There once was a girl who hated herself. You see, she had become blind in her early teens from a rare disease. Not only did she hate herself but she hated everyone else too. She was angry at the world, angry at God, angry at everyone.
There was one person, however, who had known her for years and stood by her side through all this. It was her childhood friend, who loved her ever since grade school. Now in their 20’s, he wanted to marry her.
One day he worked up the nerve to ask her for her hand in marriage. Her reply was that if she could only see the world, she would marry him.
Soon after, someone donated a pair of eyes and she went to surgery to have her malfunctioning ones replaced. It was a miracle. After a few weeks, she took off her bandages and she could see once again. And who was standing by her side, as always? Of course, it was the man who loved her.
"Now that you can see the world, he said, “Will you marry me?" The girl was shocked to discover that he too was blind, and sadly, still refused his hand in marriage. Undeniably, he was devastated.
Sometime later, she received a letter from him, sharing his undying love for her. He signed it, "Please, my love, just take care of my eyes."
[Hmmm. A sweet story. But few of us remember what life was like when we were yet blind to the truth of our salvation in Yeshua (Jesus) -- and who to thank for their labor in love and prayer and boldness in sharing that truth with us, no?]
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
From Worthy News
**************************************************
Thanks Bro Paul G for this story.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
WHEN IT'S RIGHT TO GO TO COURT
This article was sent in by a regular reader of CT. Please visit http://www.pbc.org/ for the original source of this article
by Doug Goins
Peninsula Bible Church
Let me briefly address the issue of when we do legitimately need to get involved in the justice system. I will not try to be at all comprehensive. We are citizens of the nation, and we do have civil obligations. If we're required to answer a charge or to testify, we have to respond, because as Christians we live under the law of the land just as much as anyone else. There are times when we need legal clarification of different kinds of agreements such as contracts, real estate deals, and insurance coverage. There are some things that only a court of law can provide interpretation of. Sometimes, tragically, the quarrels or disagreements between Christians over financial issues and property issues get so tangled that they do have to have a secular court step in to render an expert legal judgment.
My own conviction is that in a criminal matter, a believer may need to sign a complaint against another believer who has broken the law, because sometimes failure to do so would condone the lawlessness. Any time that a Christian is being divorced by his or her spouse, the law requires a secular court to be involved. That may also be the case for child abuse, spousal abuse, financial irresponsibility, or child neglect. In those kinds of situations a parent or spouse may be forced to seek court protection.
But with all those exceptions to the principles of 1 Corinthians 6, going to court should always be seen as the last resort. And our motive must be to glorify God, never to gain selfish advantage. We must be concerned about the cause of Christ in the life of the other party; that must be central. Dr. Gordon Fee, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, talks about this issue of the motivation, the spiritual issues in being involved in litigation: "Litigation will hopefully be the last resort even with non-Christians. If it is out of concern for the one defrauded and for all others who might be taken in, then it is fully justified."
by Doug Goins
Peninsula Bible Church
Let me briefly address the issue of when we do legitimately need to get involved in the justice system. I will not try to be at all comprehensive. We are citizens of the nation, and we do have civil obligations. If we're required to answer a charge or to testify, we have to respond, because as Christians we live under the law of the land just as much as anyone else. There are times when we need legal clarification of different kinds of agreements such as contracts, real estate deals, and insurance coverage. There are some things that only a court of law can provide interpretation of. Sometimes, tragically, the quarrels or disagreements between Christians over financial issues and property issues get so tangled that they do have to have a secular court step in to render an expert legal judgment.
My own conviction is that in a criminal matter, a believer may need to sign a complaint against another believer who has broken the law, because sometimes failure to do so would condone the lawlessness. Any time that a Christian is being divorced by his or her spouse, the law requires a secular court to be involved. That may also be the case for child abuse, spousal abuse, financial irresponsibility, or child neglect. In those kinds of situations a parent or spouse may be forced to seek court protection.
But with all those exceptions to the principles of 1 Corinthians 6, going to court should always be seen as the last resort. And our motive must be to glorify God, never to gain selfish advantage. We must be concerned about the cause of Christ in the life of the other party; that must be central. Dr. Gordon Fee, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians, talks about this issue of the motivation, the spiritual issues in being involved in litigation: "Litigation will hopefully be the last resort even with non-Christians. If it is out of concern for the one defrauded and for all others who might be taken in, then it is fully justified."
Saturday, August 8, 2009
You Have No Right to Judge Pastors? by Paul G
From: Paul G
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 10:39 PM
To: Calvary Today
Subject: You have no right to judge pastors?
This E-mail is in response to an angry sms that I recently received. The person not only said I have no right to judge others especially pastors but even implied that I am in danger of going to hell. She quoted James 4:11 & Romans 14:10. Obviously, she does not understand the Scriptures. It is not enough to just read (as reading the newspaper) the Bible, we must study it (2 Tim 2:15) prayerfully asking the Holy Spirit to guide us ( Jn 16:13). Anyway, like it or not, it is the duty of every born-again Christian who genuinely love the body of Christ to expose errors (1 peter 4:17; 2 Tim 4:2-4; 2 Tim 3:16; Titus 1:13, 3;10; Rom 16:17; Eph 5;11; etc.)
Is It Right to Judge Ministers, pastors or other Christians?
The Lord Jesus commanded us to Judge
The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). He told a man, "Thou hast rightly judged" (Luke 7:43).
The Apostle Paul asked men to judge
Apostle Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say" (1 Corinthians 10:15).
Again, he declared, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1Corinthians 2:15).
The Apostle John asked men to judge
Apostle John wrote, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test, judge] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
[Note: There are dozens of verses in the Bible asking us to judge righteously ! ]
Misunderstood Verses
[If we take a verse or a part of a verse out of its context, we can make the Word of God appear to teach the very opposite of what it really does teach. Anyone who does this is in serious trouble for twisting God’s Word (2 Peter 3:16)]
JAMES 4:11 - "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge."
This verse refers to an evil spirit of backbiting and fault finding, not to judging whether teachers or teachings agree or disagree with God's Word. The Bible never contradicts itself. To understand one portion of Scripture we must view it in the light of all Scripture. "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private [isolated] interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20). "Comparing spiritual things [the Word] with spiritual [the Word]” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
[Note: We should read the whole chapter to understand this verse]
ROMAN 14:10 - "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
Romans 14 is discussing how we are to deal with matters NOT CLEARLY TAUGHT IN SCRIPTURE. In matters in which God has not plainly spoken, we should not judge others. The two examples plainly given by the apostle are eating meats and keeping holy days. These are matters about which the Bible is silent. This verse does not forbid Christians from judging others regarding doctrinal or other errors.
[Note: We should read the whole chapter to understand this verse]
1 CORINTHIANS 4:3-5 – “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”
The Apostle Paul is telling the Corinthians not to judge him based on human reasoning (man’s judgement). Obviously, some of them were questioning his motives (counsels of the hearts). He warned them that only God can judge a person’s heart…And every person’s motives will be exposed when the Lord Jesus comes.
For a full explanation, click here: http://www.wayoflife.org/files/51498bc0e8c5666f8c4630a56a61ecf5-155.html
MATT 7:1-5 -
These verses are addressed to a hypocrite--not to those who sincerely want to discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to God's Word. It is a solemn warning against hypocritical judgment. In fact, the last statement of this passage commands sincere judgment--"Then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
[ Note: God wants His children to be like the Bereans who "searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so"(Acts 17:11). The Bereans did not blindly follow the Apostle Paul’s teachings even though he was an apostle but checked everything against the scripture and the
Holy Spirit commended them for that by calling them NOBLE. ]
[Other misunderstood verses: The "Wheat and Tares" parable of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. The Lord is talking about judging the world not the church/Christians. See 1 Cor 5:12 ]
Naming names…can we?
It is necessary to name names to warn others about a person’s ministry. If not how are others going to know who or which ministry are you talking about? That’s why the Apostles John and Paul warned Christians about false teachers and trouble makers in the church by their names (3 John 1:9, 1Tim 1:20)! Also, an error which is being propagated publicly must also be refuted publicly (1 Tim 5:20), e.g., the Apostle Peter was rebuked publicly by Apostle Paul for his error (Gal. 2:11-14).
But if it is a personal offense then it is best to deal with the person according to Matthew 18:15-17.
Further information: http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Introduction/fdmatt18.htm
God is extremely displeased with Christians who refuse to judge/expose doctrinal/moral & other type of errors.
Remember Eli? God was very angry with Eli because he did not check the errors of his sons, even though Eli personally did not offend God . God will also be angry with us if we do not take a stand (Jude 1:3) against false doctrines or immorality in the church (Proverb 24:24&25; Ezekiel 3:18; Rev 2:14,15 & 20; 1 Cor 5; 2 John 1:11; 2 Cor 11:4; etc.)
1Sam 3:13 - "For I have told him (Eli) that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them."
Who has NO right to judge?
Hypocrites are forbidden by the Bible to judge
(i.e., Matt 7:1-5; Romans 2:1-3)
Also, we should not judge others with a holier-than-thou attitude or out of jealousy,
bitterness, hatred ,wrath, wrong motives, etc. We should neither slander [accuse someone
falsely] (Col 3:8) nor curse (Roman 12:14; James 3:9,10) anyone.
I have attended/visited [by God’s grace] various Christian denominations for 20 over years and I realize the “LOUDEST” protesters in these churches who oppose Christians who speak against error are from these 2 groups:
1. Genuine Christians ( the few) who have been misled by others because of their lack of understanding of the Bible.
&
2. Hypocritical “Christians” ( Matt 7:21; 2 Tim 4:3 ,etc) who feel uncomfortable about Christians exposing their sins or sins of their leaders (Matt 7:15) through God’s WORD. This second group will continue to protest no matter how many times you tell them that the Bible allows/commands us to judge righteously because they do not belong to Jesus.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" — John 10:27
"For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved." — John 3:20
[Important note: The Greek word for church—ekklesia-- means a called out assembly. A church is not a building but is an invisible living spiritual organism, composed of all the born-again Christians worldwide from various denominations(Baptist, Presbyterians, Charismatic, Methodist, etc). The devil or anyone can never break this church (body of Christ)—Matthew 16:18; 1 Cor 12:12,13; 1 Peter 2:5; John 17:20-21, etc. So do not be troubled if someone were to tell you that by exposing error you might divide the body of Christ ; on the contrary, God is using you to purge the leaven of error within the body of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 5: 6-13; Ephesians 5;11; 2 Corinthians 6;17 , etc).
Speaking the truth in love,
Paul G , Th.B
REFERENCE:
IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE ? Fundamental Evangelistic Association
The Administrators of BC has withheld publishing Paul G's full name for confidentiality purposes. If you wish to contact him, please write to calvarytoday's email and we will forward your mail to him. We also wish to inform our readers that Bro. Paul is not known to any of the administrators of CT & BC, so we take this opportunity to thank Bro. Paul for this email and many other emails he has sent to us earlier to encourage us. Thank you and God bless you, Bro. Paul.
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 10:39 PM
To: Calvary Today
Subject: You have no right to judge pastors?
This E-mail is in response to an angry sms that I recently received. The person not only said I have no right to judge others especially pastors but even implied that I am in danger of going to hell. She quoted James 4:11 & Romans 14:10. Obviously, she does not understand the Scriptures. It is not enough to just read (as reading the newspaper) the Bible, we must study it (2 Tim 2:15) prayerfully asking the Holy Spirit to guide us ( Jn 16:13). Anyway, like it or not, it is the duty of every born-again Christian who genuinely love the body of Christ to expose errors (1 peter 4:17; 2 Tim 4:2-4; 2 Tim 3:16; Titus 1:13, 3;10; Rom 16:17; Eph 5;11; etc.)
Is It Right to Judge Ministers, pastors or other Christians?
The Lord Jesus commanded us to Judge
The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). He told a man, "Thou hast rightly judged" (Luke 7:43).
The Apostle Paul asked men to judge
Apostle Paul wrote, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say" (1 Corinthians 10:15).
Again, he declared, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things" (1Corinthians 2:15).
The Apostle John asked men to judge
Apostle John wrote, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test, judge] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
[Note: There are dozens of verses in the Bible asking us to judge righteously ! ]
Misunderstood Verses
[If we take a verse or a part of a verse out of its context, we can make the Word of God appear to teach the very opposite of what it really does teach. Anyone who does this is in serious trouble for twisting God’s Word (2 Peter 3:16)]
JAMES 4:11 - "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge."
This verse refers to an evil spirit of backbiting and fault finding, not to judging whether teachers or teachings agree or disagree with God's Word. The Bible never contradicts itself. To understand one portion of Scripture we must view it in the light of all Scripture. "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private [isolated] interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20). "Comparing spiritual things [the Word] with spiritual [the Word]” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
[Note: We should read the whole chapter to understand this verse]
ROMAN 14:10 - "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
Romans 14 is discussing how we are to deal with matters NOT CLEARLY TAUGHT IN SCRIPTURE. In matters in which God has not plainly spoken, we should not judge others. The two examples plainly given by the apostle are eating meats and keeping holy days. These are matters about which the Bible is silent. This verse does not forbid Christians from judging others regarding doctrinal or other errors.
[Note: We should read the whole chapter to understand this verse]
1 CORINTHIANS 4:3-5 – “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”
The Apostle Paul is telling the Corinthians not to judge him based on human reasoning (man’s judgement). Obviously, some of them were questioning his motives (counsels of the hearts). He warned them that only God can judge a person’s heart…And every person’s motives will be exposed when the Lord Jesus comes.
For a full explanation, click here: http://www.wayoflife.org/files/51498bc0e8c5666f8c4630a56a61ecf5-155.html
MATT 7:1-5 -
These verses are addressed to a hypocrite--not to those who sincerely want to discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to God's Word. It is a solemn warning against hypocritical judgment. In fact, the last statement of this passage commands sincere judgment--"Then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."
[ Note: God wants His children to be like the Bereans who "searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so"(Acts 17:11). The Bereans did not blindly follow the Apostle Paul’s teachings even though he was an apostle but checked everything against the scripture and the
Holy Spirit commended them for that by calling them NOBLE. ]
[Other misunderstood verses: The "Wheat and Tares" parable of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. The Lord is talking about judging the world not the church/Christians. See 1 Cor 5:12 ]
Naming names…can we?
It is necessary to name names to warn others about a person’s ministry. If not how are others going to know who or which ministry are you talking about? That’s why the Apostles John and Paul warned Christians about false teachers and trouble makers in the church by their names (3 John 1:9, 1Tim 1:20)! Also, an error which is being propagated publicly must also be refuted publicly (1 Tim 5:20), e.g., the Apostle Peter was rebuked publicly by Apostle Paul for his error (Gal. 2:11-14).
But if it is a personal offense then it is best to deal with the person according to Matthew 18:15-17.
Further information: http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Introduction/fdmatt18.htm
God is extremely displeased with Christians who refuse to judge/expose doctrinal/moral & other type of errors.
Remember Eli? God was very angry with Eli because he did not check the errors of his sons, even though Eli personally did not offend God . God will also be angry with us if we do not take a stand (Jude 1:3) against false doctrines or immorality in the church (Proverb 24:24&25; Ezekiel 3:18; Rev 2:14,15 & 20; 1 Cor 5; 2 John 1:11; 2 Cor 11:4; etc.)
1Sam 3:13 - "For I have told him (Eli) that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them."
Who has NO right to judge?
Hypocrites are forbidden by the Bible to judge
(i.e., Matt 7:1-5; Romans 2:1-3)
Also, we should not judge others with a holier-than-thou attitude or out of jealousy,
bitterness, hatred ,wrath, wrong motives, etc. We should neither slander [accuse someone
falsely] (Col 3:8) nor curse (Roman 12:14; James 3:9,10) anyone.
I have attended/visited [by God’s grace] various Christian denominations for 20 over years and I realize the “LOUDEST” protesters in these churches who oppose Christians who speak against error are from these 2 groups:
1. Genuine Christians ( the few) who have been misled by others because of their lack of understanding of the Bible.
&
2. Hypocritical “Christians” ( Matt 7:21; 2 Tim 4:3 ,etc) who feel uncomfortable about Christians exposing their sins or sins of their leaders (Matt 7:15) through God’s WORD. This second group will continue to protest no matter how many times you tell them that the Bible allows/commands us to judge righteously because they do not belong to Jesus.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" — John 10:27
"For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved." — John 3:20
[Important note: The Greek word for church—ekklesia-- means a called out assembly. A church is not a building but is an invisible living spiritual organism, composed of all the born-again Christians worldwide from various denominations(Baptist, Presbyterians, Charismatic, Methodist, etc). The devil or anyone can never break this church (body of Christ)—Matthew 16:18; 1 Cor 12:12,13; 1 Peter 2:5; John 17:20-21, etc. So do not be troubled if someone were to tell you that by exposing error you might divide the body of Christ ; on the contrary, God is using you to purge the leaven of error within the body of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 5: 6-13; Ephesians 5;11; 2 Corinthians 6;17 , etc).
Speaking the truth in love,
Paul G , Th.B
REFERENCE:
IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE ? Fundamental Evangelistic Association
The Administrators of BC has withheld publishing Paul G's full name for confidentiality purposes. If you wish to contact him, please write to calvarytoday's email and we will forward your mail to him. We also wish to inform our readers that Bro. Paul is not known to any of the administrators of CT & BC, so we take this opportunity to thank Bro. Paul for this email and many other emails he has sent to us earlier to encourage us. Thank you and God bless you, Bro. Paul.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
NECF's Call to Pray - 40 Days Fast & Pray
NECF Malaysia has called Christians in Malaysia to unite and pray for the people in the Nation starting TODAY (22 July 2009). Let us as fellow Christians in Malaysia, join hands with NECF and other Brothers and Sisters in Christ, set aside time to pray together.
Event : National 40 Days Fast & Pray
Theme: Love Our Neighbour
Date : 22-Jul-2009 to 30-Aug-2009
Venue : Nationwide
To find out more, click : http://www.necf.org.my/eventsmaster.cfm?action=detail&menuid=13&retrieveid=184
Prayer Booklets
English (PDF, 1.3MB)
Bahasa Malaysia (PDF, 1.3MB)
中文 Chinese (PDF, 2.9MB)
Tamil (PDF, 13.2MB)
Children Prayer Booklets
English Children (PDF, 0.83MB)
Bahasa Malaysia Children (PDF, 0.36MB)
儿童中文版 Chinese Children (PDF, 0.28MB)
****************************************************
Coming Together to Love our Neighbours
A Shining Light To The Nations
Malaysia as a nation enters its 52nd year of independence this year. The dynamics in the country have changed so much that Malaysia itself has become a mission field. There is so much that we can do in our very own backyard. Therefore, the theme for our 40-Day Fast & Prayer, "Love our Neighbours – A Shining Light to the Nations" has been chosen to meet the growing challenges the churches are facing.
When our Lord met the Samaritan woman, the first thing He did was not to introduce Himself and offer to help her get out of the terrible situation she was in. Instead, Jesus said, "Give me a drink" (John 4:7). Jesus asked for help to give Him something which He could have provided for Himself. He, however, became weak in order to win over this woman who was rejected and regarded as an outcast by society.
Our Lord Jesus cares for those who have been overlooked and cast aside. He is concerned about people with needs. When we open our hearts to those whom God cares, we encounter His presence. The recipients in turn will experience the change and blessings when we allow God to work through us in compassion.
The churches in Malaysia therefore need to come together in unity and in action to care and bring about change and blessings. This is how we become the salt and light to the community and nation. In today’s society, people are so distant and detached from religion and faith that they will not usually respond immediately to our witness. We need to be with them, to understand them and help them understand us.
My prayer is that while we intercede for the nation, we should humbly come together in unity of hearts and minds to seek and be sensitive to the Lord’s direction to respond to the practical needs around us. In that way, we will "let our light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).
Sam Ang
NECF Malaysia Secretary-General
July 2009
Event : National 40 Days Fast & Pray
Theme: Love Our Neighbour
Date : 22-Jul-2009 to 30-Aug-2009
Venue : Nationwide
To find out more, click : http://www.necf.org.my/eventsmaster.cfm?action=detail&menuid=13&retrieveid=184
Prayer Booklets
English (PDF, 1.3MB)
Bahasa Malaysia (PDF, 1.3MB)
中文 Chinese (PDF, 2.9MB)
Tamil (PDF, 13.2MB)
Children Prayer Booklets
English Children (PDF, 0.83MB)
Bahasa Malaysia Children (PDF, 0.36MB)
儿童中文版 Chinese Children (PDF, 0.28MB)
****************************************************
Coming Together to Love our Neighbours
A Shining Light To The Nations
Malaysia as a nation enters its 52nd year of independence this year. The dynamics in the country have changed so much that Malaysia itself has become a mission field. There is so much that we can do in our very own backyard. Therefore, the theme for our 40-Day Fast & Prayer, "Love our Neighbours – A Shining Light to the Nations" has been chosen to meet the growing challenges the churches are facing.
When our Lord met the Samaritan woman, the first thing He did was not to introduce Himself and offer to help her get out of the terrible situation she was in. Instead, Jesus said, "Give me a drink" (John 4:7). Jesus asked for help to give Him something which He could have provided for Himself. He, however, became weak in order to win over this woman who was rejected and regarded as an outcast by society.
Our Lord Jesus cares for those who have been overlooked and cast aside. He is concerned about people with needs. When we open our hearts to those whom God cares, we encounter His presence. The recipients in turn will experience the change and blessings when we allow God to work through us in compassion.
The churches in Malaysia therefore need to come together in unity and in action to care and bring about change and blessings. This is how we become the salt and light to the community and nation. In today’s society, people are so distant and detached from religion and faith that they will not usually respond immediately to our witness. We need to be with them, to understand them and help them understand us.
My prayer is that while we intercede for the nation, we should humbly come together in unity of hearts and minds to seek and be sensitive to the Lord’s direction to respond to the practical needs around us. In that way, we will "let our light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).
Sam Ang
NECF Malaysia Secretary-General
July 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Inspirational Story for July
This is a fictional story about Our Dreams and God's Plans for our lives.
This is a Story of the Ambition of 3 Trees.
Once there were 3 trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the 1st tree said, "Someday, I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems and be decorated with intricate carvings. Everyone would see my beauty."
The 2nd tree said, "Someday, I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of other world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."
Finally, the 3rd tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest.
People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time, and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. One came to the 1st tree and said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
At the 2nd tree, one of the other woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The 2nd tree was happy, because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the 3rd tree, the tree was frightened, because it knew that, if it cuts down, its dream would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one," and he cut it down.
When the 1st tree arrived at the carpenter's, he was made into a feed box for animals, placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.
The 2nd tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The 3rd tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one filtered day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth, and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose, and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace," and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets, and the crowd mocked the man who was carrying it. Finally, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that, when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We can be assured that God will always give us what we need and not what we want. In times when we do not get what we want, then just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
Sometimes our heart sees what our eyes don't see.
Author Unknown
This is a Story of the Ambition of 3 Trees.
Once there were 3 trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the 1st tree said, "Someday, I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems and be decorated with intricate carvings. Everyone would see my beauty."
The 2nd tree said, "Someday, I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of other world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."
Finally, the 3rd tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest.
People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time, and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. One came to the 1st tree and said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
At the 2nd tree, one of the other woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The 2nd tree was happy, because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the 3rd tree, the tree was frightened, because it knew that, if it cuts down, its dream would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one," and he cut it down.
When the 1st tree arrived at the carpenter's, he was made into a feed box for animals, placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.
The 2nd tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The 3rd tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one filtered day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth, and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose, and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace," and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets, and the crowd mocked the man who was carrying it. Finally, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that, when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We can be assured that God will always give us what we need and not what we want. In times when we do not get what we want, then just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
Sometimes our heart sees what our eyes don't see.
Author Unknown
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Planning Your Escape by Doug Hunter
Topic on Integrity and Ethics.
The knot in my stomach grew as I listened to South Carolina’s governor, Mark Sanford, reveal to the world that he had joined the tragically long list of men and women in positions of great influence who have fallen morally, sacrificing not only that great influence, but so much more.
Ironically – although very typical of how God works in my life – I have just been studying David in my personal quiet times, and I found the knot I felt this week very similar to the one I feel when I read of David’s failure with Bathsheba … and all of damage that fall caused for David, his family and the whole nation of Israel for years to come.
Of course, the Bible tells us that our hearts are all “desperately wicked”, and we can trace this pattern of failure all the way back to Adam … so what should we expect? Right? … actually, I don’t think that is right at all. Certainly, God knows we are all moral failures – “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) – that is why we need a Savior. But He also says that we don’t have to be slaves to that failure, and that He “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13 NASB) God had provided Adam, David … and Governor Sanford … with a way of escape – they just didn’t take it. Too often, I don’t either, but I’m learning to be intentional in planning to use that escape in advance. Let me explain.
Even though you and I can’t know the specifics of the temping situations we will face, we can take steps to enable us to see and take advantage of the “way of escape” God promises He will provide. For instance …
CHECK YOUR FOUNDATION – Fight to maintain a vital, growing relationship with Christ, with your spouse, your family, your church. Know what the Bible says, and let a biblical world view be the lens that brings clarity to your decisions and actions.
BUILD KEY RELATIONSHIPS – David was alone when he got into trouble, and too often that is a contributing factor … “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18) can apply to more than just the need for a “helpmate”, although the depth and transparency of your relationship with your spouse is the most important of your keys. You also need to have people who know and care enough about you to “encourage you to love and good deeds” as well as challenge you when you need to be challenged … and who will pray for you faithfully. You need to be part of a small group – this is why I had to get back into an FCCI group as soon as I stepped into this role.
PLAN – You and I know most of our weaknesses – where much of our temptation is likely to arise – so we can plan at least some of our own protection. Avoiding certain situations (like being alone or traveling with a person of the opposite sex) developing defensive habits (I put a towel over the television set in my hotel room so I have to make a conscious decision to take it off and turn the TV on) or using strategically placed reminders of your priorities (family pictures around your office, subscribe to daily emails that focus your mind on God from the time you turn on your computer, etc.)
I could go on, but let me conclude with two things Governor Sanford said that we need to hear. He began his explanation by telling us “It began very innocently as I suspect many of these things do.” From the very first encounter with man and woman in the Garden of Eden, it has been clear that our enemy is wise and subtle. He takes situations that appear innocent, and turns them into traps … and he takes the truth and distorts it just enough so that it still has the sound of truth, but it’s his version, not God’s. You and I also have to know that, because we have been placed in positions of leadership and influence, that same enemy has even more reason to want to take us down – and as publically as possible. Of course, we don’t want to pin everything on some outside force – as Pogo so famously said, and as you and I can often confirm, “We have met the enemy … and we are him!” It’s good we don’t have to fight this two-front battle alone!
Gov. Sanford also prefaced his statement with the comment that "We'll let the chips fall where they may." You and I need to remember that, as members of the Body of Christ, we can’t live with that philosophy. Falling chips can hurt, and they usually hit more people than we could ever imagine. As Ambassadors for Jesus Christ, as the “light of the world”, as a “city set on a hill”, we have more than enough reason to be intentional in where our chips fall … or IF our chips fall. At a time when the world is looking for moral authority, for stability, for hope … you and I need to plan … and to “take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Galatians 6:13 NASB)
Lord, please keep me from ever being the cause of a knot in someone else’s stomach! Amen.
To read more interesting Articles, click on : http://www.fcci.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=15&Itemid=76&lang=en
The knot in my stomach grew as I listened to South Carolina’s governor, Mark Sanford, reveal to the world that he had joined the tragically long list of men and women in positions of great influence who have fallen morally, sacrificing not only that great influence, but so much more.
Ironically – although very typical of how God works in my life – I have just been studying David in my personal quiet times, and I found the knot I felt this week very similar to the one I feel when I read of David’s failure with Bathsheba … and all of damage that fall caused for David, his family and the whole nation of Israel for years to come.
Of course, the Bible tells us that our hearts are all “desperately wicked”, and we can trace this pattern of failure all the way back to Adam … so what should we expect? Right? … actually, I don’t think that is right at all. Certainly, God knows we are all moral failures – “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) – that is why we need a Savior. But He also says that we don’t have to be slaves to that failure, and that He “will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13 NASB) God had provided Adam, David … and Governor Sanford … with a way of escape – they just didn’t take it. Too often, I don’t either, but I’m learning to be intentional in planning to use that escape in advance. Let me explain.
Even though you and I can’t know the specifics of the temping situations we will face, we can take steps to enable us to see and take advantage of the “way of escape” God promises He will provide. For instance …
CHECK YOUR FOUNDATION – Fight to maintain a vital, growing relationship with Christ, with your spouse, your family, your church. Know what the Bible says, and let a biblical world view be the lens that brings clarity to your decisions and actions.
BUILD KEY RELATIONSHIPS – David was alone when he got into trouble, and too often that is a contributing factor … “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18) can apply to more than just the need for a “helpmate”, although the depth and transparency of your relationship with your spouse is the most important of your keys. You also need to have people who know and care enough about you to “encourage you to love and good deeds” as well as challenge you when you need to be challenged … and who will pray for you faithfully. You need to be part of a small group – this is why I had to get back into an FCCI group as soon as I stepped into this role.
PLAN – You and I know most of our weaknesses – where much of our temptation is likely to arise – so we can plan at least some of our own protection. Avoiding certain situations (like being alone or traveling with a person of the opposite sex) developing defensive habits (I put a towel over the television set in my hotel room so I have to make a conscious decision to take it off and turn the TV on) or using strategically placed reminders of your priorities (family pictures around your office, subscribe to daily emails that focus your mind on God from the time you turn on your computer, etc.)
I could go on, but let me conclude with two things Governor Sanford said that we need to hear. He began his explanation by telling us “It began very innocently as I suspect many of these things do.” From the very first encounter with man and woman in the Garden of Eden, it has been clear that our enemy is wise and subtle. He takes situations that appear innocent, and turns them into traps … and he takes the truth and distorts it just enough so that it still has the sound of truth, but it’s his version, not God’s. You and I also have to know that, because we have been placed in positions of leadership and influence, that same enemy has even more reason to want to take us down – and as publically as possible. Of course, we don’t want to pin everything on some outside force – as Pogo so famously said, and as you and I can often confirm, “We have met the enemy … and we are him!” It’s good we don’t have to fight this two-front battle alone!
Gov. Sanford also prefaced his statement with the comment that "We'll let the chips fall where they may." You and I need to remember that, as members of the Body of Christ, we can’t live with that philosophy. Falling chips can hurt, and they usually hit more people than we could ever imagine. As Ambassadors for Jesus Christ, as the “light of the world”, as a “city set on a hill”, we have more than enough reason to be intentional in where our chips fall … or IF our chips fall. At a time when the world is looking for moral authority, for stability, for hope … you and I need to plan … and to “take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Galatians 6:13 NASB)
Lord, please keep me from ever being the cause of a knot in someone else’s stomach! Amen.
To read more interesting Articles, click on : http://www.fcci.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=15&Itemid=76&lang=en
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