Sunday Sermon - 31-Mar-2013 - Pr Naresh Benaiah

Speaker: Pastor Naresh Benaiah

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?85s4n2kd1w383v5

Good Friday - 29-Mar-2013 - Pr Naresh Benaiah

Speaker: Pastor Naresh Benaiah

http://www.mediafire.com/?o6rgm4gsng1vk0u

Six Hours, One Friday

Six hours, one Friday.  Mundane to the casual observer.   A shepherd with his sheep, a housewife with her thoughts, a doctor with his patients.  But to a handful of awestruck witnesses, the most maddening of miracles is occurring. God is on a cross.  The creator of the universe is being executed.

It is no normal six hours.  It is no normal Friday.  Far worse than the breaking of his body is the shredding of his heart.  And now his own father is beginning to turn his back on him, leaving him alone. What do you do with that day in history?  What do you do with its claims?  They were the most critical hours in history.

Nails didn’t hold God to a cross.  Love did. The sinless One took on the face of a sinner so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint!

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

from: Six Hours One Friday

What’s Left?

Skeptics say, “Jesus–back from the dead?  I don’t think so.”  or  ”The resurrection is a lie!”

There have always been skeptics.  People who call Jesus’ resurrection a legend, even a hoax.  But the early followers of Jesus literally proclaimed that he was raised from the dead!  So, is the tomb empty?

There are those who say the disciples took Jesus’ body.  Maybe they staged the whole thing!  But there’s a problem.  Many of those disciples died for their belief–for their proclamation that Jesus was risen.  Would they be willing to die for a lie?

What’s left?  The empty tomb is left.  You don’t have to toss out common sense to believe the resurrection of Jesus.  In fact, it’s just as challenging to disprove the resurrection as to prove it.  He is risen!

“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee…”  (Luke 24:6).

from: He Chose the Nails

What We Do to Him

How we treat others is how we treat Jesus.

The soldiers bowed before Jesus, making fun of him, saying ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’  They spat on Jesus.  They began to beat him on the head.  Then they led him away to be crucified.” (Mark 15:18-19).

The soldiers’ assignment was simple.  Take the Nazarene to the hill and kill him.  But they wanted to have some fun first.  Strong, armed soldiers encircled an exhausted, nearly dead Galilean carpenter and beat up on him. The beating was commanded.  The crucifixion was ordered.  But the spitting?  Spitting isn’t intended to hurt the body—it can’t.  Spitting is intended to degrade the soul, and it does.

Ever done that?  Maybe you haven’t spit on anyone, but have you gossiped?  Raised your hand in anger?  Ever made someone feel bad so you would feel good? Our Lord explained this truth in Matthew 25:40:  How we treat others is how we treat Jesus!

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)

from: He Chose the Nails

How Jesus Endured the Pain of the Cross

Jesus refused anesthesia. Yet something supernatural sustained Him during His suffering.

Nobody performed an autopsy on Jesus’ mangled body after He was taken down from the cross. But doctors who have studied the Bible’s description of His death say the pain would have been beyond excruciating. In fact, the word excruciating means “out of the cross.” Jesus literally defined the worst pain anyone could feel.

His suffering began in Gethsemane, when God laid the sins of the world on His beloved Son. The intense stress caused what physicians call hematridrosis, a condition in which blood seeps out of sweat glands. After His arrest, Jesus was flogged so mercilessly that his skin was stripped off His back, exposing muscle and bone.

After being slapped, punched, crowned with thorns and beaten with reeds, He was covered with a red robe and led to Golgotha. There, Roman soldiers drove seven-inch nails into his wrists (most likely hitting the median nerve, causing more blinding pain) and then they rammed another nail into his feet.

At that point, doctors suggest, Jesus would have suffered dislocation of His shoulders, cramps and spasms, dehydration from severe blood loss, fluid in His lungs and eventual lung collapse and heart failure. Yet He refused to take a pain-killing solution (see Matt. 27:34). He chose to endure the pain for us.

So how did Jesus handle this agony? Many scholars believe He meditated on Psalm 22 throughout His ordeal. He would have already memorized the prophetic prayer—which is quoted more often in the New Testament than any other Old Testament passage. It describes in detail the death of the Messiah. Imagine Jesus muttering the words of this psalm as He gasped for breath:

Eternal Choices

God gives eternal choices, and these choices have eternal consequences.

Isn’t this the reminder of Calvary’s trio?  Ever wonder why there were two crosses next to Christ?  Why not six or ten?  Ever wonder why Jesus was in the center?  Could it be the two crosses on the hill symbolize one of God’s greatest gifts?  The gift of choice. The two criminals were convicted by the same system.  Condemned to death.  Equally close to the same Jesus.  But one changed and one did not.

You’ve made some bad choices in life, haven’t you?  You look back and you say, “If only I could make up for those bad choices.”  You can.  When one thief on the cross prayed, Jesus loved him enough to save him.  When the other mocked, Jesus loved him enough to let him.  He allowed him the choice. And he does the same for you and me.

Then (the thief) said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:42-43

from: He Chose the Nails

Just for You

What is the fruit of sin?  Step into the briar patch of humanity and feel a few thistles.  Shame. Fear. Disgrace. Discouragement. Anxiety.  Haven’t our hearts been caught in these brambles?

The heart of Jesus, however, had not.  He had never been cut by the thorns of sin.  What you and I face daily—he never knew.  He never worried. He was never guilty.  He never knew the fruit of sin until he became sin for us.  And when he did—all the emotions of sin tumbled in on him like shadows in a forest.  He felt anxious, guilty, and alone. Can you not hear the emotion in his prayer?

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”  This prayer is one of the most remarkable parts of his coming.  But there’s something even greater!  He did it for you…just for you!

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (I Peter 2:24).

from: He Chose the Nails

Sunday Sermon - 24-Mar-2013 - Bro Liong Kam Chong

Speaker: Bro. Liong Kam Chong
White Fields Assembly Seremban

http://www.mediafire.com/?adh5t4iyv08s55y

Practically Speaking: 22 March 2013

Words Of Affirmation
For the Words of Affirmation person, you are not limited to the expression alone (ex. I love you or I appreciate you). Although theses words fill their love tank, they also want to hear the reasons behind those words—why do you love me? Take a moment to think through why you love, care, or appreciate someone. It may be a spouse, family member, child, friend, colleague, or other relationship. Let them know the why behind the words and watch them light up with joy. (Relationship: All)

Acts Of Service
In the workplace, you can speak the Appreciation Language of Acts of Service. If you notice a coworker overwhelmed with projects, offer to help them out in some way. Not only will you strengthen a friendship, but you will also help to reduce their stress level and create a more positive work environment. (Relationship: Workplace)

Receiving Gifts
If you want to love or appreciate someone in your life who is primarily a Receiving Gifts person, try getting them a ticket to their favorite movie, theater, or sporting event. The key to making it extra special is to be listening ahead of time for their interests and purchase tickets accordingly. For example, if they despise The Hobbit, you may not score big with a tickets to that particular movie. Listen closely and the love tanks will be filled. (Relationship: Any)

Get Ready for a Surprise

Have you got God figured out? Get ready, you may be in for a surprise. Hear the rocks meant for the body of the adulterous woman drop to the ground. Listen as Jesus invites a death-row convict to ride with Him to the Kingdom in the front seat of the limo. Listen as the Messiah whispers to the Samaritan woman, “I who speak to you am He.” And listen to the surprise as Mary’s name is spoken by a man she had buried.

God appearing in the strangest of places. Doing the strangest of things. Stretching smiles where there had hung only frowns. Hanging a bright star in a dark sky. Many more knees will bow. And many more seekers will celebrate.

“For no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him!” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

from: Six Hours One Friday

The Father’s Outstretched Arms

The prodigal son. Going home a changed man.  No longer demanding he get what he deserved, but willing to take whatever he could get. How many years had it been? As the boy came around the bend that led to his house, he rehearsed his speech one more time. He turned to open the gate, but the father already had.

“Father I have sinned,” he said. (Luke 15:21).  The two wept.  Words were unnecessary.  Forgiveness had been given.

If there’s a scene that deserves to be framed, it’s the one of the Father’s outstretched hands. His hands call us home. Imagine those hands.  Stretching open like a wide gate, leaving entrance as the only option. He forced His arms so wide apart that it hurt. And to prove that those arms would never fold and those hands would never close, He had them nailed open.

from Six Hours One Friday

No More Pentecostal Popemobiles

The election of the new pope is a prophetic slap in the face for our egotistical excess.

I’m not Catholic, and I’ve never completely understood Catholics’ preoccupation with Vatican politics. But I’ve been watching the Vatican closely since last week when Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became the 266th pope and instantly got 2 million followers—and counting—on Twitter.

Why is this man so popular? That’s easy to understand. He’s humble. He cooks for himself. He chose to live in a small apartment in Buenos Aires instead of the archbishop’s palace. When he was the leader of Argentina’s Catholics, he took el micro—the city bus—to get around. He took the bus again after his election last week in Rome.

He even slipped out of the Vatican after his election to go and worship with the regular people—without security guards or the popemobile!

And Bergoglio, who will go by the name Pope Francis, is a staunch advocate of social justice. He reportedly asked his Argentinean colleagues to skip his inauguration in Rome and give the money they would have spent on airfare to the poor.

Have you noticed a contrast between Pope Francis’ simple lifestyle and the sickening excess that is on display among some of our Pentecostal/charismatic leaders?

Good Luck Charm

For some, Jesus is a good luck charm. The “Rabbit’s Foot” Redeemer. Pocket sized. Handy. His specialty?  Getting you out of a jam. Need a parking place?  Need help on a quiz?  Pull out the rabbit’s foot.  No need to have a relationship with Him.  No need to love Him.  New jobs. New and improved spouses. Your wish is His command. Few demands, no challenges.  No need for sacrifice. No need for commitment.

That’s not the Redeemer of the New Testament. When the disciples were in the storm, He rescued them. When the multitudes were hungry, He fed them. Prayer, service, and instruction all mattered to His ministry but they fell short of a higher call.

“The Son of Man” scripture says, “came to serve others and give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)  The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them!  Rabbit charm…hardly. Savior…absolutely!

from: Six Hours One Friday

Nevertheless

Where does Satan have a stronghold within you?  It’s what David faced when he looked at Jerusalem.  Nevertheless, David took the stronghold.  Granted, the city was old.  The walls were difficult.  The voices discouraging.  Nevertheless, David took the stronghold.

Wouldn’t you love for God to write a nevertheless in your biography?  Born to alcoholics, nevertheless, she led a sober life.  Never went to college, nevertheless, he mastered a trade. Didn’t read the Bible until retirement age, nevertheless, he came to a deep and abiding faith.  We all need a nevertheless.

Paul said, “We use God’s mighty weapons to knock down the devil’s stronghold.” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

You and I?  We fight with toothpicks.  God comes with battering rams and cannons!

From: Live Loved

Sunday Sermon - 17-Mar-2013 - Elder Dorai Manikam

Speaker: Elder Dorai Manikam
Full Gospel Assembly Kuala Lumpur.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ahxavhgvi6wzz1w

Practically Speaking: 15 March 2013

Words Of Affirmation
"I leave post-it notes for my spouse saying how much I appreciate him and love him. I put them in his shoes, in his pants pockets, his wallet, attached to shelf in his bureau, when he lifts the toilet seat cover and on his car window. It just reminds him that I am thinking of him and I usually don't put them in the same place this way he's surprised. He loves getting them and I love writing them—little love notes." (Relationship: Marriage, Family) ~submitted anonymously

Acts Of Service
"One of the best things anyone can do for mom (or wife) is to empty the garbage without being asked. Why such a simple thing? Because it lightens mom's load and that simple task will be truly appreciated!" (Relationship: Household) ~submitted anonymously

Receiving Gifts
"I'm up before my wife in the morning. She is a tea drinker, not coffee. I have her tea ready and on her bathroom sink when she gets up every day. It's my special way of saying good morning to a special wife of 42 years." (Relationship: Marriage) ~submitted by Tery Albright

What’s Done is Done

What do you do with your failures? Could you do it all over again, you’d do it differently. You’d be more patient. You’d control your tongue. You’d finish what you started. You’d get married first. But as many times as you tell yourself, “What’s done is done,” what you did can’t be undone.

That’s part of what the apostle Paul meant when he said, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). He didn’t say, “The wages of sin is a bad mood.”  Or “The wages of sin is a hard day.” Read it again.  “The wages of sin is death.”  Sin is fatal.

What do you do?  Don’t we all long for a father who will love us?  A father who cares for us in spite of our failures? We have that kind of a father.  A father whose grace is strongest when our devotion is weakest.  Your failures are not fatal, my friend!

from: Six Hours One Friday

Our Memory

There’s a direct correlation between the accuracy of our memory and the effectiveness of our mission.  If we’re not teaching people how to be saved, it’s perhaps because we’ve forgotten the tragedy of being lost. If we’re not teaching the message of forgiveness, it may be because we don’t remember what it was like to be guilty. And if we’re not preaching the cross, it could be that we’ve subconsciously decided that—God forbid—somehow we don’t need it.

In what is perhaps the last letter Paul ever wrote, he begged Timothy not to forget. He urged Timothy to “Remember Jesus Christ—raised from the dead, descended from David.  This is my gospel. . .” (2 Timothy 2:8).

When times get hard, when people don’t listen, when tears come,  when disappointment is your bed partner, when fear pitches its tent in your front yard, when death looms, when shame weighs heavily… always remember Jesus!

from: Six Hours One Friday

The Coming Tsunami in the Catholic Church

I believe God showed me He is sending a wave of His Spirit to bring reformation.

More than 10 years ago, I had the most vivid dream I’ve ever experienced. I told my wife about it the moment I woke up because it was so profound. The scenes are still etched in my memory.

I dreamed I was standing inside the Vatican. Keep in mind that I’ve never been a Catholic, and I’ve never visited Italy. But in my dream, I was in an ornate hall decorated with marble columns and a fancy paved floor. I walked over to a huge, arched window where I could see a panoramic view of Vatican City.

Suddenly a huge wave appeared on the horizon. A tsunami was coming. The wave got closer and closer, but I did not feel panic, even though I could hear people running and yelling as they prepared for the impact. I stood near a wall and braced myself.

When the wave hit, the palatial building began creaking and tilting. Antique tables, chairs, candelabra and statues began sliding to one side as the floor moved. Chandeliers were hanging at odd angles. Within minutes the floor was perpendicular to the ground and more furniture came crashing down. The movement continued until the floor became the ceiling. More religious icons, statues and paintings fell and broke into pieces.

In my dream, I did not feel anxious about this catastrophe. Nor did I ask the obvious questions: How could a tsunami reach that far inland since the Vatican is almost 20 miles from the Mediterranean coast? How could a tsunami turn a huge building upside down? And why was there no water anywhere? I knew in my dream that what I had witnessed was a spiritual event.

How Quickly We Forget

Oh how quickly we forget. So much happens through the years. So many changes within.  So many alterations without.  And somewhere, back there, we leave Him. We don’t turn away from Him—we just don’t take Him with us. Assignments come.  Promotions come.  Budgets are made. Kids are born, and Christ—the Christ Jesus is forgotten.

Has it been a while since you stared at the heavens in speechless amazement? Has it been a while since you realized God’s divinity and your carnality? He is still there.  He has not left. Do yourself a favor. Stand before Him again. Or better, allow Him to stand before you.

A man is never the same after he simultaneously sees his despair and Jesus’ grace. To see the despair without the grace is destructive. To see the grace without the despair is futility. But to see them both is conversion!

from: Six Hours One Friday

When Christians Die of Cancer

Sickness doesn’t win when the suffering person is a Christian.

Doctors confirmed only 10 months ago that my friend Benny Benson had a malignant tumor in his spine. He underwent treatment, but in the end more tumors appeared. Nothing could stop the spread of the disease—not radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. He died on Jan. 31, and I spoke at his memorial service in New Hampshire on Feb. 12.

I still can’t believe Benny is gone.

More than 500 people attended his funeral. Many of them were college students who had been discipled through Benny’s campus outreach, which he carried out with his wife, Cindy. Like so many of Benny’s other friends and family members, these students had prayed for Benny to be miraculously healed of the cancer.

But in the end, Benny got the ultimate healing—by stepping into eternity.

Whenever loved ones are taken from us we ask hard questions. Why does God allow cancer to ravage people’s bodies? Why doesn’t He always heal when we pray? Why would He let a guy like Benny, who was only 58, get sick with cancer when he was seeing amazing results in his campus ministry?

Those of us who wear the charismatic label don’t do well when people die of sickness. We’ve been taught that God “always” heals, especially if we pray according to the latest 1-2-3 formula, if we break every generational curse, and if we bind every demonic power that might be lurking behind the surface.

Remember Jesus

Can you remember that first encounter with Christ?  I can.  It was 1965. A red-headed ten-year-old with a tornado of freckles sits in a Bible class on a Wednesday night. His teacher wearing a suit coat too tight to button is talking about Jesus and explaining the cross.  I’d heard it before, but that night I heard it for sure.

No one had to tell me to be happy.  No one had to tell me to tell others.  I told all my friends at school. And even though I’d never read 2nd Corinthians 4:13, I knew what it meant.  “I believed therefore I have spoken.”

Can you still remember?  Can you remember the day you fell in love with him? Remember Jesus.  Before you remember anything, remember Him. Don’t forget Him. Place your hand in Jesus’ pierced side. Look into those eyes. Look at them as they look at you.  You’ll never be the same!

from: Six Hours One Friday

The Language of the Liar

I was living in Brazil. It had been an especially frustrating day getting my car fixed. As I drove off, two devils perched on my shoulders.  They spoke the language of the Liar. One was anger; the other self-pity!  I rolled down my window when I reached a traffic stop.  I saw a boy, probably nine years old.  Shirtless.  Barefooted.

“What’s your name?” I asked. “Jose,” he answered.  Two other orphans with him were naked except for ragged gym shorts.

“Have you collected much money today?” I asked.  He opened a dirty hand full of coins.  Enough perhaps for a soft drink.  As I pulled out the equivalent of a dollar his eyes brightened and he ran to tell his friends!

God sent Jose to me that day with this message:  “Max, you cry over spilled champagne. You bellyache over frills, not the basics.” Jose gave me a lot for my dollar… he gave me a lesson on gratitude.

from: Six Hours One Friday

The Divorce Myth Part 1

by Mark Gungor

There is a great joy to the early struggles of marriage.  When people who “make it” talk about the early days of their marriage, they admit it was bittersweet but they say the sweet ended up outweighing the bitter.  Researchers agree.  In a recent study conducted by a team of leading family scholars headed by University of Chicago sociologist Linda Waite, researchers found that “two-thirds of unhappily married spouses who stayed married reported that their marriages were happy five years later.  In addition, the most unhappy in their marriages reported the most dramatic turnarounds: Among those who rated their marriages as very unhappy, almost eight out of ten who avoided divorce were happily married five years later.

The study went on to say that there is a kind of “divorce assumption” in America.  People assume that they will either stay in a bad marriage and continue to be miserable or get a divorce and become happier.  But the social science data challenge that assumption.  Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is no evidence that unhappily married people who divorced were any happier that unhappily married people who stayed married!  In no way does divorce reduce symptoms of depression, raise self-esteem, increase one’s sense of mastery, or generally improve any of the twelve separate measures of psychological well-being.  Even the unhappy spouses who divorced and remarried generally were no happier than the unhappy ones who stayed married.  In fact, the evidence seems to suggest that unhappy people are unhappy, period—married or not.

Sunday Sermon - 10-March-2013 - Pr Tayun Raja

Speaker: Pastor Tayun Raja
Penan Ministry, Sarawak

http://www.mediafire.com/?vlhy2ozf48s1tik

Practically Speaking: 8 March 2013

Words Of Affirmation
Saying "thank you" to someone whose primary love language is Words of Affirmation will mean more than it will to the average individual. In the same effect, the neglect of these words has the tendency to cut deeper. Acknowledge the ones you love by verbally showing your genuine appreciation.  (Relationship: All)

Acts Of Service
"I switch cars with my husband so I can have his jeep. I clean his jeep inside and out making sure it is detailed and polished then I usually leave a little love note or a kiss (using my brightest pink lipstick) on the review mirror; He usually leaves it on his mirror because he says he thinks about me as often as he looks into it! That makes the hard work all worth it!" ~Anonymous (Relationship: Wife to Husband)

Receiving Gifts
Does your spouse need a new Bible? This can be a very meaningful gift to someone who values their walk with God. The Love Languages Devotional Bible could be an option that adds the promise of devotional time together. (Relationship: Marriage)

God Never Gives Up

God’s people often forget their God, but God never forgets them.  When Joseph was dropped into a pit by his own brothers, God didn’t give up. When Moses said, “Here am I, send Aaron,” God didn’t give up. When the delivered Israelites wanted Egyptian slavery instead of milk and honey, God did not give up. When Aaron was making a false god at the very moment Moses was with the true God, God did not give up.

And when human hands fastened the divine hands of Jesus to a cross with spikes, it wasn’t the soldiers who held the hands of Jesus steady.  It was God, the God who never gives up on his people, who held them steady. He held them to the cross where, with holy blood, the divine hand wrote these words, “God would give up His only son before He’d ever give up on you!” (John 3:16)

from: Six Hours One Friday

The Greatest Thing You Can Do For The Men In Your Life: Part 3

by alyssajoy

“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant” Psalm 25:14

When I was 15 I wrote a list of character traits I hoped my future husband would have. The first one on the list was that he would love Jesus passionately. I knew I didn't want to marry a man who simply said they were a “Christian.” I didn't want a guy who lived like everyone else, except just avoided the “big sins” a little more. I wanted to be with a man whose very heart longed for Jesus. A man who adored, worshipped, honored, and lived his life for the Lord. A man whose heart belonged to Jesus. I wanted a God-lover.

When asked what the greatest commandment is in the bible, Jesus said it was to love Him with every fiber of our being. He is after the heart and wants all of us. He longs to be with us, to have fellowship with us. He made us for relationship, the greatest being relationship with Him.

I daily pray this for Jeff. That he would love Jesus with all of his heart, soul, mind & strength. I know that if Jeff is pursuing Jesus as his main desire, it will actually free him up to love and pursue me more fervently also. I ask the Lord to draw him near; that he would seek Him and spend time at His feet, talking with His Savior.

A Nosey Neighbor

Doubt.  He’s a nosey neighbor. An obnoxious guest.

The first seeds of doubt were sown in the Garden of Eden in the heart of Eve.  There she sat, enjoying the trees, when she noticed a pair of beady eyes peering over the shrubs. He positioned himself between Eve and the sun and cast his first shadow of a doubt.

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).  No anger.  No picket signs.  Just questions. Had any visits from this nosey neighbor lately? If you find yourself doubting God could forgive you again for that, you’ve been sold some snake oil.

I suggest you put a lock on your gate. Draw near to your heavenly father and that old devil will tuck his tail between his legs and scamper out of the garden.

from: Six Hours One Friday

Don’t Be a Victim of a Church Scam

Here are four obvious ways you can avoid being bamboozled.

I cringed last week when I read the news about Michael Winans Jr., the Grammy-nominated gospel singer who was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison because he bilked gullible Christians out of millions of dollars. A judge in Detroit said the 30-year-old Winans collected more than $8 million from investors and promised them quick, 100 percent returns on their money.

As it turned out, Winans—who is the grandson of gospel legend David “Pop” Winans—was pulling the same old gimmick we’ve seen countless times before. His Ponzi scheme was as slick as the crude oil bonds he told people he was buying from Saudi Arabia. Winans took the money and spent it—or gave it to early investors—prompting one of his victims to call him “a silver-tongued con man.”

Some families who got bamboozled in the scam lost homes, retirement accounts and college savings. Others lost their marriages. The federal judge handling the case told Winans: “On more than one occasion you went into church … and perpetrated fraud on these good, decent churchgoing people.”

This is certainly not the first time a too-good-to-be-true financial scheme has infiltrated a church. Christians are nice, sweet, trusting people—so when a “brother in Christ” tells us about a financial plan that sounds too good to be true, we are prone to bite the baited hook and believe that it is the answer to all our prayers. We forget that God’s own elect can be deceived and that even preachers can steal us blind if we let them.

How do we avoid this scenario?

God Gave His Best

Jenna, wake up.  It’s time to go to school. For four lightning-fast years she’d been ours, and ours alone. And now that was all going to change.  I knew it was time. And I knew she would be fine.  But I never knew it would be so hard to give her up on her first day of preschool.

Is that how you felt, God? Is what I felt that morning anything like what you felt when you gave up your son? It explains how your heart must have ached as you heard the cracking voice of Jesus say, “Father take this cup away.” (Mark 14:36).

I said good-bye and sent my little Jenna into a safe environment with a compassionate teacher ready to wipe away any tears. Yet, you Father, released Jesus into a hostile arena with a cruel soldier who turned the back of your son into raw meat.

God gave His best, the apostle Paul reasons. Why should we ever doubt His love?

from: Six Hours One Friday

Is Heaven for Me?

My friend Joy teaches children in an inner city church. Her class is a lively group of nine-year-olds. There’s one exception—a timid girl named Barbara. Her difficult home life had left her afraid and insecure. She never spoke.  Never.  Always present.  Always listening.  Always speechless. Until the day Joy talked about heaven—about seeing God. About tearless eyes and deathless lives. Barbara raised her hand.  “Mrs. Joy? Is heaven for girls like me?”

I would’ve given a thousand sunsets to have seen Jesus’ face as this tiny prayer reached His throne. A prayer to do what God does best: To take a pebble and kill a Goliath. To take a peasant boy’s lunch and fed a multitude. To take three spikes and a wooden beam and make them the hope of humanity. To take the common and make it spectacular!

from: Six Hours One Friday

What Steals the Zeal?

What steals our childhood zeal?  For a child the possibilities are limitless. Then weariness finds us.  Sesame Street gets traffic-jammed.  Star Trek’s endless horizon gets hidden behind smog and skyscrapers. What is the source of such weariness?  The names of these burdens?

Jesus gazes into our weariness and makes this paradoxical promise:  “Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29).

Jesus was the only man to walk God’s earth who claimed to have an answer for man’s burdens.  “Come to Me”  he invited them. The people came. They came out of the cul-de-sacs and office complexes of their day. They brought him the burdens of their existence, and he gave them not religion, not doctrine, not systems…He gave them rest.  My prayer is that you, too, will find rest!

from: Six Hours One Friday

Sunday Sermon - 3-Mar-2013 - Elder Pr Khoo Kay Hup

Speaker: Elder Pastor Khoo Kay Hup
Full Gospel Assembly Kuala Lumpur

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?5accxycrysxxc6s

Because of What He Did

Few things can weary you more than the fast pace of the human race.  Too many sprints for success. Too many days of doing whatever it takes eventually take their toll.  You’re left gasping for air, holding your sides on the side of the track. You’re asking yourself, “When I get what I want, will it be worth the price I paid?”

It’s this weariness that makes the words of Jesus so compelling. “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

Come to Me.  Why Him?  He offers the invitation as a penniless rabbi in an oppressed nation.  He has no political office.  He hasn’t written a best-seller or earned a diploma.  Yet they called Him Lord. They called Him Savior. Not so much because of what He said, but because of what He did. What He did—on the Cross!  He did it for the weary people of this world.

from: Six Hours One Friday