Sunday Re-cap (27th Nov 2005)

Undertanding the Times and Seasons of God
by Ps Sam Hari
(adapted from the Apostolic and Prophetic Conference Nov 2005)

1 Chr 12:32(NLT)

If we desire to serve God and be effective in 2006:

1. We need to have a spirit like the sons of Isaachar.


2. Even though they were smallest group among David’s army, they were singled out as leaders who had an understanding of the times and seasons of God and knowing what to do.


3. When we do this, there is a special grace and favor that follows.


4. We do not become a hindrance to the move of God.


5. The depth, height, length and breath of the ministry (service) that we have depend on the depth that we have in God. Our intimacy with God.

Eph 4:11-16 (NLT) In the NT, the sons of Issachar are like the five fold ministry. These will know the times and the seasons of God and know what to do to build a mature and healthy church. Are we able to function as a five fold ministry church?

How do we become sons of Isaachar? Deut 33:18-19

1. Summon the people to the mountain to offer sacrifices-strong and inspiring prayer life.


2. They benefit from the riches of the sea; hidden treasures of the sand-fishers of men and able to see the potential of people.

Gen 29:31-35, Gen 30:1-18
Therefore the birth of the sons of Isaachar is the end of spiritual barrenness and strife and the beginning of refreshing and revival. Is 35

In Conclusion,Gen 49:14-15
What’s so special about donkeys?

1. Burden bearers, servants, focused, sure footed for rough terrain.


2. Sons of Isaachar-intercessors, focused, sure footed!


3. Prophetic, saw a vision of the rest that was to come. Heb 4: Children of Israel did not enter promise land, no rest, because of unbelief.


4. Donkeys had the grace to carry the presence of Jesus.


5. Num 22-God used a donkey to speak to the prophet; a prophetic judge and a voice.

The Sons of Isaachar are the ones who are going to be a powerful and effective testimony in bringing many to the saving knowledge of Christ. They are like the dew of Hermon that bring life and refreshing into the barrenness (sickness, lack, etc) of people around them.

Truth + Love = A Real Christian

Truth + Love = A Real Christian

"Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions"(1 John 3:18 - The Living Bible).

"It is possible to show love toward others, yet not be committed to the truth of God's Word. Such persons place love, acceptance, friendship, and unity above the truth and commandments of God. On the other hand, it is also possible for a person in the church to promote Biblical truth and defend its doctrines, yet not show love and concern for others. What God requires is that we demonstrate both love for His truth and love for others. We must speak the truth in love."

- The Full Life Study Bible, p. 589

Hear what is being said here.

There are three classes of people in the Church today.

The first class are those who are "showing love" toward others, yet they do not know the Word nor adhere to its dictates. In other words, they are walking in disobedience to the Truth. Yet, their main emphasis or drive seems to be - "love, acceptance, friendship, and unity" - at any cost.

The second class consists of those who study, research, memorize, and debate the doctrines of the Bible, yet they have not one ounce of love or concern for others.

Lastly, there is the group who loves and adheres to the Truth of God's Word - walking in its principles day after day and moment by moment - and demonstrating its effect on their hearts and lives through their fervent and earnest love for others.

We must have a love for God's Truth(enough to obey it) and a love for others - working side by side in our lives - if we expect anyone to classify us as a Christian! If we have one without the other - then it is time that we examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the Faith. Something is definitely wrong with our Christianity!

The Apostle John repeatedly linked truth and love together in his epistles. He used such expressions as - "whom I love in the truth"(2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1),

"For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever"(2 John 2),

"in truth and love"(2 John 3),

as well as "let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth"(1 John 3:18).

There is only one way to love others - and that is, to love them "in the truth."

What does this mean? It means to love them truly and heartily...be sincerely attached to them...and love them on account of the truth. It definitely is not a passing sentiment or something dependent on an emotional feeling. It is not a mere profession of love. Because of the truth that resides in his heart, the believer demonstrates the sincerity of his love through kind, tender, and merciful acts.

The Expositor's Bible Commentary explains it in this way - "Love requires more than idle talk or exalted theology. It demands simple acts, which anyone can see, that meets the needs of brothers and sisters in distress. Any _expression of love that fails here is not only empty but blasphemous."

These are rather "strong" words - wouldn't you agree? The truth is a "hard pill" to swallow at times.

When it comes to love - what do you have - idle talk and exalted theology or acts of love in helping a brother or sister in need?

Is your love for others "empty" and "blasphemous" or the "real deal"?

Besides John, the Apostle Peter also linked truth and love together in 1 Peter 1:22 when he said - "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently."

Peter taught us that sincere, genuine, pure, earnest, deep, warm, ardent, strong, and fervent love demonstrated in a Christian's walk is the direct result of him initially purifying his soul of all selfishness and hatred by obeying the truth. In other words, he heard the truth, obeyed it, and his heart was purified of all uncleanness, defilement, and corruption - resulting in a self-sacrificing desire to meet the needs of others.

The truth of God's Word purged the heart of all sin - issuing forth in an unhypocritical brotherly love.

Why is there so much phoney love in the Church today?

Peter implies that it is because the heart is not purged of all sin and selfishness through exposure to the Truth and the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Just how many are walking around claiming to be Christians - yet all they have is an "empty" and "blasphemous" profession because there are no selfless acts of love to follow it?

What about the equation of your walk with the Lord?

Does it look like this one - "Truth + Love = A Real Christian"?

Just remember - to the degree that you are embracing the truth of the Gospel in your life - and walking in it - will be the degree to which you intensely and genuinely love the brethren.

Anyone can say - "Love ya, Brother! Love ya, Sister!"

We close with this quote from the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's Commentary - "When the venerable John could no longer walk to the meetings of the Church but was borne thither by his disciples, he always uttered the same address to the Church; he reminded them of that one commandment which he had received from Christ Himself, as comprising all the rest, and forming the distinction of the new covenant, 'My little children, love one another.' When the brethren present, wearied of hearing the same thing so often, asked why he always repeated the same thing, he replied, 'Because it is the commandment of the Lord, and if this one thing be attained, it is enough."

To love one another is indeed the commandment of the Lord. Have you attained it yet?

May God Bless His Word.

Connie

RULES FROM GOD

1. Wake Up !! Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!... To the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up !!... Your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6

Sunday Re-cap (20th Nov 2005)

Accepting Your Assignment
by Sam Hari

Eph 2:10 (LB) John 17:4 (Msg)

Introduction
We were put in this earth to make a contribution.

This is one of God’s purposes for our lives. It’s called our ministry or our service. The WORD gives us the details of this calling:

• We were created to serve God. Eph 2:10b
• We were saved to serve God. 2 Tim 1:9 (LB) 1 Jn 3:14 (CEV) 
• We were called to serve God. There is no such thing as a “non-serving” Christian. 2 Tim 1:9 (TEV) 1 Pet 2:9 (NLT) Rom 7:4 (TEV).
• We are commanded to serve God. Matt 20:28 (LB)

1. If I have no love for others, no desire to serve others, I should question whether Christ is really in my life!
2. "Jesus now has a new pair of eyes to see with, new ears to listen with, new hands to help with, new hands to help with, and a new heart to love others with.”
3. Impression without expression leads to depression. Study without service leads to spiritual stagnation. Comparison of Sea of Galilee (full of life) and Dead Sea (no life at all).
   
   What is your answer when you stand before God? Rom 14:12 (NLT). To all our excuses, God is going to answer, “I created you, saved you, called and commanded you to serve me. Which part did you not understand?”
   Rom 2:8 (NLT). Also Mark 8:35 (LB) Also see Matt 10:39, 16:25, Luke 9:24, 17:33
   
   Service is the pathway to real significance. It is through ministry that we discover the true meaning of our lives. Rom 12:5 (Msg)
   
   What matters is the duration of your life and not the donation of it. Not how long you lived but how you lived.
   
   The mature follower of Christ should stop asking, “Who’s going to meet my needs?” and instead start asking today, “Who’s needs can I meet today?” Do you ever ask that question?
   
   
   
   

Tigers In The River?

All For the Glory of GOD! Welcome back OOI!

Sold Out

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. - Philippians 3:7
George Mueller was a man known for building orphanages by faith in the mid-1800s. He raised literally millions of dollars for his orphanages, yet died with little in his own bank account. When asked about his conversion experience he commented,
"I was converted in November of 1825, but I only came into the full surrender of the heart four years later, in July 1829. The love of money was gone, the love of place was gone, the love of position was gone, and the love of worldly pleasures and engagements was gone. God, God alone became my portion. I found my all in Him; I wanted nothing else. And by the grace of God this has remained, and has made me a happy man, an exceedingly happy man, and it led me to care only about the things of God. I ask affectionately, my beloved brethren, have you fully surrendered the heart to God, or is there this thing or that thing with which you have taken up irrespective of God? I read a little of the scriptures before, but preferred other books; but since that time the revelation He has made of Himself has become unspeakably blessed to me, and I can say from my heart, God is an infinitely lovely Being. Oh, be not satisfied until in your own inmost soul you can say, God is an infinitely lovely Being!" [Basil Miller, Man of Faith and Miracles (Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bethany House Publishers, n.d.)]
Many will never get to the place where George Mueller was in his spiritual life, because we are unwilling to release control of these areas of which he speaks. If we do release control, it usually is due to a process that God brings us through. Paul got knocked to the ground and was spoken to personally before he was willing to listen and follow completely. Peter had to live with Jesus three years and he still denied Him. It was only later, after he denied Jesus and realized how weak he was in his own faith, that he became fully committed to the Savior.
What will it take for you to fully surrender? You will know that you have given full surrender when power, money, and position no longer have meaning in your life. Paul said he came to a place where his life was the life of Christ only. It is a sacrificial life, but it is also a life of freedom, purpose, and meaning. Let God take full control and see His life lived fully through you.

The Graduate

Congratulations to our dear Vincent Liew for his graduation. May the LORD bless you and cause you to be fruitful in everything you put your hands into.

From
Your GROW Family

Sunday Re-cap (13th Nov 2005)

Being Healthy and Wholesome
By Joseph Chow

1 Thess 5:23

God desires that we be superabundant in quality and superior in quantity.

• Spirit-pneuma


• Our spirit is pneuma which is the part that worships and communicates with God (Jn 4:23).


• Jn 3:3,6 Born again-to have the pneuma to see, commune and experience God.


• Soul-psuake


• From which the word psychology comes from is made up of three parts i.e. mind, will and emotions.


• Healthy Will-able to make reasonably wise and quick decisions.


• Healthy Emotions-able to love and accept love. Loving someone does not necessarily mean liking them. We are called to love even and especially people we don’t like.


• Body-soma

It’s important that we know these and God desires that each part be healthy. This is our inheritance in the LORD.
Examples of Abraham having healthy body, soul and spirit are found in Gen 15:6, Gen 25:8, Gen 13:2 and Gen 23:16

How to maintain our health and wholesomeness and remain so?
Under the OT health codes, the following are known to be unhealthy. These are also proven by modern medical science.

• FAT. Lev 7:22-23


• Spiritual aspect-FAT is meant to be an offering to God.


• Medical aspect-cholesterol and heart blockage problems.


• Traumatized Animals (hunted, killed, accident). Lev 7:24-25.


• Secrete chemical that are hazardous to health.


• Blood. Lev 7:26-27


• Transmission of diseases.


• Pork and sea creatures (non scale and with skin). Lev 11.9.


• Bacteria in pork.


• Sea creatures are scavengers.


• The Law of Isolation. Lev 13.45-46


• Modern day-Quarantine in cases like leprosy, TB. Etc.

How to balance this with NT?

• 1 Tim 4:3-everything God created is good. We need to sanctify with Word of God and prayer.


• We can eat these things on occasions that we have no other choice. Use wisdom.


• Do not avoid these foods just for the sake of a show of holiness of self righteousness.

Conclusion

• God wants us to have health and wholesomeness in every area of our lives.


• God has already given us some keys to maintaining health and wholesomeness in the Word of God.


• If we follow the pattern of sound teaching, we will be healthy and wholesome all the days of our lives. This is our inheritance from the LORD.

Biblical Examples of Forgiveness

The Forgiveness Of God

Adam and Eve. The first humans to sin also became the first to experience God's forgiveness (Gen. 3).

Aaron. Although he was involved in making a golden calf, Aaron later was appointed head of the priesthood (Ex. 32; Lev. 8).

Aaron and Miriam. When they opposed Moses' God-given authority, Miriam was stricken with leprosy. But they confessed and were forgiven and cleansed (Num. 12).

Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar. Although these men falsely accused Job and misrepresented God, they found forgiveness (Job 42).

Rahab. This Jericho prostitute turned to the Lord of Israel and became part of Jesus' family tree (Josh. 2; Mt. 1:5).

David. Although he was guilty of adultery and murder, David repented and confessed his sin. He was spoken of as a man after God's own heart (2 Sam. 11-12; Ps. 51).

A paralytic. To demonstrate His authority, Christ forgave and healed this disabled man (Mt. 9:28).

Matthew. This tax collector with a bad reputation became Christ's disciple (Mt. 9:9-13).

A repentant criminal. When he cried out to Jesus on the cross, this thief was welcomed into Paradise (Lk. 23:40-43).

Peter. Although he denied Christ three times, Peter became a pillar in the church (Mk. 14:66-72; Jn. 21:15-19).

A woman caught in adultery. Her accusers backed away and Christ forgave her sins (Jn. 8:1-11).

Zaccheus. This greedy tax collector climbed a tree to see Jesus and came down to receive forgiveness (Lk. 19:1-10).

Nicodemus. Officially part of the group of ruling Pharisees who provoked Christ's strongest condemnations, Nicodemus recognized Jesus as Savior and Messiah (Jn. 3:1-21; 19:39).

Paul. Killer of Christians and self-confessed "chief of sinners," Paul is a prime example of the grace of God (Acts 9; 1 Tim. 1:15).

Corinthian believers. Once they were idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, slanderers, and swindlers, but now they had experienced God's forgiveness (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

The public sinner who washed Jesus' feet with her tears. When a religious Pharisee objected that Jesus would let such a woman even touch Him, Jesus said:

"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." . . . Then He [Jesus] said to her [the public sinner], "Your sins are forgiven" (Lk. 7:41-48).

Let God Plead your Case.

Nobody enjoys going to court. I once was a character witness in a court case, and it wasn't fun. How much worse it must be for the accused. But if you must stand trial, it's good to know that somebody is there to plead your case. This is what the psalmist talks about when he says to the Lord, "Plead my cause and redeem me; revive me according to Your word" (v. 154).

The greatest Advocate we have is God. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31). During the week we may go through difficulties. People may lie about us, and uncomfortable situations may arise because people don't like us. Sometimes we are misunderstood and criticized. You may be going through such an experience today. But God is with you in the trials of life. When you and I are on trial, He pleads and defends our case.

He can handle the dispute. When we pray to God and say, "Plead my case," He goes to work. He also can accomplish our redemption, our deliverance. We are not going to be found guilty, and we are not going to be put in jail. God sets His people free in the difficulties of life.

God can overcome your discouragement. When you've been through a tough experience, you feel discouraged and let down. But God lifts you above discouragement with His reviving power.

Today, Jesus is pleading your case in heaven. He is your Heavenly Advocate and your High Priest. He gives you the grace to stay away from temptation and sin. But if you sin, you can go to your Advocate. He will forgive you, cleanse you and plead your case.
* * *
When others create difficulties for you, let God handle your dispute. He will deliver you and lift you above your discouragement. Likewise, Jesus will plead your case before the Father and forgive you.

Where are you?

Where are you ???

Are you equipped ???

What’s your destiny ???

as a businessman...as a housewife...as a professional...as a student...as a ...............

Let VBI help you...fulfilled your destiny in God.

Campuses: Penang, Prai, Sungai Petani

Languages: English, Tamil, Mandarin

Intake: 9 January 2006

Requirement: no minimum requirement for the 1st & 2nd year

Instructor:Experienced Pastors, Evangelists, Teachers, Prophets & Apostles

Evaluation: True/False Tests


CONTACT US:
G. P. O. Box 179, 10270 PenangTel: 04-6597190 Fax: 04-6562554

myvbi@tm.net.my or vbimalaysia@yahoo.com

http://www.vbi-malaysia.org/

26 Beautiful One Liners

1. Give God what's right -- not what's left.
2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- God's way leads to an endless hope.
3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.
5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period.
6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.
7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift.
8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty.
9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church.
10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us.
11. The church is prayer-conditioned.
12. When God ordains, He sustains.
13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.
14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.
16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.
17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord.
18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive.
19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.
20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
21. He who angers you controls you.
22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.
23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.
24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.
25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
26. Read the Bible -- It will scare the hell out of you.

Read the Bible NOW! Blessings upon your day!

LIGHTHOUSE YOUTH CONFERENCE 2005

The Photos have been uploaded (well most of them at least)...Day 1 pictures are on Yahoo Photos and Day 2 on Flickr.

Blessings!

Sunday Re-cap (6th Nov 2005)

Seen and Heard: Building a Credible Witness
by Sam Hari

Acts 22:14-16
14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 You are to take his message everywhere, telling the whole world what you have seen and heard. 16 And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on the name of the Lord.’

1. Seeing and Hearing is such a significant part of our witness.
2. We can only witness as much as we have seen and heard ourselves. (Matt 11:4).
3. We build a credible witness by seeing and hearing. However,
4. A credible witness can either be for good or evil.
5. It’s important that we see and hear the right things; the things that the LORD wants us to see and hear. This is where choice comes in; what are we allowing ourselves to see and hear?
   

Acts 9:1-19 The Call Of Saul

1. Saul could hear (the voice) but could not see (the light). His witness was no yet credible.
2. The LORD wanted Saul to be blind to the things of the world; the things of his past; the things that was his passion (persecuting the believers). The LORD wanted to give Saul (and us!) a whole new vision.
3. In the same manner, the LORD wants to blind us so that we get new vision. (Matt 7:5)
4. Until he got that new vision, he had to wait.
5. It was significant that Ananias was sent to restore Saul’s sight.
   We need other mature Christians to help us build a credible sight!
   When we fellowship with them, we see things the way they see it and eventually it becomes our perception as well!
6. Who will see the LORD? The pure in heart (Matt 5:8).
   
   

Matt 13:15-17 Describes People who can see yet cannot see and hear yet cannot hear. Why?

15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

How does this build a credible witness in our lives? We need to undertsand that:

1. People are seeing (and hearing) us (Matt 5:16). Christians Read The Bible But The World Reads The Christian
2. The Father is seeing (and hearing) us (Matt 6:4,6,18). What is He seeing?

Let's build a credible witness in our lives for the LORD. Let 2006 be a year of hearing and responding to the call of God. We must begin by Seeing the Righteous One and Hearing the voice of God and testifying to what we have seen and heard. (Acts 22:14-16 see above)

No Fast Food In The Bible

I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. —Psalm 119:15

I love the sight of cows lying in the field, chewing their cud. But what is cud? And why do they spend so much time chewing it?

Cows first fill their stomachs with grass and other food. Then they settle down for a good long chew. They bring the food back up from their stomachs and rework what they've already eaten, assimilating its goodness and transforming it into rich creamy milk. Time-consuming? Yes. A waste of time? Not if they want to give good milk.

The phrase "chewing the cud" is used to describe the process of meditation. The writer of Psalm 119 obviously did a lot of mental chewing as he read God's Word. No fast food for him! If we follow his example of careful and prayerful Scripture reading, we will:

Be strengthened against sin (v.11).
Find delight in learning more about God (vv.15-16).
Discover wonderful spiritual truths (v.18).
Find wise counsel for daily living (v.24).

Meditation is more than reading the Bible and believing it. It's applying Scripture to everyday life.

God's Word is not meant to be fast food. Take time for a good long chew. —Joanie Yoder
Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word. —Lathbury

To be a healthy Christian, don't treat the Bible as snack food.

Adapted: Our Daily Bread (Nov.5)

Speaker This Sunday

Please take note that we're having a good friend and brother, Uncle Joe, coming to minister at the GROW English Service. We would like to encourage you to come and invite your friends too!
God bless!

Profile of Uncle Joe
Josef Chow is a retired teacher and author of From Fear To Freedom, a book on deliverance and healing with 30 testimonies, and From Water To Wine, a book on marriage relationship. He accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour in October 1972.
In July 1972, Josef accompanied some friends to consult a medium. He was there out of curiosity and not to actually consult the medium. That incident was, however, to change his whole life.
He was left sick for the next one and a half years. He was afflicted by a spirit of fear (a demon) and was on valium, a psychotropic drug, for the whole period of his sickness. No one prayed for him for deliverance, but Jesus sovereignly and dramatically set him free from the the spirit of fear and valium. His complete testimony appears in his book From Fear To Freedom.
Today, Josef is a minister with a non-denominational ministry. He deals with the subject of healing and deliverance in the light of Scripture and first-hand personal experience.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

Definitely worth reading...

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and ahalf. You're four and a half, going on five!
That's the key.
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21; YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30! Oooohh! What happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.
Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-daything; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.
And it doesn't end there. Into the 90's, you start going backwards; "I was JUST 92."
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out non essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
    

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away....

Two Stories of Doing The Right Thing

You need to read all of this, especially if you are from Chicago or ever travel by plane to Chicago.

Story Number One:

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago.
Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of Jail for a long time.
To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well.

Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends.
For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day.

The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had the best of everything: clothes, cars and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; that he couldn't pass on a good name and a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision.

Easy Eddie Wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity.

To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he would ever pay.

Story Number Two:

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.
His flight leader told him to return to the carrier.

Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold.

A squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

There was only one thing to do.
He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another.

Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dived at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival he reported in and related the event surrounding his return.

The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale.
It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had in fact destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.

His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?


Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.

Grace Card…? Priceless

One of my coworkers slipped up and forgot to do something he promised me he would do. It was important to me because I wanted to make a change, and he was my last backup. But by the time I got to him about it, the issue had diffused somewhat and there was even reason to believe that the end result might have been better without the change I wanted. (It was one of those times you wonder if God meant for him to forget. It is true that sometimes God’s will incorporates our failures.) My friend apologized profusely and I told him not to give it another thought, that I was starting to even have second thoughts about the change I asked him to carry out. To which he replied, “Well, thanks for using your Grace Card on me today.”

Grace Card. I like that. I had never heard that before. He had never said that before. We laughed, and then I thanked him for my next devotional idea! (Now we have two positive things that came out of one failure. Two for one… that’s not bad!)

Any relationship is going to require a Grace Card. That’s because we are destined to fail each other over and over again. We will fail because we are fallible, and we will fail without even trying, because one’s expectations are too high for the other to meet.

One of Christ’s disciples once asked Him how many times he should forgive his brother, “Seven times?” he suggested. That probably seemed like a lot to him. “Try seventy times seven,” Jesus replied (Matthew 18:22 The Message).

Now I don’t think Jesus meant by this that we were to literally count up all the times we have forgiven someone and as soon as we get to 491, say “Okay, that’s it. I’m not forgiving you anymore!” I think what He meant was: if you’re going to put a number on it, make sure it’s too big to keep track of.

Or better yet, how about a credit card with an unlimited account? An account Jesus opened on the cross? An account we can draw on as much as we need, for ourselves, and for those who offend us, or sin against us, or disappoint us, or let us down? You’ve already got one if you’ve been to the cross. Why not activate it today?

Grace Card. No relationship is possible without one. Don’t leave home without it. (Don’t go home without it, either. That’s probably where we need it the most!)

by John Fischer

Missionary Oppurtunity in PNG

Sounds perfect for the order of the BRETHREN...by the way, this is for REAL!!!

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Greetings to all of you!

I am sending the request and opportunity below to several of out SE Asian nations for your consideration.

Below is a request to help fill a ministry position with City Mission in Papua New Guinea. Larry George, who has written the request, is a good friend and works very closely with Foursquare in PNG. They take young men off the streets, get them off of drugs, alcohol and the gang lifestyle and disciple them to follow Jesus. One part of the discipleship is the farm where they work and learn practical skills. They are raising durian, mangosteen and other tropical fruits and spices! Its a great ministry and this is a great opportunity for someone with a missionary burden and the agricultural background to fill the position.

As Larry says below, a single young man or married could without school age children would be ideal. City Mission can provide airfare, housing and basic support for this position. Lae is the second largest city in PNG located on the North coast of the island and is a center for shipping with goods and services readily available.

If you know of someone who might be interested, please contact me. I can give a lot more details and answer any questions you may have.

Thanks,

George Butron
FMI Regional Coordinator

Sunday Re-cap 30th October 2005

The Parable of the “Missed Call”
by Ps. Samuel Hari

TEXT: Acts 9:1-6 and 10-19

Introduction:
Observing people waiting for their numbers to be called in Bank,

1. Take your number and immediately leave as too many people ahead. No hope, anticipation of ever being called. Feel we are not good enough.
2. Take your number and leave halfway; come back later? Impatient, too busy to wait? Disappointed? Lost the passion?
3. Take your number and wait; mind pre-occupied, dreaming and miss the call. Pre-occupied with things in life. Carrier, material wealth, ambitions.
4. Take your number and wait while talking to/looking at someone. They miss their call because of people they like or dislike. Hurts, Offenses, Unforgiveness, Persecution, Inability to get along, don’t like the face behind the counter? etc.
   

The first four fall in the category of missing the call.

1. Some may take another number and have to wait a long time before being called again.
2. Some just give up and are passed by.
3. Some just BARELY make it.

These are the kind of people who go to the petrol station and forget to pour petrol. OR like the people who don’t pick up the phone when a call comes because they’re afraid of who’s on the other side, don’t hear the phone or those who are simply not bothered to pick up the phone.

And yet there is a fifth category of people and these are the people that we want to emulate!

5. Take your number and sit waiting for the call. When the call comes, RESPOND!

The Apostle Paul was such a person.

1. Paul’s Call on the ROAD to Damascus.
a. Was it a conversion experience or was a call? For Paul it was BOTH and for many both come together when we first receive the LORD. However, for most the conversion and the call are separated by a period of time just like the people waiting for their numbers.
b. Some say Paul was already part of the covenanted community because he was a JEW.
c. This is somewhat like being a Christian for generations or a Christian who is one just by name.
d. Contrary to popular belief, every one of us must have a Damascus experience with the LORD.
e. Some have had it and are still blinded by it.
f. We need to come to a place in our lives where we recognize that God has called us.
g. We don’t need to give up our job, homes and families but like Paul, RESPOND!

Then SURRENDER and HEAR and OBEY!

Religion in MyKAD-IMPORTANT!!!

Hi Folks,

The church is going to purchase 2 mini MyKad Readers which are able to read the data contained in your MyKad, i.e., your IC, Driving Licence and Passport particulars, including your religion.

If any of you would like your own reader, please let us know as soon as possible through email. It costs RM22 per piece not including the cost of postage.


God bless you!

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RELIGION IN MYKAD
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:10:59 +0800

The Pastor/Elder/Leader
NECF Member Churches
Malaysia

Dear Pastor/Elder/Leader,

Re: Religion in MyKad

Greetings in Jesus’ Precious Name!

In recent weeks, issues pertaining to religion in MyKad have been highlighted in the newspapers and disturbing some sections of the Church. We have also received complaints, for example from Chinese (Christian) parents whose children’s religion was entered as "Buddhist" despite them correctly filling up the application form. I have raised this matter with the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Deputy Minister has instructed the Secretary-General of the National Registration Department to rectify the problem (a cc copy of the letter was sent to me).

In order to ensure that Christians’ religious identity is accurately recorded in the database, I request you to advise all church members and their families (adults and children) to visit the respective NRD branches and ask for a print-out of their details. (If they are applying for MyKad for the first time, they can also ask for an immediate print-out.) In the event their religion has been altered without their consent, please send us a fax of the print-out as proof to present to the Ministry.

The Lord has blessed the Malaysian Church with rapid growth in the past few decades. We want this fact to be accurately reflected in the nation’s statistics as a testimony to God’s grace. Please view this matter with utmost seriousness so that our faith will in no way be compromised.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Serving Together,

Rev. Wong Kim Kong
Secretary-General
NECF