Asking Men More than Once? What's Your Alternative?

This clip is from Mark Gungor's Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar, available on DVD at http://shopping.laughyourway.com/

Do you hate having to ask your husband repeatedly to do things, even after 15+ years of marriage? Shouldn't he have learned by now? If he has not learned, Mark raises the question of what's your alternative in this bonus video clip from his Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar.

Sunday Sermon - 30-Sept-2012 - Dr. Paul Ang

Speaker: Dr. Paul Ang

http://www.mediafire.com/?z4xgwpvurx29018

I’m Sorry if This Article Offends You. Please Forgive Me.

from Charisma Magazine (Jennifer LeClaire)

When I went to journalism school, they told me I needed to develop thick skin. People don’t always like what you write, even when it’s 100 percent accurate.

When I went into ministry, they told me I needed to develop a big heart to go along with that thick skin. People don’t always like what you say, even when it’s 100 percent in love. But you have to love even your worst detractors.

That’s never been truer than in recent months. Most of you seem to enjoy this weekly column, but you’d be surprised at the vitriolic (a fancy writer’s word to describe acidic speech) emails I get from some readers. It never feels particularly good for people to judge your heart.

In the early days of ministry, my skin was so thin you could practically see my heart beating through my chest. I could literally feel the adrenaline flowing through my body as I digested the verbal attacks. I sent the hate mail I received around to all my trusted friends so they could assure me I was on the side of truth. I used to get offended at some of the hate-mail writers who mocked my physical appearance, even down to the color of my hair.

I'm Always Wrong...

Selfishness is the greatest barrier to intimacy, and we are all infected with the disease. By nature we all believe that our way is the best way. There is only one right way to load a dishwasher and that's my way. One wife said: "My husband's idea of communication is 'Sit down and let me tell you how things are going to be.'" I'm always wrong. He is always right. How can you communicate with a person like that?
 

There are two ways to respond to such a spouse:

Loving confrontation:  "Darling, I love you very much and I want to believe that you love me, but I don't feel very loved when you speak to me like I'm a child and you are God. That you always know what is best and my ideas don't count. Do you understand what I'm saying?" This is the road of loving confrontation.

Modeling love:  "Darling, more than anything I want to be the spouse that God wants me to be. I want to meet your needs and I want to encourage you to reach your potential for God. How may I help you most?" You are modeling the unselfish, unconditional love of God. Nothing is more powerful than a Godly model.

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages

Quotes from 'Eyes Wide Open' by Tony Reinke (2)

The following quotes are taken from Steve DeWitt's outstanding book, Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything (Credo House, 2012).

“The fall from created perfection to sinful imperfection has darkened our understanding and our thinking has become futile (Ephesians 4:17–18). The result is that we are confused about where to place the glory. Beauty still creates wonder, and wonder still searches for someone to give glory for the beauty. Without God, however, we are left to worship the artist or simply the beauty for its own sake. We worship created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). Our wonder turns onto itself. We worship things, stuff, and matter. This is the bane and emptiness of materialism. Image-bearers designed for a life of meaning lived in relationship with God are emptied of significance by bowing to an ‘it.’ The only way an image-bearer of God could descend to such an inane level is for a lie to be mistaken for the truth (Romans 1:25). This is what has happened, and is happening, all over the world.” (92–93)

“Each election cycle creates fervor over the next perceived messianic politician. Mankind intuitively places their hopes and allegiance in a perceived great one. We want someone we can look up to, believe in, and identify with. Image-bearers need a hero. More specifically, fallen humanity needs a Savior. All the beauty longings of our heart scream for just one beauty that restores, fulfills, and endures. Christianity heralds just such a beautiful one: Jesus Christ.” (98)

A Spiritual MRI

We can’t live with foreign objects buried in our bodies. Or our souls!

What would an X-ray of your interior reveal?  Remorse over a poor choice?  Shame about the marriage that didn’t work, the temptation you didn’t resist?  Guilt lies hidden beneath the surface, festering, irritating.  Sometimes so deeply embedded you don’t know the cause.

And you can be touchy, you know.  Understandable, since you have a shank of shame lodged in your soul.  Interested in an extraction?

Confess!  Request a spiritual MRI.  Like the one in Psalm 139:23- 24:  “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Confessors find a freedom that deniers don’t.  If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins!  He will cleanse us.  Not might, could, would, or should.  He WILL!

From: GRACE

Standards

Quotes from 'Eyes Wide Open' by Tony Reinke

The following quotes are taken from Steve DeWitt's outstanding book, Eyes Wide Open: Enjoying God in Everything (Credo House, 2012).

“Created beauty eclipses God’s beauty in the desire factory of man’s heart. It is a case of mistaken identity. Every created beauty was created by God to lead our affections to Him. That’s why He made the pleasures of earthly beauty so fleeting — so that on the other side of the pleasure we might experience either wonder and worship and ultimate satisfaction in God or the pursuit of the pleasure that beauty provides for its own sake. If we choose the latter, we will only be disappointed again.” (7)

“What if we were to realize that every sunset viewed, every sexual intimacy enjoyed, every favorite food savored, every song sung or listened to, every home decorated, and every rich moment enjoyed in this life isn’t ultimately about itself but is an expression and reflection of God’s essential character? Wouldn’t such beautiful and desirable reflections mean that their Source must be even more beautiful — and, ultimately, most desirable?” (8)

“The greatest wonder is not the music itself but the Musician, not the creation but the Creator. He is beautiful.” (9)

A Radical Reliance on Grace

One day it dawned on me.  I had become the very thing I hate:  a hypocrite.  A pretender.  Two-faced.

I’d written sermons about people like me.  Christians who care more about appearance than integrity.  I knew what I needed to do.  I’d written sermons about that, too.

1st John 1:8-9 says:  “If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right.”

Confession is not complaining.  If I merely recite my problems and rehash my woes, I’m whining.  Pointing fingers at others without pointing any at me feels good, but it doesn’t promote healing.  Confession is a radical reliance on grace.  A proclamation of our trust in God’s goodness.

Great grace creates honest confession!

From: GRACE

31 Days to a Happy Husband

Interview with Arlene Pellicane from Start Marriage Right

Q: What motivated you to write 31 Days to a Happy Husband ?

Arlene Pellicane: I’m in the stage of my married life where kids can take over (mine are 2, 5 and 8). I see that’s the case for many wives who pour themselves into parenting or their career. Husbands can be put on the back burner indefinitely yet the marriage relationship is THE priority relationship for any wife. This book helps spotlight the husband!

Q: Why do you believe a wife’s affirmation of her husband is vital to a happy marriage?

Arlene: Your husband desperately needs a cheerleader—someone as a constant support in good times and bad. Words from others mean something, but over and over, I heard that the words from wives mean the most. We need to stop demanding perfection -making our husbands feel like they can’t live up to our expectations. Instead we need to look for things we can sincerely praise. Thank you for picking up dinner tonight. That really saved me some time and stress.

Q: What are the five guidelines regarding a D.R.E.A.M. marriage?

Domestic Tranquility: Your husband needs a peaceful haven.

Respect: Your husband needs to respected in his own home.

Eros: Your husband needs to be sexually fulfilled.

Attraction: Your husband needs to be attracted to you.

Mutual Activities: Your husband needs to have fun with you.

Marriage Promise

Marriage is complicated, yet beautifully simple. Use this movie to illustrate the value of holiness over happiness in this sacred union of souls.

Not Just Mercy, but Grace

We are poor, spiritually for sure; monetarily, perhaps.  We’ve buried our dreams, desires, and aspirations.  Like the mother with Lupus or the businessman in the unemployment line, we’re out of options.

Yet Christ approached us “while we were yet sinners!”  “Will you cover us?” we asked him, and Grace smiled.

Not just mercy, mind you, but grace.  Grace goes beyond mercy.  Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance.  Grace threw him a party.  Mercy prompted the Samaritan to bandage the wounds of the victim.  Grace prompted him to leave his credit card as payment for the victim’s care. Mercy forgave the thief on the cross.  Grace escorted him into paradise.

Mercy pardons us.  Grace woos and weds us. Grace does this.  God does this.  Grace is God walking into your world with a sparkle in his eye and an offer that’s hard to resist!

“Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5″

From: GRACE

Are You Dragging a Ball and Chain Behind You?

If you are bound by a life-controlling sin, don’t suffer in silence. Salvation includes freedom from spiritual bondage.

Some people are transformed overnight when they surrender their lives to Jesus. They throw their drugs out the window, apologize to the people they’ve wronged, break off unhealthy relationships and make a 180-degree turnaround. I love dramatic conversions.

But the process of change is slower for most of us. While the new birth is indeed an instantaneous experience, salvation is not. We aren’t just “saved” in an emotional moment at a church altar; we are “being saved” on a daily basis. Like Lazarus, who emerged from his tomb wrapped in grave clothes, we can experience the miracle of salvation and yet remain bound.

Jesus told those standing near Lazarus, “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:44, NASB). We too need someone to unwrap us.

“Many Christians who struggle with secret sin or emotional baggage stuff their problems under the proverbial rug and pretend to be free. But their masquerade usually does not end well.”

I minister to countless Christians who struggle with various forms of brokenness. Some are addicted to behaviors or substances; others are emotionally crippled because of their upbringing; still others are haunted by childhood trauma. Often our advice to them is as insensitive as it is unrealistic. We say: “Get over it. If you’re a Christian, you can’t struggle with those things.”

Grace Soaked

Most people keep a pot of anger on low boil!  But you aren’t most people.

Look at your feet.  They’re wet, grace soaked.  Jesus has washed the grimiest parts of your life.

To accept grace is the vow to give it.  You don’t endorse the deeds of your offender when you do.  Jesus didn’t endorse your sins by forgiving you.

Grace doesn’t tell the daughter to like the father who molested her.  The grace-defined person still sends thieves to jail and expects an ex to pay child support.   Grace sees the hurt full well.  But it refuses to let hurts poison the heart.  Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds.  Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows.

Go ahead.  Set your feet in the basin.  Let the hands of God wipe away every dirty part of your life.  Then look across the room.   Let forgiveness happen with you!

From: GRACE

Grace Chooses to See Forgiveness

Victoria Ruvolo doesn’t remember the 18-year-old boy leaning out the window holding, of all things, a frozen turkey.  He threw it at her windshield.  Crashing through the glass, it shattered Victoria’s face like a dinner plate on concrete.

John 13:14-15 says:  “Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  Do as I have done to you.”

Victoria Ruvolo did.  Months later, she stood face to face with her offender in court.  No longer cocky, he was trembling, tearful, and apologetic.  Six months behind bars, five years’ probation.  Everyone in the courtroom objected.  He sobbed, and she spoke:  “I forgive you. I want your life to be the best it can be.”

The reduced sentence was her idea.  “God gave me a second chance at life, and I passed it on” she said!

Grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness!
 

From: GRACE

Wants Sex All the Time

This clip is from Mark Gungor's Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar, available on DVD at http://shopping.laughyourway.com/

In this clip Mark tackles the topic of "my husband wants sex all the time." Is it normal? Do I really need to oblige him? Listen on for Mark's take on the situation.

Sunday Sermon - 23-Sept-2012 - Dr John Lee

Speaker: Dr. John Lee
Full Gospel Assembly Batu Pahat

http://www.mediafire.com/?x4azccvd1az0ftn

One Way Ticket to Bitterness

Do you find yourself overreacting to little irritations? Your spouse forgot the milk. Your child tracked mud on the new carpet, and you explode. There is a good chance that you are suffering from stored anger. You've held all of these hurts inside and now your stored anger is showing up in your behavior. In my book Anger, I talk about getting rid of this.

When is the last time someone deeply hurt you? How did you respond? Jesus gave clear instructions: When we are mistreated, we are to lovingly confront the person who hurt us and seek reconciliation. 

One of the common problems I encounter in the counseling office is people who are eaten up with anger. In an effort to be good Christians, they've held their anger inside. Anger held inside leads to bitterness, hatred, and often depression.

If you have internalized your anger for a long time, it's time to release it to God. Tell God how much you have been hurt. Then, release the person and your anger to God. When you release people to God, you put them in good hands.

So Many Hurts

If hurts were hairs—we’d all look like grizzlies!

So many hurts.  When teachers ignore your work, their neglect hurts. When your girlfriend drops you, when your husband abandons you, when the company fires you, it hurts.  Rejection always does.  People bring pain.

Sometimes deliberately.  Sometimes randomly.

So where do you turn?  Hitman.com?  Jim Beam and friends?  Pity Party Catering Service?  Retaliation has its appeal.  But Jesus has a better idea!

Grace is not blind.  It sees the hurt full well.  But Grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness even more.  Hebrews 12:15 asks us to, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds.  Where grace abounds,  forgiveness grows.  Forgiveness may not happen all at once.  But it can happen with you.

From: GRACE

Enough of This Frenzy

Attempts at “self-salvation” guarantee nothing but exhaustion.  We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges and brownie points, and scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments.  The result?  The weariest people on earth.  We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection.  Call us the church of hound-dog faces and slumped shoulders.

Stop it!  Once and for all, enough of this frenzy!

Hebrews 13:9 tells us, “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.”  Just the opposite.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus promises: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

There’s no fine print.  A second shoe isn’t going to drop.  God’s promise has no hidden language.

Let Grace happen.  You have His unending affection.  Stretch yourself out in the hammock of Grace.  You can rest now!

From: GRACE

Why Terry Jones Doesn’t Speak for Me

The Florida pastor says he’s on a mission from God. But I can’t see in Scripture where God calls us to spew hate speech.

I recently spent time with two of my daughters and their husbands at a frozen yogurt shop in downtown Gainesville, Fla., on a quiet Saturday evening. It’s a good thing it wasn't Friday, because controversial pastor Terry Jones—who was indirectly linked to last week’s violent outbreaks in the Middle East—has been known to stir up trouble at the corner of SE Second Avenue and SE First Street.

Members of Jones’ tiny church, Dove World Outreach Center, often use megaphones to tell pedestrians they are going to hell. The angry street preachers blast homosexuals, President Obama, Muslims and any Christians who believe in tolerance. Sometimes restaurant patrons are forced to leave their patio tables and move indoors to escape the unwanted tongue-lashings.

"A person who claims to be a Christian, but whose life is characterized by hate speech might need to reevaluate whether he really knows God at all."

Jones makes local news in Gainesville because of his attention-getting antics. Earlier this year he hanged President Obama in effigy on his church property (until the mannequin mysteriously disappeared). His members sometimes wear “Islam Is of the Devil” T-shirts. And back in 2010, when openly gay mayoral candidate Craig Lowe was running for office, the church launched a campaign against him with signs that said, “NO HOMO MAYOR.”

Let Grace Happen

I became a Christian about the same time I became a Boy Scout and made the assumption God grades on a merit system. Good scouts move up. Good people go to heaven.

I resolved to amass a multitude of spiritual badges. I worked toward the day when God, amid falling confetti and dancing cherubim, would drape my badge-laden sash across my chest, welcome me into his eternal kingdom, where I could humbly display my badges for eternity.

But some thorny questions surfaced. How good is good? What is the permitted percentage of exaggeration?

Ephesians 2:8 says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

Unearned. A gift. Our merits merit nothing.

Let grace happen, for heaven’s sake. Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. You have it!

From: GRACE

Oh My Larry!

The name of God is tossed around so loosely these days, it's hard to know whether He's truly respected. If you've ever wondered about the holiness of His name, take a look at this movie.

Make it Personal

Christ took away your sins. He endured not just the nails of the Romans, the mockery of the crowd, and the spear of the soldier, but the anger of God!

God didn’t overlook your sins, lest he endorse them. He didn’t punish you lest he destroy you.  He instead found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner.  Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you the credit for Jesus’ perfection.  As long as the cross is God’s gift to the world, it will touch you but not change you.

Precious as it is to proclaim, “Christ died for the world,” even sweeter it is to whisper, “Christ died for me!”

For my sins he died. He took my place on the cross. He felt my shame and

spoke my name. Thank God for the day Jesus took your place, for the day Grace happened to you!

From: GRACE

Grace Happened

We are incarcerated by our past, our low-road choices, and our high-minded pride.  We have been found guilty!

Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting the final moment. We don’t look up as he opens the door.  We know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.”  But we hear something else!  “You’re free to go.  They took Jesus instead of you!”

The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out.”  And we find ourselves  shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, what just happened?

Grace happened!  Christ took away your sins.

Romans 3 says: “God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. For  God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.”

What happened?  Grace happened!

From: GRACE

Women's Self Image

This clip is from Mark Gungor's Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar, available on DVD at http://shopping.laughyourway.com/

In this clip Mark encourages men to step up and help build up the self-image of women and children in his household.

Sunday Sermon - 16-Sept-2012 - Young Adults Team

Speakers:
Bro. Lim Jiann Neng, Bro. Ronnie Lim & Bro. Tan Hong Lu

Youth Adults Life Group
White Fields Assembly Seremban

http://www.mediafire.com/?x9r8ew1ldw4e9px

D40 : Celebrating a Truly Liberated and Free Malaysia!

Psalms 103: 6–12 declares that the Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He does not deal with us according to our sins nor repays us according to our iniquities, for as high as the heavens, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fears him. To realize Jubilee for the nation, the church needs to surrender the destiny of this nation to the Lord. We must acknowledge that our Lord is a sovereign God who is gracious and merciful and yet one who works righteousness and justice. This is where our hope for Jubilee and for a truly liberated and free Malaysia lies. As we praise and worship our Lord for this, we can trust and count on Him as the one who will truly bring about reconciliation, redemption and restoration to all that is lost in Malaysia and for His people. And as we experience redemption and restoration, we will also experience that He is gracious, compassionate and good!

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for the church to put her full confidence in God. • Pray for God’s sovereign purpose to be fulfilled. • Pray that Malaysia will enter into her Jubilee.

An Advocate

Not all guilt is bad.  God uses appropriate doses of guilt to awaken us to sin!

God’s guilt brings enough regret to change us! Satan’s guilt brings enough regret to enslave us.  Don’t let him lock his shackles on you.

Colossians 3:3 reminds us, “your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

When he looks at you, he sees Jesus first.  In the Chinese language the word for “righteousness” is a combination of two characters, the figure of a lamb and a person.  The lamb is on top, covering the person.  Whenever God looks down at you, this is what he sees:  The perfect Lamb of God covering you.

It boils down to this choice:  Do you trust your Advocate—God or your Accuser—Satan?  Give no heed to Satan’s voice.  You have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous!

From: GRACE

When Your Spouse Irritates You

If you entered marriage believing that you could merge lives effortlessly, the first thing you need to do is change your expectations. The truth is, living together requires many adjustments.

Remember this is not like trying to put up with a college roommate or the person splitting the rent in your apartment, where you can choose to ignore minor irritations or strange habits until the end of the lease. This is your life partner, the one you vowed to stay with until death. And not just stay together, but build an intimate relationship. This week we'll talk about bringing two lives together in harmony.

You found out he snores like a lumberjack. She squeezes the toothpaste in the middle. He thinks Burger King and laser tag are the ingredients of a romantic evening. She sings the wrong lyrics to every song on the radio.

The key to working through such irritations is to keep them in their proper perspective.  Don't turn molehills into mountains.  There is so much about each other that made you fall in love with each other, focus on these things when the little annoyances seem to become big annoyances.

Too many couples view marriage as the finish line of their relationship. They work and work to make it to their wedding day, then sit back and wait for "happily ever after" to begin.  If you didn't enter marriage with a strategy for keeping the relationship alive then you're in trouble. The wedding is the first step, not the final one. To make your relationship work over the long haul, you need to put the same kind of time, energy, and effort into it after the wedding that you did when you were dating.

How did you act when you were dating?  Did you give gifts?  Did you always make sure that you had quality time for each other?  What are some ways that you can keep that love for each other alive beyond the "in love" feelings?

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages   

D39 : Transcending Racial Divisions

Historically, politics in Malaysia has always been premised on communal lines. We see this in the composition of the three main component parties within the ruling coalition which are formed along racial-ethnic distinctions. Over the years, this has lead to segregation and polarisation of Malaysian society rather than a people united. Although it was our founding fathers’ aspiration that citizens of this land and the various ethnic communities come together and acknowledge themselves as “Malaysians” first rather than according to ethnic lines, the stark reality is that this aspiration still remains a dream. The time has come for the nation to abandon such a narrow and myopic mindset in favour of a more liberated outlook that truly represents the collective identity and will of the people as Malaysians.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for Jubilee to bring the people of various communities together. • Pray for the church to exemplify such unity and harmony in the nation.

Jesus Looks Beyond Politics

In today’s hot-headed presidential debate, it might be better for some of us to keep our mouths shut.

People didn't vote in ancient Israel, nor did they put “KICK THE ROMANS OUT!” bumper stickers on their chariots. But there was plenty of political anger seething in Palestine, even without Fox News, CNN and MSNBC around to stir the pot.

Jews especially abhorred tax-collectors, since (1) tax-collectors were usually thieves, and (2) they worked for the hated Roman Empire. Yet when a chief tax-collector named Zacchaeus showed up to hear Jesus preach in Jericho, Jesus did an unlikely thing. He called Zacchaeus down from his perch in a sycamore tree and proposed a meeting at his house.

“It’s not just political commentators who are screaming at each other like banshees on Sunday-morning talk shows; Christians are unfriending each other on Facebook because campaign rhetoric has grown so mean and hateful. We can’t even eat a chicken sandwich without triggering a war of words.”

I’m sure the crowd was shocked that a holy rabbi who honored the Ten Commandments would fraternize with one of Caesar’s cronies. They probably expected Jesus to give Zacchaeus a stern lecture on the evils of embezzlement. But the Bible doesn’t say Jesus talked to him about his fraud or the injustice of Roman occupation. Their meeting was not about politics.

Satan’s Condemnation

Satan’s condemnation brings no repentance or resolve, just regret!

Satan has one aim:  steal your peace, kill your dreams, and destroy your future.

He’s deputized people to peddle his poison.  Friends dredge up your past. Preachers proclaim all guilt and no grace.  And parents, oh, your parents.  They own a travel agency that specializes in guilt trips.  “Why can’t you grow up?”  “When are you going to make me proud?”

But he will not have the last word!  Jesus has acted on your behalf.  Jesus Christ rises to your defense.

Hebrews 10:21 urges:  “. . .let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience.”

Not just for our past mistakes but also for our future ones.  Behold the fruit of grace: saved by God, raised by God, seated with God!

Gifted, equipped, and commissioned!

From: GRACE

D38 : Standing Against Religious Intolerance

The Federal Constitution provides that all religions may be practiced in peace and harmony and that every person has the right to profess and practice his religion. This the right of every religion to manage its own religious affairs without interference and undue influence. Recent events have demonstrated that this is not the case. Today, religious intolerance is on the rise. Religious authorities want to restrict the rights of others to profess and practice their faith. All sorts of dictates and conditions are now placed on believers of other religions in the practices and profession of their faith. The religious authorities also do not seem to respect the institutions of other religions and arbitrary do what serves their interests. Such an attitude and way of life will not create harmony and will eventually lead to fraction and division in society.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for continued religious liberty in this land. • Pray for religious intolerance to be wiped out. • Pray for the Lord to liberate those who are victims of religious intolerance. • Pray for the church to stand firm against this evil.

Scrambled Eggs

by Mark Gungor

For the past few years I have been answering questions from listeners on my daily program The Mark Gungor Show. We receive a wide range of issues from people all over the world who tune in asking for advice on dating, sex, parenting, theology, in-laws…you name it, we get it. My answers are brutally honest, biblically based, common sense (which isn’t so common) and quite hilarious at times. In the many, many questions we get, one theme is extremely common: “Pastor, how can I unscramble the eggs?”

Let me explain.

A lot of dilemmas that people find themselves in stem from their own choices, actions and behaviors. Maybe they were sexually promiscuous for years, went down the path of viewing pornography and masturbating since they were teenagers, neglected their marriage and treated their spouse horribly, committed adultery, got divorced, entered into a step-family situation…the list can go on. The source or cause of the current issues and problems can be interchangeable, but the same question comes forth. They want to know how they can fix it, undo it and “make it normal”.

Take the Risk of Faith

from Charisma Magazine by danielle.tomlinson@strang.com (Naomi Dowdy)

Shake off your shackles and be made whole. The same faith that saved you will restore you in every way.

While in India on a ministry trip a number of years ago, I was in my hotel room preparing for a healing crusade when a magazine caught my attention. Inside, an article titled "The Unalterable Course of Destiny" dealt with the subject of something we refer to as "fate."

According to the writer, we should understand that our lives are predetermined to be a certain way, and nothing can be done to change it. To accept this is to be governed by a fatalistic attitude that essentially says, "I am a victim of circumstances I cannot alter."

If we really accepted this as truth, then we have to say there is no use trying. After all, our destiny is unalterable, and our hands are tied. Why get up in the morning? You might as well stay in bed.

As crazy as this seems, we do believe these things in America—more than we are willing to admit. This is an escapist mind-set that discourages us from taking any responsibility for our lives.

When your fate is fixed, you have no hope for change in your circumstances. Consequently, there is no need to resist anything, even the social and religious systems that come against you as a woman with a ministry calling. If fate is at work, your destiny is set, right?

Wrong! I believe God is challenging our thinking on this subject. He wants to tell us something about how we view the circumstances that attempt to hold us captive in our lives.

In the Scriptures, the story of the woman plagued with an issue of blood is often told from the standpoint of the woman's need for physical healing. However, when we take a closer look, we can see that her testimony also has to do with complete restoration and a breakthrough to a new level of faith and power. It's about the overlooked element of risk that is essential to the activation of faith.

Voices in Our Head

Voices of ‘failure’ in our world.  Voices of ‘not good enough’ in our head. Who is this morality patrolman who issues a citation at every stumble?  Does he ever shut up?   No. Because Satan never shuts up!

Revelation 12:9-10 says, “For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth, the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night.”

Relentless, tireless.  The Accuser makes a career out of accusing. But he will not have the last word.  Jesus has acted on our behalf.  He stooped.  Low enough to be spat upon, nailed, and speared.  Low.  Low enough to be buried.

And then he stood up.  Romans 8;34 promises:  He is in the presence of God  at this very moment sticking up for us. A clean conscience.  A clean record. Free from condemnation.

New life in Christ.  GRACE!

From: GRACE

D37 : Towards a Corruption-free Society

Transparency International (Malaysia) has defined corruption as the “abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. In Biblical terms, corruption includes all that which distorts and brings decay due to the ravages of sin, the consequences of which is death to the nation and society. It includes bribery, illegal activities and all that is scandalous both private and publicly. For the third consecutive year, Malaysia witnessed a decline in her Corruption Perception Index. In 2011, Malaysia’s score of 4.3 is slightly lower than 4.4 recorded in 2010 (1). It is significantly lower than the government’s benchmark of 4.9. Although public awareness against bribery and corruption has arisen, not enough is being done to combat corruption on the grand scale. These include the practice of awarding mega projects and contracts without open tender, limited access to information that encourages secrecy and the close ties between business and politics in Malaysia.

(1)The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is a composite index, a combination of polls showing how corrupt a public sector of a country is perceived to be. The index is a spectrum ranging from 1 which is the worst, to 10 which is the best.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for a culture of righteousness, transparency and morality to be restored and upheld. • Pray that the government will have the will and determination to stem out corrupt practices. • Pray for the church to be a beacon of light in our lives and daily practices so that we may be examples of ethical integrity to the nation.

A Second Chance

She was only five years old when you took the photo.  Cheeks freckled by the summer sun, hair in pigtails.  That was twenty years ago.  Three marriages ago.  A million flight miles and e-mails ago.

Today she walks down the aisle on the arm of another father.  You left your family bobbing in the wake of your high-speed career.  Now that you have what you wanted, you don’t want it at all.  Oh, to have a second chance.

1st John 4:15 says, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

He re-purposes bad decisions and squalid choices.  Saved by grace is to be saved by Him.  He placed a term limit on sin and danced a victory jig in a graveyard.

God can do something with the mess of your life. Grace is what you need!

From: GRACE

Enjoy this e-booklet, The Gospel of Second Chances, and other free resources at MaxLucado.com.

D36 : Liberating The Oppressed

Minority communities such as the Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak have long been neglected. For the Orang Asli, many have not had title deeds to their land and run the risk of losing their land. We also know that many who have dwelled on their land for centuries from one generation to the next have not had their land recognised as Orang Asli land. Consequently, the Orang Asli are always subjected to abuse, discrimination and oppression, whether religious, racial or economic. Likewise, the natives or Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak face similar abuses, discrimination and oppression. Constitutionally, although the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are as privileged as the Malays to receive certain preferential treatment, in reality, it is often not the case.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray that the government will recognise the Orang Asli’s rights to their land. • Pray for capable leaders to rise among the Orang Asli to represent their people. • Pray for all Orang Asli, and bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak to enjoy the same privileges as their Malay counterparts.

Christ In You

When grace happens, Christ enters.  Christ in you, the hope of glory!

For many years, I missed this truth.  I believed all the other prepositions:

Christ for me, with me, ahead of me.  But I never imagined that Christ was in me.

I can’t blame my deficiency on Scripture. Paul refers to it 216 times.  John mentions it 26.  No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim.  No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers.

Muhammad does not indwell Muslims.  Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists.

Influence?  Instruct?  Yes.  But occupy?  No.

The mystery in a nutshell is Colossians 1:27:  “Christ is in you!”

The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening!  We sense his re-arranging.  He’s turning debris into the divine, a pig’s ear into silk purse.  Little by little a new image emerges!

God’s Grace!

From: GRACE

D35 : Towards Poverty Reduction

Poverty deprives a person of his or her basic needs and consequently their welfare. It destroys a person and his or her family units. Many poor are women who are single heads of their households. Unmitigated poverty eventually leads to a breakdown in community. Poverty may be likened to sin that corrupts the body and eventually the soul. In line with the coming Jubilee of the nation, the church as the redemptive body of Christ must continue to pray against poverty and act by removing the barriers to sufficient income. By doing so, the church is alleviating the plight of the poor and hopeless as well as uplifting their social status for restoration and well being.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray that the Lord will break and remove the poverty cycle in Malaysia. • Pray that the government will always have the interest of the poor at heart. • Pray that the church will continue her good works to address the root causes of poverty.

Israel & New Breed - Alpha & Omega

You are Alpha and Omega
We worship you our Lord
You are worthy to be praised

We give you all the glory
We worship you our Lord
You are worthy to be praised

Sunday Sermon - 9-Sept-2012 - Elder Sim Say Khim

Speaker: Elder Sim Say Khim
White Fields Assembly Seremban

http://www.mediafire.com/?jaixqp82kp1gy8n

D34 : Stepping Forward to Global Missions

The growth and spread of Christianity in Sarawak has its genesis in the commitment of overseas missionaries from various denominations. There were many humble beginnings and these began with the most basic means of blessing the community – primarily through education and medical services. Many influential people in Sarawak, both in the public and private sectors, came from mission schools. Surely this is a testament to the commitment and sacrifices the early missionaries have made. In those days, it took months to sail from their homelands to Sarawak’s shores. It is time for the churches in Sarawak to rise up and take on Jesus’ vision for the nations. The world has gotten smaller because of air travel, and connectivity in communication means a message from one part of the world is received within a few seconds at the most!

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for God’s grace and blessings on Sarawak churches to send more missionaries and church planters from Sarawak. • Pray for genuine joy and personal victories in Sarawak churches as the launch pad into world missions. • Pray for abundant blessings on Sarawak churches so that great resources will be released for world missions.

The Trouble with Focusing on Your Marriage

from Desiring God Blog by David Mathis

Focusing on your marriage can be a good thing. And it can really mess you up.

It depends on what kind of focusing you’re doing. If it involves a season for extra attention and conscientiousness and investment, to deepen the roots, or to heal — and so to better reflect Jesus and his bride — that can be a Godsend. Many of us have profited from seasons like this, and perhaps should do this more often.

But there’s another kind of focusing on your marriage — and in particular, the good effects of marriage — that can actually rob marriage of its God-designed, world-transforming power.

Marriage’s Amazing Effects

Marriage is an extraordinary reality, which bears extraordinary fruit not only in the church, but also in society. It’s a tragic sign that a tsunami of pain is coming when a civilization begins tinkering with its conception of marriage.

The good effects include, among other things, improved health, employment, increased earnings, the material success of children, even the remedying of poverty. Marriage holds unparalleled societal sway in benefitting the poor, minorities, and children.

I'm Sorry, But...

"I'm sorry but if you had not provoked me, I would not have lost my temper." That is not an apology. It is blaming your spouse for your poor behavior.  Sincere regret needs to stand alone. It should not be followed with "But..." One husband said, "Her apologies always come across as attacks on me. She says she's sorry but then she blames me. To me that's not an apology."

How about you? When you say, "I'm sorry," do you use the word 'but"? If so, then you're not apologizing. You are blaming. You are creating resentment inside your spouse. They have a hard time forgiving you because in their mind you are not apologizing. In the future, try eliminating the 'buts'.

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages

D33 : Economic Development

Sarawak’s economy is based largely upon her vast natural resources. The major sectors of economy are Mining, Timber, Agriculture, Tourism, Construction, Manufacturing and Services. Although Sarawak is blessed with abundance of natural resources, the high proportion of poor people and low number of middle-income Sarawakians leave much to be desired in terms of a healthy economy.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for a better business climate in Sarawak through Government support by education, incentives initiatives and infrastructures. • Pray for more jobs to draw professionally trained Sarawakians home to promote state development. • Pray for positive mindset and work culture change that will enable Sarawak to meet current global challenges. • Pray for skills, funding and knowledge for rural business development. • Pray for more ‘Kingdom’ enterprises that will help alleviate the local economy. • Pray for Christian Professionals, Business Owners and Employees to work towards economic transformation of Sarawak.

Grace is God as Heart Surgeon

Grace is God as heart surgeon!

Grace is God cracking open your chest, removing your heart, poisoned as it is with pride and pain, and replacing it with his own.

God’s dream isn’t just to get you into heaven, but to get heaven into you. Grace lives because Jesus does, works because he works, and matters because he matters.

To be saved by grace is to be saved by Jesus—not by an idea, doctrine, creed, or church membership, but by Jesus himself, who will sweep into heaven anyone who so much as gives him the nod.

Grace won’t be stage-managed.  I have no tips on how to get grace.  Truth is, we don’t get grace.  But it can sure get us.

If you wonder whether God can do something with the mess of your life, then grace is what you need!

Let’s make certain it happens to you!

Ezekiel 36:26b- “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

From: GRACE

D32 : Justice, Fairness, Righteousness, Wisdom, Godliness in Our State Government Administration

Malaysia was formed after 122 years of peaceful and harmonious rule of the British Government and Rajahs undergirded by strong Christian principles based on the Nine Cardinal Principles of Rule. As we wake into the 50th year of Malaysia, the need for a godly state government is more acute more than ever. The present state of the wellbeing of the Sarawakians, especially those living in the rural areas, calls for a more effective and efficient state administration in raising the people’s standards of living. We need leaders who are strong and righteous in managing the rich resources that the state is endowed with and increasing equitable distribution of income among the people groups. The perspective of ‘church and politics do not mix’ has created a serious lack of active involvement of Christian leaders in political arena in Sarawak’?

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for a heightened awareness and strong commitment of the Sarawakians to their role in the political process (and as the responsible voting population) in the development of the state. • Pray for an active political system that ensures just and fair administration of the state. • Pray for a rise in the participation of the Christians in exerting their influence in the political arena. • Pray for a provision of political leaders who are courageous and stand fervently for righteousness. • Pray for the Fear of God to rule over those involved in the administrative system.

Sun Myung Moon, Mormons and America’s Biggest Cult

The world is littered with small cults, but a much larger one is growing in the United States.

Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church and self-proclaimed “savior of all humanity,” died this week at age 92. He didn’t save the world, nor did the couples he married in mass weddings produce a race of sinless children, as he predicted they would.

With all respect for his Korean heritage, I think Moon was just plain weird. Once a Presbyterian, he rejected orthodox Christianity by teaching that Jesus failed in His mission because He did not marry and have children. Moon’s zombie-like followers, who sold carnations to raise money, will never see a dime of the millions he made through his many international businesses.

"The cult of secularism outnumbers Mormons, Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Moonies combined. It’s priests and evangelists are in our media, government and education system—and they have even infiltrated mainline churches.”

Moon’s group joins a nefarious list of destructive cults that manipulated people into following bogus spirituality. Also included are (1) Jim Jones’ group, the Peoples Temple, which led to the tragic Kool-Aid deaths of 909 people in 1978; (2) the Branch Davidians, the cult led by David Koresh that ended in a fiery standoff at their compound in Waco, Texas, in 1993; and (3) Heaven’s Gate, a strange astrological cult that convinced followers they could hitch a ride to eternal life on the Hale-Bopp comet. (Thirty-nine members of that group committed suicide in California in 1997.)

D31 : Raising the Next Generation Leadership

What shapes the younger generation of today? From the bigger cities to the smaller towns and to the villages in the interior of Sarawak, there is one common issue… exposure to cyberspace, networking through Facebook, YouTube or Twitter and the availability of all sorts of information through the Internet. What is the pressure this generation is experiencing? Pressure to be better than their peers, to attain straight A’s in their exams, to get a place in university to pursue a course of their choice and then finally to land a job that is considered prestigious in the eyes of society. How do young people cope with such pressure and what would be the keys for them to move on and sustain in life? How can the church be relevant and play a part to shape the destiny of our youth today? It is time like this that we need to hear the ‘still small voice of the Lord Jesus’ instructing and guiding us what to do and how to minister.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well Matthew 6:33

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for God’s wisdom and understanding in handling truth and justice in a society that emphasize on materialistic, educational pursuit and career advancement. • Pray for parents, pastors or mentors to understand the needs and struggle of the next generation and to be Spiritual Fathers to them, guiding them as they face challenges and temptation while striving to live a meaningful, wholesome and fruitful life. • Pray for God-fearing young people to rise up and influence their peers through creative means in order to see another generation on fire for the Lord. • Pray for a willingness for Sarawakians to stay or to come back and fulfill the God’s calling and purpose

God’s Best Idea

Your dad makes you come to church, but he can’t make you listen.  At least that’s what you’ve always muttered to yourself.  But this morning you listen because he speaks of a God who loves prodigals, and you feel like the worst sort of one.   You can’t keep the pregnancy a secret much longer.  Soon your parents will know.   The preacher will know.  He says God already knows.  You wonder what God thinks!

Grace is God’s best idea.   Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change.  Do we clean up so he can accept us?  No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up.  What a difference this makes.

Can’t forgive your past?  Christ can, and he is on the move, aggressively budging you from graceless to grace-shaped living.  Forgiven people forgiving people.  Deep sighs of relief.

Grace is everything Jesus!

Ezekiel 36:26a- “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.”

From: GRACE

Counterfeit Gods || Spoken Word || Jefferson Bethke

posted by Lydia

You might say, I don’t believe in God, but the bible says not possible,
Everyone has saGod, whether or not it’s the God of the gospel.
You might not believe in God, but everyone has that one thing that’s king,
Even the dictionary defines God as what “whatever we make supreme”
It’s a theme, a thread, it’s inside of all human beings,
The fact we all worship, and no it’s not just about singing.
I know some of you already like “Jeff I don’t worship, I put that on the shelf,”
But I say technically we all do, we just worship ourselves.
We all worship something, and to an object we’re all liable,
Ladies, to some your boyfriend is your God, and Cosmo is your bible.

Yet, we mock and we laugh at the Israelites Golden Calf,
But we do the same right back; it just looks different than that.
So question, what’s on your throne?
What do you chase so you don’t feel alone?
So what defines you, what do you give ultimate worth?
And what if taken from you would bring ultimate hurt?

A Spiritual Heart Transplant

Grace!

The bank gives us a grace period.  The seedy politician falls from grace.

Musicians speak of a grace note.  We use the word for hospitals, baby girls, kings and premeal prayers.  We talk as though we know what grace means.

You turn the page of your Bible and look at the words.  You might as well be gazing at a cemetery.  Lifeless, stony.  Nothing moves you.  But you don’t dare close the book, no sirree.  You dare not miss a deed for fear that God will erase your name.

God’s grace has a drenching about it.  Grace comes after you.  It re-wires you.  From insecure to God secure.  From regret riddled to better-because-of-it.  From afraid to die to ready to fly.

As Paul said in Galatians 2:20:  “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

You might call it a spiritual heart transplant!

From: GRACE

D30 : Unity of the Sarawak Christian Community

Since the first Christian missionary landed at the shores of Sarawak, Christian groups of different denominations or alliances, though highly commended for their hard work in bringing the church growth to where it is today, have operated largely within the confines of their own ‘missions’ of God. Interactions among the groups have been limited and often, by necessity, through loose alliances. However, the calls of the hour – to seek religious freedom as guaranteed under the Formation of Malaysia agreement, to respond to the eradication of extensive poverty among the rural poor, to focus on righteous state administration, etc. –now demand an unprecedented kind of unity among the Christian community. Many Christian leaders in recent years have awakened to this reality and sent out calls to rally other Christians in Sarawak to look beyond what divide them and stand together for the common causes.

I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me John 17:23

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for Christian leaders to be sensitive to the call of God to unite His people for statewide causes. • Pray for these leaders to be courageous to stand for this call, looking beyond whatever boundaries that keep them from advancing forward. • Pray for Christian leaders from various denominations and alliances to seek reconciliation among themselves. • Pray for Christians in the State to break out of the confines that keep them away from uniting with other Christians.

God Answers the Mess of Life

You stare into the darkness. The ceiling fan whirls above you. Your husband slumbers next to you. In minutes the alarm will sound, and the demands of the day will shoot you like a clown out of a cannon into a three-ring circus of meetings, bosses, and baseball practices.

And for the millionth time you’ll make breakfast, schedules, and payroll…  but for the life of you, you can’t make sense of this thing called life. Its beginnings and endings.  Cradles and cancers and cemeteries and questions.

The meaning of life!  The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word:  grace!  Do we really understand it?

Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you!”

Grace calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off!

From: GRACE

D29 : Raising Up Christian Leadership and Godly Gatekeepers in Sarawak

Events in the recent years concerning the wellbeing of the Christian community in Sarawak highlighted the great need for local Christian leaders to be strong and courageous in leading God’s people in their hour of need. The key state Christian leaders, though well recognized in their respective groupings, struggle to unite fellow Christians from across different denominations and alliances. The great tasks of the hour call for unprecedented measure of leadership. With such diverse church and cultural backgrounds, the leaders we are looking for to unite the Christian community are not easily found. We must look to God Almighty not only for His provisions of such leaders but also for His anointing on them for the undertakings.

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Joshua 1:7

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for God-fearing Christian Leaders and Gatekeepers in Sarawak who are passionate about His presence and will for the kingdom in this time. • Pray that they may establish open doors to fresh waves of the Holy Spirit bringing revival and new awakenings in Sarawak. • Pray for God to grant greater spiritual authority and anointing upon these Gatekeepers to discern His Will and Purpose for this “Kairos” moment. • Pray for these leaders to lead from a posture of prayer, service and humility.

Grace Comes After You

God’s grace!  It has a wildness about it.  A white-water, rip-tide, turn-you-upside-downess about it. Grace comes after you!

Some years ago I underwent a heart procedure.  I asked the surgeon,

“You’re burning the interior of my heart, right?”

“Correct.”

“You intend to kill the misbehaving cells, yes?”

“That’s my plan.”

“As long as you’re in there, could you take your little blowtorch to some of my greed, selfishness, superiority, and guilt?”

He smiled, “Sorry, that’s out of my pay grade!”

But it’s not out of God’s!  We’d be wrong to think this change happens overnight. We’d be equally wrong to assume change never happens at all. It may be in fits and spurts—but it comes!

Titus 2:11 says, “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared.”

The floodgates are open, and the water’s out. You just never know when grace will seep in.  Could you use some?

D28 : Stepping into the Statewide Community Transformation Process

Sarawak Christian leaders are increasingly aware that, despite their years of success in raising the Christian population in the State, the general welfare of the people of the land and the Christian influence in various arenas (education, business, family, politics, media and entertainment) remain comparatively backward, and thus community transformation has remained dismal. This has led to the recent surge of passion and call of God among the church leaders on the whole perspective of church’s active involvement in the transformation process of the community through the various societal arenas. God has begun doing a special work in the hearts of a number of Christian leaders of the State to look beyond the four walls of the church and seek Him for specific calls to impact the community. This has never happened at this scale before and we believe it is just the beginning.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven Matthew 5:16

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for the Christian leaders of the State to receive fresh revelations on the meaning and process of community transformation in response to God’s commandment to ‘…go and make disciples of all nations’. • Pray for the more leaders to seek God for direction and strategies in influencing the community through various arenas or ‘mountains’. • Pray for the unity of the church leadership statewide on specific community transformation initiatives. • Pray for breakthroughs in the heart of the overall Christian community to do more than just church-based programs.

Sunday Sermon - 2-Sept-2012 - Dr. Isaac Yim

Speaker: Dr. Isaac Yim
Itinerant Speaker

http://www.mediafire.com/?g7hg8l1099eke1p

D27 : Malays

The Malays are the largest ethnic group in the Peninsula. In the 2010 census, Malays comprised 67.4% of the population. As the majority people they largely control the government administration. By law, all Malays are to be Muslims. Converting out of Islam is prohibited. Proselytizing to Malays is also prohibited and punishable in 10 out of the 13 states in the country. Conversion to Islam is mandatory when marrying a Malay. Conversion of minors is automatic when either parent or both convert to Islam. Malays are generally a tolerant, friendly, hospitable and helpful people. They are also an artistic people who love music and cultural dance. Many Malays are increasingly modernised and progressive but there are also pockets who feel that their religious, economic and political rights are being threatened.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for God to bless the Malays. • Pray for the Malays to enjoy the Jubilee.

SEPTEMBER : Cornerstone

song of September

by Edward Mote, Eric Liljero, Jonas Myrin, & Reuben Morgan © Hillsong 2012

My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus' name

-Chorus-

Christ alone, Cornerstone. Weak made strong, in the Savior's love

Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of All

When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil, My anchor holds within the veil

Then He shall come with trumpets sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless, stand before the throne

Story behind song by Reuben Morgan

There had been a horrific shooting in a nearby city just before I arrived. The details were still hazy - frightening talk of a gunman executing innocents at random - but what was beyond all doubt was the fact that it had shaken people up. It had left them at the intersection of fear, doubt and sorrow. Just walking down the street was enough to know that people had been shaken to their very foundations.

Power to Enhance Your Workplace

We often talk about marriage and family relationships, but many of us spend more of our waking hours at work than we do at home. So, how are your work relationships going? Work can be a drag or joy and much depends on the kind of relationships you have with your co-workers. In my book, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, I address one of the key issues in creating a positive work climate: Namely appreciation.

According to research conducted by the US Department of Labor, 64 percent of Americans who leave their jobs say they do so because they don't feel appreciated. Business leaders say that their biggest employee-related concerns are: discouragement, burnout, feeling overwhelmed, losing the positive corporate culture built over the years, and how to encourage employees with reduced financial resources available. Something deep within the human psyche cries out for appreciation. When that need is unmet, then job satisfaction will be diminished. Think about what would happen if all workers felt appreciated.

This Labor Day weekend, I have a personal question. On a scale of 0-10 how much appreciation do you feel in the workplace? My guess is that if you feel appreciated by your supervisor and co-workers, chances are you are excited about going to work and you're committed to the company. However, if you don't feel appreciated, work may be simply a means to a paycheck and feels much like a drudgery.

There is hope. Appreciation is contagious and you can be the catalyst to create a difference in your workplace. You don't have to be a CEO, supervisor, or manager to appreciate others and boost morale. It's as easy as starting a conversation in the break room explaining the appreciation languages or showing a colleague you genuinely appreciate them in their specific appreciation language.

I'm excited to announce the paperback version of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace releases September 1st, and is now available to preorder. Get your copy today to be a catalyst for change.

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages

D26 : Orang Asli

The Orang Asli are the indigenous minority peoples of Peninsula Malaysia. They are catergorised into three large groups under Negrito, Senoi and Proto-Malay, and are further divided into 18 sub-ethnic groups. In the early 1950’s, the British saw the importance of utilising the Orang Asli in winning the war against the communist insurgency. The Orang Asli were introduced to basic health facilities, education and consumer items. This period also saw the first important attempt at legislation to protect the Orang Asli through the Aboriginal Peoples Ordinance in 1954. This law was considered a milestone for it indicated that the government had finally admitted its responsibility to the Orang Asli. While this Act recognises some rights of the Orang Asli such as for the establishment of Orang Asli Areas and Reserves, it also grants states the authority to order any Orang Asli community to leave and stay out of an area. States wanting to re-acquire land can also revoke the land’s Orang Asli status, leaving the community with no other recourse but to move elsewhere. The Act also accords the Director-General of the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) the final say in all matters concerning the administration of the Orang Asli. This has given rise to a situation where the Orang Asli have very little or no say in decisions made by JAKOA on their behalf.

Prayer Suggestions: • Pray for a major revision of the Aboriginal Peoples Ordinance to give the Orang Asli rights over their land and to represent and determine their affairs. • Pray for their status and rights to be included into the Federal Constitution. • Pray for the younger generation of Orang Asli to excel in their studies. • Pray for more Orang Asli professionals to rise and return to help their own communities.

All the way my Savior leads me

Fanny Crosby

All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.