conflicts. So, they go their separate ways, live separate lives. If you do not want a future like that, you have to start preparing for a different future right now. No matter what the change, it always puts stress on your relationship to your spouse, your children, and others. Like the Boy Scout motto says, "Be Prepared."

Here is today's key concept: How we survive change depends on how we have lived before the change.

Diane and I have built a life of trusting God, staying close to him and to each other. Have we had frustrations? We have, we are, and we will. But we face them together. We have long lists of answered prayers, forgiven offenses, and incredible joys, all because of God's faithfulness.

Rules for the Road

Transition is a road, not just a destination. So here are some rules for the road that will help you reach your goal:

Sunday Sermon 24-July 2011 - Rev Dr Solomon Abraham

Speaker: Rev. Dr. Solomon Abraham
Grace Assembly Of God, Petaling Jaya

http://www.mediafire.com/?2s1c2xg3vbn9zko

Worship Team 31 July 2011

Chairperson: Hong Lu

Worship Leader: Terry Choong
Vocalist: Lareina, Colleen, Lydia Sim
Pianist: Lydia Sim
Synth: Jocelyn Lee
Guitarist: Ken Fhui
Bassist: Weng Ern
Drummer: Anna Sim

Projectionist: Daniel Dusanjh

PA Personnel: Manjit Singh, Hiew FF

Fruit of the spirit

from HERE

The Positive Parent's Creed

1. We will let our children know we love them no matter what they do:
Our children will learn that love is not earned, love is freely given.

2. We will be honest about our mistakes, remembering to ask our children to forgive us when we fail them or misunderstand them:
Our children will learn the value of personal honesty instead of hypocrisy.

3. We will give each child some individual time and attention every day:
Our children will learn that they are important to us, not a nuisance that we endure.

4. We will listen to our children as well as talk to them:
Our children will learn that listening to one another is one of the most loving things we can do for each other.

5. We will help our children develop a genuine personal faith in God:
Our children will learn, through our example, the value of a genuine faith.

6. We will correctly love and lovingly correct:
Our children will learn that discipline is an expression of love.

7. We will teach proper relationship to authority:
Our children will learn that respect for authority is the key to a successful life.

8. We will encourage proper independence:
Our children will develop a strong conscience. They will learn to withstand and overcome the negative pressures around them.

Loved by a Trustworthy God

by Max Lucado

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

Matthew 24:6

Nature is a pregnant creation, third-trimester heavy. When a tornado rips through a city in Kansas or an earthquake flattens a region in Pakistan, this is more than barometric changes or shifts of ancient fault lines. The universe is passing through the final hours before delivery. Painful contractions are in the forecast.

As are conflicts: “wars and rumors of wars.” One nation invading another. One superpower defying another. Borders will always need checkpoints. War correspondents will always have employment. The population of the world will never see peace this side of heaven.

Christians will suffer the most. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” (Matt. 24:9 NIV).

Don’t Join the Cult of the Backslider

J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

Many young adults today are abandoning biblical faith or mixing it with other religions. How should we respond?

Since the Wild Goose Festival was held in North Carolina’s mountains, you might be tempted to think it was a typical bluegrass festival. Think again. The organizers of this event, which attracted 1,500 people in late June, say their quasi-Christian conference “is going to grow into the largest, best run, most dynamic religious happening in the U.S.”

If a slick-haired TV evangelist had made such a pompous statement we would have rolled our eyes and laughed the guy off the stage. But the founder of Wild Goose, a peace activist from Northern Ireland named Gareth Higgins, is convinced his movement will capture the hearts of young Americans who are questioning their evangelical faith and exploring other options.

“Heretical teaching rarely comes from the outside. Instead, it enters the church in ways we would never expect: through a best-selling Christian author, a wildly popular celebrity or right over the airwaves through a Christian TV program. It might even walk down the church aisle and stand in the pulpit!"

A Parent's Greatest Gift

You can't buy it with money, but it's worth more than jewels

As Christian parents, can we identify one special quality that we should aim for in raising our children? Yes, I think we can. Let’s look at a verse that describes the childhood development of Jesus:

". . . Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men." (Luke 2:52 NIV) “

What is the first quality that Jesus grew in? Wisdom. What parents could ask for more for their children than that? Any person who has wisdom will become a complete, mature individual– a young man or woman ready to honour God and bless the world.

There’s a big difference between smart and wise. Presently many societies work hard to produce smart children, but consider this: What good is an education if a person doesn’t know how to live? Can top grades guarantee a child’s success as a human being? Haven’t we all known intelligent, gifted people who didn’t know how to live? They had a brain stuffed with information, but they lived reckless, thoughtless lives. They may have been at the top of their class, but because they lacked wisdom they sank to the bottom of the barrel.

Remember: Parents have the responsibility for raising wise kids. Teachers can help, but we should see teachers as assistants, not as substitutes. As parents we should approach the task of raising wise children as though no one else will do it. Are you wise enough to see your child’s need for wisdom?

The Church’s Answer to Immorality – Part Two

by Mark Gungor 

In the last post I began discussing the way most churches handle teaching their young people about sexual purity (or not teaching it as the case may be). While many Christians use purity rings and pledges to ensure right living, they also throw in a healthy measure of the world’s view making concessions for masturbation and what I term “non-sex” sex to tackle the question of sexual immorality. But we are giving the wrong answer.

It’s time that The Church starts acting like The Church, time to start giving the right answer to immorality and that answer is this: Get married.

We rarely, if ever, hear that! Far and few between are the pastors who preach from their pulpits to get married, like the apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 7. Seldom is the answer the biblical one, rather what we Christians are spewing is the same twisted answer of the world: No, no, no! You can’t get married! You need to wait! I will not go on my rant regarding this topic but you can read my post on Young Marriage to get the full story.

Positive Help

Meet Vincent, the ten-year-old mystery child. No one understands him. His friends think Vincent is stupid. They even tell him so. He puzzles his teachers. Some say he is uncooperative; some say he is inattentive; one says he’s just lazy. They all believe that Vincent is a problem.

Although they love their son, Vincent’s parents fear that the teachers are right. They feel defeated. They offer him rewards if only he’ll cooperate, even scold and discipline him. Still Vincent struggles and rebels against school work. Their son’s behavior embarrasses them. "Why can’t he be like his sister?" they ask. "She was so easy to raise, and so good at her studies."

Home life is hectic, especially at homework time. Vincent often forgets assignments. Sometimes he sits, staring into space, apparently ignoring his studies. Assignments that should take thirty minutes fill hours. Frequently Vincent throws his pencil down, slams his book closed and shouts, "I’m just stupid!"

Sunday Sermon 17-July-2011 - Dr Sandra Nair

Speaker: Dr Sandra Nair
Eagles Height Network

http://www.mediafire.com/?bmwadum1m77anwu

Worship Team 24 July 2011

Chairperson: Dr. Siow KW

Worship leader: Peter Long
Vocalist: Shankar R., Peggy Tan, Gigi Lim
Pianist: Jonathan L
Synth: Meng Fhui
Guitarist: Nigel
Bassist: Darren
Drummer: Khen Fhui

Projectionist: Joseph Yap

PA Personnel: Hiew FF, Tommy Q.

The Encouraging Family

Diane has some great thoughts on imparting encouragement. Enjoy!

The second semester was less than a week away when I found myself in the headmistress’ office at our boys’ school. "Since one of our teachers had to return to the United States for emergency surgery," she said, "we need to rearrange the teaching assignments. We can’t find anyone to teach Computer Keyboarding. Would you teach it for us?"

Earlier in my life my response would have been, "Me? You want me to teach Computer Keyboard? I’m not a qualified teacher. I didn’t take a typing course because my aptitude tests showed that I wouldn’t do well at office work. I don’t like new challenges and besides, I’ll never remember the students’ names!"

Instead of that response I found myself excited by the challenge. After asking a few questions about the curriculum and the equipment, I accepted the assignment. What made the difference? Why did I accept this new challenge when only a few years earlier I would have run from it?

Loved by a Faithful God

by Max Lucado

“I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. . . .”
Philippians 3:8

Peer through the small window in the wall of the Roman jail. See the man in chains? The aging fellow with the stooped shoulders and hawkish nose? That’s Paul, the imprisoned apostle. His chains never come off. The guards never leave. And he’s probably wondering if he’ll ever get out. . . .

By the time we find Paul in his cell, he has been beaten, lied about, storm tossed, rejected, and neglected.

Ah, but at least he has the church. At least he can take comfort in the thought of the unified Roman congregation he helped strengthen, right? Hardly. The Roman church is in trouble. . . . Power-hungry preachers occupy the parsonage. You expect such antics out of nonbelievers, but Christians preaching for personal gain? Paul is facing Prozac-level problems. . . .

Positive Encouragement

The Race

It’s Track and Field Day at the international school. The high school boys line up for the 1600 meter race. At the sharp, "Crack!" of the starter’s gun the runners explode from the starting line, each boy straining to get the maximum results from his body. Sixteen hundred meters later, one would win, one would be the fastest, the best. Four others would lose, though they may have trained and competed just as well.

The favorites in this race were an Australian boy and a Singaporean. Both ran well, and the race was close. But with a final charge the Australian overtook the Singaporean, winning by a nose. Cheers! Joy! Disappointment. You find them all at the finish line.

The mother of that second-place boy publically chided him and rebuked her son because he didn’t win. The sight saddened us. As if losing wasn’t bad enough, he also had to endure his mother’s scorn. Why did she treat him so harshly? Perhaps she thought it would help her son become a better person or motivate him to excel. After all, doesn’t everyone know that (as some Asians have told us) "if you say good, bad will happen?"

Love Languages - Part 2

by Dr. Gary Chapman

9. Do the love languages work in other cultures?

Since my academic background is anthropology, this was my question when the Spanish publisher came first and requested permission to translate and publish the book in Spanish. I initially said, “I don’t know if this concept works in Spanish. I discovered it in the Anglo setting.” The publisher said, “We have read the book and it works in Spanish.” So I was glad to know the book was to be translated and published in Spanish. Then came the French edition, the German, the Dutch, etc. In almost every culture, the book has become the bestseller of the publisher. This leads me to believe that these five fundamental ways of expressing love are universal.

However, the dialects in which these languages are spoken will differ from culture to culture. For example, the kind of touches that are appropriate in one culture may not be appropriate in another culture. The Acts of Service that are spoken in one culture may not be spoken in another culture. But when these cultural adaptations are made, the concept of the five love languages will have a profound impact upon the couples in that culture.

The Attack of the Porn Monster

J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

If you or someone you know is battling sexual temptation, take these five steps toward GRACE.

This week my wife and I ministered to a group of 115 Russian teenagers at a youth camp in Virginia. Part of our job was to separate the guys and the girls and facilitate honest (and sometimes awkward) discussions about sex, dating and guy/girl relationships. They put their anonymous questions in a black box (“How do I know if she’s the one for me?” or “Is it OK to use condoms?”), and we answered while the kids giggled nervously.

I spoke to the guys on the first night about what I call the Porn Monster, using the description of the adulterous woman in Proverbs 7 as my text. In this passage the writer recounts the sad story of a vulnerable young man who wanders into the wrong part of town where a harlot seduces him. The story concludes with these haunting words: “Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways … for many are the victims she has cast down” (Prov. 7:25-26).

"I’ve prayed with many brothers who struggle with this monster, and in some cases the porn has been a gateway to worse sins. Is there a way of escape from it?"

Positive Discipline, II

(In case you missed the first part of Positive Discipline, read it now.)

We can learn how to warn our children and enforce those warnings, no matter what our temperament is, or theirs. The key is to not allow yourself to become a passive parent. Here are some strategies that will help:

Be Definite in Your Warning

Indefinite warnings are wasted warnings. As an example,. which one of these parents will get the best results:

• Parent number one: "John, don’t be so naughty. If you don’t straighten up, you’re going to get it!"
• Parent number two: "Susie, do not hit your brother. If you hit your brother again, you will sit on your time out chair for ten minutes. Do you understand?"

If you picked the second warning, you are right. Little Susie will get the message. If she doesn’t, her parents will know exactly what to do.

Love Languages - Part 1

by Dr. Gary Chapman

1. What if I cannot discover my primary love language?

“I’ve taken The Love Language Profile and my scores come out almost even except for Receiving Gifts. I know that is not my primary love language.”

In the book, I discuss three approaches to discovering your love language.

• First, observe how you most often express love to others. If you are regularly doing acts of service for others, this may be your love language. If you are consistently, verbally affirming people, then Words of Affirmation is likely your love language.

• What do you complain about most often? When you say to your spouse, “I don’t think you would ever touch me if I did not initiate it,” you are revealing that Physical Touch is your love language. When your spouse goes on a business trip and you say, “You didn’t bring me anything?” you are indicating that Receiving Gifts is your language. The statement, “We don’t ever spend time together,” indicates the love language of Quality Time. Your complaints reveal your inner desires. (If you have difficulty remembering what you complain about most often, I suggest that you ask your spouse. Chances are they will know.)

• What do you request of your spouse most often? If you are saying “Will you give me a back rub?” you are asking for Physical Touch. “Do you think we could get a weekend away this month?” is a request for Quality Time. “Would it be possible for you to mow the grass this afternoon?” expresses your desire for Acts of Service. (Your answer to these three questions will likely reveal your primary love language.)

One husband told me that he discovered his love language by simply following the process of elimination. He knew that Receiving Gifts was not his language so that left only four. He asked himself, “If I had to give up one of the four, which one would I give up first?” His answer was Quality Time. “Of the three remaining, if I had to give up another, which one would I give up?” He concluded that apart from sexual intercourse, he could give up Physical Touch. He could get along without the pats and hugs and holding hands. This left Acts of Service and Words of Affirmation. While he appreciated the things his wife did for him, he knew that her affirming words were really what gave him life. He could go a whole day on a positive comment from her. Thus, Words of Affirmation was his primary love language and Acts of Service his secondary love language.

Positive Discipline

Unruly Children Need a Warning
The word unruly describes those who break the rules or ignore the rules. It refers to willful disobedience. An unruly person chooses to do wrong, though he knows what is right. Such behavior requires a clear, understandable, enforceable warning, and appropriate consequences if the child ignores the warning.

Many Americans love snow skiing. Thousands of all ages ride to the tops of the mountains then glide, race, or sometimes tumble down the slopes. Unfortunately, every year people injure themselves seriously, or even die in skiing accidents.

The resorts establish and mark certain areas as out-of-bounds because they know of dangers the skiers would not see. They also have ski patrols who watch for any out-of-control skiers. A ski patrolman told me there are two common reasons for accidents: skiing out of control and skiing out of bounds.

Worship Team 17 July 2011

Chairperson: Liong KC

Worship Leader: Kai Yew
Vocalist: Siew Pin, Hong Lu, Foong Yee

Pianist: Jocelyn Lee
Synth: Jacinta Lee
Guitar: Weng Ern
Bass: Ken Fhui
Drummer: Anna Sim

Projectionist: Terry C.

PA Personnel: Tommy Q., Manjit Singh

Loved with a Steadfast Love

by Max Lucado

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22–23 RSV

Jeremiah was depressed, as gloomy as a giraffe with a neck ache. Jerusalem was under siege, his nation under duress. His world collapsed like a sand castle in a typhoon. He faulted God for his horrible emotional distress. He also blamed God for his physical ailments. “He [God] has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones” (Lam. 3:4 RSV).

His body ached. His heart was sick. His faith was puny. . . . He realized how fast he was sinking, so he shifted his gaze. “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him’ ” (vv. 21–24 RSV).

FAQ : Family

by Dr. Gary Chapman

1. How do I encourage my husband to be a spiritual leader?

First, you need to clarify what you mean by “spiritual leader”. If he were a spiritual leader, what would he be doing? How would you recognize that he was a spiritual leader? Until you can answer these questions, the idea of “spiritual leader” is too nebulous to be meaningful.

Once you know what you would like to see in your husband as a spiritual leader, then let me suggest the following principles as you seek change:

Men respond positively to praise. Look for something he is doing right and express appreciation. Telling him about his failures does not motivate him to change.

Requests are more productive than demands. “Would you read this devotional for us before Mary goes to bed?” is likely to get better results than, “If you don’t start reading the Bible to Mary she is going to grow up and become a pagan.”

A husband who has a full “love tank” is more easily motivated to make positive changes. Make sure you know your husband’s “primary love language” and speak it often. If he genuinely feels your love, he will be more open to your requests.

For additional help see The Family You’ve Always Wanted.

Sunday Sermon 10-July-2011 - Ps Lydia Karthigesu

Speaker: Pastor Lydia Karthigesu
The Tabernacle, Seremban

http://www.mediafire.com/?zgkkioz2z725zxr

Positive Parenting

Welcome to the Positive Parenting series. First, a word about the title.

Positive is of course, the opposite of negative. Are there really negative parents? Sadly, yes. Bound by fears, frustrations, and a sense of failure, these parents adopt a negative parenting style. The result is often not what they hoped for. Their kids grow up to be negative themselves, and so the cycle goes on.

Positive also means purposeful, confident, and focused. We have seen far too many parents who, instead of being positively involved with their children, approach parenting without any purpose, focus, or confidence.

God can make you a better parent than you are.

The great news for parents is this: God can make you a better parent than you are, and you will like it! So will your kids, and so will all the people that interact with your kids: teachers, neighbors, extended family members now; employers, spouses, neighbors and friends later.

Sunday, 3 July 2011

• if you are interested to join the "Climb Kepayang Hill" team, please contact: Sis. Peggy or Sis. Priscilla Sim
• it happens on Sundays, 5pm.

FAQ : Marriage

by Dr. Gary Chapman

1. How can I get him to really talk to me?

Take “baby steps”. Don’t overwhelm him by saying, “I wish you’d talk more.” He can’t respond positively to that. It comes across as condemnation. Begin by asking questions, little questions, and be content to get little answers. He has to crawl before he can walk. When he gets used to hearing his own voice, then he can talk more.

Become a good listener. When he talks, give him your undivided attention. Don’t respond to his ideas with condemnation. Rather, say, “That’s an interesting idea, how do you think that would work if we applied it to our lives?” Give him your opinion, only if he asks for it. If he finds that he gets a sermon every time he shares an idea, he will stop sharing his ideas.

After a few weeks, try the following: 1. Ask if he would be willing to have a daily “sharing time” in which each of you shared two things that happened in your lives today and how you feel about them. If he complains that these times are taking too long, then set time limits, such as no more than ten minutes each. 2. Try sharing a book. Find a book that you think would be of interest to him and ask if he would be willing to read a chapter each week and you will read the same chapter. At the end of the week, each of you will share with the other one thing you liked or learned from the chapter.

Above all, don’t condemn him for not talking. Create a climate where it is safe for him to talk. For further help see Desperate Marriages, chapter seven, “The Uncommunicative Spouse”.

Working Together with Your Spouse

by Dr. Gary Chapman

One of the issues that I deal with almost every week is the challenges associated with spouses working together. (If you do not work together in a business setting, do not "check out" yet - these issues occur for virtually all couples, because you have to "work together" at home - either doing projects, making meals, managing the finances, doing fix-up projects, etc.)

Virtually all couples who work together, in business or just in their combined lives together, seem to face common challenges. Here are some of the most common themes I observe (or experience personally):

NECF Malaysia 40-Day Fast & Prayer

Theme for 40-Day Fast & Prayer 2011
"Be Agents of Change"


from August 7 to September 15, 2011.


Email: prayer@necf.org.my
Phone: +603-7727 8227
Website:
http://www.necf.org.my
http://facebook.com/necfmalaysia
http://twitter.com/necfmalaysia

Justice, Judgmentalism and the Casey Anthony Verdict

J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

Her “not guilty” verdict made a lot of people mad. But before we vent any more anger we may need an attitude check.

Where were you on July 5 when the Casey Anthony verdict was released? Just before the 2:15 p.m. announcement, I was in a restaurant in Orlando with my family—and our waitress was so anxious to hear the outcome of the trial that she brought up the topic after we ordered our lunch. Not since the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial have Americans invested so much emotional energy in a courtroom drama.

Because I live near Orlando where the trial was held, I’ve grown weary of the never-ending local news coverage, which included stories on how much Casey was allowed to spend on toiletries every week at the Orange County jail and how long out-of-town visitors waited in line to get tickets to the trial. I remember when 2-year-old Caylee Anthony went missing in 2008. I remember when her decomposed remains were found six months later in some woods near her home. I listened to the blur of reports about duct tape, the suspicious odor in the trunk of the car, the chloroform, and her mother’s partying habits.

“Before you spend any more time analyzing the evidence, complaining about the jury or judging Casey’s motives, ask God to touch her. Could God have actually been involved in this unexpected verdict to give Casey more time to discover Him?”

The Church’s Answer to Immorality – Part One

by Mark Gungor

Go to almost any church in America and sit for an entire year of Sunday morning services. Odds are great that you will not hear the subjects of sex, sexual purity, or sexual morality mentioned. If by some chance a pastor has the cojones to talk about sex at all, most often it will be couched in code using the words “intimacy” or “marital relations”. Most churches don’t teach it, preach it or talk about it because they are afraid to offend someone with the word s-e-x and The Church is a mess today because of it.

Make no mistake about it, the group of people we are failing the most in all this is our youth. Young men and women from a very early age are inundated by millions of sexual messages from our media and culture, yet The Church remains silent and says nothing to combat the plague. Fornication, cohabitation, STDs, pornography use, and out of wedlock births are all occurring in churches at nearly the same rate as the un-churched world. Isn’t that just great?!

It seems to me most people think that remaining sexually pure, remaining abstinent is “the ideal”, a really great thing if you can manage to pull it off, but certainly not required. A lot of Christians say that young people should not have sex outside of marriage, but they also say that remaining pure isn’t realistic; kids are going to have sex no matter what.

Help! I'm Married to a Pharisee

We waste so much of our happiness arguing over petty differences. Like Jesus told the Pharisees, we strain at gnats and swallow camels. It's a funny picture, isn't it? In those days a man would pour his wine through a fine cloth (like the tea sock used in Asian coffee shops) to remove the smallest foreign particle. Yet, Jesus said, that same man was swallowing a camel, something many times bigger. The point was clear. They argued over petty matters, but neglected the issues that mattered most.

I see the same attitude in troubled marriages. One or both partners forget what is most important. They become obsessed with details, using their partner's small failures or oversights to shift the attention from their own major problems.

I know a man (we'll call him Simon) who is married to a difficult woman. Simon's wife, (let's call her Felicia), continually punishes him for small failures. Does he forget a request or overlook a task? He will surely hear about it. His wife excels at faultfinding, and she doesn't do it quietly.

FAQ : Parenting

by Dr. Gary Chapman

1. I really feel strongly about certain types of discipline with our children, but my husband just laughs it off and does not support me. How do I handle this situation?

Disagreements over styles of discipline are fairly common for one simple reason: we each grew up in different families. We tend to discipline like our parents did, or if we believe that they treated us unfairly, we tend to do the opposite of what our parents did.

How do we resolve these differences? It is not likely that you will ever totally agree on this matter, but you can find a workable solution. It begins by each of you making a list of the basic rules you think you should have for the child and what the consequences should be if these rules are broken. With these lists in hand, you have a parental conference in which the two of you work through your lists. Check off the ones on which you agree and negotiate agreement on the others. Both must be willing to find common ground. Don’t insist that your way is the only way. With these in place, it is then a matter of making sure the child understands the rules and the consequences, and consistently applying the discipline when rules are broken. Kindness, but firmness, is the key in applying discipline.

An Invitation

Dear Brothers & Sisters.

We have heard many messages, read many books, bought many souvenirs that emphasize the need for prayer. Our church has regular meetings for Prayer ( Sunday Pre-Service Prayer, Wednesday Prayer Meetings and Saturday Morning Watches).

Presently, the participation for these meetings has been stagnant, with the same faces from the same age groups. There may be various reasons for this: unsuitable time/venue, baby sitting/children's needs, etc. 

As announced in the past two Sundays, we have reinvented the Morning Watches to enable everyone to join in. There are currently three Zones with (prayerfully and hopefully) more on the way. At present, the suggested time is 8 - 9am but the group can make adjustments if necessary.

• Zone 1: Rasah Kemayan (Michael & Jenny Lim) - Seremban 2 and surrounding areas
• Zone 2: Bukit Jed ( Liong KC & Karen) - Templer, Temiang and surrounding areas
• Zone 3: Taman Bidara (Christine Doray) - Rahang, Paroi, Ampangan and surrounding areas

We would like to encourage more members of all age groups to join us in prayer and intercession for the world, the region, the nation (Malaysia), the church and so on.

We would like to encourage the Young Adults, Youth and Children to come and participate and learn to pray.

The keywords here are "encourage", "all age groups" and "prayer".

Thank you.

New King James Version (NKJV) Isaiah 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” 

Theme 2009 / 2011

Building Godly Family Relationships

Spiritual Intimacy

The Power Core

All your life as a couple will be influenced by the vitality and centrality of your spiritual life. Because of that, your relationship with God should be more than a compartment of your marriage, like one room in your house. Your relationship with God should be the core of your lives and the core of your marriage.

It’s like the nucleus of an atom. The nucleus keeps the particles that surround it in their proper orbits. Without it, there is no atom. Likewise, our connection with God holds the facets of our lives together in proper balance. Then every part of our marriage will show the transforming power and influence of our relationship with God through Christ Jesus.

But we must choose, for having our relationship with God at the center of our life and our marriage doesn’t happen automatically.

Worship Team 10 July 2011

Chairperson: Caleb R.

Worship leader: Peggy Tan
Vocalist: Gigi Lim, Jocelyn C., Colleen

Pianist: Prisca Sim
Synth: Meng Fhui
Guitarist: Terry C.
Bass: Niger
Drummer: Darren

Projectionist: Moses Tan

PA Personnel: Hiew FF, Tommy Q

Sunday Sermon 3-July-2011 - Ps Dave van den Berg

Speaker: Pastor Dave van den Berg
Missionary To Russia

http://www.mediafire.com/?50hdednb4crytrd

Ladies Fellowship 2-July-2011 - Ps Lydia Karthigesu

Speaker: Pastor Lydia Karthigesu
The Tabernacle, Seremban

Session 1:
http://www.mediafire.com/?4ho486jlh8y34s2

Session 2:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sdho2yor601r1xc

Forgiveness

Let’s update an old nursery rhyme:

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown . . .
And Jill never let him forget how clumsy he was!

Poor Jack! He needed a wife who would comfort him, but instead he got pounded. Who knows why? Maybe his accident (and the resulting trip to the emergency room) interrupted an appointment at the beauty salon. Maybe his clumsiness had always embarrassed her. Who knows?

Every husband needs a forgiving wife, every wife a forgiving husband. The reason is obvious: we need forgiving because we make mistakes. That would explain two interesting facts in the Bible:

Thump-Thud, Thump-Thud

by Max Lucado

When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it “sings,” it’s ready. If it “thuds,” it’s placed back in the oven.

The character of a person is also checked by thumping. Been thumped lately?

Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Those are thumps. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren’t big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams. Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor. Even as I write this, I’m being thumped. Because of interruptions, it has taken me almost two hours to write these two paragraphs. Thump. Thump. Thump.

How do I respond? Do I sing? Or do I thud?