A Bible Devotion : Keep your body under control

1 CORINTHIANS 9:27 ESV
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Our body is our earth vehicle. Without it, we can't operate on earth. If our body is not kept under control, and kept in good shape, it can become unfit for use, rendering us disqualified from continuing on in the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

The Williams translation of the above verse says "may not myself become unfit to run."

What could disqualify you from finishing your race here on earth in complete victory? Your body becoming unfit to function fully could certainly keep you from finishing your course.

We have a responsibility to take care of what God has given us -- including our body. So there is no reason to mistreat our body, or treat it as evil. We just need to make sure that we control our body, instead of allowing our body to control us.

We cannot expect God to keep our body under control; that is our job. We can ask the Lord to help us, but we must do it (Romans 12:1).

It is important to notice in the Scripture above that "I" is not the same as "my body." These bodies are what we live in on earth. You could call them earth-suits. You need to understand that you are not the same as your body. Your body will die, but you will continue to live after leaving your body.

The verse above also makes it clear that if we fail to control our bodies we will experience undesirable consequences. So if we desire to walk in victory, we must control our bodies.

Fasting (going without food) is one way we can keep our bodies trained to realize they are not our master.

Forcing yourself to exercise is another way of maintaining control over your body, so that it will be in shape to continue to serve you for a long life.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:12 GWN
12 Someone may say, "I'm allowed to do anything," but not everything is helpful. I'm allowed to do anything, but I won't allow anything to gain control over my life.

Of course, as with any message from God, this is not meant to condemn you, but to inform you of what is best, and what is possible with God's help. If you need help in this area, ask the Lord to help you, then determine, with His help, to walk in victory!

SAY THIS: With God's help I can, and I will, keep my body under control.

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Genesis 41 --- God uses Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, and is rewarded by being put in charge of the land of Egypt!

Read Genesis 41

- V8 why do you think Pharaoh felt his dreams needed interpreting?...do you think God may sometimes send us messages via dreams today?....if so, how can we tell which dreams mean something, and which are just ordinary dreams?...are there any clues in this passage?

- V16, Joseph gives God the glory…are we careful to do the same?

- V46 (compare with ch37v2) note how much time had passed, and yet how young Joseph is to have such authority and to be used by God in this way. What can this teach us about age-restrictions in God’s service?

A Bible Devotion : Jesus Died For You

ROMANS 8:34 NRS 34
Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.

The devil would love for us all to doubt that God loves us. But when you look at the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary, it is undeniable.

God loves you!

And He proved it!

ROMANS 5:8 NRS 8
But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

ROMANS 8:32 NRS 32
He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?

Sometimes it's easy to be tempted to think God does not care.

But if God was just interested in judging and condemning you, why would He go through the suffering of Calvary?

Being crucified is one of the worst forms of torture and death ever devised. Jesus willingly suffered all that for you, so you could go free, and avoid the suffering you deserved.

Someone who was willing to do that for you, would never hurt you.

SAY THIS: Because of His great love for me, Jesus suffered and died for me. So I can trust Him.

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A Bible Devotion : Do you believe the love?

1 JOHN 4:16 ESV
16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
It is one thing to mentally assent that God loves you. It is another thing entirely to know and believe it.

Do you truly believe that God loves you?

If not, you should meditate on God's Word until it becomes clear to you. You should think about the great price God paid to redeem you.

This is foundational. You need to believe the love that God has for you.

God delights in you! God rejoices over you! He truly loves you! And you need to believe it! Because people act on what they believe.

What you truly believe is what you are acting on. For example, if I tell you the building is on fire, you may say a thousand times that you believe me, but I know you don't believe me unless and until I see you leave the building.

Regardless of what people say, or what games we may play with ourselves, the truth is that we act on our beliefs.

The reason people sin is because they believe that by doing so they will be benefited. Once a person sees the truth that sin is harmful instead of helpful, they can repent (which means a change of thinking which results in a change of behavior).

Why do people not believe that God loves them? Two reasons. First, because they know they are not perfect. Second, because their life experience has not been better.

Can God love imperfect people? YES! Does He? YES! According to Scripture, all people are imperfect. Yet God loves us enough to die for us!

Can we accept our experience as valid evidence that God does not love us? NO! We can believe that our mother still loves us even when we have had a bad day. Why can't we believe God loves us even when we have had a bad day?

EPHESIANS 3:18-19 NLT
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

SAY THIS: I choose to believe what the Bible says: God loves me!

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Boundless...the Whole World Praying

A Bible Devotion : Do You Know God?

JEREMIAH 9:24 ESV
24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."

There is one problem in the world: people don't know God. Many think they know God, but have been deceived.

This primary problem is the cause of every other problem. All sin is the result of people not knowing God. For if people knew God, they would love Him, respect Him, want to be like Him, and desire to please Him.

1 JOHN 4:8 NLT
8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
People who don't know God's character and nature think He is unreasonable or a hard master. The truth is God is the most loving, giving, unselfish being in existence. Everything He does is for our benefit.
 
EXODUS 34:5-6 NLT
5 Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.
6 The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, "Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

The religious leaders of Jesus' day thought they knew God, but when He talked to them they called Him a devil.

JOHN 8:19 NLT
19 "Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, "Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father."

If you want to know what God is truly like, just look at Jesus. Examine the way Jesus acted in the four Gospels and you will understand how God acts.

JOHN 12:45 NLT
45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.

If you think God is different than Jesus of Nazareth, you are deceived. Jesus perfectly revealed the Father God to us. All the revelation we had of God before was incomplete.

JOHN 1:18 NLT
18 No one has ever seen God. But the one and only Son is himself God and is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us.

Through many years I have experienced the wonderful privilege of knowing God. I am here to tell you that God is good! He is faithful! The better you get to know Him the better you will like Him.

PSALM 34:8 NLT
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Taste and see for yourself! Walk with God and you will not regret it!

SAY THIS: Lord, I want to know You better!

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Genesis 40 --- God interprets the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker in prison.

Read Genesis 40

- This is a very familiar story. As you read through it carefully, is there anything which you had either forgotten or not noticed before?

- V8, Joseph does not take credit for being able to tell them the meaning of their dreams, but gives credit to God. Do we give credit to God for the gifts/talents He has given us?

- V14&23, why do you think the chief cupbearer forgot about Joseph?

A Bible Devotion : Jesus Is Our Righteousness

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 GWN
30 You are partners with Christ Jesus because of God. Jesus has become our wisdom sent from God, our righteousness, our holiness, and our ransom from sin. People now have two choices:

1. Quit trying to be right with God by their own efforts, and accept the gift of righteousness by receiving Jesus Christ.

2. Or, try to be good enough for God to accept them based on their own performance.
One choice is impossible. No one can succeed with the second choice. Here are three verses that say "no one" can do it.

ROMANS 3:20 NLT
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

GALATIANS 2:16 NLT
16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law."

GALATIANS 3:11 NLT
11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
No one can be bad enough for God to reject them. And no one can be good enough for God to accept them. So the only way to have good standing with God is by accepting His gift -- Jesus Christ.

JOHN 14:6 NLT
6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

ROMANS 10:3 NLT
3 For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.
Yes, God desires for His people to do good, not bad. Jesus was sent to save us FROM sin, not to leave us trapped in sin.

But we cannot save ourselves. We cannot make ourselves acceptable to God by our own efforts. We can only come to Him and accept His free gift, Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus we also receive right standing with God (righteousness).
ROMANS 5:17 NLT

17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Remember: righteousness is a gift!

SAY THIS:I accept Jesus as my righteousness.

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Genesis 39 --- The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife

Read Genesis 39

- This is a very familiar story. As you read through it carefully, is there anything which you had either forgotten or not noticed before?

- V10, why do you think Joseph didn’t tell Potiphar about this problem?

- V21-23, even in prison God was with Joseph….is He with you?

- Within this chapter it seems Joseph did little wrong, and yet he was treated unfairly (again) and imprisoned…what can this teach us about what happens to us within our lives and our faith?

A Bible Devotion : What Is Faith?

 ROMANS 1:17 ESV
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

Since the Bible reveals that we, who have been made righteous by receiving Jesus Christ, are to live by faith, we need to know what faith is.

Faith is what you believe. In the New Testament, faith is the noun form and believe is the verb form of the same word.

Faith is not difficult to understand. If you believe something, that is your faith. Faith and belief are the same thing.

A belief is something you have accepted as truth and consider to be true, whether it is actually true or not.

Faith is not a feeling, attitude, outlook, or state. Faith is primarily a choice, a decision of your will. Nothing can force you to believe. What you believe is a decision you make.

Here is a definition: Faith is always a decision, based on some evidence, resulting in some action.

So faith is when you are persuaded by the evidence you have been presented, and you make the decision to accept it as truth worthy of action.

If you were told the building you were in was on fire, you could say all day "I believe the building is on fire." But when you actually believe it, you will leave the building.

Faith in God is a choice to believe what God says is true. It is accepting God's Word as evidence worthy of acting upon.

Faith in God and His Word operates on the same principles as faith in anything else. There are no special rules. It is all a matter of what you believe.

SAY THIS: Faith is what I believe.

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Genesis 38 --- The story of Judah and Tamar

Read Genesis 38

- Are we ever told the name of Judah’s wife?

- V7&10, this seems like quite an unusual thing for God to do…what would be the benefit and disadvantages if God were to carry out such swift and obvious punishment today?

- V14-18, given her predicament, and the cultural context, do you think this was the right thing for Tamar to do or not?

- V24, note the hypocrisy from Judah…

- V29, why was it important for this story to be preserved throughout Scripture? (compare with Matthew ch1v3)

A Bible Devotion : Repent Means Change Your Beliefs

 MATTHEW 4:17 NKJ
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The word "repent" as used in the New Testament, means to have a change of thinking, which results in a change of action.

Repent does not mean to ask forgiveness. You could ask for forgiveness all day and never repent.

Repent does not mean to have regret, remorse, or sorrow. You could be remorseful, full of sorrow, and regret greatly what you have done, yet never repent.

Repent does not mean to "shape up" and "live right." Of course, the right kind of repentance should cause your actions to change so that you will be living right. But repent does not mean "to live right."

It is even possible to quit a sin without repenting. People can quit a sin (at least temporarily) for many reasons. For example, the danger of being caught. That does not mean they have changed their thinking regarding the sin.

Repentance has to do with your beliefs, not primarily your actions. Do beliefs determine actions? Certainly. But we must look at them separately if we are to understand truth.

You might say that repentance is "coming to your senses" or "waking up to reality."

Repentance has more to do with unbelief than with sin. But we have become so sin-conscious that most people think about repentance only as it relates to stopping sin.

If a person is walking one direction, why do they turn around and change direction? Because their belief changed.

They previously believed going that direction was the best thing for them to do under the circumstances. Then somehow they got new information and their belief changed to thinking going another direction was best for them under the new circumstances.

What you believe is what you will be-living or be doing.

A belief according to the Bible teaching is not just a mental idea, but what you have accepted as truth worthy of action.

Everything you now believe was once a choice you made. You chose either to accept or reject the evidence presented to you as being worthy of believing.

No human being is forced to believe anything. Every belief is a choice we make.

You may think that "seeing is believing," but it is not true. Many times people have seen things but still refused to believe what they saw.

Repent does not mean "shape up and do right." It does involve change. But the reason for the change is not guilt, but a change in belief.

Humans always do what they do because they believe it is in their best interest. What you have been doing in life is what you believed was your best option -- under the circumstances you faced.

When you get new information and see a better option for yourself to take, it requires no struggle to choose the new better option.

So what was Jesus really saying when we read, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."? Change your beliefs! God's rule is here!

SAY THIS: God's Message in the New Testament gives me the information I need to change my beliefs, so they agree with reality.

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Genesis 37 --- Joseph, his dreams, and his brothers response!

Read Genesis 37

- This is a very familiar story. As you read through it carefully, is there anything which you had either forgotten or not noticed before?

- V2, note Joseph’s young age!

- V3-4, whatever the reason behind it, do you think this favouritism on the part of Israel is what caused the subsequent trouble ?

- V5-6, how wise was it for Joseph to tell his brothers the dream ?...do you think he didn’t consider how they would react ?

- V9-11, given all the jealousy and favouritism which already existed, how wise was it for Joseph to share this second dream ? …is there anything we could/should learn from this ?

- V12, compared alongside verse 2, do you think Joseph was given the less manual, and more supervisory tasks within the family ?...what effect would this have had on his brothers ?...in your opinion, who would be to blame if this led to a bad outcome ?

- V23, do you think this attack by his brothers took Joseph by surprise, or do you think he saw it coming ?

- V28, is there anyone else you can think of who was sold for 20 pieces of silver ?

A Bible Devotion : Focus On Eternity

MATTHEW 6:19-20 NLT
19 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

When I was young my family had a wall plaque which said:

"Only one life, will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

1 CORINTHIANS 3:13 NLT
13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value.

If I buy a vehicle for myself it will last only a few years. Then it will rust, wear out, and break down.

But if I buy a vehicle for someone that will enable them to preach the Gospel to more people, the blessing and memory of that purchase will last for eternity.

This is not to say it is wrong to have nice things for ourselves. (For it does not bring glory to God for us to be in lack.) But we should not focus only on ourselves and our needs alone. If you are selfish and self-centered you will actually rob yourself of blessing, both now and for eternity.

GALATIANS 6:10 NLT
10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone -- especially to those in the family of faith.

Each day we have a choice: live for eternity, or live for today.

The wise person will invest time and treasure in what will last.

SAY THIS: I will focus on things that count for eternity.

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Genesis 36 --- The family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites

Read Genesis 36

- V6-7, why do you think it was Esau who moved away, and not Israel?

- Why do you think the descendants of Esau are recorded in this way?

A Bible Devotion : You Carry Jesus

JOHN 12:14-15 NKJ
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt."

If you have received Jesus, then Jesus lives in you. So wherever you go, Jesus goes. Just like the donkey in the verse above, you carry Jesus.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 NKJ
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."

God is not living in a building on earth, but in people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When people need or want to find God, they should be able to come to you.

GALATIANS 2:20 NKJ
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Paul, who wrote this, understood that he was a carrier. You need to understand that you are also a carrier of Jesus. Jesus did not die on the cross just to redeem Paul the apostle. You are saved just like Paul was, with the same salvation and the same benefits.

COLOSSIANS 1:27 NKJ
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

SAY THIS: I will carry Jesus into my world.

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Prayer Points

1. Please pray on going event: Flag Day, Helping Hand Project, Father's Day. Upcoming event: Music Class and Penang Open Day

2. Please pray for one another in your prayer, especially those that are not feeling well.

3. Please pray for various ministry that going well bring forward fruitful result

• Pray for all Salvation Army Churches in Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar. Pray God for faithful Local Officers and pray for God to raise up more Salvationist who will commit to ministry.

WORLDWILE PRAYER MEETING
http://smm.salvationarmyspirituallife.org
Facebook: Spiritual LifeDevelopment.SMM

Announcement

The Salvation Army International Congress: 150th Anniversary; Date: 1-5 July 2015; Venue: London (UK); Theme: Boundless the Whole World Redeeming. For more information please contact Pastor Andrew. Closing Date: 31 July 2014 (extended)

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge within 7 months, reading just 5 chapters per week: Look out for it at the Church website.

Explore Weekend : 15-17 August 2014 (Fri-Sun) @ Johor Bahru: For more information please contact Pastor Andrew.

Music Class : 25 June 2014 Time: 8:00pm Venue: Worship Hall

A Bible Devotion : Speak to the problem

MATTHEW 17:20 NKJ
20 So Jesus said to them, . . . if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

While I won't question that what Jesus said is literally true, I think the primary lesson He meant for us to understand is that a mountain is anything standing in our way -- which we would call a problem.

Lots of people speak to God about their problems. But not many people speak to their problems and tell them to be gone.

It's not wrong to discuss things with God. But that is not all we should do. Jesus spoke to problems and He instructed us to speak to things we want removed from our lives.

LUKE 17:6 ESV
6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

You may think it's strange to speak to things. But God created this world and He knows how everything is designed to work. So when Jesus tells us to speak to our problems, we should realize that He knows how things operate.

The reason it seems strange to us is that we have not known the ways of God.

God loves us even when we don't follow His instructions. But we cannot expect good results in our life when we refuse to follow God's instructions.

Whatever problem you face, speak to it and tell it what you want it to do. "Be gone." "I refuse to allow you." "Get out of my life."

MATTHEW 18:18 CEV
18 I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he will not allow anything you don't allow.

As a child of God in union with Jesus Christ you have authority over every work of the enemy and everything that would harm you (Luke 10:19). Because you have been given authority, you have to use it.

You are supposed to choose what you allow in your life. (In fact you do choose, whether you realize it or not.) But most of us, out of ignorance, thought our only choice was to just accept whatever happened. We didn't know any better. But now we are learning. So we can make new choices, and see better results.

SAY THIS: I will speak directly to problems and tell them what to do because God gave me authority in my life through Jesus Christ.

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A Bible Devotion : Love one another

JOHN 13:34-35 ESV
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

JOHN 15:12 ESV
12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

JOHN 15:17 ESV
17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

ROMANS 12:10 ESV
10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

ROMANS 13:8 ESV
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:7 ESV
7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?

GALATIANS 5:13 ESV
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

EPHESIANS 4:2 ESV
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

EPHESIANS 4:32 ESV
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

1 THESSALONIANS 3:12 ESV
12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

1 THESSALONIANS 4:9 ESV
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,

1 PETER 1:22 ESV
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

1 PETER 3:8 ESV
8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

1 PETER 4:8 ESV
8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 JOHN 3:11 ESV
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 JOHN 3:23 ESV
23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

1 JOHN 4:7 ESV
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 JOHN 4:11-12 ESV
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

2 JOHN 1:5 ESV
5 And now I ask you, dear lady -- not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning -- that we love one another.

SAY THIS: I get it. The Bible tells me to love people.

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Genesis 35 --- Rachael dies during childbirth, and then Isaac dies of old age

Genesis 35

- V2-5, are there any ‘gods’ within your household which need to be discarded?

- V11-12, Is this promise now void/obsolete…or is it still in effect?

- V16-18, Rachel was the one Israel originally wanted to marry, and yet she is the first mother of his sons to die. Perhaps this is why later on we find Israel has a bias in favour on her sons – can we sympathise with him?

- V23-26, can you name the 12 sons of Israel from memory?

A Bible Devotion: God will crush satan under your feet

ROMANS 16:20 NLT
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Many don't know it yet, but the New Testament reveals that God has given authority over the devil to all Christians. Therefore we have a responsibility to exercise that authority and stop the devil.

Here are some of the verses that make that clear.

LUKE 10:19 NKJ
19 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

MARK 16:17 NKJ
17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

EPHESIANS 4:27 NKJ
27 nor give place to the devil.

JAMES 4:7 NKJ
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

But one verse in the New Testament, Romans 16:20 (see above), seems to give a different message. It seems to say we must wait on God to do something about the devil, instead of doing it ourselves. For a long time, this verse confused me because it seemed to conflict with the rest of the New Testament teaching.

So who is responsible now for controlling the devil? Have believers truly been given that responsibility? Or, should we look to God expecting Him to do it?

Are we to wait on God to stop the devil's activities in our lives, or are we supposed to do something by using the authority Jesus gave us?

One day I finally saw it. Romans 16:20 is not saying that God will do anything about the devil apart from you. God will work through you and satan will be crushed UNDER YOUR FEET. It will be your feet that do the crushing. The power working in you will be from God, but the feet will be yours. In other words, you must take action. You have to step out -- and step on -- the devil.

Romans 16:20 seems to say God will stop the devil -- which would contradict all these other verses. But there is no contradiction when you realize it is God working through the believer to control the devil. In other words, the believer must control the devil, but the power to do it is of God.

Believers must exercise their authority and resist the devil. We cannot wait on God to do what He told us to do.

SAY THIS: God's plan is that the devil be under my feet.

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Belle Weathers The Storm

How can a young, biracial woman become fully valued in a prejudiced society? 'Belle', based on a true-life story and released at cinemas yesterday (Friday 13 June), places this question in the unlikely setting of 18th-century high society.

The heroine, Dido Elizabeth Belle, is the illegitimate daughter of Captain John Lindsay and a slave woman transported aboard his ship. Lindsay adores his daughter and has brought her safely to England to be raised by his uncle, William Murray, Lord Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice - ‘the most powerful man next to the King’. Belle is brought up alongside her white cousin, Lady Elizabeth, in the sumptuous Georgian surroundings of Kenwood House, Hampstead. They grow up together as sisters, privileged by their family connections, under the loving direction of Lord and Lady Mansfield.

But things are not as black and white as they appear. Inequalities and prejudices soon emerge. Belle is caught between two worlds - too high to be with the servants and too low to dine with the family. Within the Mansfield social circles and polite society, Belle’s race and illegitimate origins also cause unease and embarrassment.

And as she emerges into adulthood, Belle is faced with more inequality and prejudice. This becomes obvious when people wish to find her a potential husband. Not only is Belle’s bloodline to be considered, but wealth, income, property, family name and social connections also dominate the matchmakers’ thinking. Belle wants a man she can love and who loves her and respects her as a true equal. But where will she find him?

All of which raises the question: How do we judge a person’s worth?

Matters come to a head when Lord Mansfield hears a case that involves slaves on a ship being thrown overboard to their deaths. What value would be given to their lives? All eyes are on him, awaiting his verdict.

As 'Belle' is set in the 1700s, it is easy to judge the characters and their motives from a 21st-century perspective. But could our modern attitudes towards a person be affected not only by their ethnicity, but also by their age, job, car, clothes or house? We might argue that such things help us to know who someone is, but they can become false measures by which we judge a person’s value - or lack of it.

When people judge us falsely, it hurts. When we are misunderstood, disrespected or misrepresented, become the object of prejudice or are made to feel worthless, it hurts. But there is good news. The Bible tells us that we matter to God. He values us so much that he wants to connect with us. In fact, we are so precious to God that he sent his Son, Jesus, to show us what God is like and how we can be united with him. One Bible writer says: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 New Living Translation). The key word is ‘everyone’.

Jesus, Son of God, suffered and died for us all, irrespective of our age, sex, ethnicity, status or circumstances. Why would he, if we did not mean the world to him? Does he matter to us - enough to believe in him?

UK & Ireland War Cry 14 June 2014

Genesis 34 --- Jacob’s daughter is raped, and her brothers take revenge

Read Genesis 34

- V3 This sounds rather odd doesn’t it, to rape someone who you have your heart set on?...is it possible to mistreat the ones we love?

- V11-29, this is quite an amazing story of deceit, bravery and revenge…do you think Simeon and Levi were justified in what they did?

- V31, it is interesting that we are not told what Dinah thought about all this…how do you think she felt toward Shechem?...what about her feelings toward her brothers?

A Bible Devotion : People Crave Love

1 THESSALONIANS 4:9 NLT
9 But we don't need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.
If you want to understand why people do what they do, realize that we are created to need love.

It is not just a desire, but a need. If humans are not getting love, they will do whatever they can to try and get it.

Many foolish and harmful things are done simply because people are craving love.

We want someone to value us, to even delight in us. We are driven by our need for love and acceptance. All of us want to be special to someone.

Insecurity is fear -- fear that you are not good enough, that you will not be loved if it is known what you are really like.

But God knows everything about you, and He still considers you so valuable that He was willing to die for you! When you KNOW God loves you, lesser opinions are not as important.

1 JOHN 4:18 NLT
18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

If people only knew the truth about God -- that He truly loves them -- they would turn to God wholeheartedly.

We are God's representatives on earth. Unless we love people, they will not believe God loves them.

1 JOHN 4:7 NLT
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.

SAY THIS: Lord help me to love people with Your love.

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There Are Many Things Money Cannot Buy

Money, money, money! It may make the world go round, but increasingly it also divides the population into two - the haves, and the have-nots. As an old song puts it: ‘The rich get rich and the poor get poorer.’ Not a day goes by without some aspect of the financial markets (and their impact on everyday life) making the news headlines, from huge bankers’ bonuses to low interest rates.

Money can provide the means to possess all the goods and gadgets we could ever want or desire. But what then? Can it buy us happiness, good health, inner satisfaction or a fulfilled life? Millions of people have found that it doesn’t.

Money has also given rise to one of the most common misquotations from the Bible: ‘Money is the root of all evil.’ What the Bible actually says is: ‘The love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10 King James Bible). Or, to quote a modern translation: ‘The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil’ (New International Version).

This puts a completely different perspective on a sometimes thorny subject. The Bible is not saying that money in itself is bad or evil. Rather, it’s what we do with it and how we go about getting it that causes many of the world’s problems.

Human nature hasn’t changed much since those words were first written centuries ago. Even then, ‘Del Boys’ were trying to make a quick profit at the expense of others. More recently, the quest for money has led to the exploitation and misery of thousands through organised crime and human trafficking.

Yes, money talks. But it can talk for good, as well as bad. Take the inspirational example of Stephen Sutton, the 19-year-old who raised £2.2 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust before his death in May. It is just one example of the selfless giving of time to raise money for a good cause.

We may not ever make it on to the world’s rich list, but learning how to be content with what we have and living honestly within our means are great achievments.

UK & Ireland War Cry 14 June 2014

Genesis 33 --- The twin brothers Jacob and Esau are reunited

Read Genesis 33

- V4, would you expect that among the greetings and hugs there may also have been an apology for past behaviour?

- V4, if you are in a fortunate position of seeing family regularly, is it possible to take this for granted?

A Bible Devotion : Don't ignore the poor

GALATIANS 2:10 NLT
10 Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.

Not everyone who is poor is that way because of what they have done. Disasters happen.

The enormity of the need worldwide can tempt us to just ignore the plight of the poor. We can't help everyone, but that should not keep us from helping someone.

PROVERBS 28:27 NLT
27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.

If you are reading this, then by definition you are not one of the truly poor. You may be poorer than your neighbor, but there are many people poorer than you are. The truly poor cannot read, and struggle for food, which they don't have every day.

LUKE 16:19-21 NLT
19 Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.
20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.
21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

In this account, the rich man did not oppress the beggar laying at his gate, where he probably passed by every day. The rich man just ignored him. The dogs seem to have had more mercy. They at least licked the sores of the poor beggar, while the rich man did nothing to help relieve his suffering.

PROVERBS 21:13 NLT
13 Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.

God loves all the people of the world -- rich and poor. His will is not that anyone should suffer or be forgotten. God loves those who are poor. So we who have been blessed with more should not forget them.

HEBREWS 13:16 NLT
16 And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

PROVERBS 19:17 NLT
17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD -- and he will repay you!

GALATIANS 6:10 NLT
10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone -- especially to those in the family of faith.

SAY THIS: I won't ignore the poor.

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Father's Day June 15 2014 - Photo

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Genesis 32 --- Jacob continues his journey home, and has his name changed by God to ‘Israel’

Read Genesis 32

- V7 why do you think Jacob became afraid?

- V12, Jacob obviously remembered God’s promise, but seems to be having a moment of doubt!....do we ever doubt God’s promises to us?

- V22-32, who is the man Jacob wrestles with, and where did he come from?

- V28, as descendants of Jacob, were you aware that this is where the Jewish nation state of Israel gets its name from?

A Bible Devotion : Sin's Deception

HEBREWS 3:13 NLT
13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

Sin advertises that it will bring happiness, but fails to deliver.

Deception's story is that going God's way is too restrictive -- too hard -- and won't lead to happiness. So sin tells you to throw off restraint and live for the moment -- do whatever feels right to you with no thought for the future.

The only problem is that it does not work! Sin's promises are empty.

All sin hurts people. So all sin will (eventually) make someone miserable.

Can you make yourself happy by making others miserable? No! It may seem to work for awhile, but in the end it fails.

Don't be deceived! You cannot make yourself happy by hurting people.

Instead of happiness, sin actually pays out in death.

ROMANS 6:23 NLT
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Whatever pleasure sin may bring is something very temporary which lasts for only a short while. Then it brings death!

HEBREWS 11:25 NLT
25 He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Fortunately, there is good news! Jesus came to save us from sin.

MATTHEW 1:21 NKJ
21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."

The good news is that no matter how deeply sin has trapped you, Jesus will forgive you and free you!

Jesus is not your enemy -- sin is your enemy. Sin only promises you happiness, then brings destruction, misery, and pain. Jesus is your friend who came to set you free from sin.

Jesus frees us not only from the punishment of sin, but also from the power and control of sin.

When you receive Him, Jesus puts His life and love in your heart, so you don't have to sin.

People sin because they are afraid of missing out on something good. All sin is based on fear, which results from not truly knowing God loves us.

But God does love you! Enough to die for you! So you can be certain that He does not want to withhold any good thing from you.

MATTHEW 7:14 NLT
14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Many people read this verse in Matthew and think of few people making it to Heaven, but that is not what Jesus said. Life, in full victory, as God intended, is enjoyed by very few people during our time on earth. The reason is because they allow themselves to be deceived by sin.

The road of joyful, wonderful life is difficult. It can be a struggle to keep from being deceived. But Jesus will help you! He is the Way! So call on Jesus and trust Him to help you!

SAY THIS: I refuse to let sin deceive me!

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Genesis 31 --- Jacob and his family leave Laban and head back to their native land

Read Genesis 31

- v2 why had Laban’s attitude toward Jacob changed? Was it due to jealousy? Hatred? Fear?

- V14-16, does Rachel and Leah’s reasoning here seem to be based on pleasing God or gaining wealth?

- v19, despite everything that had been said in previous verses regarding God blessing Jacob with his success, status, and wealth…evidently Rachel still didn’t want to leave without her father’s household gods. What does this tell us about Rachel and her beliefs?...what does it tell us about Jacob?....what does it tell us about Laban?

- If a stranger were to take a look around your home, is there enough evidence for them to conclude that you were a Bible-Believing Christian, or would they conclude that your trust/faith, and priorities in life were in something/someone else?

A Bible Devotion: Tell The Truth

EPHESIANS 4:25 NLT
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

People lie because of fear of loss or pain. They are afraid if they always tell the truth, things might go badly for them.

So people lie to try to obtain a better result for themselves. But lies can take you only so far. Truth always prevails in the end. So a lie that was done in an attempt to help you, will always end up eventually hurting you instead.

Some might argue that sometimes lies are used to avoid hurting other's feelings. Like when someone asks, "Do I look old or fat?" and you tell them "No!" because you want them to feel good about themselves. But actually you don't want them to think badly of you for telling them the truth.

I would never suggest that you say anything to put anyone down and make them feel bad. But you don't have to respond directly to that type of question, either.

Instead you could answer with something like, "You are a wonderful person and I love you."

One thing we need to learn is that we are not obligated to answer every time we are asked a question. Jesus did not! (Matthew 27:14 for example.) There are times when it is best to simply say nothing.

As Christians, we may lament how politicians and government leaders seem to have problems with telling the truth. But we cannot condemn them without condemning ourselves, if we are also guilty of sometimes not telling the truth.

We need a revival of truth in our culture. As Christians we should be people who mean what we say and can be depended on to tell the truth. We are supposed to be a light to the world around us, setting a good example.

PSALM 15:4 CEB
4 someone who despises those who act wickedly, but who honors those who honor the LORD; someone who keeps their promise even when it hurts;

We should always keep our word, if it is at all possible. Even if it costs us everything we have. If we do find ourselves in a situation where it is impossible to keep our promise, then we should apologize to those we have let down.

JOHN 16:13 CEB
13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won't speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come.

The Spirit of Truth lives in us, so we should be known for our truthfulness. People should be saying, "You can depend on them. If they say something, you can count on it being true!"

There should be a clear difference between the children of light and the children of darkness, the children of God and the children of the devil.

JOHN 8:44 NLT
44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Never forget that the devil is the father of lies.

While a lie may tempt with the promise of improving things, remember that the devil's work results in stealing, killing, and destruction (John 10:10).

(Some Bible examples seem to indicate that an unselfish lie to stop evil people from killing an innocent victim is not treated as a sin. Rahab protecting the Israelite spies (Joshua 2:5), and the midwives not killing the Israelite baby boys in Egypt (Exodus 1:15-21) are examples of this. These are extreme and very rare occurrences, and should not be used as an excuse for lesser situations.)

SAY THIS: I will tell the truth, or keep quiet.

Prayer Points

1. Please pray on going event: Flag Day, Helping Hand Project, Father's Day. Upcoming event: Cell Group and Penang Open Day

2. Please up hold Sis Rachel in your prayer that the Lord healing work will be continue be upon her.

3. Please pray for one another in your prayer, especially those that are not feeling well.

4. Please pray for various ministry that going well bring forward fruitful result

• Pray for all Salvation Army Churches in Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar. Pray God for faithful Local Officers and pray for God to raise up more Salvationist who will commit to ministry.

WORLDWILE PRAYER MEETING
http://smm.salvationarmyspirituallife.org
Facebook: Spiritual LifeDevelopment.SMM

Announcement

The Salvation Army International Congress: 150th Anniversary; Date: 1-5 July 2015; Venue: London (UK); Theme: Boundless the Whole World Redeeming. For more information please contact Pastor Andrew. Closing Date: 30 June 2014

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge within 7 months, reading just 5 chapters per week: Look out for it at the Church website.

Explore Weekend : 15-17 August 2014 (Fri-Sun) @ Johor Bahru: For more information please contact Pastor Andrew.

Cell Group : 20 June 2014 Time: 8:00pm Venue: Bro Francis & Sis Maggie's home

A Bible Devotion: Fear Is A Form Of Worship

MATTHEW 4:10 NLT
10 "Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For the Scriptures say, 'You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"

The devil craves worship. He wants us to think he is great and very capable of causing havoc in our lives.

We should not be intimidated by our enemy. Fear is an acknowledgment of his ability.

God has told us in His Word, over and over, not to fear.

In the New Testament, the main word used for worship can be summarized as submission, or an attitude of submission because of profound reverence.

So being controlled by fear is submitting to the devil out of respect for his power and ability, and it is worship.

We should not do it!

SAY THIS: I will not fear because God loves me and has redeemed me out of the kingdom of darkness, over which He has given me authority through the Name of Jesus.

http://adevotion.org/

D-Day Plus 70 Years

OVERNIGHT, everyone was gone. That is one of the memories of D-Day in the communities around a church only a few miles from the sea at Portsmouth - one of the ports of departure for military personnel taking part in the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 and the beginning of the push towards Nazi Germany. Seventy years later, the memories of people in the area have been collected by schoolchildren as part of a project run by the church, which has a particular link with D-Day.

Christ Church, Portsdown, is marking its connection with D-Day through the school project and other events. ‘Some of the planning for D-Day was done at Southwick House, which is about five miles from here,’ the Rev Andy Wilson, Vicar of Christ Church, Portsdown, tells 'The War Cry'.

By the time of D-Day, the Allied commanders - including General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander - were at Southwick House. The British Second Army headquarters was also in the area. Andy explains: ‘On 4 June 1944, General Sir Miles Dempsey, who was the Commander of the British Second Army, came, along with his headquarters staff, to Christ Church and held a vigil. Effectively, it was a service to pray for the D-Day operation. The parishioners were not allowed anywhere near it, because everything was top secret. But the church was full of military personnel.’

Andy has seen a copy of the order of service for the vigil. It included a request for God’s help in the efforts to end oppression and bring freedom to Europe and peace to the world.

In the years since, the church has developed a tradition of holding a memorial service on the Sunday nearest the anniversary of D-Day. This year, to mark the 70th anniversary, the church is holding extra events and has run the school project.

‘We brought together some of the people in the area who remember D-Day, and the youngsters from our local secondary school interviewed them about their memories. The idea was to create a resource that could be used by the school and the church, but we also wanted to bring together different generations in our community. There are a lot of memories. People who were children around D-Day remember the streets being lined with armoured vehicles and packed with military. They woke up one morning and they had all gone.’

More than 4,000 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself. Andy says that the annual church service is an act of thanksgiving for those who gave their lives in the war. ‘It’s not a celebration of war but it is an act of remembrance.’

He says that 70 years after people held a vigil in the church for the end of oppression, Christ Church is holding another prayer vigil which ‘will include prayers for peace in areas of conflict in today’s world’.

‘We want to remember that God answered prayer 70 years ago. But we also want to bring to mind that God still answers prayer. Our D-Day commemorations are about not only the past but also the present. At the heart of everything we are doing is this: God is still relevant today.’

UK & Ireland War Cry 7 June 2014

A Bible Devotion: You Are All Brothers And Sisters

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT
8 "Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.
9 And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father.
10 And don't let anyone call you 'Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah.
11 The greatest among you must be a servant.

These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths.

The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings -- all on the same level.

(Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.)

Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of calling someone "Father" as a term of great respect.

For example, there are people who are called "the father of modern medicine" or "the father of jazz music." The word "father" used in this way means someone who was the originator, the one who started it all -- the leader of a movement.

Although it is not wrong to honor someone because of their achievements, we should not consider humans the originators of everything. And we are not to set some people up on a pedestal and follow them instead of God.

It is not wrong to honor people, but it is wrong to honor people above God.

No one should be allowed to take the place of honor and respect that belongs to God alone. He is the One who originated all things. He is the One who deserves our utmost honor, respect, and obedience. God is our Leader!

And instead of operating like the world and setting up a hierarchy we are to operate as co-equals. (This is not to say there should not be positions of authority and leadership. But all should remember that being in those positions is a matter of responsibility, not a matter of being better than others.)

All human beings are on the same level. God loves us all. One person is not more important or valuable than any other person.

The human tendency is to try and distinguish ourselves from others. We try to elevate ourselves so others will look up to us and make us feel good about ourselves. Jesus is telling us we must not operate this way.

We should not need a title to make us feel valuable when God has already established our value by the price He paid to redeem us. Being a child of God is the highest position imaginable. No human title can begin to compare with that.

All special titles and human recognition are ultimately worthless anyway. They may have some value here on earth. But only God, the ultimate Judge, truly matters. What others think of us matters little.

Human organizations always exalt some people while minimizing others. "These are the important people. These other people are not very important." But God's people are not supposed to operate this way.

Finally, Jesus tells a great truth -- which many have not yet understood. The greatest person is the one who serves others the most. This is not just a short-term idea, valid only in this life on earth. This is the way it will be in God's Kingdom for eternity. Those who serve others the most are the greatest.

In the Kingdom of God status is not measured by a title or an office or a following (how may fans or friends you may have). Instead greatness is determined solely by how much you help others.

God helps everyone all the time. That makes Him the greatest. The more we help others, the greater it makes us. So don't worry about a title or an office -- just help people.

SAY THIS: God's family is not a hierarchy.

http://adevotion.org/

Genesis 30 – Jacob’s wives and maids have children, and he makes an agreement with Laban as his family and possessions grow.

Read Genesis 30

- V2, is God to blame when people cannot conceive ?

- V31-43, is this clever strategy something which God approved of ?...why do you think Jacob didn’t simply rely on God to provide what he needed ?…or is the ability to make such a cunning manoeuvre part of God’s provision and blessing?

TV Shows Faith In Middle East

‘WE are not in the business of television just for the sake of it,’ says Rachel Fadipe, ‘but through our programmes we want to give people the opportunity to hear the gospel.’

Rachel is the UK’s executive director of SAT-7, a global organisation that produces Christian satellite TV programmes in the Middle East and North Africa. ‘Out of 500 million people living in the region, 15 million say that they regularly watch SAT-7,’ she says. ‘Our five channels broadcast programmes in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish across 22 countries.’

The company’s head office is in Cyprus, but there are also television studios in Cairo, Beirut and Istanbul. Rachel explains why SAT-7 - which last month celebrated its 18th birthday - exists.

‘The problem we are trying to solve is: How can we take the Christian message into regions where there are so many challenges? When we look at the Middle East, there is a huge problem with illiteracy. About 50 per cent of the people can’t read. Even if they can read, it might be illegal to own a Bible in their particular country or there might be no church. So, if people want to inquire about the Christian faith and gather information about it, there’s nothing easily accessible for them. But in the Middle East, there are satellite dishes on every rooftop and every street corner. So, if you want to reach people with any kind of message, television is the way to do it.’

While satellite TV in the West tends to entail expensive packages, in the Middle East the channels are mainly free. ‘I’ve heard stories of people who have moved into their first apartment, not having a bed, but having a telly,’ says Rachel. ‘It is seen as a necessity. Some Bedouins have televisions in their tents, using their car batteries for power.’

While it promotes the Christian faith, SAT-7 also aims to make its television shows culturally relevant. Rachel explains that ‘80 per cent of programmes are made in the Middle East by Middle Easterners’.

‘SAT-7 is different from the kind of “Christian TV” that we might see in the West,’ she says. ‘For example, there are no American televangelists. Most of the people on the SAT-7 channels are Arab Christians.

‘After we did our first broadcast in 1996 - a two-hour show which we repeated the following week - viewers phoned up and said: “I didn’t know there were any other Arab Christians in my community. I thought I was the only one.” So our programmes are a good way of making people feel a part of the Church.’

There are five SAT-7 channels: SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-7 PARS, SAT-7 PLUS, SAT-7 KIDS and SAT-7 TURK. The organisation broadcasts programmes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ‘Every style of programme that you can imagine is shown on SAT-7,’ says Rachel. ‘We have a Bible quiz programme that’s a bit like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (but without the jackpot), which is a clever way of presenting the gospel without being too preachy. We have programmes exploring the Church’s history, because many Middle Easterners don’t realise that they live in the region where Jesus was born. And we have dramas.’

Occasionally, SAT-7 broadcasts films and cartoons brought in from the West, which are dubbed or subtitled. ‘But before we broadcast programmes from the West, we carry out a theological and cultural assessment, considering if the programme would work in a Middle Eastern context,’ says Rachel. ‘It is important that SAT-7 always has complete control over its programming and that our shows are relevant to people.

‘For the children, we show a lot of cartoons on SAT-7 KIDS. We dub them into different languages, then find local presenters to film the live introduction segments. One in four Saudis says they watch SAT-7 KIDS, which is amazing.’

As well as entertaining children and teaching them about Jesus, SAT-7 KIDS seems to be meeting with parents’ approval. Rachel says that the whole family often tunes in to watch the programmes. ‘Christian parents who feel unable to share their faith with their friends and family have told us that when they have guests over, they often leave the SAT-7 KIDS channel on in the background. They may not be able to speak out about their faith, but they can show it through what their kids are watching.

‘SAT-7 KIDS also enables us to tackle some taboo issues with our viewers, such as disability. In some parts of the Middle East, disabled children are kept hidden away and not allowed outside the family home, so we aired a children’s game show that featured able-bodied children and disabled children having fun together. It was a simple way of putting across a message.’

As much as SAT-7 informs viewers who know nothing about Christianity, it also seeks to dispel any misconceptions about the faith. ‘Many people in the Middle East and North Africa think that everyone from the West is a Christian,’ says Rachel. ‘So if they watch an American drama, such as "Desperate Housewives", they assume that the characters in the show are portraying Christian moral standards. I remember an Iranian friend telling me that when she came to faith, her brother shouted at her that she had become a whore, because his perception of Christians was that they slept around and got drunk. SAT-7 aims to knock down the myths surrounding Christianity.’

Although SAT-7 is in the business of producing solely Christian television programmes, it does not promote its message at the expense of other faiths. Rachel says: ‘We broadcast Christianity, but we never preach against any other faiths. So a Muslim could watch SAT-7 and not be offended. What SAT-7 tries to do is give a voice to the Church. We supply people with information about the Christian faith, and then pray that the Holy Spirit will work within them. If they want to contact us to learn more, they can.’

Rachel reveals that the organisation’s ethos to love and care for its viewers was one of the main qualities that attracted her to working for it in the first place. ‘We are not just broadcasting a Christian message to people and then letting them get on with it,’ she says. ‘We have phone lines associated with our programmes so viewers can call up and receive help. We are there for people who want to grow in their faith.’

Rachel has heard that people have been using SAT-7 in a variety of ways. Some people watch programmes in a small group in their home, as part of their church worship. In other areas, Sunday schools have installed satellite dishes so they can access SAT-7 KIDS.

‘Viewers have told us stories of how SAT-7 has helped them,’ she says. ‘One person wrote: “I’m not able to tell anyone that I’m a believer, but my faith is developing through your programmes.” Another said: “My husband and I watched your programme about relationships and it saved our marriage.” One man wrote us a letter, saying: “I can’t get hold of a Bible where I live, so every time you quote a Bible verse on SAT-7, I write it down. Gradually, I’m building up my own Bible.” It’s for those people that SAT-7 exists and why we keep going.’

As Rachel considers the future of SAT-7, she hopes that it will continue to empower the Church and support Christians as they grow in faith. ‘We want to make SAT-7 more accessible to even more people,’ she says. ‘Our aim is to keep making vibrant programmes, offering a strong message of peace and reconciliation.’

SAT-7 STORIES

WHEN Mark was facing problems at work, he happened to come across a Facebook page for the Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church services, which were shown on SAT-7. He posted a message on the board, saying: ‘I am a sinner and I am trying to return to God but I don’t know how.’

Soon afterwards, a SAT-7 counsellor sent a reply, telling Mark that Jesus loved him. After a follow-up phone conversation, Mark became a Christian.

‘When I got the Facebook reply, it was very encouraging,’ says Mark. ‘I asked God to come into my heart and life.’

Mark told the SAT-7 counsellor that he was concerned about returning to his work in a bazaar store where ‘all kinds of sin and temptation are available’. With Mark’s permission, SAT-7 contacted a local pastor who was able to offer support and help him find a new job.

•••

WHEN living conditions became unbearable in northern Syria, Babel fled to Lebanon with her parents, sisters and brother. The siblings - ranging from six to twenty-four years old - had endured harassment by soldiers, and the older girls had struggled to find work.

Fans of SAT-7 KIDS, the siblings sent Facebook messages to Marianne, the presenter of Yalla Nghanny Sawa (Let’s Sing Together). She invited them to appear on the show and tell their story. During the programme, Babel spoke about God’s peace and the way he helped her family in difficult times. The siblings also sent greetings back to their friends in Syria.

UK & -Ireland War Cry 7 June 2014

Genesis 29 – More deceit, and Jacob marries Rachel and Leah

Read Genesis 29

- V15-30, Jacob is deceived by Laban, his own relative. Do you think this was part of the punishment intended by God to help Jacob realise how wrong his own deceitfulness had been ?

- V23-25, how could Jacob do all this without realising it was Leah instead of Rachel ?... do you think he had too much to drink at the feast ?...or was it simply too dark to tell ? … do you know people who have done things they’ve regretted the following day ?...can we learn anything from this ?

- V30, marrying two people may bring problems in itself, but to love one more than the other is surely a recipe for disaster !...but it is also a flaw within Jacob which arises later on too. In what ways must we guard from favouritism in our families, and at church ?

Unrighteous Brother Loses That Loving Feeling

MARATHONS for charity. Street collections. Television and newspaper appeals. Sponsorship for good causes. The list seems never-ending. The UK has a high level of charitable giving. Each time there’s a humanitarian crisis - be it earthquake, flood or famine - the British public puts its hands in its pockets.

Despite economic downturns and the tightening of purse strings, the money raised annually through national television appeals continues to rise. There’s no sign of compassion fatigue setting in just yet. The voices of the few who cynically ask, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ are drowned out.

This phrase - often used in the context of poverty and injustice - originates from the Bible. Its first use has nothing to do with any kind of charity. The phrase comes from the story of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, and the first murder in history (see Genesis 4:3–10).

Cain, the eldest son, farmed the land. Abel kept animals. Both of them brought offerings from their work before God, but Abel’s, for some reason, earned God’s favour. Cain, to put it mildly, was not amused. He suggested to Abel that they should go out to the field. Once there, Cain attacked and killed him. A modern Bible version paraphrases the key words like this: ‘God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “How should I know? Am I his babysitter?”’ (4:9 The Message).

Cain deliberately set out to murder his brother and then tried to deceive God by denying any responsibility for his actions. His punishment was banishment from God’s presence.

Are we our brother’s keeper? Is it our responsibility to ‘babysit’ those who are poor and disadvantaged? Thousands who give their time and energy to raise money for good causes think that it is. And - thanks to their care and compassion - thousands of others are helped to have a better life.

UK & Ireland War Cry 7 June 2014

Father's Day 16 June

Reminder.. Sunday 16 June 2014.
Bring your father, dad along for Father's Day Celebration
Time:10:30am Venue: Penang Corps

Genesis 28 – the story of Jacob’s vision of a stairway to heaven

Read Genesis 28

- Thus far we don’t seem to come across God rebuking Jacob for his deceit. In fact, in v13-15 God seems to affirm the blessing Isaac unknowingly gave to Jacob. What are we to make of this ?...do you think God doesn’t worry about deceit ?...was God’s promise to Abraham and Isaac too important to risk breaking at this point ?...did God plan for Jacob to receive the blessing all along, or was it simply a case of foreknowing that this would happen ?

- V16, have you ever been in a place or situation where after a while you realised the presence and purpose of God had been at work all along and you hadn’t previously recognised it ?

- V22, why a tenth ?...and how do you decide how much to give back to God ?

Genesis 27 – Isaac blesses Jacob, who then runs away from Esau

Read Genesis 27

- V1-8, what do you think was so important about being blessed by Isaac ?

- V1-8, is this a commendable thing Rebekah does ?...or is it deceitful against her own husband and elder son ?

- V19, Jacob tells a clear lie, and the Bible doesn’t hide this flaw in his character. Is this a good thing, or would you rather not know about such things ?

- V20, is the lie made even worse by bringing God into it ?

Genesis 26 – Isaac and Abimelech

Read Genesis 26

- V5, what laws, statutes, or commandments is God referring to?

- V6-10, where do you think Isaac learned to do such a sneaky (even deceitful?) thing?

- Do you think this is because Abraham told the story of his past adventures to Isaac?...or was it simply a case of ‘like father, like son’?...or a bit of both?

- V35, this is a sad verse isn’t it?...are we a ‘grief of mind’ to anyone?

Prayer Points

1. Please pray for Ooi Choon Eng, Jenny, Scott, Chui Peeng, Sheila and Family.

2. Please up hold Sis Rachel in your prayer that the Lord healing work will be continue be upon her.

3. Please pray for one another in your prayer, especially those that are not feeling well.

4. Please pray for one another, school semester break and families on holiday.

5. Please pray for Father's Day.

• Pray for all Salvation Army Churches in Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar. Pray God for faithful Local Officers and pray for God to raise up more Salvationist who will commit to ministry.

WORLDWILE PRAYER MEETING
http://smm.salvationarmyspirituallife.org
Facebook: Spiritual LifeDevelopment.SMM

Announcement

The Salvation Army International Congress: 150th Anniversary; Date: 1-5 July 2015; Venue: London (UK); Theme: Boundless the Whole World Redeeming. For more information please contact Pastor Andrew. Closing Date: 30 June 2014

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge within 7 months, reading just 5 chapters per week: Look out for it at the Church website.

Explore Weekend : 15-17 August 2014 (Fri-Sun) @ Johor Bahru: For more information please contact Pastor Andrew.

Banana Leaf Ministry : 14 June 2014 Time: 11:00am Venue: Community Hall

Global Prayer DAY 10 : 7 JUNE 2014

HIS MAJESTY, THE KING OF KINGS

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called
Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on
his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of
heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule
them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
King of kings and Lord of lords”
Revelation 19:11-16

SEEK HIS FACE AND HONOUR HIM:

As the Word of God, who rides on a white horse, leading the armies of heaven, and from
whose mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword.
As the One who will strike down the nations and rule them with a rod of iron; at whose
Name every knee, in heaven, on the earth and under the earth, will bow and every tongue
confess that He is Lord!

PRAY:

• For the Church to be willing to surrender to their King, by laying down their lives in
order to proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God to all nations.
• For the Church to be prepared, watchful, hastening the return of the King of kings, and
Lord of lords, through prayer, evangelism and the righteous acts of believers.
• For the world’s leaders to hear the warning concerning the Son of God, and to
respond with wisdom, serving Him with fear and rejoicing with trembling; bringing
homage to the Son, lest they perish when His wrath is poured out.

Read and meditate on Revelation 20, 21 and 22

Genesis 25 – Abraham remarries, Rebekah gives birth, and Esau sells his birthright

Read Genesis 25

- V5, despite have more children, why do you think Abraham gave all he had to Isaac ?

- V9-10, do you think this was a rather momentous occasion to havde Isaac and Ishmael burying Abraham together ?

- V9-10, do you think the ability to bury subsequent family members in the same place was the reason why Abraham was so insistent on purchasing the land in the first place ?

- V29-34, although it would be fair to assume Esau was extremely tired and hungry, do you think Esau lacked respect for his birthright ?... or that Jacob was showing disrespect by buying it so cheaply ?...or is this simply a case of sibling rivalry ?

Global Prayer DAY 9 : 6 JUNE 2014

THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN

"Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root
of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne,
encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll
from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.“
Revelation 5:5-7

SEEK HIS FACE AND HONOUR HIM:

As the Lamb amidst the throne, who was found worthy to take the scroll and open its
seals.
As the Lamb who was slain, and by whose blood He ransomed people unto God, from
every tribe and language and people and nation.
As the One who is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor
and glory and blessing!

PRAY:

• For the Church to appropriate the blood of Jesus in all its fullness, for the forgiveness,
cleansing, and purification from sin; for justification, sanctification and consecration.
• For the Church to serve the Holy One with a clean conscience; overcoming Satan and
his power, and entering through the veil (which is Jesus) into the Most Holy Place.
• For the world, torn apart by wars, injustice, corruption, immorality, and demonic
demands for blood and sacrifice, to know that the blood and resurrection of Jesus
overcame the world, sin, Satan, and the demands of the flesh.

Read and meditate on Revelation 18 and 19.

Villain puts her spin of Fairytale

SHE haunted cinemagoers once upon a dream. Fifty-five years after her appearance in the feature-length animation 'Sleeping Beauty', the ‘Mistress of All Evil’ has returned to the big screen. The live-action 'Maleficent' was released at cinemas on Wednesday (28 May) and attempts to explain why the fairy came to be so apparently evil.

In her Disney debut, Maleficent was not invited to the christening of baby Aurora, King Stefan and Queen Leah’s first daughter. So she invited herself to the celebrations by making a dramatic entrance to the palace. Though on the outside Maleficent appeared calm and collected, inside she was seething. She pronounced a curse over Aurora, saying that she would indeed grow in beauty and grace and would be loved by all who knew her, but before the sun set on her 16th birthday, she would prick her finger on the needle of a spinning wheel and die.

Three good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, came up with a plan to pose as peasant women and raise Aurora in a cottage deep in the woods until her 16th birthday was safely over. But Maleficent sent her minions on a frantic hunt for the girl to kidnap her and bring her within pricking distance of a spindle.

What could be Maleficent’s problem? Why is she so evil?

The saying goes that there are two sides to every story. The new film reveals a formerly unseen ‘side’ - the cause of the evil fairy’s bitterness. A young and innocent Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) lives peacefully in the forest kingdom. One day, an army from the human kingdom invades the land. What’s worse, Maleficent suffers a painful betrayal that costs her her wings - and her heart. Hardened and wanting revenge, the Mistress of All Evil places a curse over the daughter of King Stefan. But, over the years, Maleficent comes to know Aurora and realises that she might even be the key to change.

Angelina Jolie says she hopes cinema audiences will understand more about why Maleficent is the way she is and will ‘come away feeling that no one is beyond redemption’.

At times, life is painful for everyone. We may regret moments when we have acted out of character. We may have been hurt by someone we deeply care for and consequently become hard and cold. We may feel bad about ourselves and take it out on those closest to us. Perhaps we feel that forgiveness for our mistakes isn’t within reach. Ashamed, we come to the conclusion that we’re unloveable and past help.

But the best part of the world’s story is that no one is beyond redemption. The Bible reassures us that if we allow him, God can be the key to our change. One writer said: ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us’ (Psalm 103:12 Good News Bible).

We can change our story by accepting God’s forgiveness for our shortcomings and love. If we put our trust in God, we can remain secure in the knowledge that, no matter how many times we mess up, he will give us another chance. Is it time we started a new chapter?

UK & Ireland War Cry 31 May 2014

Genesis 24 – Abraham’s trusted servant finds a bride for Isaac

Read Genesis 24

- This is a terrific and familiar story. As you read through it carefully, is there anything which you had either forgotten or not noticed before?

- V12-14, do you think it is legitimate to make sure a prayer today ? … does it depend on the circumstances ?...or is gthis something that Christrians should not attempt ?...how would you justify your answer ?

Global Prayer DAY 8 : 5 JUNE 2014

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows
me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are
not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall
be one flock and one shepherd.”
John 10:14-16

SEEK HIS FACE AND HONOUR HIM:

As the One who is ready to forgive; gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness; who forgives all our sins and heals all our
diseases.

PRAY:

• For the Church to listen and respond to the voice of the Shepherd, and to willingly
follow Him wherever He leads, be it by green pastures and peaceful streams, or
through the valley of the shadow of death.
• For the Church to be completely surrendered unto the Good Shepherd, trusting that
all things will work together for the good for those who trust Him.
• For the world to encounter the tenderness and immense compassion of the Shepherd,
who longs to gather those scattered and lost into His arms, and carry them close to
His heart.
• For children, orphans, broken men and women, the homeless, elderly, sick, and those
abandoned to experience His care and provision.

Read and meditate on Revelation 16 and 17.

Abdication of Responsibility just won't wash

IT’S not my fault!’ How often do we hear children saying this when a squabble breaks out, something gets broken or a mini-war starts in the school playground?

Adults aren’t much better. When trying to distance ourselves from a work dispute or family argument, we have our own grown-up version of the same excuse: ‘It’s nothing to do with me!’ Or, when we want to dissociate ourselves from a situation completely, we might say: ‘I wash my hands of it’ (or him, or her, or them).

This phrase originates from the Bible. It is derived from the action of Pilate, the Roman Governor, during the trial which led to the execution of Jesus (see Matthew 27:11–26). Jesus was sent to Pilate by the Jewish court because it alleged he had made blasphemous statements about himself. It did not have the authority to sentence him to death; Pilate did.

When Pilate asked him if he understood himself to be King of the Jews, Jesus refused to plead his innocence. As Roman Governor, Pilate had the right to release a prisoner during the Passover celebrations. He could see no wrong in Jesus and offered to release him. But the Jewish authorities whipped up the crowd to demand that Pilate release Barabbas - a notorious criminal.

Reluctantly, Pilate gave in to their demands. The Bible records: ‘When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, “I’m washing my hands of responsibility for this man’s death. From now on, it’s in your hands. You’re judge and jury”’ (Matthew 27:24 The Message).

Pilate handed Jesus over to his soldiers, who led him away to suffer death by crucifixion. Did Pilate regret his decision? Did his conscience ever keep him awake at night?

Like him, we have choices. We can hope to defuse a difficult situation by absolving ourselves of any responsibility, or we can stand up for what we believe to be right and just. The truth is, it’s in our hands.

Uk & Ireland War Cry 31 May 2014

Genesis 23 – Sarah’s death and burial

Read Genesis 23

- V1, how old would Isaac have been when Sarah died ?

- Why do you think Abraham was so insistent on paying for the burial place ?

Global Prayer DAY 7 : 4 JUNE 2014

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house
has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare
a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be
with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the
way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.”
John 14:1-6

SEEK HIS FACE AND HONOUR HIM:

As the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, having the glory as of the only Son of
the Father, full of grace and truth.
As the One who came to bear witness of the truth, and who desires all people to come to
knowledge of the truth.

PRAY:

• For the Church to once again proclaim the undiluted and uncompromising truth
concerning Jesus, and that there is no salvation save through Him.
• For believers to worship the Father, in spirit and in truth.
• For the veil over the minds and hearts of unbelievers (the world) be removed through
preaching of the truth.
• For deception to be exposed, and the ignorant to be enlightened, so that Jesus’
proclamation would be fulfilled: You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you
free!

Read and meditate on Revelation 14 and 15

Genesis 22 – Abraham’s faith is tested and affirmed

Read Genesis 22

- V1-14, This story may generate all sorts of questions and emotions…such as, given the length of time Sarah had waited until she gave birth to a child, do you think Abraham told her about this journey before he left ?

- V7, Isaac had been with his father to offer sacrifices many times, and knew that something was missing, but to what extent to we realise how much our children are watching and learning from us in our spiritual lives today, and do you think they recognise when there is something ‘missing’?

- This story really needs to be read alongside Hebrews 11 :17-19, what light does this shed upon Abraham’s faith, belief, and actions?

Global Prayer DAY 6 : 3 JUNE 2014

THE BREAD OF LIFE

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live
forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
John 6:51

SEEK HIS FACE AND HONOUR HIM:

As the One who was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and by
whose stripes and broken body, we are healed.

PRAY:

• For the Church to be an example of real spiritual and physical healing.
• For reconciliation between racial groups to be manifest amongst believers, and for
the healing of emotional trauma and pain.
• For the Church to become known as those who willingly share their bread with the
hungry, clothe the naked, and provide shelter for the homeless.
• For the world, who are seeking their nourishment from sources that can never bring
satisfaction, to receive the Bread of Heaven from the hands and hearts of believers.

Read and meditate on Revelation 12 and 13

Genesis 21 – Isaac is born, and Hagar and Ishmael depart

Read Genesis 21

- V1-7, what can these verses teach us about how God may use us throughout any age of life?

- V1-7, what can these verses teach us about trusting in God’s promises?

Global Prayer DAY 5 : 2 JUNE 2014

OUR COMPASSIONATE HIGH PRIEST

“For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he
might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make
atonement for the sins of the people.
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being
tempted.”
Hebrews 2:17-18

SEEK HIS FACE AND HONOUR HIM:

As the One who was tempted in all things, just as we are.
As our merciful and faithful High Priest, who is able to help us whenever we are tempted,
because He Himself suffered and overcame temptation.

PRAY:

• For the Church to walk in liberty of complete forgiveness and restoration.
• For the Church to overcome temptation, trials, and tribulations and be the royal
priesthood that she is called to be.
• For the world to receive the compassion, mercy, and kindness of the High Priest
through the ministrations of the Body of Christ.
• For the world to know the power of forgiveness and grace, and open their hearts to
the infinite love and tenderness of Jesus Christ, their Savior.

Read and meditate on Revelation 9, 10 and 11

Prayer Points

1. Please pray upcoming Helping Hand Project (Walkathon), Malaysian Youth Camp, Father's Day

2. Please up hold Sis Rachel in your prayer that the Lord healing work will be continue be upon her.

3. Please pray for one another in your prayer, especially those that are not feeling well.

4. Pray for Bro Kim Aun, Sis Jasinta, Joshua and Jonathan

5. Please pray for one another, school semester break and families on holiday


• Pray for all Salvation Army Churches in Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar. Pray God for faithful Local Officers and pray for God to raise up more Salvationist who will commit to ministry.

WORLDWILE PRAYER MEETING
http://smm.salvationarmyspirituallife.org
Facebook: Spiritual LifeDevelopment.SMM

Announcement

7th June 2014:Helping Project for Children in Myanmar;Venue: Air Itam Dam; Time: 8:30am

3rd - 6th June 2014:Malaysia Youth Camp;Venue: Cameron Highlands; Note: Contact Pastor Andrew for more information

The Salvation Army International Congress: 150th Anniversary; Date: 1-5 July 2015; Venue: London (UK); Theme: Boundless the Whole World Redeeming. For more information please contact Pastor Andrew.

Old Testament 150 Reading Challenge within 7 months, reading just 5 chapters per week: Look out for it at the Church website.

Explore Weekend : 15-17 August 2014 (Fri-Sun) @ Johor Bahru: For more information please contact Pastor Andrew.

Global Prayer DAY 4 : 1 JUNE 2014

OUR ADVOCATE

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we
have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning
sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
1 John 2:1-2

SEEK HIS FACE AND HONOUR HIM:

As the Righteous One who intercedes for us, and who through His righteousness justified
us so that we, who are in Christ, are no longer condemned for our sins, but forgiven,
cleansed and declared righteous, giving us the right to be called the children of God.

PRAY:

• For the Church to grasp how great is our Advocate’s intercession in heaven on our
behalf.
• For the Church to be clothed with the spirit of prayer and supplication, and join with
Jesus and the Holy Spirit in prayer and intercession.
• For the world to realize that there is a Judge in heaven, and that there will be a day of
judgment - a day when all will have to appear before the great white throne and give
an account of our lives.
• For the world to experience conviction in the hearts and minds of those rebelling
against and resisting the message of the Gospel.

Read and meditate on Revelation 7 and 8