Why I Don’t Use the F-Word

I honestly never thought I’d see the day when Christians would justify swearing.

I lived a sheltered life growing up. My Christian parents allowed me to watch a re-release of Gone With the Wind at the local theater when I was 12, and my virgin ears were scandalized when Rhett Butler told Scarlett, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I had never heard such language—and I knew that if I ever talked like Rhett Butler in my house, I would be sent to the backyard to choose my own switch.

Fast-forward to today, when profanity has so saturated our culture that dirty words are unavoidable. Dropping the F-bomb is a daily habit for millions of Americans. Jesse Sheidlower, the editor-at-large of the Oxford English Dictionary, says the F-word has lost its shock value. He says, “For most people, it’s hardly noticeable anymore.”

Today students wear “WTF?” T-shirts to school. I’ve seen the F-word indelibly tattooed on people’s arms in dark blue ink. And I’ve heard guys and girls alike use the F-word more than 15 times in a sentence to simply describe their day. There’s even a mock children’s book titled Go the F*** to Sleep that was one of the fastest-selling titles on Amazon in 2011. What’s going on here?

Music has certainly played a role in forcing the F-word on us. (Listen if you dare to any popular hip-hop artist for proof of this nastiness.) One song by the rock band Limp Bizkit a few years ago featured the F-word 50 times. American rapper CeeLo Green released a song in 2010 called F*** You, and it was nominated for a Grammy Award. Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association of America recently relaxed its ratings code to allow more uses of the F-word in PG-13 movies. (The old rule only allowed one F-bomb per film.)

Sunday Sermon - 28-July-2013 - Pr David Lim

Speaker: Pastor David Lim
OA Missionary

http://www.mediafire.com/?11r4su47jpzb74n

6 Steps Out of Your Religious Box

Almost all ministry in the book of Acts occurred outside a church meeting. So why do we hide our message in a building?
Whenever I visit my friend Lewis Lee, a pastor in Baltimore, I end up on the streets. That’s because Lewis is never content to keep his congregation cooped up inside their church. Every month he takes them downtown to feed homeless people at a park near Johns Hopkins University. On hot summer days he takes teams to the worst neighborhoods of his city to pray for people, share the gospel and distribute bottles of water.

This should be standard procedure for any church, but it’s not the norm. A majority of American churches rarely engage in any form of outreach that takes place outside their buildings—and 95 percent of Christians in this country have never led a person to Christ. Because of fear, apathy or lack of training, we are content to live in an isolated religious universe. Then we trick ourselves into believing we can transform our communities by singing, praying and preaching to the choir.

Yet when I read the book of Acts, I’m struck by the fact that in the earliest days of the New Testament church, almost all ministry took place outside of Christian meetings. The gospel was always shared outside the box. Of course, the first disciples met together for encouragement, teaching and fellowship, but their primary focus was always outward. Shouldn’t the book of Acts be our pattern?

Sunday Sermon - 21-July-2013 - Pr Dr Isaac Yim

Speaker: Pr. Dr. Isaac Yim
Itinerant Speaker

http://www.mediafire.com/?bjr587f30dvoc2j

Attention all Worship Leaders, Musicians and Singers!

Allow me to begin by saying that I am a musician.  I have played music since I was 13 years old.  I have played around the world in Christian bands and worship services for over 30 years.  I was part of one of the first Christian rock bands in the 70’s. I know what it means to play in church services, both traditional and contemporary. I have written and produced music for radio and television for almost 20 years.  I was even the producer of a recording used in the sound track of the hit movie The Bucket List.

So let it be clear: I am not against music or musicians when it comes to the Christian experience.  Quite the contrary; music can be a powerful part of the worship experience.  But, I believe we have some big problems when it comes to music in many churches today.

PROBLEM #1: We have defined singing as worship.
Look up the word worship and you will find definitions like this:
to show devotion or reverence; adore or venerate; to have intense love or admiration for; to offer prayers; etc…

Interesting that there is no mention of music.  Oh, don’t get me wrong.  One can surely use music to adore or show reverence, but one does not need music to do that.  In other words: Singing is not, in and of itself, worship.

How God Is Breaking Walls of Racism—in Europe

Only the Holy Spirit can break a vile form of racism that has lasted for centuries.

I can’t communicate too well with my friend Dániel Kovács. He doesn’t speak much English, and I only know three phrases in Hungarian. But last week we sat beside each other in a worship conference and enjoyed fellowship with the help of a translator.

Dániel is my brother in Christ. But many people in Europe look down on him because he is a Gypsy. He faces huge obstacles because Gypsies—also known as the Roma people—have the highest rates of unemployment, illiteracy and poverty in Eastern Europe, along with the lowest life expectancy rates.

Dániel and the people in his village of Uszka, in northeast Hungary, suffer from what is known as antiziganism, the hatred of Gypsies. It is racial profiling at its worst. It has plagued Europe since the Roma people arrived from India in their caravans 600 years ago. The highest Gypsy populations are in Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Hungary, Slovakia and Spain, but Gypsies are scattered all over Europe and the Middle East—and many have come to North America.

Wherever they go, they experience discrimination.

Antiziganism reached its peak during the 1940s, when German Nazis murdered between 250,000 and 500,000 Gypsies in concentration camps. Like the Jews, many Gypsies were starved or gassed; others were sterilized. Scientists also used Gypsies as human guinea pigs for diabolical experiments because they felt their slightly darker skin made them racially inferior.

Practically Speaking - July 12, 2013

Words Of Affirmation
You'd be surprised how incredibly fulfilling a genuine "thank you" is to someone whose love language is Words of Affirmation. Next time you have a chance to express appreciation look that person in the eyes, pause until you have their attentiont, and say something like, "I just want you to know I am really appreciate ___________. Thank you."
 

Acts Of Service
Next time there is a load of dishes in the sink, offer to help your spouse. The dishes will get done quickly leaving plenty of time for other fun activities.
 

Receiving Gifts
Pillow presents can be small and playful, as much as they are meaningful. When the one you love isn't looking or in another room, place a small gift on their pillow. It may or may not be take some time for them to notice, but when they do you will most certainly know. The fun is in the anticipation.
 

Quality Time
Though it is not the dialect of every Quality Timer's love language, watching a T.V. show or series together can be a way to speak Quality Time. Sharing the experience of story as it unfolds can be meaningful and even lead to conversations (more Quality Time). So if the one you love loves movies or a particular TV series, grab some snacks, dim the lights, and cuddle up!

Physical Touch
If your spouse speaks the love language of Physical Touch, consider starting a "Project Touch." The goal? Touch your way to a better marriage by finding more ways to touch each other each and every day. This could be sexual, non-sexual, or both. Get creative and have fun!

The 5 Biggest Mistakes We Make in Prophetic Ministry

While ministering in Eastern Europe this week, I learned about a church leader who recently aired an audacious claim. He says he was taken to heaven in some sort of fantastic vision and that while in glory he met and talked to the apostle Paul himself.

The clincher is even more ridiculous: This self-appointed leader says Paul commissioned him as an apostle to his country, adding that anyone else who claims to be in that office is going straight to hell. This isn’t the most diplomatic way to win followers.

There have always been and always will be religious megalomaniacs who split churches with claims of special revelation. But the saddest part is that men like this give the biblical gift of prophecy a bad name and cause people to be suspicious of anything of a supernatural nature.

While I was overseas I helped teach at a prophetic school that is sponsored annually by a large charismatic church. I shared these points below with the students. I think they will help you in your local church, especially if you want to develop a prophetic ministry that is healthy, God-honoring and faithful to the New Testament.

In my experience with prophetic ministry over the years, I believe there are five big mistakes we make in this important area.

A Place at God’s Table

God gives hope!  So what if someone was born thinner or stronger? Why count diplomas or compare resumes? What does it matter if they have a place at the head table?  You have a place at God’s table—and He’s filling your cup to overflowing!

The overflowing cup was a powerful symbol in the days of David. As long as the host kept the cup full, the guest knew he was welcome. When the cup sat empty, the host was hinting that the hour was late. On those occasions when the host really enjoyed the company of the person, he filled the cup to overflowing; he kept pouring until the liquid ran over the edge of the cup and down on the table.

Have you noticed how wet your table is? God wants you to stay. Your cup overflows with joy. Overflows with grace. Shouldn’t your heart overflow with gratitude?

from Traveling Light

Overflowing with Grace

Do you ever worry that the cup of God’s mercy will run empty?  Are you afraid his grace will run out?   That your warranty will expire?  Are you afraid your mistakes are too great for God’s forgiveness?  I wonder if the apostle Paul had the same fear. Before he was Paul the apostle, he was Saul the murderer. Before he encouraged Christians, he murdered Christians. What would it be like to live with that kind of past?

Did Paul ever ask, “Can God forgive a man like me?” The answer is found in a letter Paul wrote to Timothy:  “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 1:14)

God is not a miser with His grace. Your cup may be low on cash or clout, but it’s overflowing with mercy. Your cup overflows with grace!

from Traveling Light

Sunday Sermon - 7-July-2013 - Dr Paul Ang

Speaker: Dr Paul Ang
Itinerant Speaker

http://www.mediafire.com/?ylgy6q96119tmtv

Practically Speaking (Singles Edition) - July 5, 2013

Words Of Affirmation
With the rise of technology today, a hand-written letter from a trusted friend is almost unheard of. Take some time to find some interesting stationary and write a letter to someone you care about.

Acts Of Service
Ask a friend if you can take their car out for a little detail. Take it to the wash, vacuum it out, add an air freshener, and top off the gas tank! If their love language is Acts of Service, the gas tank won't be the only tank you'll be topping off.
 

Receiving Gifts
Parents are known for getting their children gifts, but what about vice-versa? Declare a Parent Appreciation Day and plan a special evening including a nice meal and some gifts. Let them know you appreciate them for who they are in your life.
 

Quality Time
Is there a friend you haven't seen in a while? Why not make it a point to catch up?! Give them a call, go for coffee, meet for pizza and spend some time listening, sharing, and learning about their life.
 

Physical Touch
Sporting events are full of celebration. Take a few people to your favorite team's next game. Make sure to give plenty of high fives and fist bumps—they always make rooting for your team extra fun! 

He Cares About You

Maybe you don’t want to trouble God with your hurts.  After all, “He’s got famines and pestilence and wars. He won’t care about my little struggles,” you think.  Why don’t you let Him decide that?

Jesus cared enough about a wedding to provide the wine. He cared enough about the woman at the well to give her answers.  1 Peter 5:7 says, “He cares about you.”

Your first step is to go to the right person.  Go to God.  Your second step is to assume the right posture.  Bow before God.  Luke 18:7 reminds us, “God will always give what is right to His people who cry to Him night and day, and He will not be slow to answer them.”

Listen to the prayer in Psalm 25:1-2: “Lord, I give myself to You, my God.  I trust You.”  So, go…bow…and trust.  It’s worth a try, don’t you think?

from Traveling Light

When What He Hoped Didn’t

A disappointment reminds us what we hoped would happen, didn’t.  We wanted health; we got disease.  Divorce instead of family.  Dismissal instead of promotion.

Now what?  We could do what Miss Haversham did.  Remember her in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations?  She closed all the blinds, stopped every clock, left the wedding cake on the table, and continued to wear her wedding dress until it hung in yellow decay around her.  Her wounded heart consumed her life.

Jesus is our healer!  He touched the eyes of the blind man.  He touched the disease of the leper; the searching heart of Nicodemus; the broken heart of Mary Magdalene.  And He will tend to you if you will let Him.

Psalm 147:3 says, God “heals the brokenhearted.”  Have you taken your disappointments to Him?  You’ve shared them with your relatives, your friends.  But have you taken them to God?  Go to Him!

from Traveling Light

You Are Not Alone

Have you ever gone to the grocery on an empty stomach?  You’re a sitting duck.  You buy everything you don’t need.  Doesn’t matter if it’s good for you—you just want to fill your tummy!  When you’re lonely, you do the same in life, pulling stuff off the shelf, not because you need it, but because you’re hungry for love.

Why do we do it?  Because we fear facing life alone.  For fear of not fitting in, we take the drugs.  For fear of standing out, we wear the clothes.  For fear of appearing small, we go into debt and buy the house.  For fear of sleeping alone, we sleep with anyone.  For fear of not being loved, we search for love in all the wrong places.

But all that changes when we discover God’s perfect love. 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.”  You are not alone!

from Traveling Light

Top 10 Rudest Things People Do in Church

Lots of things annoy us today. But we should be most concerned about what God considers rude.

It doesn’t bother me anymore to hear a phone ringing during a church service. It’s part of life in the 21st century. But I’ll admit I was shocked last month when I heard a ringtone while I was preaching—and a woman seated in the third row pulled her phone out of her purse and began a lengthy conversation as if she were in the waiting room of a beauty parlor.

That incident prompted me to post a question on Facebook the next day. I asked my friends to share their own stories of rudeness in church. That triggered an avalanche of pent-up frustration about crinkly peppermint wrappers, loud music, smelly feet (yes, someone took off their shoes during the service), unruly children, coffee-sipping saints and parishioners who try to finish their pastors’ sentences during sermons.

When I tallied the responses, I came up with this list of the rudest things people do in church:

1. Talking during a service.

2. Texting or surfing the web during a service. (One person mentioned seeing people playing video games on their phones.)

Put Your Trust in Him

How did Jesus endure the terror of the crucifixion? He went first to the Father with His fears. He modeled the words of Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Do the same with your fears. Enter them—just don’t enter them alone.  And while there, be honest. Pounding the ground is permitted.  Tears are allowed.

“Take this cup,” Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemene. Give God your fears. Give God the number of the flight. Share the details of the job transfer. He has plenty of time. He also has plenty of compassion. He won’t tell you to “buck up” or “get tough.” He knows how you feel. That’s why we punctuate our prayers as Jesus did: “Father, if you’re willing. . .”  Was God willing?  Yes and no. He didn’t take away the cross of Christ, but He took away the fear. Who’s to say He won’t do the same for you?

from Traveling Light

God Loves Humility

God loves humility!  Could that be the reason He offers so many tips on cultivating it?

May I (ahem) humbly articulate a few? Do you want to be humble?  Assess yourself honestly.  Don’t take success too seriously. Celebrate the significance of others. Don’t demand your own parking place. Never announce your success before it occurs. Speak humbly. One last thought to foster humility. Live at the foot of the cross.

Paul said in Galatians 6:14:  “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging.” Do you feel a need for affirmation? Does your self-esteem need attention? You don’t need to drop names or show off. You need only to pause at the base of the cross and be reminded of this:  The maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that’s a fact.  So if you need to brag, brag about that!

from Traveling Light