18 OCTOBER 2009 - communion

CM: Caleb R.

WL: Peter Long
BU: Timothy C, Siew Pin, Foong Yee

P: Grace Lee
S: Jason Lai
G: Chew Weng Ern
D: Darren Oi

LCD: Tian Sia, Colleen Chang
PA: Hiew FF, Tommy Q.
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25 Oct:

CM: Liong KC

WL: Peggy Tan

BU: Kenneth Lai, Shankar R., Siew Pin

P: Chris Lai

S: Jason Lai

G: Chew Weng Ern

D: Kai Yew

LCD: Tian Sia, Colleen Chang

PA: Manjit Singh, Hiew FF

Love & Faithfulness

What we fail to see is that the intimacy we experience in out string of emotional hook-ups is counterfeit. Romantic passion is sweetest when it is growing out of a relationship that's deepening in devotion.
The joy of intimacy if the reward of commitment.
Throughout the Bible we see that the Little Relationshi Principle (above) is an important aspect of true love. In the Old Testament, God makes a covenant - a binding commitment - with the people of Israel so that they can know Him intimately. The institution of marriage is founded on the same principle. A man and woman become one flesh and enjoy the deepest intimacy with each other only after they have made a public promise to love each other for life.

Proverbs 3:3 - Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart

God wants love and faithfulness to be connected. In His plan, the personal benefits of an intimate relationship - emotional or sexual - are always closely linked to self-sacrificial love and commitment to another person's long term good.
The way of sin is to diverce the two. In Proverbs 7 we read of the seductress, who lures her victim with the offer of romantic and sexual pleasures devoid of responsibility.

18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love.

This is how sin works. It calls us to "enjoy ourselved with love" without  worrying about the good of others. It offfers intimaacy without obligation.
Pursuing intimacy without commitment awakens desires - emotional & physical - that neither person can justly meet. In 1 Thess 4:6 the Bible calls this "defrauding", ripping someone off by raising expectations but not delivering on the promise. Pastor Stephen Olford describes defrausding as "arousing hunger we cannot righteously satisfy" - promising something we can not or will not provide.

Intimacy without commitment, like icing without cake, can be sweet, but it ends up making us sick.

Specially for Drummers

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Being Changed Into His Likeness

by Max Lucado

The reward of Christianity is Christ.

Do you journey to the Grand Canyon for the souvenir T-shirt or the snow globe with the snowflakes that fall when you shake it? No. The reward of the Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon. The wide-eyed realization that you are part of something ancient, splendid, powerful, and greater than you.

The cache of Christianity is Christ. Not money in the bank or a car in the garage or a healthy body or a better self-image. Secondary and tertiary fruits perhaps. But the Fort Knox of faith is Christ. Fellowship with him. Walking with him. Pondering him. Exploring him. The heart-stopping reali-zation that in him you are part of something ancient, endless, unstoppable, and unfathomable. And that he, who can dig the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, thinks you’re worth his death on Roman timber. Christ is the reward of Christianity. Why else would Paul make him his supreme desire? “I want to know Christ” (Phil. 3:10).

Do you desire the same? My idea is simple. Let’s look at some places he went and some people he touched. Join me on a quest for his “God-manness.” You may be amazed.

More important, you may be changed. “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).

As we behold him, we become like him.

I experienced this principle firsthand when an opera singer visited our church. We didn’t know his voice was trained. You couldn’t have known by his corduroy coat and loafers. No tuxedo, cummerbund, or silk tie. His appearance raised no eyebrow, but his voice certainly did. I should know. He was in the pew behind mine.

His vibrato made dentures rattle and rafters shake. He tried to contain himself. But how can a tuba hide in a room of piccolos?

For a moment I was startled. But within a verse, I was inspired. Emboldened by his volume, I lifted mine. Did I sing better? Not even I could hear me. My warbles were lost in his talent. But did I try harder? No doubt. His power brought out the best in me.

Could your world use a little music? If so, invite heaven’s baritone to cut loose. He may look as common as the guy next door, but just wait till you see what he can do. Who knows? A few songs with him might change the way you sing.
Forever.

The Great House of GodFrom Next Door Savior
Available in Hardback or Paperback
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2003) Max Lucado

The Joy of Intimacy is the Reward of Commitment

An intimate relationship is a beautiful experience that God wants us to enjoy. After all, He stated that it wasn't good for man to alone and created the woman to perfectly complement him and help him (Gen 2:18). But God has made the fulfilment of intimacy a by-product of commitment-based love. If we want to experience the goodness of His plan, we need to reconnect the pursuit of intimacy with the pursuit of commitment:

the joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment

All of us want intimacy. It means being close to someone. It's being vulnerable, open, and dependent. It's giving to and receiving from another person the deepest parts of who we are - our hopes, our fears, our secrets, our affections. An intimate relationship in which we know and are known by another human is one of the most fulfilling and precious parts of life - it's a gift from God.
There are many different kinds of intimate relationships in life. We can be intimate with a friend, with a family member, with a co-worker, but the deepest, most meaningful of intimate relationships (outside of a Christian's relationship with God) is the one between a husband and wife who share not only their hearts but also their bodies - in sexual intimacy, two people know each other in a profound way.
What each of these relationships has in common is trust. We are intimate with those people who have proven their faithfulness to us, people who have shown over time that they will be careful to guard what we have given of ourselves. We're intimate with people who are committed to us.
You might say that intimacy between a man and a woman is the icing on the cake of a relationship headed toward marriage. And if we look at intimacy that way, then it becomes obvious that most of our dating relationships are all icing. They usually lack a purpose or a clear destination. In most cases, especially when we're younger, dating is short term,serving the needs of the moment. We date because we want to enjoy the emotional and physical benefits of intimacy without the responsibility of real commitment.

"I'm Feeling Angry"

When you are angry, the first positive step is to admit to yourself that you are angry. Say aloud, "I'm feeling angry." The second step is to ask God to help you handle your anger in a positive way. "Lord, help me to do what is right and good with my anger." The third step is to ask, "Did someone sin against me?" If so, the biblical answer is to lovingly confront the person and seek reconciliation.

On the other hand, if you are angry simply because something happened that irritates you, ask "What can I learn from this experience?" If the other person habitually arrives late for your appointment, perhaps you can talk with them and negotiate change. Thus the anger has served a positive purpose. God wants to teach you how to handle your anger in a godly way.

When you are angry, be sure to get the facts before you take action. You hear your spouse tell someone on the phone, "I'll be there tomorrow night." You know that tomorrow night is your date night, so you get angry. Before you storm in and say something harsh, take time to ask, "Did I hear you promise someone to do something tomorrow night?" Your spouse says, "Yes, I told mom I'd bring her blanket by. I thought we could do it either before or after we go out to eat."

Your anger subsides because you took time to get the facts. Often we jump to conclusions about what someone said or did, and we accuse them in anger. We ruin a perfectly good evening because we failed to ask questions.




Adapted from Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

Knowing What's Best

Philippians 1:9-10: 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

The way we love others should constantly grow and deepen in its knowledge and insight. And when our love grows in knowledge, we can more readily 'discern what is best' for our lives. Don't we all desperately need that discernment?
After all, when we engage in guy-girl relationships, we're not always choosing between absolute wrong and absolute right. Often the choice is between what's good and what's best...
... Because there is not biblical command not to date, this is an area that we each need to evaluate in light of our own maturity, our motive and the other person involved. The decision requires wisdom.
This is where it's so important that our love for others be shaped by God's love for us. This kind of love looks beyond personal desires and the gratification of the moment. It looks at the big picture: serving others and glorifying God.

• Stop seeing members of the opposite sex as potential girlfriends/boyfriends - discover the richness of true friendship
• Stop worrying about whom you are going to marry & start trusting God's timing - uncover the potential of serving God as a single
• Stop flirting with temptation in one-on-one dating relationships & start pursuing righteousness - uncover the peace and power that come from purity

This Is Love

I've come to understand that God's Lordship in my life does not merely tinker with my approach to romance - it completely transforms it. God not only wants me to act differently; He wants me to think differently - to view love, purity and singleness from His perspective, to have a new lifestyle and a new attitude.
The basis of this new attitude is God's love for us. John explains the connection between God's love and the way we relate to others in 1 John 4:10-11:

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Do you see what John is saying? God's amazing love for us at the cross provides both the example and the power for us to love others. People whose sins have been forgiven through faith in Jesus' death on the cross can't live or love the same ever again. We've been set free from our old self-centred life. We used to be controlled by what felt good, but now, as new creations, we're to be controlled by God's love. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Paul writes:

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

The Bible teaches us that if we truly trust in Jesus Christ, we die to our old way of living. And we can no longer live for ourselves - we now live for God and for the good of others.
Because of that, relationships with the opposite sex can no longer be about 'having a good time' or 'learning what I want in a relationship'. They're not about getting, but giving. Every relationship for a Christian is an opportunity to love another person like God has loved us. To lay down our desires and do what's in his/her best interest. To care for him/her even when there's nothing in it for us. To want that person's purity & holiness because it pleases God & protects him/her.
So whether or not we take a break from dating, if our dating is controlled by Christ's love it will look so radically different than the relationships around us that we'll want to come up with a different name for it!

~ taken from  "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris

So This Is Love?

It was finally here - Anna's wedding day, the day she had dreamed about and planned for moths. The small, picturesque church was crowded with friends & family.
Sunlight poured through the stained-glass windows, and the gentle music of a string quartet filled the air. Anna walked down the aisle toward David. Joy surged within her. This was the moment for which she has waited so long. He gently took her hand and they turned towards the altar.
but as the minister began to lead Anna & David through their vows, the unthinkable happened. A girl stood up in the middle of the congregation, walked quietly to the altar, and took David's other hand. Another gril approached and stood next to the first, followed by another. Soon, a chain of six girls stood by him as he repeated his vows to Anna.
Anna felt her lip begin to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes. "Is this some kind of joke?" she whispered to David.
"I'm.. I'm sorry, Anna," he said, staring at the floor.
"Who are these girls, David? What is going on?" she gasped.
"They're girls from my past," he answered sadly. "Anna, they don't mean anything to me now.. but I've given part of my heart to each of them."
"I thought your heart was mine," she said.
"It is, it is," he pleaded. "Everything that's left is yours."
A tear rolled down Anna's cheek. Then she woke up.

1. How many men/women could line up next to me on my wedding day?
2. How many times have I given my heart away in short-term relationships?
3. Will I have anything left to give my husband/wife?

~ taken from "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris

Two Types of Anger

When is the last time you felt angry? How did you handle your anger? All of us have seen people explode. Many of us have exploded. On the other hand, many Christians pride themselves in holding their anger inside. But internalized anger is bad for your health.

The biblical challenge is that when we experience anger, we are to process it in a positive way. That may mean gently confronting the person who stimulated our anger. Or it may mean asking God to forgive us for being so 'bent out of shape' over such a minor matter. Learning to process anger in a timely and healthy way is one of the first lessons for healthy relationships.

Why do people get angry? I believe we get angry when our sense of 'right' is violated. But we have two kinds of anger:

* Definitive anger: When someone has wronged us.
* Distorted anger: When things didn't go our way.


Much of our anger is distorted. The traffic moved too slowly. Our spouse didn't do what we wanted.

This distorted anger is still very intense and must be processed. Here's a question: Would it be helpful if I shared my anger with someone? In sharing it, might I improve things for everyone? Or, should I simply let it go? Whatever you do, do something positive. Don't hold anger inside. Anger was meant to be a visitor, never a resident.



Adapted from Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

A Friend in High Places

by Max Lucado

God has put all things under the authority of Christ.
(Eph. 1:22)

Christ is running the show. Right now. A leaf just fell from a tree in the Alps. Christ caused it to do so. A newborn baby in India inhaled for the first time. Jesus measured the breath. The migration of the belugas through the oceans? Christ dictates their itinerary. He is

the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
(Col. 1:15–16)

What a phenomenal list! Heavens and earth. Visible and invisible. Thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. No thing, place, or person omitted. The scale on the sea urchin. The hair on the elephant hide. The hurricane that wrecks the coast, the rain that nourishes the desert, the infant’s first heartbeat, the elderly person’s final breath—all can be traced back to the hand of Christ, the firstborn of creation.

Firstborn in Paul’s vernacular has nothing to do with birth order. Firstborn refers to order of rank. As one translation states: “He ranks higher than everything that has been made” (v. 15) Everything? Find an exception. Peter’s mother-in-law has a fever; Jesus rebukes it. A tax needs to be paid; Jesus pays it by sending first a coin and then a fisherman’s hook into the mouth of a fish. When five thousand stomachs growl, Jesus renders a boy’s basket a bottomless buffet. Jesus exudes authority. He bats an eyelash, and nature jumps. No one argues when, at the end of his earthly life, the God-man declares, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18).

The Christ of the galaxies is the Christ of your Mondays. The Starmaker manages your travel schedule. Relax. You have a friend in high places. Does the child of Arnold Schwarzenegger worry about tight pickle-jar lids? Does the son of Nike founder Phil Knight sweat a broken shoestring? If the daughter of Bill Gates can’t turn on her computer, does she panic?

No. Nor should you.

The Great House of GodFrom Next Door Savior
Available in Hardback or Paperback
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2003) Max Lucado

The Reality of Hardship

Many of us in WFA do not like to talk about hardship and suffering but these are realities that we cannot avoid in life, for our children, our loved ones and ourselves. We recently discussed hardship and read about God's goodness in the 23rd Psalm - a much loved portion of the scripture that contains some of the Bible's most profound truths. It tells us that God is the Shepherd of His people. Jesus refers to Himself as the "good shepherd" who gave His life for us in John 10:11-16. This is a beautiful picture that God is a good shepherd of His people and that we are the sheep of His pasture.

We therefore depend on God to guide us and protect us and even if we walk in "the valley of the shadow of death" we do not have to fear because God is leading us. King David, who once was a young shepherd said, "Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me". In addition to God's supernatural rod and staff comforting His people, the Word of God can be a rod and staff both for protecting and leading us.

Like goodness, God's unwavering love and mercy will follow or pursue us like a parent following after a young child (sometimes seen in WFA during Sunday worship!) - an image of God coming after us when we face hardship, helping us to overcome challenges and assuring us that His unfailing love will always be there whatever happens. God's goodness endures even when hardship and disaster occur. He words for our good, giving us good things we do not deserve. Mercy means that because of Jesus, God will hold back the condemnation we deserve for our sin. When God inspired the Psalmist to say "And I will live in the house of the Lord forever," it means that God has prepared a place for each one of us in Heaven. The well-known author Rick Warren says that his is one of the most important connections in the Bible. It connects yesterday with today and then connects them both with tomorrow. The 23rd Psalm ends by assuring us that we are doing to Heaven. With God, things will not only get better but Jesus saves the best until Last. We have assurance in 2 Corinthians 5:1 that the best is yet to come - "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens."

And Scripture says that it will be forever. Some day our bodies will die, but we will not. Our body is going to end, but it will not be the end of us. All of us are going to end up forever in one of two places - heaven or hell. These are both real places but Christians can be completely confident about the future. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 reminds us "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well places rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord".

Hardship strengthens us and even death is a promotion placing us in a place better with no more problems. We must all die someday but scripture tells us we are not ready to live until we are ready to die. If you have accepted Christ, you are going to Heaven. You will be released from pain, from sorrow, from suffering, from fear. Revelations 21:4 tells us "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying ... no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Sunday Sermon 4-Oct-2009

Speaker: Elder Sim Say Khim

White Fields Assembly Seremban

11 OCTOBER 2009

CM: Barnabas P.

WL: Kai Yew
BU: Jason Lai, Jacquelina, Lareina

P: Chris Lai
S: Jocelyn Lee
G: Darren Oi
D: Jaemy C.

LCD: Lee Siew Pin, Timothy Chang
PA: Tommy Q., Manjit Singh
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18 Oct:

CM: Caleb R.

WL: Peter Long

BU: Timothy C, Siew Pin, Foong Yee

P: Grace Lee

S: Jason Lai

G: Chew Weng Ern

D: Darren Oi

LCD: Tian Sia, Colleen Chang

PA: Hiew FF, Tommy Q.

Are You Eaten Up With Anger?

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 entitled: 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.

Do you have a long standing offense with someone? Don't sit around the rest of your life letting anger control your life. Go to the person and tell them that you would like to make things right.

If they are open, they will confess their wrong and you can forgive. If they are not, then ask God if there is anything else you need to do. Give that person and your hurt and anger to God. Pray for them, but don't allow their behavior to control your life. God wants you to be free to follow Him.

There is hope for all of us who live with anger. It begins with taking a look at your history. It's never too late to seek reconciliation. Jesus knows all about being mistreated. You can trust Him with your anger.





Adapted from Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

Special Friday Meeting

Speaker: Prophet Lionel Batke

Vancouver, Canada

He Loves to Be with the Ones He Loves

by Max Lucado

Holiday travel. It isn’t easy. Then why do we do it? Why cram the trunks and endure the airports? You know the answer. We love to be with the ones we love.

The four-year-old running up the sidewalk into the arms of Grandpa.

The cup of coffee with Mom before the rest of the house awakes.

That moment when, for a moment, everyone is quiet as we hold hands around the table and thank God for family and friends and pumpkin pie.

We love to be with the ones we love.

May I remind you? So does God. He loves to be with the ones he loves. How else do you explain what he did? Between him and us there was a distance—a great span. And he couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t stand it. So he did something about it.

Before coming to the earth, “Christ himself was like God in every-thing.… But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant” (Phil. 2:6–7 NCV).

Why? Why did Jesus travel so far?

I was asking myself that question when I spotted the squirrels outside my window. A family of black-tailed squirrels has made its home amid the roots of the tree north of my office. We’ve been neighbors for three years now. They watch me peck the keyboard. I watch them store their nuts and climb the trunk. We’re mutually amused. I could watch them all day. Sometimes I do.

But I’ve never considered becoming one of them. The squirrel world holds no appeal to me. Who wants to sleep next to a hairy rodent with beady eyes? (No comments from you wives who feel you already do.) Give up the Rocky Mountains, bass fishing, weddings, and laughter for a hole in the ground and a diet of dirty nuts? Count me out.

But count Jesus in. What a world he left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to him. Earth’s finest cuisine would be walnuts on heaven’s table. And the idea of becoming a squirrel with claws and tiny teeth and a furry tail? It’s nothing compared to God becoming a one-celled embryo and entering the womb of Mary.

But he did. The God of the universe kicked against the wall of a womb, was born into the poverty of a peasant, and spent his first night in the feed trough of a cow. “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14 NRSV). The God of the universe left the glory of heaven and moved into the neighborhood. Our neighborhood! Who could have imagined he would do such a thing.

Why? He loves to be with the ones he loves.

The Great House of GodFrom Next Door Savior
Available in Hardback or Paperback
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2003) Max Lucado

Teaching Children Obedience: Part II of II

Are you having trouble teaching your child obedience? Children are moral creatures. They have a strong sense of right and wrong. When you state rules clearly to children and why you have the rule, and you state what the consequences will be if the rule is broken, you're on the way to teaching obedience.

The only other ingredient is to be consistent in letting the child suffer the consequences. If you remove the consequences because the child cries, then you teach the child to cry. If a temper tantrum will change the parents' mind, then the child becomes a terror. Do yourself a favor: learn to discipline fairly and consistently.

Do you want to teach your child not to smoke cigarettes? Then don't smoke yourself, and make it a family rule. In our family, no one smokes cigarettes. If we break the rule we must eat a carrot - the whole thing. This will give the body beta carotene to overcome the nicotine, and chances are the teen will think twice about smoking a second time.

If there is a second violation, a $25 donation to the American Heart Association, picking up 100 cigarette butts from the street and putting them in a trash can, and reading an article on the dangers of nicotine to the lungs will probably be enough to convince him that smoking is for camels and not for children. The third level is spending a day with a man who is dying of lung cancer. Your children are smart. Expose them to the truth.

Discipline is not a dirty word. It means "training." Every child needs it. It begins by helping a child understand that my behavior affects others. If I help mommy set the table, mommy is happy. If I throw the ball on the table, mommy is upset. It continues with the reality that life is filled with rules. Rules are for our good.

Having the consequences for misbehavior set in advance keeps you from being controlled by your emotional state at the moment. When you let it slide one day and come down hard on the child the next day for the same behavior, you create insecurity in the soul of the child. Be consistent and be loving and you will have a child that others will enjoy.




Adapted from The Family You've Always Wanted by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

Jesus Touched the Untouchables

by Max Lucado
When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him. Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” And immediately the man was healed from his disease.
Matthew 8:1-3

I wonder… about the man who felt Jesus’ compassionate touch. He makes one appearance, has one request, and receives one touch. But that one touch changed his life forever….

I wonder about this man because in New Testament times leprosy was the most dreaded disease. The condition rendered the body a mass of ulcers and decay. Fingers would curl and gnarl. Blotches of skin would discolor and stink. Certain types of leprosy would numb nerve endings, leading to a loss of fingers, toes, even a whole foot or hand. Leprosy was death by inches.

The social consequences were as severe as the physical. Considered contagious, the leper was quarantined, banished to a leper colony.

In Scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast: infected by a condition he did not seek, rejected by those he knew, avoided by people he did not know, condemned to a future he could not bear…

The touch did not heal the disease, you know. Matthew is careful to mention that it was the pronouncement and not the touch of Christ that cured the condition. “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, ‘I will. Be healed!’ And immediately the man was healed from his disease” (Matt. 8:3).

The infection was banished by a word from Jesus.

The loneliness, however, was treated by a touch from Jesus.

Jesus touched the untouchables of the world.

From
His Name is Jesus
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) Max Lucado

Teaching Children Obedience

It's 4:30 in the afternoon when I am saying to my 10 year old son. "I'm sorry, Son, but you cannot ride your bicycle this afternoon. You know the rule. The bicycle is to be placed in the storage shed every night. If you leave it out, then you do not get to ride the following day. Last night you left it out all night; therefore, you cannot ride the bike this afternoon."

Am I being harsh to my son? No, I'm loving my son. Life is filled with rules and when we break them, we suffer the consequences. It is a lesson if learned early that may keep him from greater pain as an adult. "Children obey your parents, in the Lord for this is right." It is a fundamental principle of parenting. Make wise rules and have logical consequences. Be loving but consistent, and your children will be the benefactors.

Every society has rules. In a healthy society, rules are designed for the benefit of the whole and everyone reaps the benefits.

The same principles are true in family life. Mom and Dad have the responsibility to decide rules that are for the benefit of the children. Good rules which are lovingly enforced teach children obedience. Bad rules that are harshly enforced create angry children. Perhaps its time to evaluate your rules, and the manner in which you enforce them.

Are you having trouble teaching your child obedience? Stay tuned for next week's "A Love Language Minute."



Adapted from The Family You've Always Wanted by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

God Is Our Comfort

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." - Psalm 23:4

Even in a relatively peaceful and prosperous land like Malaysia, there are many things to worry about these days whether it be our health, our children (or grandchildren), our finances, our safety, our country's political/racial problem, our government's mismanagement of the country's resources etc. All too often, many of our decisions are based on our fears and uncertainty of how things will turn out. God's promises is however that even when our situation becomes really bad, even in our darkest moments, He is there walking beside us.

In our of his devotional articles, Rick Warren observes that there are 365 verses in the Bible that says, "Fear not." God provided us with one 'fear not' message for every day of the year! Don't you think God is saying, "Listen to Me. Don't be afraid." It's interesting that almost every time God talks directly to someone in the Bible, the first thing He says is, "Don't be afraid!" Why is this so? It's because our pain and problems can lead us to think that God is out to punish or condemn us. But this is simply not the case and Jesus is proof of that. Our own fear of pain, sickness, hardship or poverty is definitely not from God.

After we understand God's grace and mercy, we have no need to fear the future. God is never trying to punish you for something you did or did not do. Jesus has taken the penalty for everything you've ever done or will do wrong. He paid for it on the cross. So when a bad thing happens, you don't have to think, "God is punishing me." Instead, remember this verse (from the New Living Translation Bible) "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."

In the Spirit Filled Life Bible, Paul McGuire explains that the word 'comfort', or 'nacham' in Hebrew means: to comfort, console, extend compassion, sigh with one who is grieving or to repent. Nacham originally may have meant "to breathe intensely because of deep emotion." David wrote that God's rod and staff comforted him. David was not saying that God was just going to give him "a little pat on the hand" like one might do with a frightened child with a promise that everything would turn out okay, but that God was going to experience his suffering with him and embrace him at the deepest level.

In some references nacham is translated "repent", the idea being that regret causes deep sighing. In it's sense of comfort, nacham does not describe casual sympathy , but rather is actually "weeping with those who weep," or "sighing with those who sigh". This should convey a sense of our God being deeply personal and involved with our pain, fear, difficulties and sorrows. Therefore the peace and comfort that He brings to us when we open our hearts to Him is deep and personal. It is entirely unlike the comfort of the world that is often tied to material gain, money or medication.

Sunday Sermon 27 Sept 2009

Speaker: Rev. Isaac Yim

Malaysian Baptist Theological Seminary

4 OCTOBER 2009 - communion

CM: Dr. Siow KW

WL: Foong Yee
BU: Tian Sia, Hong Lu, Gigi Lim

P: Jason Lai
S: Jocelyn Lee
G: Darren Oi
D: Kenneth Lai

LCD: Lee Siew Pin, Timothy Chang
PA: Manjit Singh, Hiew FF
-

11 Oct:

CM: Barnabas P.

WL: Kai Yew

BU: Jason Lai, Jacquelina, Lareina

P: Chris Lai

S: Jocelyn Lee

G: Darren Oi

D: Jaemy C.

LCD: Lee Siew Pin, Timothy Chang

PA: Tommy Q., Manjit Singh

Help! I Don't Know My Love Language!: Part 2 of 2

Last week we discussed two ways to discover your love language, (1) observe your own behavior, and (2) observe what you request of others. Today we'll cover three more ways.

3. Listen to Your Complaints
The things about which you complain (whether expressed verbally or only in your head) can be very telling in figuring out your primary love language.

If you complain that your friends no longer have time for you, your love language is likely quality time. If you complain that only one friend gave you a birthday present, your language is likely gifts. If you complain about not having a good hug in the last two months, physical touch is probably your language. If your complaint is that no one ever helps you and they expect you to do everything, then acts of service is probably your love language.

Our complaints reveal our deep emotional hurts. The opposite of what hurts you most is probably your love language. If you received love in that language, the hurt would go away and you would feel appreciated.

4. Ask the Right Questions
If you are currently in a dating relationship, you've got a great opportunity to discover your primary love language. Ask and answer the following questions: "What do I like most about the person I'm dating? What does he or she do or say that makes me desire to be with him/her?" Your answers will be very enlightening.

Another approach would be to ask yourself: "What would be an ideal spouse to me? If I could have the perfect mate, what would she/he be like?" Your picture of a perfect mate should give you some idea of your primary love language.

If you are not currently in a romantic relationship, you may ask: "What do I want most in a friendship?" Complete the following sentence: "An ideal friend would ________." Your answer will probably reveal your primary love language.

5. The Love Language Profile
The final step in discovering (or confirming) your love language is taking the Five Love Languages Profile. The profile is located within The Five Languages: Singles Edition book, as well as the original The Five Love Languages. And don't forget to check out the study guide, too--it will help you develop your love language.



Adapted from The Five Love Languages Singles Edition by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

Jesus Heals a Blind Man

by Max Lucado
“As [Jesus] passed by, He saw a man blind from birth” (John 9:1).
This man has never seen a sunrise. Can’t tell purple from pink. The disciples fault the family tree. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” (v. 2).

Neither, the God-man replies. Trace this condition back to heaven. The reason the man was born sightless? So “the works of God might be displayed in him” (v. 3).

Talk about a thankless role. Selected to suffer. Some sing to God’s glory. Others teach to God’s glory. Who wants to be blind for God’s glory? Which is tougher—the condition or discovering it was God’s idea?

The cure proves to be as surprising as the cause. “[Jesus] spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes” (v. 6).

The world abounds with paintings of the God-man: in the arms of Mary, in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the Upper Room, in the darkened tomb. Jesus touching. Jesus weeping, laughing, teaching … but I’ve never seen a painting of Jesus spitting.

Christ smacking his lips a time or two, gathering a mouth of saliva, working up a blob of drool, and letting it go. Down in the dirt. (Kids, next time your mother tells you not to spit, show her this passage.) Then he squats, stirs up a puddle of … I don’t know, what would you call it?

Holy putty? Spit therapy? Saliva solution? Whatever the name, he places a fingerful in his palm, and then, as calmly as a painter spackles a hole in the wall, Jesus streaks mud-miracle on the blind man’s eyes. “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (v. 7).

The beggar feels his way to the pool, splashes water on his mud-streaked face, and rubs away the clay. The result is the first chapter of Genesis, just for him. Light where there was darkness. Virgin eyes focus, fuzzy figures become human beings, and John receives the Understatement of the Bible Award when he writes: “He … came back seeing” (v. 7).

Come on, John! Running short of verbs? How about “he raced back seeing”? “He danced back seeing”? “He roared back whooping and hollering.”


From
His Name is Jesus
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) Max Lucado

Help! I Don't Know My Love Language!

If you don’t already know your love language, don’t be alarmed. You’re not alone. There are two types of people who typically struggle to discover their primary love language.

The first consists of those who have always felt loved and who received all five love languages from their parents. They speak all five rather fluently, but they’re not sure which one speaks most deeply to them. The other category is composed of those who have never felt loved. They grew up in very dysfunctional families and were never secure in the love of parents or other significant adults in their lives. They don’t know which language would make them feel loved because they are not really sure what it means to feel loved.

1. Observe Your Own Behavior

So how do you discover your primary love language? Probably it would be best to start with you. How do you most typically express love and appreciation to other people? If you regularly hear yourself encouraging other people by giving words of affirmation, then perhaps that is your primary love language. You are doing for others what you wish they would do for you. If you are a back-patter, hand-shaker, or arm-toucher, then perhaps your love language is physical touch. And so on, for gifts, quality time, and acts of service.

Please notice that I am using the words perhaps, maybe, and likely. The reason I am being tentative is because my research has indicated that about 25 percent of adults typically speak one love language but wish to receive another language. On the other hand, for about 75 percent of us, the language we speak most often is the language we desire. We love others in the manner in which we would like to be loved.

2. Observe What You Request of Others

If you regularly ask friends to help you with projects, then acts of service may be your love language. If you find yourself saying to friends who are going on a trip, “Be sure and bring me something,” then your love language is probably receiving gifts. If you ask a close friend to give you a back rub, or you express rather freely, “Could you give me a hug?” then physical touch is likely your primary love language.

If you are regularly asking friends to go shopping with you, to take a trip together, or to come over to your house for dinner, you are asking for quality time. If you hear yourself asking, “Does this look OK? Did I do the report the way you wanted it? Do you think I did the right thing?” you are asking for words of affirmation.

Our requests tend to indicate our emotional needs. Therefore, observing what you request of others may clearly reveal your primary love language.

Next week we'll discover three more ways to discover your primary love language.


What's your love language? Take the 30-second quiz.
Adapted from The Five Love Languages Singles Edition by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

He Did It Just For You

by Max Lucado
When God entered time and became a man, he who was boundless became bound. Imprisoned in flesh. Restricted by weary-prone muscles and eyelids. For more than three decades, his once limitless reach would be limited to the stretch of an arm, his speed checked to the pace of human feet.

I wonder, was he ever tempted to reclaim his boundlessness? In the middle of a long trip, did he ever consider transporting himself to the next city? When the rain chilled his bones, was he tempted to change the weather? When the heat parched his lips, did he give thought to popping over to the Caribbean for some refreshment?

If ever he entertained such thoughts, he never gave in to them. Not once. Stop and think about this. Not once did Christ use his supernatural powers for personal comfort. With one word he could’ve transformed the hard earth into a soft bed, but he didn’t. With a wave of his hand, he could’ve boomeranged the spit of his accusers back into their faces, but he didn’t. With an arch of his brow, he could’ve paralyzed the hand of the soldier as he braided the crown of thorns. But he didn’t.

Want to know the coolest thing about the coming?

Not that he, in an instant, went from needing nothing to needing air, food, a tub of hot water and salts for his tired feet, and, more than anything, needing somebody—anybody—who was more concerned about where he would spend eternity than where he would spend Friday’s paycheck.

Not that he kept his cool while the dozen best friends he ever had felt the heat and got out of the kitchen. Or that he gave no command to the angels who begged, “Just give the nod, Lord. One word and these demons will be deviled eggs.”

Not that he refused to defend himself when blamed for every sin since Adam. Or that he stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven and the giver of light was left in the chill of a sinner’s night.

Not even that after three days in a dark hole he stepped into the Easter sunrise with a smile and a swagger and a question for lowly Lucifer—“Is that your best punch?”

That was cool, incredibly cool.

But want to know the coolest thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns?

He did it for you. Just for you.


From
His Name is Jesus
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) Max Lucado

Sunday Sermon 20 Sept 2009

Speaker: Elder Doraisingam Manikam

Full Gospel Assembly, KL

When Life Sometimes Seem So Hard, There Is Hope

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..." - Psalm 23:6.

There are times when a really terrible crisis comes into the lives of faithful believers and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Recently I have been praying for dear friends who, as a couple, have sacrificed much to serve God in a small town set in a sort of spiritual wilderness. As they struggle with this crisis, they are hurting so badly that they do not even want to talk about their pain with many of the people of God has placed around them and I am sure they have reasons for this.

They probably might insist they know the Bible verses already and prefer that we do not burden them further by reminding them or trying to teach them stuff they have known for decades. Even if this is so, I am convinced that there is only good when we listen to God's Word again for it can refresh itself in our hearts. Even in the middle of our pain, God is watching over us.

"Surely your goodness ... will pursue me" - King David is not saying 'surely only good things will happen to me' because he knew as well as anyone else that bad things happen to good people. This is something even all of us here in Seremban know about or have experienced ourselves. I believe not a few of you in our congregation here in WFA have endured some deep personal pain or loss.

Actually, David's main point is that God's goodness will surely follow after him. No matter how painful, evil, difficult or bad something seems, God can always work it out for good - and in these circumstances He often gives us a vital role to play in how things turn out. The Bible uses other persons like Job, Ruth and Esther to reinforce the fact of God's promise for the good of His people.

Another one of God's wonderful promises He has given to everyone of us is that we know everything that happens to us is working for our good - if we love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). If you are a believer, the Bible says all things work together for good - not that all things are good - but that all the things happening around us work together for good. By this, we know that God is always in control and that He loves us, and desires that all things happen for our good.

There will never be any hardship, sickness, pain, dilemma, loss or disaster in the life of a believer that God cannot ultimately turn toward His good purpose. We only need to look to Jesus, trust Him in our hears and stand firm on His promises. When we go through a personal crisis, we also often need to reach out to others or let our brethren reach out to us with God's love for God Himself lives in the hearts of His people.

27 SEPTEMBER 2009

CM: Tom C.

WL: Terry C.
BU: Timothy C, Siew Pin, Peggy Tan

P: Chris Lai
S: Lydia Sim
G: Kenneth Lai
D: Nicholas

LCD: Moses Tan, Jocelyn Lee
PA: Hiew FF, Tommy Q.
-

4 Oct:

CM: Dr. Siow KW

WL: Foong Yee

BU: Tian Sia, Hong Lu, Gigi Lim

P: Jason Lai

S: Jocelyn Lee

G: Darren Oi

D: Kenneth Lai

LCD: Lee Siew Pin, Timothy Chang

PA: Manjit Singh, Hiew FF

6 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged

Possible proposal? Here are six questions you should ask before popping the question.

1. Are my partner and I on the same wavelength intellectually? Try one of these exercises: Read a newspaper or online news article and discuss its merits and implications; read a book and share your impressions with each other.

2. To what degree have we surveyed the foundation of our social unity? Explore the following areas: sports, music, dance, parties, and vocational aspirations.

3. Do we have a clear understanding of each other’s personality, strengths, and weaknesses? Take a personality profile. This is normally done under the direction of a counselor who will interpret the information and help you discover potential areas of personality conflicts.

4. To what degree have we excavated our spiritual foundations? What are your beliefs about God, Scripture, organized religion, values, and morals?

5. Are we being truthful with each other about our sexual histories? Are you far enough along in the relationship to feel comfortable talking about this? To what degree are you discussing your opinions about sexuality?

6. Have we discovered and are we speaking each other’s primary love language? It is in the context of a full love tank that we are most capable of honestly exploring the foundations of our relationship.



What's your love language? Take the 30-second quiz.
Adapted from The Five Love Languages Singles Edition by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

The Cross

by Max Lucado
The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don’t you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution?

Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman’s noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? Yet we do so with the cross. Many even make the sign of the cross as they pray. Would we make the sign of, say, a guillotine? Instead of the triangular touch on the forehead and shoulders, how about a karate chop on the palm? Doesn’t quite have the same feel, does it?

Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out—like God’s love. The other reaches up—as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.

How could he do this? In a sentence: God put our sin on his Son and punished it there.

“God put on him the wrong who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God” (2 Cor. 5:21 MSG).


From
His Name is Jesus
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) Max Lucado

Why Get Married?

Well, if it’s so hard and the odds aren’t so good, this question might come up: why bother? With so many marriages ending in divorce, why take the risk? The simple answer is that we all desire to love and be loved uniquely, and that leads most of us into a covenant marriage relationship. Despite the rise in divorce, cohabitation, and unwed parenthood, marriage remains an aspiration of the vast majority of Americans. A recent survey found that 93 percent of Americans rate ‘having a happy marriage’ as either one of the most important, or very important objectives.”

With this desire, however, there are realistic fears. One research project that explored the attitude of today’s college students concluded, “They are desperate to have only one marriage, and they want it to be happy. They don’t know whether this is possible anymore.”

If college students—and other single adults—can understand the nature of love and how to express it effectively, they can have the “happy marriages” they desire. And so, my plea to every single who reads The Five Love Languages Singles Edition is to: (1) apply these principles in every dating relationship, (2) accept the thrill of the in-love obsession for what it is—exciting but temporary, and (3) commit yourself to purposeful love expressed in the other person’s primary love language.

When those in dating relationships do these things, they can then assess the other aspects of life that will help them make a wise decision about marriage.

Seven Common Purposes of Marriage:
“What is the purpose of marriage?” Here are some of the answers I received from the many single adults I have interacted with over the years

1. Companionship
2. Sex
3. Love
4. To provide a home for children
5. Social acceptance
6. Economic advantage
7. Security

But can’t these objectives be accomplished outside of marriage? Yes. Although abundant research has indicated that married people are happier, healthier, and better off financially. Still, the purpose of marriage runs deeper than any of these seven goals. We'll explore that purpose next week.

In last week's "A Love Language Minute," we discussed seven common purposes of marriage. But this week, we'll talk about the deepest purpose.

A Deeper Purpose
In the ancient biblical account of Creation, God says of Adam, "It is not good for the man to be alone." God's answer to man's need was "I will make a helper suitable for him." The Hebrew word for suitable literally means "face-to-face." The picture is that God created one with whom man could have a face-to-face relationship. It speaks of that kind of in-depth, personal relationship whereby the two are united in an unbreakable union that satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart.

Marriage is God's answer for humanity's deepest need-union of life with another. Indeed, that same ancient account of creation says of Adam and Eve, "They will become one flesh."

A Desire for Connection
Man's psychological history is replete with his desire for connection. I believe that marriage is designed to be the most intimate of all human relationships. The husband and wife are going to share life intellectually, emotionally, socially, physically, and spiritually, and they are going to share life to such a degree that they become "one flesh." This does not mean that married couples lose their individuality, but it does mean that they have a deep sense of unity.

This kind of union does not come without the deep and enduring commitment that holds marriage up. Marriage is not a contract to make sexual relationships legal. It is not merely a social institution to provide for the care of children. It is not merely a psychological clinic where we gain the emotional support we need. It is not a means of gaining social status or economic security. The ultimate purpose of marriage is not even achieved when it is the vehicle for love and companionship, as valuable as these are.

The supreme purpose of marriage is the union of a man and woman at the deepest possible level and in all areas of life, which in turn brings the greatest possible sense of fulfillment to the couple and best serves the purposes of God for their lives.



What's your love language? Take the 30-second quiz.
Adapted from The Five Love Languages Singles Edition by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Dr. Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

Jesus Betrayed by Judas

by Max Lucado
When betrayal comes, what do you do? Get out? Get angry? Get even? You have to deal with it some way. Let’s see how Jesus dealt with it.

Begin by noticing how Jesus saw Judas. “Jesus answered, ‘Friend, do what you came to do.’ ” (Matthew 26:50)

Of all the names I would have chosen for Judas it would not have been “friend.” What Judas did to Jesus was grossly unfair. There is no indication that Jesus ever mistreated Judas. There is no clue that Judas was ever left out or neglected. When, during the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples that his betrayer sat at the table, they didn’t turn to one another and whisper, “It’s Judas. Jesus told us he would do this.”

They didn’t whisper it because Jesus never said it. He had known it. He had known what Judas would do, but he treated the betrayer as if he were faithful.

It’s even more unfair when you consider the betrayal was Judas’s idea. The religious leaders didn’t seek him, Judas sought them. “What will you pay me for giving Jesus to you?” he asked. (Matthew 26:15) The betrayal would have been more palatable had Judas been propositioned by the leaders, but he wasn’t. He propositioned them.

And Judas’s method … again, why did it have to be a kiss? (Matthew 26: 48–49)

And why did he have to call him “Teacher”? (Matthew 26:49) That’s a title of respect. The incongruity of his words, deeds, and actions—I wouldn’t have called Judas “friend.”

But that is exactly what Jesus called him. Why? Jesus could see something we can’t...

Jesus knew Judas had been seduced by a powerful foe. He was aware of the wiles of Satan’s whispers (he had just heard them himself). He knew how hard it was for Judas to do what was right.

He didn’t justify what Judas did. He didn’t minimize the deed. Nor did he release Judas from his choice. But he did look eye to eye with his betrayer and try to understand.

As long as you hate your enemy, a jail door is closed and a prisoner is taken. But when you try to understand and release your foe from your hatred, then the prisoner is released and that prisoner is you.


From
His Name is Jesus
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) Max Lucado

Sunday Sermon 13-Sept-2009

Speaker: Bro. Barnabas Param

White Fields Assembly Seremban

Renewing Your Mind

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. - Romans 12:2

If the strongholds in your mind are the result of conditioning, then you can be reconditioned by the renewing of your mind. Anything that has been learned can be unlearned. Certainly this is the major path of renewal in the New Testament. Through the preaching of God's Word, Bible study, and personal discipleship you stop being conformed to this world and experience the transformation of the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)..

If your past experience were spiritually or emotionally devastating, then counselling and Christ-centered support groups will help the transformation. Since some of these strongholds are thoughts raised up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5), learning to know God as a loving Father and yourself as His accepted child is your starting place.

But you are not just up against the world and the flesh. You are also up against the devil who is scheming to fill your mind with thoughts which are opposed to God's plan for you.

Notice how Paul uses the word for thoughts (noeme) in 2 Corinthians in relation to Satan's activity. We have already seen it in 2 Corinthians 10:5: "We are taking every thought (noema) captive to the obedience to Christ." Why do these thoughts need to be taken captive? Because they may be the enemy's.

In 2 Corinthians 3:14 and 4:4, Paul reveals that Satan is responsible for our spiritual hardness and blindness when we were unbelievers: "But their minds (noema) were hardened ... The god of this world has blinded the minds (noema) of the unbelieving." In 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 2:11, Paul states that Satan actively plots to defeat and divide believers: "I am afraid, least as the serpent deceived Eve by this craftiness, your minds (noema) should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ ... We are not ignorant to his [Satan's] schemes (noema)." If Satan can place his thought in your mind - and he can - it is not much more of a trick for him to make you think it's your thought. That's the deception.

- Neil Anderson

20 SEPTEMBER 2009 - communion

CM: Caleb R.

WL: Peggy Tan
BU: Tian Sia, Gigi Lim, Siew Pin

P: Grace Lee
S: Christopher Lai
G: Kenneth Lai
D: Anna Sim

LCD: Moses Tan, Jocelyn Lee
PA: Tommy Q., Manjit Singh
-
27 September
CM: Tom C.
WL: Terry C.
BU: Timothy C, Siew Pin, Peggy Tan
P: Chris Lai
S: Lydia Sim
G: Kenneth Lai
D: Nicholas
LCD: Moses Tan, Jocelyn Lee
PA: Hiew FF, Tommy Q.

My Message is About Him

by Max Lucado
The request came when I was twenty. “Can you address our church youth group?” We aren’t talking citywide crusade here. Think more in terms of a dozen kids around a West Texas campfire. I was new to the faith, hence new to the power of the faith. I told my story, and, lo and behold, they listened! One even approached me afterward and said something like, “That moved me, Max.” My chest lifted, and my feet shifted just a step in the direction of the spotlight.

God has been nudging me back ever since.

Some of you don’t relate. The limelight never woos you. You and John the Baptist sing the same tune: “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30 NLT). God bless you. You might pray for the rest of us. We applause-aholics have done it all: dropped names, sung loudly, dressed up to look classy, dressed down to look cool, quoted authors we’ve never read, spouted Greek we’ve never studied. For the life of me, I believe Satan trains battalions of demons to whisper one question in our ears: “What are people thinking of you?”

A deadly query. What they think of us matters not. What they think of God matters all. God will not share his glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). Next time you need a nudge away from the spotlight, remember: You are simply one link in a chain, an unimportant link at that.

Remember the other messengers God has used?

A donkey to speak to Balaam (Numbers 22:28).

A staff-turned-snake to stir Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10).

He used stubborn oxen to make a point about reverence and a big fish to make a point about reluctant preachers (I Samuel 6:1-12; Jonah 1:1-17)

God doesn’t need you and me to do his work. We are expedient messengers, ambassadors by his kindness, not by our cleverness.

It’s not about us, and it angers him when we think it is.

We who are entrusted with the gospel dare not seek applause but best deflect applause. For our message is about Someone else.


From
It's Not About Me
© (Thomas Nelson, 2007),
Max Lucado

When Your Adult Child Is Not Succeeding

The poor decisions of your adult children can often bring great stress into your life. One of the first questions parents often ask is, “What did we do wrong?” That is not a bad question, because if you did wrong, it’s time to confess and ask forgiveness of your adult child. Honest confession may open the door to a renewed relationship.

On the other hand, you are not responsible for the decisions of your adult child. You may not have been a perfect parent, but now that they are adults, they must accept responsibility for their own actions. You can help them. You can encourage them. But you cannot take responsibility for their decisions. They must suffer the consequences of their behavior if they are to change.

Get on Track
Often parents feel guilty for past failures and allow an adult child to manipulate them and give in to unreasonable demands. But the fact is that you may be hurting more than helping. The more dependent your child becomes, the worse they will feel about themselves.

When you withhold funds, they may find the motivation they need to look for work. When they work, they begin to feel better about themselves. If you and your spouse cannot agree on a strategy for helping your child, then perhaps you need to talk to a pastor or counselor who can help you be objective. It’s worth the time and effort to get on a positive track. They need to see that you have their best interests in mind.

Should We Agree?
One of the first steps is seeking to understand the young person’s point of view. This requires a willingness to ask questions, and then to listen with a view to understanding what is going on in the mind of the child. This is a bridge that many parents find difficult to cross. Remember that we don’t have to agree with our children in order to affirm their ideas. It is such affirming realism that helps young adults mature.

Uniting with Your Spouse
If you are struggling with the behavior of your adult child, it is essential that you and your spouse talk with each other. When the two of you have agreed on a strategy, then stand by each other as you talk with your adult child. It is a united front, shared with love and firmness that convinces the young adult that he is at a crossroads in life. Your togetherness helps both of you to handle your frustration, and your marriage has a chance to grow stronger.


There are five love languages. What's yours? Take the 30-second quiz.
Excerpt taken from Parenting Your Adult Child by Dr. Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell. To find out more about Gary Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

Songs 4 Worship Interview (2)

from Don

With 21 albums to his credit and over 5 million units sold, Don Moen is a creative force and an inspirational voice in worship music all over the world. Songs4Worship.com recently sat down for "10 Questions With Don Moen."

S4W.com: What compels you to write new songs?

Moen: I never feel compelled to write songs. I mean, I feel it a little now because there's a deadline (laughs). Seriously, though, I do try to be faithful and sit at the piano and ask, "God, what do you want me to say?" Because it is a gift that I have been given, when there is a need, my first response is to address it musically. For instance, when I wrote "God Will Make A Way," I didn't really feel compelled to write it, but I wanted to know what to say to ease the pain of a lost loved one, and my first response was to write a song.

Now, there have been instances where I have had dreams with the melody and words of a song with someone saying, "Here are the words and here are the chords-write them down." So I actually went to the piano and wrote them down.

S4W.com: Describe the most powerful worship experience you've ever had.
Moen: There are two, actually. One was after I had just written the song "I Want To Be Where You Are." I used to write songs in the apartment of a lady who had a grand piano, and in fact, I was writing the song "This Is My Holy Place," which was the last song for the musical God With Us. As I was writing the song, there suddenly came a really powerful sense of God's presence with me into that room. In fact, I had to get down on my knees because the feeling was so powerful. I literally had to stop praying because I thought to myself "They're going to find me in this room dead tomorrow and not know what happened." Since then, I've often wished that I hadn't stopped praying.

The other experience was during the recording of Bless The Lord in Orlando, Florida at Calvary Assembly of God. All of side two of that album, starting with "I Just Want To Be Where You Are," and ending with "This Is My Holy Place" was one of the most overwhelming times of worship I have ever experienced. In fact, when I listen to it today, it still overwhelms me. And for me to be able to listen to my own music and still be overwhelmed by the presence of God says a lot about the power of that night.

S4W.com: What's the songwriting process like for Don Moen?
Moen: When I started writing music, there weren't many people writing Christian music. I would get song ideas when I was ministering every night with a musical group, and would think, "If only I had a song that said this..." and because I couldn't find a song like that, I would write one. I never planned to be a writer, and still think I have a long way to go. I try to write songs based on a ministry focus. "What needs to be said here and now?" A lot of times, I'll go to an empty church and ask, "What's going to help me get into God's presence this morning." In fact, with "God Is Good All The Time," I sat in a service where a pastor said "God is good," and the people responded "All the time," and I thought, "There needs to be a song like that," so I went to Paul Overstreet and said, "Paul, let's write a song that says 'God Is Good All The Time.'"

S4W.com: What person has influenced your ministry/your music the most and how?
Moen: Probably Ray Schaibly-the man who was my pastor when I was twelve years old, and who passed away last year. Ray was my pastor from the time I was eight through sixteen and that is probably the most crucial time in a boy's life. My dad didn't go to church, so Ray took me fishing and hunting. After church he would lead us in songs with his guitar and would invite us to come to the altar and worship God. I can honestly say that I've thought many times, "You know, I don't think I would be doing what I am today if it weren't for Ray Schaibly and what he did in my life."

Ray gave me a hunger for those moments in God's presence. Why else would I have underlined in my Bible, as a twelve-year-old kid, Psalm 27:4: One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. I know that hunger came from what Ray was doing in my life. I kept in touch with him over the years and still keep in touch with his wife.

S4W.com: You've collaborated with other songwriters on songs, such as Paul Overstreet and Claire Cloninger. Have you found that this type of collaboration helps you to think "out of the box" and to stretch your creative muscles?
Moen: Collaboration is a very enjoyable process. I feel that I'm always strong on melodies and they come easy for me. When I was in the ninth grade, I went to an event where there was a competition to write two 16-bar songs. I just wrote them out, and it didn't take that long. I didn't pay any attention to it until later, but the professor had written on my paper, "Young man you have a very unique gift for writing melodies that you need to pursue." To me, it's very easy to write a melody, so it's good for me to collaborate with someone who has a good concept of melodies but also a good concept of words.

S4W.com: Who influenced you as a young musician and who influences you now?
Moen: I listened to old records of Frank Sinatra that my parents had at this lake cottage when I was a kid. I would play them on an old wind-up phonograph that belonged to my grandma and grandpa. On rainy days, I'd spin records like Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey. All these guys were crooners, and sang really romantic ballads. That's what I listened to a lot, so I'm sure when you listen to my music, you'll probably see that I've been influenced by them.

My Salvation is About Him

by Max Lucado
Who would look at the cross of Christ and say, “Great work, Jesus. Sorry you couldn’t finish it, but I’ll take up the slack.”?

Dare we question the crowning work of God? Dare we think heaven needs our help in saving us? Legalism discounts God and in the process makes a mess out of us.

To anyone attempting to earn heaven, Paul asks, “How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ….What has happened to all your joy?” (Galatians 4:19, 15 NIV).

Legalism is joyless because legalism is endless. There is always another class to attend, person to teach, mouth to feed. Inmates incarcerated in self-salvation find work but never joy. How could they? They never know when they are finished. Legalism leaches joy.

Grace, however, dispenses peace. The Christian trusts a finished work.

Grace offers rest. Legalism never does. Then why do we embrace it? “Those who trust in themselves are foolish” (Proverbs 28:26 NCV). Why do we trust in ourselves? Why do we add to God’s finished work?

But the truth is, we don’t. If we think we do, we have missed the message. “What is left for us to brag about?” Paul wonders (Romans 3:27 CEV). What is there indeed? What have you contributed? Aside from your admission of utter decadence, I can’t think of a thing. “By his doing you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Salvation glorifies the Savior, not the saved.

Your salvation showcases God’s mercy. It makes nothing of your effort but everything of his. “I—yes, I alone—am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again” (Isaiah, 43:25, emphasis mine).

Can you add anything to this salvation? No. The work is finished.

Can you earn this salvation? No. Don’t dishonor God by trying.

Dare we boast about this salvation? By no means. The giver of bread, not the beggar, deserves praise. “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).

It’s not about what we do; it’s all about what he does.




From
It's Not About Me
© (Thomas Nelson, 2007),
Max Lucado

Sunday Sermon 6-Sept-2009

Speaker: Bro. Barnabas Param

White Fields Assembly Seremban

Free To Live

If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law - Galatians 5:18

Paul said that walking according to the Spirit is not license; an excessive or undisciplined freedom constituting an abuse of privilege. As Christian you may see the phrase "You are not under the Law" in Galatians 5:18 and exclaim, "Wow, I'm free! Walking in the Spirit means I can do anything I want!" Not at all. In the previous verse Paul wrote, "You may not do the things that you please." Being led by the Spirit does not mean you are free to do anything you want to do. If means you are finally free to live responsible, moral life - something you were incapable of doing when you were prisoner of your flesh.

Once I was invited to speak to a religion class at a Catholic high school on the topic of Protestant Christianity. At the end of my talk, an athletic-looking, streetwise student raise his hand and asked, "Do you have a lot of don'ts in your church?"

Sensing that he had a deeper motive, I answered, "What you really want to ask me is if we have any freedom, right?" He nodded. "I'm free to rob a bank. But I'm mature enough to realize that I would be in bondage to that act for the rest of my life. I'd have to cover up my crime, go into hiding, or eventually pay for what I did. I'm also free to tell a lie. But if I do, I have to keep telling it, and I have to remember who I told it to and how I told it or I will get caught. I'm free to do drugs, abuse alcohol, and live a sexually immoral lifestyel. All of those "freedoms" lead to bondage. I'm free to make those choices, but considering the consequences, would I really be free?"

What appears to be freedom to some people is not really freedom, but a return to bondage (Galatians 5:1). God's laws, from which we seek to be free, are not restrictive, but protective. Your real freedom is your ability to choose to live responsibly within the context of the protective guidelines God has established for our lives.

We thank our Lord for the privilege we have to choose to live in freedom. He will help us not to abuse that privilege today and find ourselves in bondage.

- Neil Anderson

13 SEPTEMBER 2009

CM: Barnabas P.

WL: Shankar R.
BU: Kenneth Lai, Shankar R., Foong Yee

P: Jason Lai
S: Christopher Lai
G: Chew Weng Ern
D: Kai Yew

LCD: Tian Sia, Colleen Chang
PA: Manjit Singh,Hiew FF
-
20 SEPTEMBER 2009 - communion
CM: Caleb R.
WL: Peggy Tan
BU: Tian Sia, Gigi Lim, Siew Pin
P: Grace Lee
S: Christopher Lai
G: Kenneth Lai
D: Anna Sim
LCD: Moses Tan, Jocelyn Lee
PA: Tommy Q., Manjit Singh

My Body is About Him

by Max Lucado
“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT). Paul wrote these words to counter the Corinthian sex obsession. “Run away from sexual sin!” reads the prior sentence. “No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.” (v.18 NLT).

What a salmon scripture! No message swims more up-stream than this one. You know the sexual anthem of our day: “I’ll do what I want. It’s my body.” God’s firm response? “No, it’s not. It’s mine.”

Be quick to understand, God is not antisex. Dismiss any notion that God is antiaffection and anti-intercourse. After all, he developed the whole package. Sex was his idea. From his perspective, sex is nothing short of holy.

He views sexual intimacy the way I view our family Bible. Passed down from my father’s side, the volume is one hundred years old and twelve inches thick. Replete with lithographs, scribblings, and a family tree, it is, in my estimation, beyond value. Hence, I use it carefully.

When I need a stepstool, I don’t reach for the Bible. If the foot of my bed breaks, I don’t use the family Bible as a prop. When we need old paper for wrapping, we don’t rip a sheet out of this book. We reserve the heirloom for special times and keep it in a chosen place.

Regard sex the same way—as a holy gift to be opened in a special place at special times. The special place is marriage, and the time is with your spouse.

Casual sex, intimacy outside of marriage, pulls the Corinthian ploy. It pretends we can give the body and not affect the soul. We can’t. We humans are so intricately psychosomatic that whatever touches the soma impacts the phyche as well. The me-centered phrase “as long as no one gets hurt” sounds noble, but the truth is, we don’t know who gets hurt. God-centered thinking rescues us from the sex we thought would make us happy. You may think your dalliances are harmless, and years may pass before the x-rays reveal the internal damage, but don’t be fooled. Casual sex is a diet of chocolate—it tastes good for a while, but the imbalance can ruin you. Sex apart from God’s plan wounds the soul.

Your body, God’s temple. Respect it.



From
It's Not About Me
© (Thomas Nelson, 2007),
Max Lucado

Physical Intimacy in Marriage

Last week we discussed four types of maritial intimacy. The fifth is physical intimacy, which will be covered this week and next week.

The book of Genesis says that when a husband and wife have sexual intercourse, they become “one flesh." It is the consummating act of marriage, the physical expression of the inward union of two lives.

Sex is not simply a matter of joining two bodies that were uniquely made for each other. It speaks of intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual bonding as well. Sex was God’s idea, and marriage is the context in which it finds ultimate meaning.

Celebrate the Differences
Sexual intimacy is certainly near the top on the list of intimacies commonly desired in marriage. Because men and women are sexually different (long live the difference!), we often approach sexual intimacy in different ways. The husband’s emphasis is most often on the physical aspects--seeing, touching, and feeling. On the other hand, the wife emphasizes the emotional aspects--to feel loved, cared for, and treated tenderly. For her, these pave the road to sexual intimacy.

Mutual Satisfaction
Understanding male-female differences is necessary if we are going to discover God’s ideal of sexual intimacy. The husband must learn to focus on his wife’s emotional need for love. The wife must understand the physical aspect of her husband’s sexual desires. As in all other areas of marriage, this requires learning. If the couple focuses on making the sexual experience an act of love, each seeking to pleasure the other, they will find sexual intimacy.

It should be obvious that we cannot separate sexual intimacy from emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual intimacy. You can study these separately, but in the context of human relationships, they can never be compartmentalized.

The sense of closeness, of being one, of finding mutual satisfaction is reserved for the couple who is willing to do the hard work of learning. Love can be learned, and sexual intimacy is one of the results.

Men and women are similar, yet vastly different. That was God’s design. In the sexual area of life, God also made us different.

The Desire For Intimacy
Men are stimulated by sight. The female is far more stimulated by tender touch, affirming words, and acts of thoughtfulness. That is why many wives have said, “Sex doesn’t begin in the bedroom. It begins in the kitchen. It doesn’t start at night. It starts in the morning.” The way she is treated and spoken to throughout the day will have a profound effect upon her desire for sexual intimacy.

I’m convinced that if husbands would follow the Biblical admonition to “dwell with their wives according to knowledge” (I Peter 3:7), they would discover the sexual intimacy which God designed marriage to provide.

The Effect On Family
Intimacy between the husband and wife spills over into the rest of family life. If intimacy is missing in the marital relationship, it will likely be distorted in parent-child relationships and in sibling relationships. In healthy families, husbands and wives make their marriage top priority. Intimacy between a husband and wife not only serves their own needs, but provides the highest level of emotional security for children.

It is my own commitment to this principle that has led me to invest the bulk of my time and energy in the field of marriage enrichment. Both my writing and my seminars focus on the marital relationship.

I am fully convinced that my greatest contribution to the children of this generation lies in helping their mothers and fathers build intimate marriages. It was God who said the two are to become “one flesh." In this reality, marriage finds its highest purpose.


There are five love languages. What's yours? Take the 30-second quiz.
Excerpt taken from The Family You've Always Wanted: Five Ways You Can Make it Happen by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Gary Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.

Songs 4 Worship Interview (1)

from Don

With 21 albums to his credit and over 5 million units sold, Don Moen is a creative force and an inspirational voice in worship music all over the world. Songs4Worship.com recently sat down for "10 Questions With Don Moen."

Songs4Worship: What has been the greatest challenge you've faced since you began pursuing music as a calling and a career?
Don Moen: Balancing my time is probably the biggest challenge. Balancing my work in the office and my role as a father, husband and songwriter has been a great challenge, and it's tougher now that my children are older. When children are younger, they need food, home and a bath, but as they grow older, they start school and need help with their homework and start driving cars. That's one of the reasons I say no to a lot of things. You only have your kids once. When people ask me if they can pray for me, I ask them to pray that I have balance in my life.

S4W.com: What has been the most profound lesson you've learned about worship over the past few years?
Moen: There were quite a few years when I was first doing praise and worship music when people would laugh at it and say, "That's not music-that's not serious." Only in the last few years has praise and worship music become a genre. Major artists are now doing worship records and they're starting to become their best ones. So only recently has praise and worship come to be recognized as a very significant category, and it's almost the only category in Christian music that is still showing solid growth. For many years it wasn't like that, though, so it was always a challenge to gain recognition without compromising integrity.

S4W.com: What is the most profound lesson you've learned about life over the past few years?
Moen: Be yourself, no matter what it is you do. Many times people try to be someone they're not. I'm a ballad singer, and I don't have hot licks like some artists. My kids would not call my songs "cool," but the most valuable lesson I've learned is to be happy and comfortable with who God made me to be. I think it's so easy to get caught up in the production and presentation of something and to not ask the hard questions, like "Why am I doing what I'm doing?" We should all analyze what we do everyday and say, "Why did we do what we just did."

S4W.com: What does "worship lifestyle" mean to you?
Moen: First of all, it means that worship is more than a song. It's important to remember that music is just one facet of worship. To me, worship lifestyle means being the same person at home and the same person in the supermarket that I am on the stage. It means following the example of Jesus, who was the Son of God, but was also the Son of Man. Jesus was approachable, and people loved to be around him. Just ask yourself, "Was Jesus a true worshiper?" You bet he was.

S4W.com: How do you explain the powerful connection between music and worship expression?
Moen: First of all, music is such a powerful tool for bringing people together. For instance, one song can be sung around the world in different languages and have the same meaning, so why not use the beauty and the power of music to facilitate the worship of God? Look at history-Bach and Handel were the songwriters of the church.

Music also has the ability to tear down barriers. I've seen the power of song bring congregations and denominations together when the greatest sermon could not. It's hard to stay angry with someone when you sit next to him and experience God's presence through song.

S4W.com: How do you explain the powerful connection between music and worship expression?
Moen: First of all, music is such a powerful tool for bringing people together. For instance, one song can be sung around the world in different languages and have the same meaning, so why not use the beauty and the power of music to facilitate the worship of God? Look at history-Bach and Handel were the songwriters of the church.

Music also has the ability to tear down barriers. I've seen the power of song bring congregations and denominations together when the greatest sermon could not. It's hard to stay angry with someone when you sit next to him and experience God's presence through song.