SONG WRITING COMPETITION

To clarify the position, please note that the Song Writing Competition for the Church Camp is unchanged (Sat 6 Feb 2010, 7:30pm at KEC). Please submit your entries by Friday 5 Feb 2010 and inform as many members as you can.

Malacca Conference Testimony (Part 2)

Hey there readers!!

Here's the next installment of testimonies from the Gals who went for the Fight for Christ (54C) Conference in Malacca!

This time the testimony is from Phoebe from our Form 3 group (L.A.H.P.I.G's) in youth. Enjoy Reading:-

Good morning Church, I am glad I have the opportunity to share my testimony on the HAPPENINGS and the IMPACT it left in me while attending a 4 days conference known as FIGHT FOR CHRIST in Melaka with a group of 6 other girls and with another 600 christians from various states and countries such as Indonesia, Singapore as well as China.

During that 4 days of conference together with our main speaker which Is Ps. Jay Koopman, I daresay I learnt a lot and it was really a life changing and mind blowing experience that left me being on fire for God, to do God’s work and to Fight a spiritual battle for him.

On the first night of the conference, what struck me was that with the prayer and cries for revival that has been going on for a long period of time, especially with visions that revival in Malaysia will start from the EAST, it all REALLY begins in us first. Ps. Jay mentioned that the world can only be changed if we ourselves changed first.

Throughout the whole conference, Ps Jay’s words broke a part of me by the end of every session. Before each session started, inside me there is this bad feeling as if something is going to happen and it wasn’t avoidable. From the process of confessing my sins during the 1st session, forgiving the ones that has hurt me before and leaving all the past behind on the 2nd session to the receiving of inner healing from God at the 3rd session, I was broken to the extend within just 2 days. While it happened, at that similar time I was taught bout fighting for Christ.

Often during breaks, I find myself being lost in thought, spending most of my time alone trying to understand what has just happened despite being known as the Talkative and hyper one among the group which wasn’t what I turned out to be over there. I never knew I had so many unresolved issues regarding life that affected me and stopped me from doing God’s work.

I realized that Life as a Christian isn’t just about knowing God’s word and to feel secured in God’s protection. It’s just plain selfish to live in the comfort zone and not doing anything to share this privilege with others. Sharing Christ to others is never an easy thing, but it has got to start somewhere. I am not the nicest and the holiest girl, nor am I a girl that most people expect me to be as a Christian. As proof, you can ask my parents how my character and personality is. In school, I mix with various kinds of people, both good and bad. With that, I often am judged because of it. But God has showed me that this is an opportunity for me to reach out to the others as right now, I have the first taste of how the world is and having to experience some of if myself before I get to understand how the world is and it gives me a clearer view of things.

Slowly throughout the conference, God revealed me his purpose of having me going through situations that I had trouble dealing with, exposing me to various issues of the world and having me understanding them. It wasn’t at all a nice experience but now that the picture is clearer, I am glad that I went through all of those.

On the final night of the Conference, it was the Night of anointment where we will receive God’s power and the authority. After the whole process of being broken and healed by God, I wanted to receive this power so much. As Ps Jay went around touching everyone, He kept asking us to pray and to not open our eyes. With much faith, I prayed at the top of my voice together with other youths. Being among the group of youths that was at the back, it took a longer time for Ps Jay to reach us. But the moment Ps Jay approached us with just a light touch, I went down to the floor. Trembling and still praying. After getting up, Ps Jay asked us all to hold hands with the person next to us and to form a chain from the front to the back. As I closed my eyes, I suddenly felt something strong that shock me and made me open up my eyes, just in time to see the people in front falling to the ground like dominoes. And in less than a few seconds, I went down as well but it only happened to half of the crowd.

Why am I elaborating so much on this? Its how powerful God’s fire was that night and how much it impacted me and all those youth there. The whole process was great as it left me on fire for God, questioning myself and God about what I could do back home and the list goes on.

I am glad that my parents let me attend this conference thou I am having my PMR examination this year and to willingly pay for all the expenses. On this trip, not only was I changed by God but I had a special time bonding together with the rest of the group which many I have never known to be such awesome people who are different in their own ways. Sarah herself was really one great leader/friend/mother to us and knowing we are one crazy bunch to handle, she persevered to the very end.

Well, before I end, I would greatly and sincerely encourage more youths to attend this conference in the years to come as it really changed my life. God bless and Thank You.

Such wonderful testimony of God's work from our young people!!

Phoebe, the Blogteam would like to thank you lots for allowing us to share your story with the world!

Alright, that's all for now!

God Bless,

Signing off,

-blogteam-

Live YOUR life..

** text extracted from the book "YOU! God's Brand-New Idea: Made to be Amazing" by Max Lucado

Live YOUR life

The Unseen Conductor prompts this orchestra we call living. When gifted teachers aid struggling students and skilled managers disentangle bureaucratic knots, when dog lovers love dogs and number crunchers zero balance the account, when you and I do what we do best for the glory of God, we are "marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body" (Rom. 12:5).

You play no small part, because there is no small part to be played. "All of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it" (1 Cor. 12:27). "Separate" and "necessary". Unique and essential. No one else has been given your lines...

The Author of the human drama entrusted your part to you alone. Live your life, or it won't be lived.

We need you to be you.

You need you to be you.

God, who makes everything work together,

will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Philippians 4:9

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Dear readers, let us not focus on the negatives in our lives. Be thankful for who you are for you are part of God's great plan and design. As it is mentioned in the book of Jeremiah where God knows the plans he has for us (Jer. 29:11), let us not forget that we are in this world to make a difference.

Let's stop comparing with one another; put aside our differences and work together for the Greater Good of God's purpose in our lives.

We are the Body of Christ. Each playing a different role but all functioning together in harmony.

signing off,

-blogteam-

Malacca Conference Testimony (Part 1)

Hey ho readers!!

Recently a group of youth (6 girls to be exact) went for a conference in Malacca from the 24th - 27th of August.. It was a life-changing experience and the girls testified it in front of the church last Sunday.

The girls that went to Malacca (note those in the shiny shirts).

(L-R): Ashley, Sarah, Naomi, Phoebe, Caryn, Esther

MIA: Pan Eu Fern

The blog team has manage to get sharing from part of the group (and is working on getting the rest). The first to Share that Sunday was Caryn, the eldest among the youth. Her testimony was really touching and moved many people to tears. Here is the testimony: -

Good morning dear church, i'm going to share with you my experience at malacca, during the 54C camp. I think this camp had impacted all of us who went, in an individual way, according to the things happening in our life.

For me personally, it was during the session of healing that impacted me most. For a very long time I was hurting inside and keeping a lot of anger in me. I knew I needed to come out of it, to be healed. But I didn’t know just how much I needed it till I went for the 54C (Fight for Christ) camp.

During the healing session, Pastor Jay Koopman pointed out the symptoms of a person who need inner healing. The symptoms are having insecurities, being in anguish, lacking goals and dreams, not trusting others, constantly needing affirmation from others, the need to dominate or manipulate others, wanting to be alone, etcetera, etcetera. And I had all those symptoms. Though I wasn’t an expert, but I do hide what I don’t want to share, and the things I did not share were gradually accumulating into a mass of anger and bitterness.

People are always saying ‘give it some time, it will heal by itself’. But the truth is, the wounds don’t heal with time, they only get deeper. Which is why even after so many years, all those symptoms seem to only grow worse with time. But these symptoms were not the problem, it was what that was hurting me that was the problem. The symptoms were only the actions of how I was handling my own hurt.

All this while, I never thought anyone could fully understand how I felt towards my life. But then Pastor Jay helped me realize that Jesus truly does know our pain.

You see, at a very young age, my dad had left the family to work in Brunei, to earn the big money. But the longer he was there, the less he cared about us, and over the years, the less he contacted us, and even start to avoid coming back for the holidays. I felt quite abandoned by my dad. But then Jesus had felt this sense of abandonment by his parents as well. In Luke 2: 42-46, when Jesus was in Jerusalem with his parents for the Feast. His parents had gone home without knowing that Jesus stayed behind. They traveled for a day before they realized he was not with them, and it wasn’t until 3 days later then they find him.

Besides that, there were other things like betrayal, being disowned, loneliness, verbal abuse and humiliation that Jesus experienced, that I too have experienced in my life. Realizing that Jesus knows and understands comforted me a lot. It brought me great relief. But the real healing didn’t take place until I could forgive those who hurt me. So during alter call Pastor Jay told everyone of us to just say out loud the names of the people who have hurt us, how they have hurt us, and then just say ‘I forgive you for all that’ as though the people were right there in front of us.

After that alter call, I could really feel the healing take place in me. I felt freed from my anger and bitterness, and felt like I could open up to people again. This experience has made me even more grateful to be a child of God, knowing God understands, and would heal me if only I’d ask. He did not promise to prevent us from being hurt, but He did promise that He would be with us all the way through.

********

Praise God indeed for working in Caryn's life. Continue trusting the Lord and serving him whereever you are Caryn! Love, blogteam...

Signing off,

-blogteam-

Pain or Pleasure?

*this text is extracted from the book: ASIAN NOTES: Vol.2

*********

Reference: HOSEA 11: 1 - 12 (please read)

When we love, we become vulnerable. The deeper our love, the greater the emotions when the object of love lets us down. Such was he case with God and His people. Right at the start, God bestowed on them the honour and priviledge of sonship (v1). Then, like a loving Father, He tenderly nurtured them, taking them by the arms and teaching them to walk (v3). Ever watchful, He cared for them, leading them step by step in kindness (v4). When they hurt, He gave them healing (v3b). When they were burdened and bowed down, He lifted their heaviness and set them free (v4). Like a mother, He graciously bent down to feed them, making sure their needs were fully met.

Yet for all that they received, His children returned love with rebellion and kindness with rejection. How it must break the heart of the Father! Tears come as we catch the anguish and the dilemma in the questions the Father posed:

"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?

How can I treat you like Admah? (A town destroyed in divine judgement - Genesis 10:19)

How can I make you like Zeboiim?" (Another town wiped out in judgement - Genesis 10:19)

Inspite of all that they had done, and persisted in doing, God's love held on tenaciously in faithfulness and hope. But how it grieved the Father's heart!

********

Dear readers, how have we been treating God lately?

Signing off,

-blogteam-

Some words of wisdom...

*passage extracted from the Book; On THIS DAY by Dianne Neal Matthews

November 5

*** I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11) ***

In November 1908, The Gideons International began placing Bibles in hotel rooms. Three traveling men in Janesville, Wisconsin, had formed the organization in 1899 for the purpose of promoting the gospel. Since then the Gideons have placed more than five hundred million Bibles and new Testaments with Psalms in hotels, motels, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, shelters and schools.

Today The Gideons International places and distributes Scripture in 179 countries and in 82 languages. The organization has programs geared toward the homeless, students, nurses, military and law-enforcement personal, firefighters and others. Every seven days, The Gideons International distributes more than one million copies of God's Word at no cost. The work is supported entirely by donations.

But the very best location to place the Scriptures is inside us. The psalmist wrote that he had hidden God's Word in his heart so that he could avoid sinning. This requires more than just reading the Scriptures. The Bible will keep us from sinning only if we internalize it and then determine to obey it.

As the Living Word, Jesus gave a visible picture of God and demonstrated a life pleasing to him. We are likewise called to live our life in a way that points others to God. This requires a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures - studying, memorizing, and meditating until the Word influences our every thought and action. Sharing the written Word is vitally important work, but we must also saturate our mind and heart with the Scriptures so that others can read us.

-end-

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So, dear readers.. have you been hiding God's word in your heart? This weeks prayer meeting was focused on the missionaries that our church is supporting in various countries all over the world. These men and women of God have dedicated their lives to serve God bringing the Word of God that is IN their hearts to those who do not know and have not heard.

With that in mind, what have we done so far in our daily lives that allows people see the working of God in us? Are our minds and hearts saturated with the Scriptures?

Here's a little reminder of what we learned in Sunday school:-

Read your Bible, P-R-A-Y everyday,

P-R-A-Y everyday, P-R-A-Y everyday

Read your Bible, P-R-A-Y everyday

And you'll grow, Grow, GROW!!

Ciao!!

Signing off,

-blogteam-

Malacca 2010, here we come......