F.A.I.T.H.

When affliction strikes us, how do we react? Are we embittered, or do we trustfully appropriate God's sustaining grace? 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

I was reminded of this verse when a young believer and his family encountered trials and challenges in their walk with the Lord. I was wondering how I might lift their spirit and encourage them to cling to God's promise of 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.

Faith in Christ is not about safety and caution But about believing Jesus and trusting Him no matter what. It's about taking up a daily cross [Luke 9:23] and living for the Saviour. - Dave Branon

When to hold your tongue ?

Sometimes silence is the best response to a false charge. At other times we must speak up.

When false witnesses accused Jesus as He stood before the Sanhedrin, He 'kept silent' [Mark 14:53-61] Defending Himself would have been useless.

Saying nothing may allow wrongdoers to go unchallenged in their evil ways. But if God's Spirit leads us to remain silent, or if we want merely to try to salvage our wounded pride, then we should hold our tongue.

Proverbs 16:32 "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city"

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

SILENCE CAN BE VALUABLE, DON'T BREAK IT UNLESS YOU CAN IMPROVE ON IT.

Crab Rice

Visited 'Cai Xiang Seafood Restaurant' in Bukit Tambun, a cosy outlet located for Crab rice lunch with Frankie and Mary on 19 March. Had a wonderful time fellowshipping over the freshly cooked dishes that were served hot in tradional Malaysian style.

2 crabs and crab rice in a claypot

the famous 'chiu pai' taufu

New Cook

First lunch prepared by Audelia on 14 March 2011 as the mother was away for the AOG Ministerial's Retreat in Sepang, Selangor.

Video games make you smarter ??

Long after researchers branded video games as possible health hazards, educationists and scientists are now singing a more positive tune. Playing video games, they say, can promote multiple types of intelligences.
Fast-paced, action-packed video games can boost visual acuity, spatial perception and the ability to pick out objects in a scene.
Complex, strategy-based games can improved other cognitive skills, including working memory and reasoning.

However, the negative aspects of video gaming are addiction and aggression. Extremity of anything is bad.

[New Sunday Times dated 16-01-2011 by Chan MeiLing/Tan ChoeChoe]

This 'curse' or 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.

So this 'curse' is real and to avoid this addiction why not get addicted to JESUS instead. Because only Jesus can fill any vacuum that you have in your life.

Song of Solomon in Chapter 2, verse 15 reminded us what little foxes can do to our live "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."

Nudity

The latest trend in wedding photos - nude shots of the wedded couples. If you are the couples, would nude wedding shots, be your cup of tea? Is it an art or phonography?
Taking nude wedding photos is a choice between two consenting adults who decided to eternalise their shared youth and commitment to each other.

I personally would not have my wedding shots be taken - nude. Marriage is a solemn, respectable institution created by God Himself, and it joins together a man and a woman in amazing oneness. When you have spiritual intimacy with God, your emotional intimacy and physical intimacy will be satisfied. You do not need photographs to proof your intimacy with one another.

1 Corinthians 6:12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

1 John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

RIGHT THINKING LEADS TO RIGHT LIVING

Good or Bad ?

Today as you wake up - how do you feel?

Are you in a good mood or a bad mood? I always choose to be in good mood. Life is all about choices. It's your choice how you will live your life. A cup of water can be half full or half empty, it all depends on you.

So to make sure we benefit from what might seem bad, we must recognise and trust God's 'unfailing love' as recorded in Psalm 13:5-6 "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me."

We may not be able to control events, but we can control our attitude toward them.

Marital Happiness

Marriage is indeed a great unifier. It is a solemn, respectable institution created by God Himself, and it joins together a man and a woman in amazing oneness. - Dave Branon

Marriage can be the most happy, mediocre or unhappy of life's experience. God designed the opposite sexes to complement each other. He wanted a man and woman to be joined in marriage so that they might give each other what one's lacked.
Marriages may be made in heaven, but they have to be worked out on earth.
So loving and living with your partner takes daily determination and practice - and the giving of oneself for the good of the other.

The church hosted the first holy matrimony of the year 2011 between Ray and Anverlyn on 8 January where about 100 people attended the happy occassion. Wedding dinner was held at Hillside Resort, Bukit Mertajam where about 70 members attended from Penang Island.

SUCCESS IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON BUT BECOMING THE RIGHT PERSON
A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE REQUIRES FALLING IN LOVE MANY TIMES, AND ALWAYS WITH THE SAME PERSON - MIGNON MCLAUGHLIN

Rapid Penang

Today I experience my first bus ride after many years of driving. After a short walk from my office, I arrived at the Weld Quay terminal and board a bus [No. 206] and met a friendly bus driver cum attendant.
The bus started its journey at about 5.20 pm and travelled through Lebuh Chulia-Jalan Penang-KOMTAR-Jalan Dato Kramat-Jalan Sungai Pinang-Jalan Trengganu-Jalan Hamilton-Jalan Masjid Negeri where I embarked at about 6-10 pm. The journey were considered smooth despite a heavy flow of traffic. It was indeed a stress free ride without having to worry about traffic jam for once.

Thankful for a time of peace.

bus ticket

Praising God Always

The end of one year and the dawning of a new one provides an excellent opportunity to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start. Those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour can let go of the past and move ahead with assurance because Jesus provides forgiveness and hope. Remembering God's faithfulness and forgetting past mistakes will make entering the new year a time of joyous antiicipation.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moments, THANK GOD.

The psalmist's mouth was filled with praise when he wrote Psalm 126. The Lord had done great things for him and his people. Remembering God's blessings, he said "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy."(v2)

PRAISE IS THE SONG OF A SOUL SET FREE.

A HEART IN TUNE WITH GOD CAN'T HELP BUT SING HIS PRAISES.

HAVE A GREAT & VICTORIOUS YEAR 2011 IN THE LORD.