He Still Comes

The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed.

The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stopwatches and weapons. We stepped off our race tracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the star of Bethlehem.

We reminded ourselves that Jesus came as a babe, born in a manger.

I’d like to suggest that we remind ourselves he still comes.

He comes to those as small as Mary’s baby and as poor as a carpenter’s boy.

He comes to those as young as a Nazarene teenager and as forgotten as an unnoticed kid in an obscure village. 

He comes to those as busy as the oldest son of a large family, to those as stressed as the leader of restless disciples, to those as tired as one with no pillow for his head. 

He comes and gives us the gift of himself.

Sunsets steal our breath. Caribbean blue stills our hearts. Newborn babies stir our tears. Lifelong love bejewels our lives. But take all these away—strip away the sunsets, oceans, cooing babies, and tender hearts—and leave us in the Sahara, and we still have reason to dance in the sand. Why? Because God is with us.

He still comes. He still speaks.

From

Christmas Stories: Heartwarming Classics of Angels, A Manger, and the Birth of Hope

Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2011) Max Lucado

Third Culture Kids' Friendships - part 1

by Diane Constantine

As you may know, our two sons grew up, for more than half their childhood years, outside their home country. That makes them Third Culture Kids, or TCKs. Recently I have been thinking about how our sons react to their world. I wondered how much their experience as Third Culture Kids actually affects them today, now that they are adults. I was especially interested in how TCKs make friends, and how their experience differs from others in that area.  

For a refresher, I looked at David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken's  textbook called, Third Culture Kids. The chapter on Relational Patterns  discusses  how Third Culture Kids (TCKs) make friendships and how that affects them later in life.

Their research can help parents of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) understand their children better. Here’s an excerpt: 

"During childhood and beyond, all our experiences of mind, heart, body, and spirit--cultural, emotional, physical, geographical--all of the moves, the relationships, the places, the losses, the discoveries, the wonder of the world--are layered one upon another through time."

You may have that noticed your TCK makes friends and maintains friendships in a much different way than you or your husband. Basic personality influences the way all of us relate to others. If your TCK is more extroverted, he can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime. He may have a huge list of friends, yet have no one he will turn to when he is troubled. 

A Word for 2012: New Leadership, New Boldness and New Provision

J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

As I have prayed about the coming year, I’ve sensed three clear directives.

Some people are terrified of 2012. They worry because the Mayans of ancient Mexico mysteriously ended their 5,126-year-old calendar on Dec. 21, 2012—as if they expected the world to end that day. This silly hypothesis became the basis for several New Age books and a goofy disaster movie, 2012, in which actor John Cusack avoids meteors and earthquakes just in time to get his family aboard the modern version of Noah’s ark (built in China!) before the rest of the world is destroyed by a tsunami.

I’m not afraid of 12/21/12 because:

(1) Ancient Mayans never actually said the world would end in 2012—and even if they did, they didn’t have an inside track to God;

(2) Doomsday predictions have never been accurate; and

(3) Jesus holds the future in his hands. As long as I’m in relationship with Him, it doesn’t matter what happens on earth. I’m secure.

“Despite strange weather patterns, global terrorism and the specter of an economic crash, I’m actually optimistic about where we’re headed in 2012.”

Despite strange weather patterns, global terrorism and the specter of an economic crash, I’m actually optimistic about where we’re headed in 2012. And as I have prayed about the coming year, I’ve sensed these three clear directives:

Worship Roster - 1 January 2012 - Communion

*New Year's Day

CM : Liong Kam Chong
WL : Terry Choong
BU : Peggy Tan, Jacquelina Lim, Wong Kai Yew
PN : Lydia Sim
SY :
LG : Chew Weng Ern
BG : Darren Oi
DR : Kenneth Lai
TM : Joycelyn / Lareina / Colleen
LCD : Timothy
PA : Hiew FF, Jeremiah

*as per hardcopy printout

Sunday Sermon - 25-Dec-2011 - Rev Dr Peter Yee

Speaker: Rev. Dr. Peter Yee
Bethel Anglican Centre, Puchong Jaya.

http://www.mediafire.com/?dbm99e3qtgyk77y

Seeking the Savior

Simeon [said], “Can I stay alive until I see him?”

The Magi [said], “Saddle up the camels. We aren’t stopping until we find him.”

The shepherds [said], “Let’s go…. Let’s see.”

They wanted the Savior. They wanted to see Jesus.

They were earnest in their search. One translation renders Hebrews 11:6: “God … rewards those who earnestly seek him” (NIV).

Another reads: “God rewards those who search for him” (Phillips).

And another: “God … rewards those who sincerely look for him” (TLB).

I like the King James translation: “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (italics mine). 

Diligently—what a great word. Be diligent in your search. Be hungry in your quest, relentless in your pilgrimage. Let this book be but one of dozens you read about Jesus and this hour be but one of hundreds in which you seek him. Step away from the puny pursuits of possessions and positions, and seek your king.

Don’t be satisfied with angels. Don’t be content with stars in the sky. Seek him out as the shepherds did. Long for him as Simeon did. Worship him as the wise men did….Risk whatever it takes to see Christ.

God rewards those who seek him. Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus himself.

From

One Incredible Savior: Celebrating the Majesty of the Manger

Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2011) Max Lucado

This Christmas, Take a Moment to Pray for an Iranian Brother

J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

As the world celebrates Jesus’ birth, Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani faces the threat of execution.

Those of us in the West who are blessed with religious freedom think of Christmas as a cheery occasion. But how would you like to spend the holiday in a dark prison cell in Iran—where inmates without any legal protection are sometimes rounded up at night and hanged in secret mass executions?

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been in the Lakan prison, near the city of Rasht, Iran, since October 2009. He was arrested after he complained to authorities that the local school was forcibly teaching Islam to his two sons, Daniel, 9 and Yoel, 7. (The Iranian constitution supposedly guarantees religious freedom.) The charges against the pastor, who leads a 400-member congregation in Rasht, were later changed: He was accused of apostasy and evangelism.

“There are no assurances that [Pastor Youcef] will not be executed. It could happen at any time. This is the way the Iranian government operates with executions. They do not give advance notice and it is done in secret.”

This will be the third Christmas Youcef has spent in a prison cell.

Worship Roster - 25 December 2011

 *Christmas Day

CM : Caleb R
WL : Priscilla Sim
BU : Chow Foong Yee, Christopher Lai, Kenneth Lai
PN : Jocelyn Lee
SY : Jacinta Lee
LG :
BG : Anna Sim
DR : Wong Kai Yew
TM : Joycelyn / Lareina / Colleen
LCD : Joseph Yap
PA : Tommy Quek, Jason

*as per hardcopy printout

Motherhood is a Special Task

QUESTION: More than anything in the world I want to be a good mom to my kids. How can I be the mom God wants me to be?

ANSWER FROM MAX: The virgin birth is more, much more, than a Christmas story. It is a picture of how close Christ will come to you, a mom, as you also bring a child into the world.

Imagine yourself in that story found in Luke 1.

God comes to you and says, “I have a special task for you. A child. A special child that I want to entrust to you. Are you willing to raise this one?”

You stammer, take a breath. “This sounds scary.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there with you. This child is special to me. He will be a great child.”

You shake your head. “Such an awesome responsibility. I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Nothing is impossible with me.”

You smile. “I am your servant. I’ll do it.”

Do we think only one child received God’s special attention? Sure, only one was his Son, and an angel sent out those special birth announcements, accompanied by an angelic choir singing “Happy Birthday.” Of course God pulled out all the stops for Jesus’ birth.

But children aren’t randomly born to parents. God orchestrates the right children to be born to the right parents.

Being the mom God wants you to be starts with the understanding of how important your job is in God’s eyes. He entrusts you with one of his own children. He chose you out of all the moms in the world for this one child.

Remember, you, too, are highly favored by God himself to receive such a special gift.

From Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions

Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2011) Max Lucado

Sunday Sermon - 18-Dec-2011 - Pastor Mike Constantine

Speaker: Pastor Mike Constantine

http://www.mediafire.com/?vi1and3vygi4h04

Four Keys for Making Mr. Right: Part 1

Wives can't change their husbands, but wives can and do have a tremendous influence on their husbands. How can you make that influence positive? Here are the first two of four keys to making Mr. Right: 

Give Him Praise.

Men respond positively to praise. One of the most common complaints men make in my office is: "Dr. Chapman, in my work I am respected. People come to me for advice. But at home, all I get is criticism." What she considers suggestions, he reads as criticism. Her efforts to stimulate growth have backfired.

Give him praise. The fastest way to influence a husband is to give him praise. Praise him for effort, not perfection. You may be asking, but if I praise him for mediocrity, will it not stifle growth? The answer is a resounding "No." Your praise urges him on to greater accomplishments.

My challenge is to look for things your husband is doing right and praise him. Praise him in private, praise him in front of the children, praise him in front of your parents and his parents, praise him in front of his peers. Then stand back and watch him go for the gold.

Make Requests.

None of us like to be controlled, and demands are efforts at controlling. "If you don't mow the grass this afternoon, then I'm going to mow it." I wouldn't make that demand unless you want to be the permanent lawn mower. It is far more effective to say, "Do you know what would really make me happy?" Wait until he asks, "What?" Then say, "If you could find time this afternoon to mow the grass. You always do such a great job." 

Let me illustrate by applying the principle to you. How do you feel when your husband says "I haven't had an apple pie since the baby was born. I don't guess I'm going to get any more apple pies for eighteen years"? Now, doesn't that motivate you? But what if he says, "You know what I'd really like to have? One of your apple pies. You make the best apple pies in the world. Sometime when you get a chance, I'd really love one of your apple pies. Chances are he'll have an apple pie before the week is over. Requests are more productive than demands.

Next Week - Four Keys to Making Mr. Right: Part 2 

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What If Bethlehem Had Smartphones?

J. Lee Grady Newsletters  - Fire In My Bones

I wonder if more people would believe in Jesus if His birth had been a trending topic on Twitter.

Matthew and Luke are the only Gospel writers who wrote about Jesus’ birth, and we aren’t sure who provided them with firsthand reports. Jesus’ mother was among the earliest Christian disciples, so we assume she shared her story with them. All details were passed down orally, without the aid of technology. There were no radios, televisions, tape recorders, iPads, walkie-talkies, cameras, cellphones or fax machines in first century Israel. The only form of “instant messaging” required a guy to run from one king to another over a period of days.

I wonder: What if the key players in the Christmas story had access to wireless devices? Pardon my literary license as I imagine the script:

Facebook update, 01/15/02 B.C., posted 4 hours ago

Elizabeth > Mary

So glad you can visit us! Zacharias is still not talking (so weird!), but his eyes brightened when I told him you were on your way. We are still in awe of God’s goodness to us. I feel so old to be a mom.  Zach says he knows the baby is a boy. We plan to name him John even though our relatives disapprove!

“Of course there was no access to Facebook, Twitter or iPhones when Jesus was born. Yet the story of his birth immediately went viral, and the message the angels told the shepherds is still spreading globally.”

New Kid by Friday- part 6

 http://firststepstoday.com

Over the last few months I’ve been sharing some insights from Dr. Kevin Leman’s book, Have a New Kid by Friday.

These are the last two strategies from Dr. Leman that we will cover in these letters. Strategy one, “Let reality be the teacher.” And the second strategy is, “B doesn’t happen until A is completed.”

He stresses that as much as possible allow natural consequences to teach lessons to your child. Don’t be constantly reminding them of the consequences, just let them feel them. Don’t micromanage your child’s experiences.

For example: as much as possible, feed your children when you eat and give them the same food you eat. Once they get down from the table, the meal is over. So if your child refuses to eat the food you serve, they don’t get anything else to eat until the next regular meal. It is hard to hear them say they are hungry later, but let that empty tummy teach him to eat what is available. He will not starve himself, but he will be extra hungry and willing to eat what’s on the table. (Don’t keep the food he didn’t eat. Each meal should be a new experience.)

Worship Roster - 18 December 2011 - Communion

CM : Tan Hong Lu
WL : Peggy Tan
BU : Ng Siew Pin. Shankar R, Gigi Lim
PN : Priscilla Sim
SY :
LG : Chew Weng Ern
BG : Terry Choong
DR : Darren Oi
TM : Joycelyn / Lareina / Colleen
LCD : Moses Tan, Bryan Tan
PA : Manjit

*as per hardcopy printout

Sunday Sermon - 11-Dec-2011 - Pastor David Chan

Speaker: Pastor David Chan

http://www.mediafire.com/?n23ux2xg08glgs8

Marriage Myth Busters

Unfortunately, many people in desperate marriages base their lives upon commonly held myths. This week I want to expose some of these myths and challenge you to take constructive action in your marriage.

Myth #1

The first myth is the idea that my state of mind and the quality of my marriage is determined by my environment. "I grew up in a dysfunctional family, so I am destined to failure in my relationships." This kind of approach leaves one helpless.

Our environment certainly affects us, but it does not control us.You can keep a positive spirit even in a bad marriage, which will affect your emotions and your actions. God can give peace of mind even in the worst of situations.

Myth #2

You've probably heard this one: "People cannot change." This myth fails to realize the reality of human freedom and the power of God. History is filled with accounts of people who have made radical changes in their behavior. From St. Augustine, who once lived for pleasure and thought his desires were inescapable, to Charles Colson, the Watergate criminal who repented and began an international agency to offer prisoners spiritual help, the record is clear: People can and do change, and often the changes are dramatic!

Don't give up on yourself or your spouse. God is in the business of changing lives. Begin with prayer, and believe that God can and will change you and your spouse.

Tiny Mouth, Tiny Feet

by Max Lucado

God. O infant-God. Heaven’s fairest child. Conceived by the union of divine grace with our disgrace. Sleep well.

Sleep well. Bask in the coolness of this night bright with diamonds. Sleep well, for the heat of anger simmers nearby. Enjoy the silence of the crib, for the noise of confusion rumbles in your future. Savor the sweet safety of my arms, for a day is soon coming when I cannot protect you.

Rest well, tiny hands. For though you belong to a king, you will touch no satin, own no gold. You will grasp no pen, guide no brush. No, your tiny hands are reserved for works more precious:

to touch a leper’s open wound,

to wipe a widow’s weary tear,

to claw the ground of Gethsemane.

Your hands, so tiny, so tender, so white—clutched tonight in an infant’s fist. They aren’t destined to hold a scepter nor wave from a palace balcony. They are reserved instead for a Roman spike that will staple them to a Roman cross.

The Ideal Christmas

by Mark Gungor

Yes, it’s that time of the year again…the most wonderful, happy, and magical season of Christmas! At least that’s what the retailers, songs and TV specials all proclaim starting mid-November. Yet for many people, this whole holiday season starting with Thanksgiving and ending with New Years is anything but wonderful or happy.

Now, there may be a variety of reasons for this. For some people, it is the first year since a loved one has passed away, which makes for sadness. Others experience the whole season being separated by many miles from their family and friends either because of job situations, military commitments or just because they can’t make it home for any given reason.

Some of the things that cause people to be unhappy at Christmas time cannot be helped and they are quite reasonable sources for sad or melancholy feelings. But many people are upset and stressed out during this season by their own doing. And by far, the largest culprit in this is unrealistic expectations of what they think Christmas is supposed to be like.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not a scrooge. I love Christmas and the whole season, but we must remember to keep it in check. People get so caught up in the hustle and bustle, the buying and spending, and the dreams and illusions of what the media tells us we must do and have for it to be the “perfect holiday”, that we lose the real joy that can be a part of celebrating the season.

The Biology of Christmas

J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

The virgin birth contradicts the laws of science. But our faith rests on the miracle of the Incarnation.

My wife and I have four girls, and I was in the hospital room for each birth. There was a normal amount of blood, but no serious complications. Our oldest took forever to be born. Our second was in such a hurry that we thought she might end up on the floor of a hospital hallway. Our third tied her umbilical cord in knots in the womb. And our youngest calmly slipped out as if to say: “OK, I’m born. What’s next?”

I had very little to do in the delivery room. My wife was the hero. She sweated, strained, pushed and gasped for hours. I stroked her arm a few times—and ate some doughnuts.

“The concept of a woman giving birth to a baby without a man’s involvement is ludicrous to unbelievers. It contradicts all the laws of biology.”

Normal births are amazing, whether they occur in hospitals or homes or the back seats of taxis. But when I consider the birth of Jesus, I’m in total awe—not just because of Mary and Joseph’s bumpy ride from Nazareth, Mary’s lack of a doctor (and no anesthesia!) and the crudeness of the manger, but also because of how Jesus was conceived. Mary was a virgin. Joseph, the “father,” had nothing to do but stand in the background.

Worship Roster 11-Dec-2011 to 26-Feb-2012

Worship roster for 11-Dec-2011 to 26-Feb-2012

Please view it here.

Worship Roster - 11 December 2011

CM : Tom C.
WL : Chow Foong Yee
BU : Tan Hong Lu, Colleen Chang, Lareina Chang
PN : Christopher Lai
SY :
LG :
BG : Kenneth Lai
DR : Anna Sim
TM :
LCD : Timothy
PA : Hiew FF, Jeremiah

*as per hardcopy printout

Sunday Sermon - 4-Dec-2011 - Bro. Liong Kam Chong

Speaker: Bro. Liong Kam Chong
White Fields Assembly, Seremban

http://www.mediafire.com/?klssuglbxsx0pza

A Wreath Observed

by Dr. Gary Chapman

What's the best Christmas present you can give your kids this year? An iPad? An e-reader?

The other day in the car, Colin asked if we could get a bigger Christmas tree. The one we chose is puny, evidently. I think he wants more room for presents.

That caused me to think about what I really want to give them. I love giving toys, trinkets, gadgets, and giz. I love giving books and gift cards and musical instruments. I love the feeling of watching them open a present and seeing the recognition on their faces that someone knows them, sees inside their souls well enough to get that DVD or pair of woolen socks.

But the truth is, the greatest gift I can give my children can't be placed under a tree, no matter how big it is. The greatest gift I can give my family is a commitment to my marriage and the fortitude to work on that relationship no matter what.

On the cover of the book, A Marriage Carol, there is a Christmas wreath. And below that, the door knocker is in the shape of an engagement ring. These circles represent something that will last, something that has no end. The contents of the book, we hope, will encourage couples to continue the struggle, continue to fight for their marriage even if things seem bleak.

If your relationship is frosty, cold, or almost dead, all the trinkets, toys, and gadgets in the world will not make your kids happy. Their real happiness comes in the security they feel with two parents who are committed enough to each other not to quit, but to humble themselves and go to work.

If you're married, give the gift that will keep giving to your children, your friends, everyone around you, and also yourself. Give the gift of commitment.

No wrapping paper or bow needed.

GUEST POST BY: Chris Fabry

CHRIS FABRY is a graduate of W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and Moody Bible Institute's Advanced Studies Program. Chris can be heard daily on Love Worth Finding, featuring the teaching of the late Dr. Adrian Rogers. He received the 2008 "Talk Personality of the Year" Award from the National Religious Broadcasters. He has published more than 60 books since 1995, many of them fiction for younger readers. Chris collaborated with Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye on the children's series Left Behind: The Kids. His two novels for adults, Dogwood and June Bug, are published by Tyndale House Publishers. Chris is married to his wife Andrea and they have five daughters and four sons. You can find out more about Chris at his website.

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From One Father to Another

by Max Lucado

This isn’t the way I planned it, God. Not at all. My child being born in a stable? This isn’t the way I thought it would be. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain?

This isn’t at all what I imagined. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation.

That’s how I thought it would be.

But now…Who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds?

The stars?

This doesn’t seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey.

Did I miss something? Did I, God?

Download : NECF Prayer Bulletin

NECF Monthly Prayer Bulletin - December 2011

Download it HERE