God is Faithful

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

At the end of every year, I try to set aside some time to review the previous 12 months and record God's faithfulness to me and my family. My list will certainly include instances of God's grace and provision, and not forgetting God's mercy and protection.

I thank God that I can have more quiet time with HIM in prayer and reading of His Word.
I praise Him that his provision is ever sufficient to meet my needs.
I glorified Him that there are always friends who care in time of need.

Praise the almighty God, our Heavenly Father who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Amen !

ADDING UP YOUR BLESSINGS WILL MULTIPLY YOUR JOY.

FAITH IS NOT A LEAP INTO THE DARK BUT A STEP INTO THE LIGHT.
MAY THE LIGHT OF JESUS LEAD US THROUGH THE YEAR 2010.
BLESSED NEW YEAR.

Marriage

A study of nearly 34,500 people in 15 countries found married people are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and substance abuse, clinical psychologist Kate Scott of New Zealand's University of Otago said.

Marital relationship offers a lot of mental health benefits for both men and women, and that the distress and disruption associated with ending marriage can make people vulnerable to developing mental disorders.

Marriage is the product of a divine plan. Human being did not think it up or invent it - God created it. It is the union of a man and a woman that legally and morally binds the two together for life.

However, each partner need to know their role and respect each other for the happiness of a marriage. There is never any excuse for infidelity. We are all equal in that all of us have self-control. The men as the heads of the households, sow the seeds of discord ourselves when we fail in any way to ensure that our wives feel loved and secure with us. If we want to be treated like kings, we must first treat our wives like queens.
Happy and fulfilled marriages are built on solid foundations of companionship and giving. Not selfish desires from any one party.

Matthew 19 :4-6 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Marriage is like a pepper bottle and salt bottle coming together - if you separate them - one of them will break or both will break. [FIREPROOF]

Giving Thanks

An attitude of thanks can do wonders for your health.
Academics have long theorised that expressions of thanks promote health and happiness and give optimism and energy to the downtrodden. Now, the study of gratitude has become a surprising burgeoning field, and research indicates being thankful might help people actually feel better. There's a catch, however : You have to say thanks more than just once a year. "If you don't do it regularly you're not going to get the benefits," said Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside.
"Gratitude leads people to act in virtuous or more selfless ways," said David DeSteno, psychologist at Northeastern University. Those who offer gratitude are less envious and resentful. They sleep longer, exercise more and report a drop in blood pressure, report Robert Emmons, a psychology professor.
"It makes a person physically, mentally, in every way healthier."

Psalm 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.

THANKFULNESS IS THE SOIL IN WHICH JOY THRIVES

Money - Servant or Master ?

"Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" [Luke 12:15].
"Money is power." That principle drives most cultures of the world. People scramble for wealth, often at the price of personal integrity, in order to gain the power to live where and how they want, drive the kind of vehicle they want, and get whatever else they want.
Money will buy : A bed but not sleep. Food but not appetite. A house but not a home. Amusement but not happiness. A cross but not a Savior. A church pew but not heaven. What money can't buy, Jesus Christ gives freely without charge."
The problem is not having money, but "living a life where that's your focus."

Agur, the wise author of Proverbs 30, didn't want too much or too little of it (Proverbs 30:7-9). Jesus used it (John 13:29). Paul could take it or leave it (Philippians 4:11-12). The rich young ruler clung to it (Luke 18:23). Ananias and Sapphira died because they lied to God about it (Acts 5).
What about our relationship to money ? Do we used it wisely or does it control us ?

MONEY IS A GOOD SERVANT, BUT A POOR MASTER

Loneliness

Loneliness has been termed the most desolate word in the English language. It is no respecter of age, race, economic status, or intelligence. Albert Einstein said, "It is strange to be known so universally, and yet to be so lonely."
Loneliness, like the flu, is contagious, US research shows. It can spread among groups of people and women are more likely than men to become "infected", according to researchers at the University of Chicago, the University of California-San Diego and Harvard.
Lonely people tend to transmit their sad feelings to those around them, which eventually led to them being isolated from society. They became less trustful of others, and a cycle develops that makes it harder for them to form friendships.
Loneliness is associated with mental and physical diseases that can shorten life, said psychologist, John Cacioppo, a leading US expert on loneliness.
What circumstances make you feel helpless or hopeless today? Poor health, broken relationship, a family member in great need? In Jesus Christ, God has pierced the dark winter of our world in a daring rescue through His redeeming love. He is therefore able to reach us and calm our fears in the most desperate circumstances.
If you feel unloved, don't run from your pain or try to get love through wrong means. Instead, devote yourself to knowing God and loving Him. Allow Him to meet your deepest needs. Then give Him all the praise !
God made us for intimacy and companionship with others. Even before sin entered the world, He declared that it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2 : 18). That's why many people often feel so empty inside.
Those who know Jesus are never alone.
THOUGH PEOPLE MAY NOT LOVE YOU. GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU.
GOD'S HELP IS ONLY A PRAYER AWAY.

Out of the mouth....

We may think that we're godly people because we go to church regularly or pray, but then we gossip or talk about people behind their backs. James 3 : 9-10 says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

The book of James gives us three practical exhortations to deal with life's stressful situations : "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1 : 19). In life's stresses, let's be "doers of the Word" (v22), and take the time to listen and show restraint with our words and anger today.

Matthew 15 : 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

More Girls under 14 having sex

IT IS a sign of the times - More girls aged below 14 are having sex - report The Straits Times newspaper of Singapore.

One in three female secondary school students who took part in a Universiti Malaya study a decade ago admitted they were sexually active.

"If that was a decade ago, imagine what it would be like today" child psychology researcher Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Keng told the New Sunday Times at the Sarawak Women's Bureau seminar on "Training our Children on Personel Safety".

She said the study found that some had sex for pleasure, but most prostituted themselves for the money to buy expensive goods. It gives them [the girls] the feeling 'I'm very cool because my friends are doing it' and it must be right because everyone is doing it.

Sex has a part to play in everybody's life, but let us not be obsessed by it. Let us weave sex intelligently into our family lives. Let us understand our emotions, let us try and control our sexual urges until we are ready to meet the responsibilities which go with them. Sexual laxity is nothing to be proud of, and, furthermore, is associated with certain risks, among which pregnancy and venereal infection rank foremost.

According to Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar, a senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, because of engaging in sex with multiple partners early in life, more women [in their 30s] are diagnosed with cervical cancer.

We are to practice and pursue sexual relations in holiness and honour (each one of you [is to]) know how to control his own body as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:4.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

God's Promises

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart - Ecclesiastes 7 : 2

My late father, attended the wake service of my aunt years ago, and were ministered and touched by the peacefulness of the situation. He was also encouraged by the love and care extended by the church.
About two years ago on 22 November 2007, while going through pain due to gangrene of his toes, he accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour at Lam Wah Ee Hospital. Dad's reason for wanting to be a Christian is because he wanted a Christian funeral and wake service - they are peaceful. He feels the comfort, assurance and goodness of Jesus the Comforter.

The Lord Jesus revealed to us signs that dad's time is up. At about 4-30 pm, he vomitted and passed motion, the family cleaned and changed him. Suddenly, his facial countenance changed from a wrinkled and haggard face to one that was radiant and shinning. A few minutes later staring blankly into space, he asked the question "where are you taking me ?" thereafter he dozed off. Those were the last audible words he said. Then at about 7-30 pm, while taking our dinner, we [my sister (pre believer), daughter and myself] heard joyous songs of praise coming from the back door.

The Lord took dad home at about 9-30 pm peacefully in his sleep. Church friends came and went. After settling the necesarry funeral arrangement, when we finally sat down, it was about 3-00 am in the morning. It suddenly dawned on the family that the Lord was preparing us for dad's passing; through the changed facial countenance [the glory of God came upon him], the question, "where are you taking me ?' [he saw the Lord Jesus] and the joyous songs of praise [angelic hosts singing] we heard.

What a wonderful God we have. We believed that Jesus and His angels came to welcome dad home. Surely it must have been a wonderful glorious sight to behold.

Thank you Jesus, and all glory be unto You.

After the funeral, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law requested/inquired about the Christian songs sung during the past few days. I strongly believed that the Holy Spirit is planting the seed of salvation into their heart.

Once again, all glory to God for His promise in Acts 16 : 31 - They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

Saying Goodbye

This life is but the childhood of our immortality.

Dad complained of pain on his left leg on 19 October 2009 but resist to visit the doctor. After persuading him for a few days and the pain persisted, we managed to take him to visit a nephrologist on 24 October. On 6 November 2009 at 9-30 pm the Lord graciously took him home peacefully. He departed as his heart desire, without any pain or groaning, without causing any hardship to the loved one.

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal”. - Richard Puz

Weeping for our loss is good, but we need not weep like those who have no hope. Instead, we must rely on three certainties of death said Albert Lee of Our Daily Bread.

First, the soul does not die. The soul of the departed believers are with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:14) We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. They have retired from this problematic world, and they "sleep in Jesus".
Second, Jesus will come for every believer. Whether a Christian is alive on earth or asleep in death, Jesus will return for all His children. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Third, there will be a joyous reunion. (1 Thessalonians 4:17) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

BECAUSE CHRIST LIVES, DEATH IS NOT TRAGEDY BUT TRIUMPH

Sinless Anger

"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry - Ephesians 4:26

What others say and do may arouse our anger and in some cases could make us angry. But we must be careful we don't overreact and lose control. Paul reminded us that "though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [2 Corinthians 10 : 3-4]

Anger can be bad for our health. Doctors have estimated that 60% of all diseases are caused by emotional stress. Anger causes our glands to release toxins into our bloodstream. Our anger can cause us to suffer high blood presure, ulcers, strokes and scores of other killer diseases.

Should Christians ever become angry ? Certainly! But we should never allow our anger to erupt in a sinful response. Angry words are contagious, we should not spread them!

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.

Blessings and Curses

Caramba! A new survey says Mexican adults curse an average of 20 times a day, serving up about 1.3 billion swear words daily.

Some people are inclined to think that blessings are real but not curses. That is illogical. For any pair of opposites that we care to think of, if one is real, the other must be real. Take the following examples: day and night, heat and cold, good and evil, and strong and weak. We cannot simply focus on one and ignore the other. So it is with blessings and curses; blessings are real and curses are real.

The words "bless" or "blessing" occur in the Bible about 430 times. The word "curse," in various forms, occurs about 160 times. Blessing and curses essentially take the form of words. They may be spoken, written or merely uttered inwardly. These words are not just ordinary words but are vessels of supernatural power. Blessing produce good effects and curses produce evil effects. Blessing proceed from God or men representing God likewise, curses are proceed from Satan or men representing him, as Satan cannot bless anyone but only curses.

A very important point to remember is : once released, both blessings and curses tend to continue on through time until they are revoked. Genesis 12:3 recorded "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

James 3 : 9-10 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

[Extracted from 'From Curse To Blessing by Derek Prince]

So let the words of our mouth be a blessing and an encouragement to others daily.

"Karoshi"

A store manager with hamburger chain McDonald's in Yokohama, Japan who died of a brain haemorrhage was a victim of karoshi or death by overwork. The woman had done more than 80 hours of overtime on average per month for the six months before she collapsed in October 2007 during a training programme at a different store. She died in hospital three days later, said an official at the Kanagawa Labour Bureau. [The Star dated 29-10-2009]

Much of our living is spent acquiring and using money, which doesn't last. The temporary nature of material wealth makes it a poor bargain in the search for security in an insecure world. The Bible does not say it's wrong to have money or the things that money can buy. Where we lose our way is when money becomes the driving purpose of our lives. Like the rich man and his barns [Luke 12 : 13-21], we end up pursuing the accumulation of things that eventually will be forfeited - if not in life, then certainly at death.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Proverbs 23:4

Treasures in heaven are laid up as treasures on earth are laid down

Joyful living

The New Testament gives us many reasons to rejoice. Jesus said, "Rejoice because your names are written in heaven" [Luke 10:20]

The apostle Peter spoke of the reasons believers can "rejoice with joy inexpressible" 1Peter 1:8. We're not asked to pretend that problems don't exists but to rejoice even in the midst of them.

In Romans, we see the contrast between the two kinds of existence possible in this life. In Romans 1 : 18-32, we read about the sad, frightening life of those who refuse to live for God. It's a life full of trouble and turmoil. But in Romans 5: 1-11, we see what happens when a person trusts Christ. "We have peace," it says. "We rejoice," we're told. And we have hope, love, and salvation. What a contrast!

Let's remember that " ... the joy of the LORD is your strength." [Nehemiah 8:10]

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Happiness is something you choose.

If you know Jesus, you always have reasons to rejoice.

The miracle of marriage

Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; ....(Genesis 2:23)

Pastor Howard Sugden said that marriage is the real miracle and not wedding. Anyone can have a wedding, but only God can create a marriage. A miracle is needed to hold two people together. The union of marriage is so strong that we become "one flesh". God wants marriage to be the way it was when He first created Eve from Adam (Genesis 2 : 21-24). To pledge your life to another is indeed an act of faith that requires belief in miracles.

In Ephesians 5 :22-23, Paul asked husbands and wives to turn their thoughts to their relationship with the Son of God. In Him we find Someone who loves to forget the worst and bring out the best. He reminds us not of what we've lost but of what we have yet to find.

Having deep faith in God, lifelong commitment, loyalty, and self-denying love are the dominant themes of a successful marriage.

Nancy Anderson author of 'Avoiding The Greener Grass Syndrome' offers six action to build "hedges" to protect and make a good marriage :

HEAR - give a listening ear to your spouse.
ENCOURAGE - build up your spouse by focusing on positive qualities.
DATE - celebrate your marriage by playing and laughing together.
GUARD - establish safeguard by setting clear boundaries.
EDUCATE - study your mate to truly understand him or her.
SATISFY - meet each other's need.

1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

A happy marriage is a union of two good forgivers.
MARRIAGES MAY BE MADE IN HEAVEN, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT ON EARTH
SUCCESS IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON BUT BECOMING THE RIGHT PERSON

Role of Enzymes

Enzymes are special molecules that work as catalysts. This means that enzymes speed up chemical reactions in the body.

Enzymes are primarily protein molecules that consist of amino acids. They act as biological catalysts responsible for all the biochemical reactions taking place in our body that control life's processes. Enzymes are essential for life sustenance and cellular activity. Life is not possible without enzyme. The amount of enzymatic activity in the body is the indicator that determines "sickness and health".

Generally, the human body consists of 70% water, 15% protein, 13% fat and numerous enzymes responsible for various chemical changes in the body. There are more than 3,000 enzymes in our body to keep us in good health. Anything from digestion of food, limb movement, thinking, the changes happpen 24 hours a day without stopping.

Among our nutrient intake, carbohydrate from grains, glycogen contained in meat and animal livers, lactose from milk and fructose from fruits, etc, also are our energy sources.

Without enzymes, it would be impossible to digest, absorb and utilise these nutrients. Without enzymes in the body, we would not be able to absorb any nutrients.

Enzymes are also crucial for the reactions of each organ in the body. For example, enzymes digest the food so that food is small enough to pass through the cellular membrane of the small intestines and into the blood. Enzymes in the blood will in turn build muscles, nerves, blood and glands from the fully digested nutrients.

Meanwhile, enzymatic actions will also enable carbohydrates to be stored in liver and muscles as well as converting fat into fatty tissues.

Enzymes also aid the formation of urea so that the latter will be excreted in the urine. One particular type of enzyme even aids the bone and nervous tissue in absorbing phosphorus and another enzyme aids the red blood cells in iron absorption.

Hence, enzyme plays an extremely important role in the propagation of life. Enzymes in the immune system clear and eliminate foreign bodies and toxins in the blood tissues.

Joy of Giving

Jesus warned His followers: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).

Paul challenged Timothy to encourage the wealthy in the prosperous city of Ephesus that having great wealth carried great responsibility. That included being humble, finding their security in God not in riches, and using their money to do good. Even if we are not wealthy, God has called us to radical generosity.

It's not wrong to find pleasure in the good things money can buy, but we should never rely on them for happiness. If our fulfillment depends on material possessions, we are crushed when we lose them. But if our joy is found in the Lord, nothing can disrupt it, not even economic distress.

As a Christians, we too are to have a heart of giving. James tells us to listen to the Word and do what is say (1 : 22-23). But he doesn't stop with just telling us to obey. He gives us specific instructions about what we must do. Then he gives us a practical way we can give of ourselves: "Visit orphans and widows in their trouble" (v27).

The Bible encourages us all to give in this way : "Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, nor grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work" [2 Corinthians 9 :7-8].

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. [Psalm 16:11]

Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life.

You can give without loving, BUT you can't love without giving

Pleasure versus Joy

It's not wrong to find pleasure in the good things money can buy, but we should never rely on them for happiness.

The world offers "passing pleasures" (Hebrew 11:25), but the Lord Jesus offers to give us full and lasting joy (John 15:11). Pleasures is dependent on circumsances, but joy is inward and is not disturbed by one's environment.
Pleasure is always changing, but joy is constant! Worldly delights are often followed by depression. True joy is grounded in Jesus Christ, who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).
To keep experiencing pleasure, we must run from one stimulus to another, for it refuses to be permanently grasped. Joy is just the opposite. It is a gift we receive from God.
Pleasure is built on self-seeking, but joy is based on self-sacrifice. The more we pursue self- gratification, the more empty we feel. If a pint of pleasure gives momentary happiness today, a gallon of excitement and thrills is necessary for the same effect tomorrow. Joy, however, is based on the sacrificial giving of ourselves. As we learn what it means to focus on the needs of others, we find greater fulfillment in God Himself, who meets our every need.

Only when you seek the things of Christ can you find abiding joy.

FOR JOY THAT WILL LAST, ALWAYS PUT CHRIST FIRST

[Extracted from Our Daily Bread dated 05-04-2001 written by HGB]

Forgive and forget

Someone has said, "Forgiveness is not a case of 'holy amnesia' that wipes out the past. Instead, it is the experience of healing that drains the poison from the wound."

Some of life's hurt are so deep and painful to forgive the people who cause them seems impossible. Yet Jesus says that we can't experience His forgiveness if we have an unforgiving spirit.

One factor that motivates us to forgive is that as a Christian we are commanded to, as the child of a Father who forgives. Jesus said' " "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." [Mark 11:25]

Philip Yancey identify three pragmatic reasons why we should forgive :-
First, forgiveness halts the cycle of blame and pain, breaking the chain of ungrace. Without it we remain bound to the people we can't forgive, held in their vise grip.
Second, forgiveness loosens the stranglehold of guilt in the perpetrator. It allows the possibility of transformation in the guilty party, even if a just punishment is still required.
Third, forgiveness creates a remarkable linkage, placing the forgiver on the same side as the party who did the wrong.

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

He who cannot forgive others burns the bridge over which he himself must pass - Herbert

Joy Stealers

Why do many Christians fail to experience real joy, which is listed as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22?

In his book Laugh Again, Charles Swindoll suggests three common "joy stealers" - worry, stress, and fear. He defines worry as "an inordinate anxiety about something that may or may not occur." (And it usually doesn't) Stress, say the author, is "intense strain over a situation we can't change or control." (But God can.) And fear, according to Swindoll, is a "dreadful uneasiness over danger, evil, or pain." (And it magnifies our problems.)

Swindoll says that to resist these "joy stealers" we must embrace the same confidence that Paul expressed in his letter to the Philippians. After giving thanks for the Philippian believers (1:3-5), the apostle assured them "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (v.6).
Whatever causes you worry, stress, and fear cannot ultimately keep God from continuing His work in you. With this confidence we can begin each day knowing that He is in control. We can leave everything in His hands.
Resist those "joy stealers" by renewing your confidence in God each morning. Then relax and rejoice.

[Extracted from Our Daily Bread dated 17-02-2003 written by Joanie Yoder]

Pride Kills

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Pride is arrogant self-worship. It is the sin of exalting one's own interests above the interests of others. Pride craves for admiration, and sometimes, even adoration. It does not like to share the limelight. The proud are in love with themselves and seek to bring attention to their own admirable qualities.

Pride is very subtle and can manifest itself in strange ways. No one is exempted from the temptation of pride. It is so rooted in our fallen nature.

Pride is the reason why, in our materialistic society, people buy things they do not need with money they do not have, just to impress people they do not even know.

In Proverbs 6 : 16-19, the wise man lists seven cardinal sins that God hates and detests - pride is the first. In other words, the root of pride is the fountainhead of all the other sins. This makes it vital for us to understand, and walk free from, this enemy of our souls.

Galatians 6:4 tells us that there is a pride that is legitimate and healthy. Man wants and needs to feel good about himself. But this God-given dignity and healthy pride is one that comes from self-examination before God, not comparison with man. The key to healthy pride then is not to compare ourselves with others. Sinful pride emerges when we compare and contrast our strengths with the weakness of others in order to make ourselves feel superior. We may do so either verbally on the outside, or subtly on the inside.

Healthy pride can be nurtured when we realise that in the Bible, humility is not equal to humiliation. Humility enhances the image of God in us. Humiliation destroys our God-given diginity. Humility is demonstrated not in putting ourselves down, but in lifting others up.

A Christian can thus be both proud and humble at the same time. He can be proud of who God has created him to be and yet stay humble because he does not look down on others or consider himself more highly than he ought to.

Proverbs 16:5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this : They will not go unpunished.
Isaiah 66: 2 .. "This is the one I esteem : he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.

Matthew 23 : 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

[Extract from Pulling Down Pride by Benny Ho]

Health or Wealth ?

A modern adaptation of Ben Franklin's adage, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," is being promoted today in the evangelical world. It is heralded from the pulpit and hailed on television. It has been made the theme of great crusades, fellowship meetings, prayer groups, and volumes of paperbacks sold in Christian bookstores.

Ben Franklin's quote from Poor Richard's Almanac has a 20th-century counterpart in slogans like this : "God wants every Christian well." "No Christian ever needs to be sick." "If you are not successful or do not have an abundance of all things, it is not God's fault." Or how about these? "If you tithe, you can be assured that you will prosper financially." "God wants all His children prosperous."
This collage of glib mottoes on health and wealth is further exploited by formulas calling for the "release of faith," by pleas for you to give so that you will receive, and by the use of gimmicks to produce what satisfies the flesh, not the spirit.

No assurance is given in the Bible that it is the will of the Father for every Christian to be rich in this world's possession and also to be exempt from sickness. In fact God promises in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness".

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Sometimes sickness is allowed for our own betterment and to bring God glory.

[Extracted from Christian Living-Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise? by Paul R.Van Gorder]

Sorrow

During a time of grieve, does your friends seem to forget you? They fail to call, or write, or promise to pray. But those are the times when we can sense God's tenderness most deeply.

Pain and sorrow are inescapable facts of life. All of us grieve at one time or another - including those of us who are Christ-followers. For the believer, however, there is something beyond the tears, pain and loss. There is hope. Yet the Holy Spirit is our source of gladness, 'bringing us the richest treasures man can wish or God can send.' - David McCasland.

Sadness, tears, and mourning are familiar territory for everyone on this earth - even for Jesus. Jesus saw Mary and Martha and their friends mourning (Lazarus death), and He too was overcome. Sorrowing with them, "Jesus wept" [John 11:35]

The psalmist David also experience hopeless despair, as he struggled with his own failures, the attacks of others, and the disappointments of life. In Psalm 6:6 he said, "I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears." The depth of his sorrow and loss drove him to heartache - but in that grief he turned to God of all comfort. In the pain and struggle of living without answers, we can always find comfort in our heavenly Father. Just like David, in his frustration, his doubts and fears turned to trust. Psalm 13:5, from his heart he prayed, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

Isaiah 53:4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

The psalmist said that while God's Word gives life, there is still the combination of "comfort in my affliction" Psalm 119:50

Even in life's toughest circumstances, we can, with God's help, enjoy a measure of healing. - Dave Branon

Happiness key to longer life

Everyone wants to be happy. But many fail in their quest to find that elusive prize because they are looking in the wrong places.
Proverbs 16 : 20 tells us, "Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he." And Psalm 146 : 5 indicates that happiness comes to those who find their help and hope in God.

Happiness does not heal, but happiness protects against falling ills, says Ruut Veenhoven of Rotterdam's Erasmus University in a study in 2008.
Happiness can be bolstered by friendship and human community, as well as larger social factors such as freedom, democracy, effective government institutions and rule of law. Happy people were more inclined to watch their weight, were more perceptive of symptoms of illness, tended to be more moderate with smoking and drinking and generally lived healthier lives. They were also more active, more open to the world, more self-confident, made better choices and built more social networks.

Richard De Haan, a writer of Our Daily Bread list Ten Rules for Happier Living :
1) Give something away
2) Do a kindness
3) Give thanks always
4) Work with vim and vigor
5) Visit the elderly and learn from their experience
6) Look intently into the face of a baby and marvel
7) Laugh often - it's life lubricant
8) Pray to know God's way
9) Plan as though you will live forever - you will
10) Live as though today is your last day on earth

Psalm 112 : 1 Praise the LORD. Blessed [Happy] is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.

Proverbs 17 : 22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

What is Wisdom ?

If you are given a heart's desire, what would yours be ?
Solomon asked for WISDOM.
He accomplished so much, yet he found all of them worthless. It's equally provocative to realize that Solomon later seemed to wonder wheteher he had made the right choice. According to the book of Ecclesiastes, which shows us where he was in his thinking at the end of his life, Solomon eventually came to the place where he had serious questions about whether he had really been wise in asking for wisdom. Until he remembered his God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14), he forgot that we live not merely for ourselves but for the honor of the One who made us to worship and enjoy Him forever.
He candidly stated that his wisdom had only increased his misery (Ecclesiastes 1:18)

Solomon acknowledges that wisdom encourages (1) thoughtfulness, (2) realism, (3) reverence, and (4) joyfulness.

Wisdom encourages thoughtfulness. It encourages a person to use his head.
Ecclesiastes 2:13-14 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

Wisdom encourages realism. We must come to grips with the real nature of life and death, and God and enduring values.
Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.

Wisdom encourages reverence for God. We have lost a sense of the fear of God, of the wisdom of obedience, and of the expectation of accountability.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Wisdom encourages joyfulness in the life that God gave us.
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.

[Extract from 'Ecclesiastes' written by M.R.De Haan II]

Mid-Autumn Festival Big Party

For this month Big Party the church celebrated Mid Autumn Festival which falls on 3 October earlier. We held it on the 27th September night where more than 330 people attended. The church santuary were decorated with about 70 lighted paper lanterns while Bro. Wilbur together with Bro. KB birth out a big traditional lantern made up of white polystyrene foam.





There were 12 participants, where some uses polystyrene foam plates, aluminium cans and cardboards to come up with various shapes of lanterns.

Curse God, and die

Deprived of possessions, bereaved by the loss of his sons and daughters, and afflicted with a painful physical malady, Job's wife told him to "Curse God and die" - Job 2:9.

So how should we react to adversity ?

First, if you know Christ as your Savior and are faced with a time of trouble, come to the Lord with a prayer of humble submission. In other words, when you pray for healing or deliverance from some disturbing situation, be sure you do so with an attitude of complete yieldedness to whatever God sees best for you. God may allow our affliction to continue and lead us into a closer walk with Him.

Secondly, have confidence in God. Instead of looking upon your affliction as a sign that God doesn't love you, view it as a mark of His favor. Hebrews 12 : 6-7 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

Romans 8 : 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Finally, we should endeavor to develop our faith while we are experiencing afflection. The Lord wants us to trust Him implicity. And our faith will grow if we study the Bible, obey its directives, and appropriate to ourselves the wonderful truths it reveals about the Lord and His promises.

Isaiah 55 : 8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

[Extracted from "How to Get Up... When you're Down! written by Richard W.De Haan]

Mid-Autumn

God is good all the time, His blessing and mercy never ceases and are new every morning. Blessing came early for this year Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) celebration which falls on 3 October 2009. Within a week, we were blessed with 4 boxes of mooncakes despite turning down a regular blesser two weeks ago.

We were blessed with the traditional type such as red bean and lotus seed paste, and the new one from (双胜) Swensen's 'Frozen Delights'. Swensen's pastry skin ice cream mooncakes is a delight for those ice-cream lover as its flavour inlcude durian supreme, hazelnut latte, strawberry peachy mango yogurt, kiwi raspberry, milo, black sesame peanut, mangosteen and sticky chewy chocolate.

traditional mooncakes

Swensen mooncakes with its bag and box

another different variety of mini mooncakes

BLESSED 'MOON CAKE FESTIVAL' to all and happy eating mooncakes.....

Open house

We joined many Malaysians from different ethnic backgrounds thronged the Hari Raya open house of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this morning. This was my first open house visit but the second for the other friends, who visited our former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah previously.

We started at 11-00 am from Penang and travelled to Permatang Pauh in the mainland. We were heading to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim 'rumah terbuka' at Permatang Pauh. The journey and traffc were smooth but we wasted 2 hours searching and asking around for the correct location as we made the mistake of not getting the full address or location but only relied on the publication from newspaper.

After failing to locate the place, we decide to proceed to Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman open house in Penanti constituency. The event was held at Taman Guar Perahu public field. We managed to meet Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here. Penang Pas Commissioner Mohd Salleh Man and other state exco were also present among the crowd. The myriad of food served included roti canai, roti jala, fried bee hoon, lemang, mee rebus and raya cookies.
The open house truly reflect the 1Malaysia concept where people of various age, race and religion comes together to celebrate.

Padang awam Taman Guar Perahu

Our group photo with Penang Deputy Chief Minister I

P/S: too bad we didn't get the chance to take another group photo with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

When you're down, how to get up !

When are you down? You are down when you are depressed.

A major depression is a disabling condition which adversely affects a person's family, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. In the United States, approximately 3.4% of people with major depression commit suicide, and up to 60% of people who commit suicide have depression or another mood disorder.

The most common time of onset is between the ages of 30 and 40 years, with a later peak between 50 and 60 years. Major depression is reported about twice as frequently in women as in men, although men are at higher risk for committing suicide.

[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

Richard W. De Haan, a teacher with Radio Bible Class wrote that in many cases of depression, it's more of a spiritual than a psychological problem. Many people have invested a small fortune in psychoanalysis, shock therapy, and medication without ever really being helped. But they never will become well until they get right with God. He lists 4 essential steps to overcome depression:-

(1) Accept God's Pardon - You see, a person plagued with a guilty conscience finds himself in a most distressing situation. It is therefore imperative for him to begin the journey out of the darkness of depression by receiving the forgiveness and the freedom from guilt that God so graciously offers.

(2) Acknowledge God's Providence - By this I mean that you must recognize that God has a purpose for your life. He has your eternal good in mind.

(3) Admit to God's Prerogative - Romans 9 : 15-16 ... "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

(4) Appropriate God's Provision - Remember, therefore, that in order to live a victorious life and to avoid the depression of spiritual defeat, you must avail yourself of God's gracious provision.

We all have moments in life when we're down. We get the 'blues'. The psalmist cried, "Why are you down cast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I have finished the race

For the last 2 weeks, I attended 3 wake services, a relative and two church friends. The youngest was in her early fifties and the oldest were in their early eighties. Death rips apart life's closest bonds, leaves hearts broken, ushers in loneliness, and open floodgates of tears. In the valley of grief, the only way to keep going is to trust the compass and map God has given us. You may think the Bible is too dated and old-fashioned to be of value. But the compass of God's indwelling Spirit and the map of the Bible are timeless - always pointing us in the right direction.

Our Lord is faithful and merciful High Priest (Hebrews 2 : 17) who has tasted death for everyone (2 : 9). He is the One who said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (13:5). His promise to be there for us is the bedrock of our security in an unstable world shattered by grief.

John Brantner writes, "Only people who avoid love can avoid grief. The point is to learn from it and remain vulnerable to love".

John 5 : 24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

2 Timothy 4 : 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Man was not made for the present, and the present was never intended to satisfy man. Man's life on earth cannot and does not fulfill the eternal longings of man. This principle continues throughout his existence and even up to the point of death.

One Body, One Spirit, One Lord

The latest slogan or theme most used is the one made common by the Prime Mnister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, 1 Malaysia - People First, Performance Now.

That 1 Malaysia, a slogan meant to promote unity and mutual respect and trust among the different ethnic communities in Malaysia, has stirred up so much heated rhetoric shows how much the tricky goal of unity in Malaysia is and how it will be a challenge for the Prime Minister administration.

Likewise the churches of today are also facing a lot of challenges such as that recorded in Galatians 5 : 19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious : sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

However, since we [Christians] belong to Christ and live by the Spirit, we should always strive for the fruit of the Spirit that is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control and its gifts that is Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Gift of Faith, Gift of Healings, Working of Miracles, Gift of Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Gift of Tongue and Interpretation of Tongue.

Just like the song : PEOPLE OF THE LORD

There is one body, we have one Lord
United in the Spirit, we are going forth
With His praises on our lips
And a sword in our hands
We are marching on with power
As we possess this land
##
We are the people of the Lord
We're a holy nation
A chosen generation
Called to show forth His praise
We are the people of the Lord
We're a holy nation
Believers in Jesus
Lifting up our voices to the Lord

1 Corinthians 12 : 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Ephesians 4 : 4-6 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Praise God for 52 years of independence, peace and harmony. Praying that the future of this nation will be built upon justice, righteousness, fairness and integrity.

HAPPY 52ND MERDEKA TO ALL MALAYSIAN

Mum's gems of wisdom

Halimahton Yusof, the mother of wayward Mathematics genius Sufiah Yusof will be offering her advice to the Permata Negara and Permata Pintar programmes to help guide gifted children along the right path in life.
She said parents of gifted children should teach them basic values and not concentrate only on academic performance. Among the values she stressed was having respects for others, especially their parents.
[Extracted from The Star dated 25-08-09 written by Yuen MeiKeng]

Dr Alex Tang, a paediatrician in private practice offer the following suggestions for raising a GENIUS child :-
G is for Growing normally
Parents must ensure that their children are healthy and growing well.
E is for Emotional quotient (EQ)
EQ is the ability to know how to distinguish healthy from unhealthy emotions and how to turn negative emotions into positive ones. Emotionally healthy children are generally better learners with fewer behavioural problems, able to resist peer presure while resolving conflicts and building relationship with others. Children's EQ can be improved by bonding and building good relationships with them.
N is for Nutrition
Balanced and sensible diets is important for children.
I is for Intelligent quotient (IQ)
To enhance children IQ, we should expose them to challenging games, hobbies or art.
U is for Utmost potential
Children must be allowed opportunities to develop their gifting and areas of interest to the utmost potential [not utmost expectation].
S is for Spiritual quotient (SQ)
As with EQ, SQ can be developed and improved. As parents, we are to teach our children to read God's Word, how to pray and love other people. We are also to be role model for our children as our children's concept of God comes from their perception of us, especially the fathers.

Psalm 127 : 3-6 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Making Good Money

The Bible shows that wealth can be a blessing from God, it is not always dirty or crooked. Abraham, one of the Bible's heroes of faith, " was very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold " [Genesis 13 : 2]. So how did he get so rich ? Through God's abundant blessing [Genesis 24 : 35].
Job was another Bible hero whom God blessed with great wealth. Job lost everything but stayed faithful to God. Eventually '....the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before' (Job 42 : 10).
The New Testament examples included Lydia, a devout woman who became prosperous in the cloth business. Lydia trusted in Christ and offered her home as a base for missionaries to stay in and for new Christians to gather for worship and encouragement (Acts 16 : 14-15, 40).

Wealth can be a blessing from God. But the Bible opposes those who "think that godliness is a means to financial gain" (1 Timothy 6 : 5). God does not exist to satisfy greed.
A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 28 : 20)

It is not always wrong to make money, but it is absolutely wrong to make money supreme or to give ourselves all the credit for our wealth. The Bible says, "Man does not live on bread alone [material things] but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord ... You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth" (Deuteronomy 8 : 3, 7-18).

Money is not God, but it is not Satan either. If you trust the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and put God first in your life, then making good money can be enjoyed as a blessing and pursued as a calling. Thank the Lord for the work and the wealth He gives you. Give generously to help out people who cannot help themselves.
God tells His people, "You and your family shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you" (Deuteronomy 12 : 7).

[Extract from Asian Beacon April/May 2004 written by David Feddes]

Proverbs 3 : 9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

As God empowers us with the ability to earn good money, let us be good stewards and use the gift to empower others as well.

Out of Teenagers

For more than 20 years, our home was blessed by the presence of teenagers. But now that our youngest is in her late teens, my wife and I are all out of teenagers.
Those years were full of challenges and demands that sometimes zapped our strength and took all our mental and emotional reserves. We rejoiced the trills of success and struggled through their grieved. As I look back on our experiment in parenting, we noticed some valuable lessons :-

1) Some teens follow life in a straight line, while others zig-zag along life's pathway. It's best to 'zig' with them in love and with courage.
2) Teenagers need unconditional love because they live in a conditional world.

Romans 5 : 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3) A love of God's Word is vital to successfully transfer faith from one generation to the next.

4) Teens need to develop a relationship with Christ that is based not on rules but on a deep love of Jesus.

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Proverbs 22 : 6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Psalm 128 : 3
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

DON'T MERELY SPEND TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN - INVEST IN IT.

Love Hurts !

Sometimes love sure hurts ! But love is much more than feeling - it's a life-long commitment.

Mothers and fathers sometimes express the difficulties and heartaches of guiding their children through their teen years - " Maybe if they didn't love their children that much it wouldn't be so hard. "

Even though love brings pain and sorrow, what would life be without it ?

In his book The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis wrote :
"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries ; avoid all entanglements ; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness ...... The only place outside heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers ...... of love is hell."
To love is to take risks, to expose our hearts. Sometimes it hurts.

It hurt Jesus Christ, but He kept on loving - even at the cost of His life. And He asked us to

" love one another as I have loved you "[John 15:12].

Truly loving our spouse, that teenager, that neighbour, that colleague is Christlike, and it's better than locking your heart in the coffin of self-centeredness.

Paul showed us that LOVE is the most excellence way as being expressed in 1 Corinthians 13.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Man's Choice or God's Choice

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To err is human .....

Who can hurt us more deeply than those with whom we have created bonds of affection ? They, our siblings, our best friends or even our parents are almost part of us. We idealise them and consequently raise our expectations of them. It's natural to want our lover (or loved ones) to understand, appreciate, and make us feel secure by their commitment and constant presence.

Nothing is quite so painful as being betrayed by someone we hold in high regard - a spouse who cheats, a friend who runs us down, the colleague who unfairly takes credit for our contribution.

There's no doubt that abuse between people who have a responsibility to love each other can be counted among the cruellest and most reprehensible of offences.

Forgiveness that doesn't fight injustice, far from being a sign of courage and strength, shows weakness and false tolerance. It encourages the offender to perpetuate the crime. Forgiving is not the same as excusing them from their moral responsibility. How can we even consider forgiving when we are continuously subjected to abused ?

When someone close hurts our physical, moral or spiritual integrity, we feel assaulted, bruised, violated ... the offender's malice touches the most intimate parts of our being. The offence shakes our innermost peace and harmony, shatters our tranquility and threatens our diginity. Our shadow side emerges.

Emotions we thought we had under control suddenly begin to run amok. Our first reaction may be revenge or to build a wall to dull our self against the pain.

It's impossible to go back after we've been wronged. Either we try to make ourselves believe nothing happened, in which we re-establish the relationship in the context of a lie, or we take advantage of the conflict to review the quality of the relationship and renew it on more solid footing. Can we do this if our partner feels no remorse ? What does pardon consist of ? Not making someone pay. Decision made not out of grim determination, but because we want to heal and grow. We choose to believe in the dignity of the person who hurt, oppressed, or betrayed us.

Behind the spiked veil, we see a fragile person ... like ourselves, capable of changing and evolving. That's why I think forgiveness is the rainbow connecting humanity and the Divine, impossible without Spirit.

To free our offender, we must be free ourselves. What do we forgive ourselves for ? For putting ourselves in situations where we let ourselves be hurt, for putting ourselves down by buying into our attacker's insults, for feeling vulnerable and wanting to stay in love.
[Extracted from Sunday People by Tessie Lim dated 28June 2009]

Philip Yancey listed 3 pragmatic reasons to forgive :-

First - Forgiveness halts the cycle of blame and pain, breaking the chain of ungrace.
Second - Forgiveness loosens the stranglehold of guilt in the perpetrator.
Third - Forgiveness creates a remarkable linkage, placing the forgiver on the same side as the parity who did the wrong.

Matthew 6 : 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

He is Enough

In Christ, God proclaimed once more that the good life He wants for us is not about rules or material possessions but a relationship.
While having wealth is not condemned in Scripture as long as priorities are in order and the needs of others are addressed, those of us with relative wealth must remind ourselves that Jesus - not riches - sustain us.
The purpose of blessing from God is so that we can be the channel of blessing to others.

God's love does not keep us from trials; it helps us get through them.

God hasn' t promised to keep us from problems & trials BUT He has proven that He is always " for us " as Christians by what He did through Jesus (Romans 5 : 8-9). Nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love (Romans 8 : 35-39).

Does God Hate ?

You may have read that " God is Love " [1 John 4 :8 ].
But did you know that God also hates ?

God loves people, but He hates their wicked deeds.
He hates seven things, and these things are :-
1) Pride
2) Lying Tongue
3) Murder
4) Wicked Thoughts
5) Mischief
6) False Witness
7) Troublemaking

Proverbs 6 : 16-17 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him : haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Facebook

Tonight [07-08-09] I finally joined facebook with the help of my daughter.

Now to start keeping myself busy with more networking !!

Monk with the 5C's

A Buddhist monk for 25 years, former Ren Ci Hospital chief, Ming Yi [a.k.a. Goh Kah Heng] who is on a criminal trial achieved the Singapore dream of the five Cs. He had cash - at one stage, he had S$570,000 (RM$1.39 million) in his personal bank account, credit cards - at least nine from various banks and condominium units - he bought and sold at least six private properties in Singapore and Australia over 20 years.
He had cars - he bought at least three BMWs in six years and a prestigious country club membership.

That is his journey of faith ! Then what is ours ?

I believed as a follower of Christ, ours should be Conversion, Communion, Conviction, Contentment and Character.
We are converted to have communion with God our Creator. We must always have the conviction of sins beside being contented with the blessing bestowed on our lives. Lastly, our character should be always improving to be more Christ-like as we journeyed on.

The treasures of Egypt [Hebrews 11:26] such as Cash, Credit Card, Car, Condominium and Club Membership [Prestige] are just temporal in nature. They can be destroyed by moth and rust, and also stolen by thieves. [Matthew 6 : 19-20]

The temporal promises as we journey on earth are to bring us closer to God. It is not wrong to have it but it is no longer important as we set our focus on God.
James 1 : 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

There is nothing good coming to us without God being the source.
Job 1 : 21 "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

[Extract from article written by Carolyn Quek]

Is internet addiction real ?

WHAT IS INTERNET ADDICTION?
Internet Addiction - are essentially terms that have been applied to those that spend excessive amounts of time online at the expense of and to the detriment of other aspects of their lives. The obsessive behaviour takes the form of particular activities, and might include any or all of the following :
• Relationships: spending excessive amounts of time starting and maintaining online friendships
in chat rooms, which replace real-life friends and family.
• Money : compulsively gambling online, trading online, and partaking in online auctions.
• Information searching : compulsive web surfing or database searches.
• Gaming: obsessive computer game playing, including multi-user games.
• Sex : addiction to adult chatrooms, cyber sex or pornography on the Internet.
There has been an increasing amount of attention given to this phenomenon, and attempts to quantify the problem have produced some staggering statistics: for example, figures suggesting that as many as 6-10% of the 189 million US Internet users have a dependency on the Internet, and there are as many as 1 million German Internet addicts. There have also been cases recorded of addiction to texting on mobile phones. [© Childnet International 2006.]

While Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia terms internet addiction disorder (IAD), or more broadly Internet overuse, problematic computer use or pathological computer use is excessive computer use that interferes with daily life.

Psyciatrist, Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ahmad Zahari, deputy chief coordinator at University Malaya Centre of Addiction Sciences defined internet addiction as a maladaptive use of the internet that leads to social and functional impairment.

Internet addiction is on the rise in the world's largest Net market, and now Chinese doctors have officially defined it as an ailment.
Users who spend six hours or more per day online, and exhibit at least one symptom including difficulty sleeping or concentrating, yearning to be online, irritation, and mental or physical distress are classified as meeting the definition of addiction.
Being hooked on the Internet has been considered a problem in Chinese society as early as 2005, when the first clinic dedicated to Internet addiction opened in Beijing. It began accepting patients who exhibited dependency symptoms for those of substance abuse.
China also has "boot camps" designed to help addicts kick the habit by helping to change their routine.
About 10 percent of China's 253 million Internet users exhibit some form of addiction to the medium, and 70 percent of those people are young men, an official Xinhua News Agency report said.
So is internet addiction real ? Yes, I believed it is.

So to avoid this addiction why not get addicted to JESUS instead. Because only Jesus can fill any vacumn that you have in your life.

Old and abandoned

The Sunday Star "Old and abandoned" highlight the rising cases of forsaken seniors in government hospitals. In the first five months of this year, Kuala Lumpur Hospital topped the list, registering 134 such cases against 120 cases, a 12% increased while Penang Hospital reported 114 cases for the whole of 2008.

Children who could or would no longer bear the cost of taking care of their aged and infirm parents are treating hospitals like a 'dumping ground' because food, shelter and medication are provided by the Government. And it saves them the hassle of applying for places for their parents in government-run welfare homes.

Good family values like filial piety must be inculcated from young, said Health Minister, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai while experts advise parents to nurture a strong bond with their children from young to avoid being abandoned later.

But there are also cases of parents not loving their children leading to them [the parents] being abandoned when they are old and their health deteriorating. Parents need to sow love and care to their children when they are still young and the bible promises that they will reap abundantly of it when they are old. For ever action there has a reaction.

Galatians 6 : 7 Do not be deceived : God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The bible recorded in Exodus 20 : 12 and Deuteronomy 5 : 16 to "Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

Ephesians 6 : 2-3 Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.

Can we end our own lives ?

World renowned orchestras conductor, Sir Edward Downes and his wife, Joan decided to die together two weeks ago at a Zurich clinic run by the assisted suicide group, Dignitas. They drank a small amount of clear liquid and died hand-in-hand with their two adult children by their side.
Sir Edward was almost blind and growing deaf while his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer. After 54 happy years together, they decided to end their own lives rather than continue to struggle with serious health problems, said a statement from the couple's children.
In Britain, people are now debating whether they should be allowed to help ailing loved ones end their lives. I think we should not play God but let God be God. It is God that gives lives and man have no right to decide when to end it unless God say so.
Job 34 : 14 - 15 If it were His intention and He withdrew His spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.
Job 1 : 21 Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
Job 33 : 4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Benefits of Laugher

All of us seek for happiness in our life. Other than love, the most powerful form of joy is laughter.
This hilarity is part of our body system but the sad part of it is that many of us are ignorant of it and instead we frown more than we laugh daily.

Often we hear people complaining of having worries, tensed muscles, void in their heart or having a heavy heart, angry, unhappy and other wellbeing issues not realising that a jolly good laugh can ease these problems.

Laughter is cheap and easily available within us and is a form of energy of which the more of it is spent the more of it remains.

We laugh or smile (smile is regarded as silent laughter) at some point of time in a day and often we find that it is not easy to pinpoint what exactly provoked the funny sensation but we feel good about it.

According to a medical research, which measured extensively the movements we make on our face and also our entire body when we smile and when we laugh is that all 600 muscles in our body play some form of "internal exercise" involving internal organs.

As laughing brings joyful experience to many people, Dr Madan Kataria, an Indian physician in Mumbai established the first laughter club in 1995.
Reader's Digest, a monthly publication magazine also have a section Laugh ! it's really the best medicine, because of the benefit of laughing.

According to Chan Yuen Li, a certified laughter therapy instructor, laughter therapy enhances ones emotional intelligence. Did you know that scientific studies show that children and babies can laugh up to 400 times a day ? And yet most adults laugh only four times a day ?

But the Bible written more than 2,000 year ago recorded cheerful heart [joyfulness] as a good medicine and to rejoice always.

Proverbs 17 : 22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Philippians 4 :4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

{Extract from The Star Sunday Metro written by T Selva dated 3 August 2008}

Rejoice Always

God is Good All The Time, and once again He sent His servant, Rev. Lawrence Seow from Singapore to share His Word and remind us to focus on Him and Him alone.

1 Thessalonians 5 : 16-18 tells us to - Be joyful always ; pray continually ; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

We need to be joyful, not only in time of happiness but also in time of tribulation and trials. To be joyful and not happy, because happiness can only be found in good time while joy can be found both in good and bad times, as it comes from the Lord.
To pray continually not because God do not know our needs, but because we need to humble ourselves and admit that God is God and He is in control.

Isaiah 55 : 8-11 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

To give thanks in all circumstances, in good times and bad times ; when we are happy and also when we are sad.

The Law of Sowing & Reaping

Paul captured the same idea in the universal law of sowing and reaping. He said, " Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." [Galatians 6 : 7]

Our choices often have a reach and impact that we could never imagine. Thus the apostle's words remind us to choose wisely. The choices we make today produce the consequences we reap tomorrow. Its far better to avoid sin in the first place than to struggle to overcome its consequences.
God's prophet Hosea preached this principle to the people of Israel. They had sown seeds of wickedness and trusted in their own way instead of God's. Now they were eating the bitter fruit of lies, especially the lie that their safety and success came from their own military strength Hosea 10 : 13. Hosea pleaded with Israel to go God's way - to break up the sin hardened soil of their hearts and to seek the Lord (Hosea 10 : 12) if they would sow seeds of righteous, they would reap the Lord's mercy and He would rain blessing on them.
We can't expect to experience the fruit of God's blessing if we don't recognize the important of doing our part.

My son when through a time of disappointment and was spiritually down. We, as parents tried to counsel him and encouraged him to share his heart out but he was not able to. As days passed, he became more closed up and was not able to eat or sleep well. He began to have negative thoughts. We tried to talk to him and counsel him, but was not able. We were so loss, despite counselling many non believers and friends, we as parents are not able to counsel our own son. We prayed and surrendered him to the Lord.
After two days, God sent a couple to talk and counsel him. We were so relieved and blessed as God once again reminded us that He Cared and Loved each and eveyone of His children. Even though, he is not back to his normal self yet, we trust and believed that my son will be stronger and wiser after this trials and the Lord will used him more for His Glory in the future.

Thank God for sending the brother and sister in time of need to counsel and share a listening ears. Even as we sow our time for others in their needs, others will also sow their time for us in time of our needs.

DADDY, YOU ARE MY HERO

Father, You're The Best, My Delight
Father, You're Sweet
Sweeter Than Honey On The Rocks
Father, You're The Light In The Night
Father, You're My Strength, And My Forever Friend

Abba Father, You're My Hero
You're There When I Need You
You Sent The Greatest Gift Of Love
Into My Life

Father, You're The Best, And You're Mine
Father, You're So Sweet
Sweeter Than Anyone I've Met
Daddy, You're The Song In The Night
Father, You're My Strength, And My Forever Friend

Daddy, Daddy, You're My Hero
You're There, When I Need You
You're The Greatest Gift
I've Received In My Life
[a song written & sung by Pas. KB Chan]

Fathers play a vital role in the family. They are often viewed as the cornerstone of the family. They are not only the breadwinner but also the nurturer who has significant influence on his children's growth and development. A hands-on father is also a productive worker who sets a positive example for his family.

It is found that parents with high self-esteem tend to show more love and acceptance of their children. When children are encouraged rather than criticised or punished, they will be more successful in their learning.
Dr Thomas Lickona in his book, Raising Good Children, pointed out that it is important for a child to develop a sense of identity within his family. He said that teenagers continue to need adults in their lives and the family plays an important role in keeping them morally rooted and knowing who they are.

Fathers are often viewed as the cornerstone of the family. So to all fathers out there : You are essential to your child's life. You are the beacon that guides them as they journey on.
[Partly extracted from 'Childwise' StarTwo dated 17 June 2009]

HAPPY FATHER 'S DAY !

Ephesians 6 : 4 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Sleep is not optional

'Sleep is not optional - it is absolutely critical to people's health,' said Dr David White, the chief medical officer at Philips Home Healthcare Solutions. The consequences of not sleeping enough are well documented.
He does not mince his words when he says that people simply need to take sleep much more seriously.
'People lose sleep either because they cannot sleep (insomnia) or because they are not setting aside enough time for sleep - both of which can happen because of work-related stress in the current economic environment."
People who do not get enough sleep can gain weight, are prone to diabetes, high blood pressure and even heart attacks. We are facing a serious healthcare problem if we do not take sleep more seriously."

Dr Milton Lum, a member of the board of Medical Defence Malaysia' recorded that studies of individuals deprived of sleep for more than 24 hours have shown that there is a decrease in the brain's metabolic activity by up to 6% for the whole brain and 11% for specific areas in the brain.
Short term sleep deprivation has been reported to contribute to obesity and poor control of type II diabetes. Long term sleep deprivation decreases the quality of life and leads to increased morbidity and mortality.

When we talk about healthy sleep, it means getting an adequate amount of quality sleep. This means going through a complete process of sleep cycles throughout the night.

Rest is to prepare our body for the day ahead. If you think that way, you will be less stressed out

The Philips study, however, is focused on the workplace. Conducted in five countries around the globe, it showed that 40% of those questioned blamed the state of the world economy as the major reason for their lack of sleep. The survey was undertaken in March and covered 2,500 managers - equally split across Britian, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States - using an online poll. The Americans worry the most and the Dutch the least.

Matthews 6 : 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?

So.. "Do you rest for the day's work or do you rest after a hard day's work ?

Psalm 4 : 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Extracted from Monday Starters dated 25May2009 - Star Biz.