10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy

In the last few years, psychologists and researchers have been digging up hard data on a question previously left to philosophers: What makes us happy? Researchers like the father-son team Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener, Stanford psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, and ethicist Stephen Post have studied people all over the world to find out how things like money, attitude, culture, memory, health, altruism, and our day-to-day habits affect our well-being. The emerging field of positive psychology is bursting with new findings that suggest your actions can have a significant effect on your happiness and satisfaction with life. Here are 10 scientifically proven strategies for getting happy.

1. Savor everyday moments. Pause now and then to smell a rose or watch children at play. Study participants who took time to “savor” ordinary events that they normally hurried through, or to think back on pleasant moments from their day, “showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression,” says psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky.

2. Avoid comparisons. While keeping up with the Joneses is part of American culture, comparing ourselves with others can be damaging to happiness and self-esteem. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, focusing on our own personal achievement leads to greater satisfaction, according to Lyubomirsky.

3. Put money low on the list. People who put money high on their priority list are more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, according to researchers Tim Kasser and Richard Ryan. Their findings hold true across nations and cultures. “The more we seek satisfactions in material goods, the less we find them there,” Ryan says. “The satisfaction has a short half-life—it’s very fleeting.” Money-seekers also score lower on tests of vitality and self-actualization.
“A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”—Proverbs 14:30

4. Have meaningful goals. “People who strive for something significant, whether it’s learning a new craft or raising moral children, are far happier than those who don’t have strong dreams or aspirations,” say Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener. “As humans, we actually require a sense of meaning to thrive.” Harvard’s resident happiness professor, Tal Ben-Shahar, agrees, “Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable.”

5. Take initiative at work. How happy you are at work depends in part on how much initiative you take. Researcher Amy Wrzesniewski says that when we express creativity, help others, suggest improvements, or do additional tasks on the job, we make our work more rewarding and feel more in control.

6. Make friends; treasure family. Happier people tend to have good families, friends, and supportive relationships, say Diener and Biswas-Diener. But it’s not enough to be the life of the party if you’re surrounded by shallow acquaintances. “We don’t just need relationships, we need close ones” that involve understanding and caring.

7. Smile even when you don’t feel like it. It sounds simple, but it works. “Happy people … see possibilities, opportunities, and success. When they think of the future, they are optimistic, and when they review the past, they tend to savor the high points,” say Diener and Biswas-Diener. Even if you weren’t born looking at the glass as half-full, with practice, a positive outlook can become a habit.

8. Say thank you like you mean it. People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis are healthier, more optimistic, and more likely to make progress toward achieving personal goals, according to author Robert Emmons. Research by Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology, revealed that people who write “gratitude letters” to someone who made a difference in their lives score higher on happiness, and lower on depression—and the effect lasts for weeks.

9. Get out and exercise. A Duke University study shows that exercise may be just as effective as drugs in treating depression, without all the side effects and expense. Other research shows that in addition to health benefits, regular exercise offers a sense of accomplishment and opportunity for social interaction, releases feel-good endorphins, and boosts self-esteem.

10. Give it away—give it away now! Make altruism and giving part of your life, and be purposeful about it. Researcher Stephen Post says helping a neighbor, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a “helper’s high,” and you get more health benefits than you would from exercise or quitting smoking. Listening to a friend, passing on your skills, celebrating others’ successes, and forgiveness also contribute to happiness, he says. Researcher Elizabeth Dunn found that those who spend money on others reported much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves.

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Philippians 4:8 ESV / Whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Matthew 5:8 ESV / Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
 
Hebrews 11:1 ESV / Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen

Giving Thanks

When my daughter was very young, I overheard her praying for the rain to stop and for the next day to be nice. I said, “Honey, I don’t think the Lord minds us asking Him to stop the rain. He wants us to make our wants and wishes known to Him, and He promises to give us our needs, but we also need to realize that He can’t always give us what we want. We need both sunny and rainy days. If we call sunny days ‘nice days,’ it makes us think of rainy days as ‘bad days,’ so let’s try to always praise God for the beautiful day He’s given us, whether it’s rainy or sunny.”

It seemed such a simple, childish lesson—to be thankful for both rain and sun—but it made me realize that the way we talk about things affects our overall happiness and outlook on life. Sad to say, many of us have formed the bad habit of adopting a negative terminology regarding certain situations. If we want to be more positive, think more positively, and react more positively, we need to work on changing our vocabulary to be more positive, because it’s pretty hard to talk about a “bad” day and think of it positively. To change the way we think about things, we need to also change the way we talk about them.

Our vocabulary, the way we label things and the way we express things, has a major bearing on the way we think. It would be pretty hard, for example, to think of someone whose nickname was “Pea Brain” as being intelligent and capable. If we want to think positively, we need to speak positively.

It’s not wrong to ask the Lord to change a situation—the weather, for example—if we need or want it to be changed. If something hurts or hinders, we know the Lord can alter the situation in answer to our prayer. But until it happens—and even if it doesn’t happen—we should maintain a positive outlook, speak positively, and thank God for what He has given us.

According to the Bible, we’re supposed to be content in whatever state we may find ourselves. On one hand it would seem that whenever we pray for the Lord to change a certain situation, we are, in effect, not being content with the way things are. But we can’t base our whole life and philosophy on that one verse; we have to balance that with other spiritual principles. If we take that verse to mean that we should always be content no matter what, we will never “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain … help in time of need,” or pray for one another to be healed—or pray for anything, for that matter.

When we feel something needs to be changed, we should first of all pray and ask the Lord to change it. At the same time we should ask the Lord and ourselves if there is anything He wants us to do to help bring about that change. But once we’ve prayed and done our part, while we’re waiting for the Lord to answer, we need to give thanks in all things. If we truly believe that the Lord knows best and is in control, we’ll be content with His answer. And even if the desired change never comes, we are supposed to keep thanking the Lord anyway because we know that “He does all things well.”

So even though we may not be thrilled about the rain, for example, we can still be happy in knowing that each day He gives us is “the day which the Lord has made,” which is why we can “rejoice and be glad in it.”

“In everything give thanks.” In other words, in every situation give thanks. You can say, “Even though this situation is far from ideal, we thank You for all we do have and for giving us another day of life.”

How can we say something is bad if it teaches us to pray or we learn lessons of faith or patience or perseverance or love—if the good effect is greater than the bad effect? Almost everything in life has its pros and cons. But if the positive outweighs the negative, then we can and should say that it is a good thing—and for those of us who love and trust God, that includes everything because in the long run He always makes the good outweigh the bad for us. “All things work together for good to those who love God.”

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James 1:17 ESV / Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Philippians 4:6 ESV / Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Luke 6:38 ESV / Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Finding Contentment

Twenty-five years ago I came across a gem of wisdom that was to save my sanity. The thing that amazes me now is how easily I could have missed it. I was feeling happy and fulfilled at the time, satisfied with my life and where it seemed to be taking me. I could have brushed it aside as not applying to me, but I was soon glad I hadn’t. Things took an unexpected downward turn, I lost my job and the security it had provided, and those words became a reference point that helped me get through the next few difficult months.

“If we would find our security in the knowledge that God loves us and has a plan for our lives, instead of relying on other things to meet that need, He could make us very happy. But we sometimes make ourselves unhappy by being dissatisfied, because we haven’t learned, as the apostle Paul did, to be content in whatever state we’re in.”

That doesn’t mean we should stop striving to be better people. We also shouldn’t adopt a fatalist attitude when our circumstances aren’t what they could or should be.

But getting back to my experience of 25 years ago, that little bit of advice helped me realize that while my circumstances had suddenly changed, that didn’t change the things that counted most in life. It didn’t change who I was or my main goals, nor did it change God’s love for me. Therefore it shouldn’t rob me of the contentment I’d had before things fell apart. The happy ending? By focusing on what I still had and not what I had lost, I made it through that difficult time and came out happier in the end.

Whatever you happen to be going through at the moment, I hope this issue of Activated will help you find that place of perfect peace of heart and mind.

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Romans 3:23 ESV / For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Acts 16:31 ESV / And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
 
John 5:24 ESV / Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life

Announcements

Penang Open Day Date: 18th Oct 2014 Time: 8am - 2pm Venue: Penang Children's Home. Help needed to sell coupons, please look for Lt. Fiona Volunteer needed.
  
Cell Group Date: 3th October 2014 Venue: Bro Kim Aun and Sis Jasinta home.

Banana Leave Ministry Date: 11th October 2014 Venue: Community Hall.
Volunteer needed to serve food and parcel to the poor and needy.

SMM Spiritual Leadership Conference Date: 4-6th Oct 2014 Venue: TSA Singapore
Speaker: Colonel Lyndon Buckingham

West Malaysia Children's Camp
Date: 27-29 Nov Venue: Penang Children's Home Fees: RM30.00 (early bird before 27 Oct 2014 )
RM60.00 (normal rate after 27 Oct 2014)

Prayer Points

1. Please pray for Bro Dave, Sis Lily and Daniel Clarke.

2. Please pray for one another in your prayer - Spiritual Growth, Challenges in Life, School, etc, especially those that are not feeling well. Encouraging one another in Christ likeness.

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

4. Please pray for Penang Children's Home Open Day and all boys and staff in the home

5. Please pray for Sis Loo Thoe's mother for healing to continue to take place.

Relief from Loneliness

“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,” the Bible tells us. That friend is Jesus, who also promises, “I am with you always” and “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” His presence can fill the aching void within that we all sometimes feel, no matter how many close companions we may have on life’s journey. We need to learn to let Jesus fill that void.

Sit quietly and focus on this promise. “My Presence will go with you.” Think back to before your day even started. Jesus was with you as you slept, watching over you. Morning came, and just as sure as the sun rose, He was there. When you thought about the day ahead, He was there, just waiting for you to ask His help in planning and carrying out that plan. On your way to work, He was right beside you. Every time you encountered a problem, He was waiting with the answer you needed, hoping you would ask Him for it. When you heard some good news, He was happy along with you. When the day took a difficult turn, He was there to comfort you. As you read this, He is beside you.

Tomorrow, as you go through your day, think of Jesus as your constant companion. As you become more aware of Him being right there with you, you will find comfort and companionship that relieves loneliness and fills those blank spots like no one or nothing else can.

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Psalm 139:7–12 ESV / Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Acts 20:7 ESV /  On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

John 3:16 ESV / For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

“I Was Here First!”

My three-year-old son Manuel was playing an educational game on the computer when his six-year-old sister Alondra demanded that he let her have a turn. Manuel’s response was typical.
“I was here first!”

I don’t know where Manuel picked that up, but it got me thinking. It’s a generally accepted principle of human society that those who “get there first” have more rights than those who get there after them. The first one to set foot on virgin land is entitled to take possession of it. The first one to find a pearl in the sea, or strike gold or oil may claim it as his own. The first one to make a scientific discovery or invention may patent his find and claim any profits that may result. The first one to settle in on a particular spot on the beach becomes the owner of that spot for the day.

In my children’s case, if one of them has been playing for half an hour at the computer, I tell him or her that it’s time to let the other one have a turn. Most other parents probably do something similar. But if we applied that principle to every aspect of society, there would be absolute chaos. Can you imagine a landowner saying, “I’ve had this plot of land for quite a while, so it’s time to let someone else enjoy it”? Or can you imagine a man who has a good job giving it to someone else who is out of work and short of money?

Those examples are rather extreme, but what about little acts of selflessness? How often do you see people who have a seat on the bus or subway offering it to able-bodied others who have just boarded, simply because they look like they’d appreciate a chance to rest their weary feet? Are little sacrifices like that too much to expect?—Or do we fail to make them simply because we don’t see anyone else making them and no one really expects us to do so either?

It’s a matter of selfishness, when you get right down to it, and selfishness is part of our sinful human nature. But the love of Jesus can help us break out of that mold. “Give, and it will be given to you,” He taught, “for with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Those are certainly revolutionary concepts in this day and age. How we cling to our selfish rights! But that giving, selfless kind of love is actually what God wanted for us all from the beginning—and His love can help us achieve it. If we would practice this kind of love, the world would be a different place.

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1 John 4:8 ESV / Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Colossians 3:14 ESV / And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

John 15:13 ESV / Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

A Soccer Ball and a Sea of Smiles

I am the father of a large family, a full-time Christian volunteer, and a part-time sports coach. During our family’s two-year stay in India, I always packed some sports equipment when we traveled.

Our time there included many challenging and rewarding experiences. Our teenagers did volunteer work at several medical clinics, where they cheered up and helped ease the suffering of terminally ill children. They also taught at a home for children who had lost their parents to AIDS. We traveled to the sites of natural disasters, bringing water, food, clothing, and other relief supplies. It seemed that wherever we turned, someone needed encouragement or assistance.

One Saturday, after an especially busy week, we packed a picnic lunch and a soccer ball and headed for a cricket ground on the edge of a nearby college campus. The dense trees and bushes that surrounded the field reminded us of our native Northern California. The day was perfect, and so was the spot.

Such beauty, such peace, such rest, I thought. This is going to be great! No crowds, no noisy traffic, no pressing business—just my family and me! Heaven!

I pulled out my old, worn soccer ball and tossed it to one of my girls.

No sooner had we begun to kick the ball around than a horde of slum children emerged from the woods. They had been there all along, it turned out, curiously studying our every move. The sight of the soccer ball, though, had been more than they could stand. Before we knew it, we were face to face with more than 50 children, ranging in age from about 6 to 13, all eager to join the fun. They wore ragged clothes, no shoes, tousled hair, and gorgeous smiles. And they all expected something from this family of foreigners.

I called them to gather around, and tried to make myself heard over the hubbub. When it became clear that most of the children didn’t speak English, I called for an interpreter. An older boy stepped forward. I pulled out my whistle and proceeded to explain the rules. From the oldest to the youngest, they listened respectfully and nodded. We chose teams, and the game began.

Like a swarm of bees, we ran up and down the field, chasing and kicking that ball for hours. Forget the teams. Forget the rules. Forget the goals. These kids just wanted to kick the ball! You never saw so many smiles, or heard so many giggles and so much laughter!

Every once in a while, someone would kick the ball out from the conglomeration of little bodies and into the open field. When this happened, one boy seemed to always get to the ball first and claim it for his own. Off he would go, running and kicking the ball away from the rest of us until someone caught up with him and guided him back to the group. Not even my whistle blowing or everyone else’s shouts could get him to return with the ball.

Finally, bewildered, I asked my young interpreter why this one boy wouldn’t stop when I blew the whistle.

“Why, sir,” he said, “the boy is deaf.”

Much later, we ended the game and the children gathered at midfield to say goodbye. I was exhausted but immensely satisfied. The sea of smiles and happy faces warmed my heart.

When all but a few of the children had returned to the mud huts and hovels they called home, two boys, one on a bicycle and the other pushing it, approached me. The younger one on the bike had something to say. With a beaming smile that I will never forget, he exclaimed, “Thank you, sir, for a wonderful day. I had so much fun!”

“You are welcome,” I replied. “But I don’t remember seeing you on the field today.”

It was only then that I realized why his friend had been pushing him. His legs were paralyzed and twisted from polio. My look of shock and dismay only triggered another bright smile.

As he was being pushed off toward home, he looked back and announced, “I enjoyed very much watching you playing with my brothers and friends today. Thank you, sir! Thank you!”

I had been looking for a little relaxation and time with my family, but found a lesson instead.

When I thought I’d given all I could and it was time to look out for me and mine, God put others who needed His love in my path. He gave me the renewal I needed, but not in the way I had expected. The joy of giving melted away the tiredness and burned-out feeling.

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Matthew 10:42 ESV / And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

2 Corinthians 8:12 ESV / For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

Luke 6:30 ESV / Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.

Loneliness—and the Cure

There is a mystery in human hearts: to every one of us, from time to time, there comes a sense of utter loneliness.

Some of the loneliest people in the world are those who are constantly surrounded by others, yet they feel that no one truly knows or understands them. They may even have an abundance of material things—everything to satisfy every physical need—yet they complain of loneliness. They long to share their interests with someone, to find someone who will listen to their problems and sympathize with them.

We may have a lifelong companion or dear friends who love us, but even they will never know or understand us completely. We may climb the heights of success or accomplishment, yet there is no one who can fully share the emotion of that moment when we finally reach our goal. Our dearest friend is a stranger to our supreme joy and cannot realize our most bitter pain. Some tears are always shed alone. No other human being can ever enter the deepest recesses of our mind or soul.
“There is no one who really understands, no one to share all I feel!” Such is the cry of each of us, in turn. We wander in a solitary way, no matter what or where our lot may be. Each heart, mysterious even to itself, must live its inner life in solitude.

But why? Why do we all have this deep craving to be understood by someone? Why this intense longing to have another share our joys and triumphs, sorrows, and defeats?

Did God, who made us a living soul, make some mistake in this, His masterpiece, humankind? Has He left some void in our makeup? He made provision for every other hunger of life: bread for the hunger of the body, knowledge for the hunger of the mind, love for the hunger of the heart. Has He then left the soul unsatisfied, with this longing for deepest understanding and truest companionship unfulfilled? Has He left this loneliness of ours unanswered?

There is an answer to these questions. This incompleteness that we feel is a need of our soul for God. He knew that when we found human sympathy lacking, we would seek the divine. He knew that this very sense of isolation, of not being understood, would drive us to Him.
God made us for Himself. He desires our love. He put a little sign on the table of your heart that reads, “Reserved for Me.” In every heart, He wishes to be first. He therefore keeps the secret key Himself, the key to open all our hearts’ chambers and to bless with perfect sympathy and peace each solitary soul that comes to Him.

God Himself is the answer, the fulfillment. He who made us is the only One who can fill every part of our life. God’s Word says He is our “satisfying portion.” Not until He fills that inner longing will we ever be truly satisfied or completely free from loneliness.

God wants to satisfy that need, but He and His love are so big, so great, that they are beyond our comprehension. That is why He needed to make someone who could show us His love in terms we could understand, someone who was within our realm, someone we could experience, one Man who was like Himself, His Son.

Jesus is touched with our every longing, and He will satisfy every longing of our heart. As He enters our life, He becomes our satisfaction. He is complete companionship, ideal and perfect friendship.

There’s no need to ever be lonely. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and “I am with you always.”

So when you feel this loneliness, it is the voice of Jesus saying, “Come to Me.” And every time you feel that no one understands, it is a call for you to come to Him again. And when beneath some heavy load you faint and say, “I cannot bear this alone,” you say the truth. The grief that no one understands conveys a secret message from the King, entreating you to come to Him again. You cannot come too often.

His presence satisfies the lonely soul, and those who walk with Him from day to day can never know a solitary way.

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Proverbs 15:13-14 ESV / A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

Psalm 62:5 ESV / For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

John 14:18 ESV / “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Do Some People Really “Have It All”?

Question: Why is it that some people seem to lead charmed lives? They have perfect looks, perfect health, lots of natural abilities, and lots of friends—everything—while people like me seem to have no end of deficiencies and problems.

Answer: On the surface, things often don’t seem fair, but a lot goes on in every person’s life that is unseen by others. In the wise words of King Solomon in the Bible, “To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven.” Not everyone goes through the same rough spots or at the same time, but everyone has their share eventually.

No life is complete without a touch of suffering, sadness, and difficulty. God allows each person to experience some sort of difficulty because He wants each to learn to overcome. He wants us to experience coming to the end of ourselves and then turning to Him and finding His power. It takes a desperate situation to bring that about. So, while you may look at others and think they have it so easy, you can be assured that they have troubles too.

It’s also important to remember that God often sees things quite differently than we do. We consider people blessed if they have a more carefree or obviously successful life with fewer problems, illnesses, and so on. But God’s blessings often come disguised as problems. He would rather we have a full life than an easy life. He wants our lives to be rich in faith, depth of spirit, understanding, self-sacrificial love, inner strength, and tenderheartedness. All of these treasures of spirit come from an intimate relationship with Him, and often these come by way of trials, suffering, or surviving great difficulties. That relationship and the spiritual growth that comes with it result in a deeper and more lasting joy.

If you could “have it all” at the cost of a life of contentment, completeness, and joy, would you want that?

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Isaiah 26:3 ESV / You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

1 Timothy 6:6 ESV / Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,

2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV / For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

You Are Unique!

Do you know who the happiest people are? Those who have the courage to be themselves, just the way God made them, rather than try to be something they’re not in order to fit in or impress others. Struggling to live up to what you think others expect of you puts a heavy weight on you, but there’s freedom in humility.

When I was young I didn’t like the way I looked. I thought my nose was too big and that I was too skinny and ugly. I had quite an inferiority complex about that, and it took me a long time to get over it. Part of it was my pride, and part of it was comparing myself to others. But as I grew older, I realized none of that really mattered. I understood that the Lord had made me the way He wanted me, and that He had made me that way because He loved me.

He loves you too the way He made you, and you’re beautiful in His eyes. We’re all unique and special. In His eyes there is no ugliness, no matter what we look like.

Building self-esteem often has a lot to do with your relationship with the Lord. The closer you draw to Him and the more at peace you are with Him, the more content and at peace you’ll be with yourself, and the happier and more relaxed you’ll be. When you’re living close to the Lord, you’re handsome or beautiful because His love and His light are shining through.

I have a suggestion for you: Sit down sometime and let the Lord speak to you about yourself. Or ask someone else to pray and ask Him how He sees you, what your inner beauties are, what your inner strengths are, and what gifts and abilities He likes to bring forth in you. Let Him encourage you, and you’ll find that you can actually be quite happy being His unique creation.

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Acts 20:35 ESV / In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

1 Peter 3:1 ESV / Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,

2 Timothy 3:17 ESV / That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Chasing Happiness

In the movie The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Will Smith’s character makes the observation that the United States Declaration of Independence includes in its short list of “unalienable rights” the right to the pursuit of happiness—not the right to be happy, but the right to pursue happiness. Why, he questions, was it worded that way? His conclusion is that its author, Thomas Jefferson, must have understood that happiness is something that we all desire and strive for, but also something that not all will find or be able to hold onto.

I had my years of chasing happiness, of always feeling that if only I had a boyfriend, if only I could change certain aspects of my job, if only my circumstances could be just the way I wanted them, then

I would be happy and free from the bouts of depression I struggled with.
Two years ago I hit a low point. I felt that all the cards had been stacked against me, that I must be the most horrible person in the world, and that I wasn’t worth anything. In desperation I asked God to do something—anything—to pull me out of the morass I was sinking into.

In one of my times of prayer, He helped me see that a major reason I was so down was that I wasn’t willing to accept and make the most of the situation I was in. It was true. I felt that the problem was always with my circumstances, never with me. Accepting my circumstances, whatever they happened to be at the time, seemed impossible at first. That made me even more depressed, but finally I gave in and asked God to help me to accept that truth—that the real problem was not my circumstances, but my attitude toward them.

Once I was willing to let God change my attitude, He did the rest. For example, before long He brought a wonderful person into my life, and that reassured me of His love and boosted my self-esteem.

I am still hit by depression from time to time, but now when it starts to pull me down its dark path I know I don’t have to give in. I have learned that happiness is a choice, and one that I must make every day. Circumstances don’t need to be perfect for me to choose to be happy and thankful for what I have and to make the most of it.

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Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV / For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Romans 6:14 ESV / For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Hebrews 13:8 ESV / Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Prayer Points

1. Please pray for Bro Choon Eng, Sis Jenny, Sheila, Scott & Chui Peeng.

2. Please pray for one another in your prayer - Spiritual Growth, Challenges in Life, School, etc, especially those that are not feeling well. Encouraging one another in Christ likeness.

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

4. Please pray for Penang Children's Home Open Day and all boys and staff in the home

5. Please pray for Mrs. Tan's mother for health to be restores.

Announcement

Penang Open Day Date: 18th Oct 2014 Time: 8am - 2pm Venue: Penang Children's Home. Help needed to sell coupons, please look for Lt. Fiona Volunteer needed.
  
Annual Day of Prayer For victims of human trafficking Date: 28th Sept 2014 Sunday

Music Class Date: 24th Sept 2014 Time: 8:00pm Venue: Worship

SMM Spiritual Leadership Conference Date: 4-6th Oct 2014 Venue: TSA Singapore

West Malaysia Children's Camp
Date: 27-29 Nov Venue: Penang Children's Home Fees: RM30.00 (early bird before 27 Oct 2014 )
RM60.00 (normal rate after 27 Oct 2014)

International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking - Sunday 28 September

A NEW selection of resources has been made available online ahead of The Salvation Army's Annual Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking 2014. Sunday 28 September has been set aside as this year's day of prayer, when Salvation Army corps (churches) and centres around the world are encouraged to call on God, through focused prayer, to bring hope and freedom to the staggering number of people who are trafficked every year.

This is the eighth year that a day has been specifically set aside by The Salvation Army to pray for the victims of trafficking. As in 2011 and 2012, the Bible verse chosen as the theme for the 2014 day of prayer is Jesus' words from John 10:10: 'I have come that they may have life' (New International Version).

A powerful array of resources – including a sermon, Bible study, poem, prayer ideas, PowerPoint presentations and information about The Salvation Army's anti-trafficking ministry – can be accessed from a new anti-trafficking section of the International Headquarters (IHQ)

website: www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/antitrafficking

The site includes a promotional poster which was created for the 2014 day of prayer by IHQ Communications Section designer Berni Georges.

The English version and a blank version to allow the poster to be adapted into other languages are already available for download.

Divine Nature

God has given us “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these [we] may be partakers of the divine nature.” What is the “divine nature”?—It is the essence of God, how He thinks and how He acts. And through the promises He gives in His Word, we can be like He is. We can partake of those same attitudes, those same feelings, those same ways of looking at things by believing and putting into practice the principles and promises that are right there in the Bible.

We can transcend the confines of earthly attitudes that keep us weighed down, sorrowful, fretful, worried, and fearful. We can not only have a head knowledge of the fact that “all things work together for good to those who love God,” but we can believe, practice, and experience it.

We can be cleansed of all those attitudes and mental habits that are earthly and not heavenly. Jesus told His followers, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” We can be rewired into new creations in Christ Jesus, and through His power overcome our wrong attitudes and bad habits.

The more we live in the Word and believe it and practice it, the more we’ll be in sync with that heavenly realm. The more we “set [our] mind on things above, not on things on the earth,” the easier it becomes to live in this world without being controlled or shaped by it.

* * *

God has given us “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these [we] may be partakers of the divine nature.” What is the “divine nature”?—It is the essence of God, how He thinks and how He acts. And through the promises He gives in His Word, we can be like He is. We can partake of those same attitudes, those same feelings, those same ways of looking at things by believing and putting into practice the principles and promises that are right there in the Bible.

We can transcend the confines of earthly attitudes that keep us weighed down, sorrowful, fretful, worried, and fearful. We can not only have a head knowledge of the fact that “all things work together for good to those who love God,” but we can believe, practice, and experience it.

We can be cleansed of all those attitudes and mental habits that are earthly and not heavenly. Jesus told His followers, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” We can be rewired into new creations in Christ Jesus, and through His power overcome our wrong attitudes and bad habits.

The more we live in the Word and believe it and practice it, the more we’ll be in sync with that heavenly realm. The more we “set [our] mind on things above, not on things on the earth,” the easier it becomes to live in this world without being controlled or shaped by it.

* * *

How to avoid burnout

When a candle burns, it’s mostly the wax, not the wick, that’s burning. An oil lamp is the same; it must be the oil that burns, and not the wick. If the wick burns without oil, it will be consumed quickly. Most of the wick must be deeply immersed in the oil, so only a small part of the wick is exposed to the air and flame.

Sometimes we work too hard, trying to do everything ourselves when we need to let Jesus do it through us. When we do the burning, we give off smoke and soot and burn out fast, but when we let the Lord’s oil, the Holy Spirit, flow through us and do the burning, we last a long time.

“It is no longer I who burn, but Christ burns in me.”

When a candle burns, it’s mostly the wax, not the wick, that’s burning. An oil lamp is the same; it must be the oil that burns, and not the wick. If the wick burns without oil, it will be consumed quickly. Most of the wick must be deeply immersed in the oil, so only a small part of the wick is exposed to the air and flame.

Sometimes we work too hard, trying to do everything ourselves when we need to let Jesus do it through us. When we do the burning, we give off smoke and soot and burn out fast, but when we let the Lord’s oil, the Holy Spirit, flow through us and do the burning, we last a long time.

“It is no longer I who burn, but Christ burns in me.”

–

2 Peter 1:4 ESV / By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Romans 1:20 ESV / For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Genesis 1:1 ESV / In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

More like the Master

Christians are supposed to try to be like Jesus—living as He would, acting as He would, speaking as He would, and even thinking as He would. But how do we accomplish that? How can we be more like Him? As in the Persian fable, it comes from living close to Jesus.

Many of us do spend time with Jesus, but how much quality time do we spend with Him, where we shut out the business of the day and give Him our full attention, communing with Him, enjoying Him, and getting to know Him better in order to become more like Him? If we don’t, no matter how many good qualities we possess or how dynamic we are or how dedicated we are, no matter how good we are with people or what else we may have going for us, if we’re not spending time with Jesus, we’re not going to be a very good reflection of Him or His love to others.

The dictionary defines “communion” as “a feeling of emotional or spiritual closeness, a connection.” So communing with Jesus means to make an emotional and spiritual connection with Jesus. Praise, prayer, and reading God’s Word are all ways of making and sustaining that connection. These are the lifeblood of our spiritual lives.

Quality time
Many of us tend to pick up the pace when our workloads increase, and that leads to more stress. Taking time off to relax can help relieve the pressure, but time alone or with friends or family can’t give us what Jesus can.

Hobbies can also be relaxing and fun, but if we’re not careful, they can actually contribute to the problem by taking time away from the essentials, including the most essential—taking time with Jesus. That’s a common mistake people make—filling every spare moment with more “busyness,” when the Lord wants them to take that time with Him.

The surest way to complete and lasting renewal—in fact, the only way—is to spend time with Jesus. We need His love and strength and wisdom, and the only way we can get those is by spending time with Him.

But carving out time from your daily schedule is no guarantee that you’re going to get closer to the Lord; it’s what you do with that time that counts. You need to get still, empty your mind of the business of the day, and let the Lord fill you with positive, encouraging, strengthening, faith-building thoughts from His recorded and living Word.

Jesus said the requirement for a fruitful life is abiding in Him. “Abide in Me, and I in you.” That means staying connected with Him by taking time to read His Word and pray and listen to Him.

It’s easy to let prayer become a formality, but one thing that can help you avoid that is to think of Jesus as the Friend, Counselor, and Lover that He wants to be to you. As someone once said, “The more one loves Jesus, the more he delights to be with Jesus alone. Lovers love to be alone.”

But He won’t push you. He waits to see how much you are willing to abandon all other distractions in order to put Him first. If you have Him in first place, then you will see and feel His power and help in your life beyond what you ever imagined.

The nature of Jesus
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”

These are virtues that define Jesus, and if we read His Word and spend time with Him in prayer on a regular basis, we will take on some of His attributes. How can we expect to be changed for the better? Let’s go down the list and see.

Love: God is love. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s love. As followers of Jesus, we, too, need to manifest love in every way we can.

Joy: True happiness comes from being close to God and living our lives His way.

Peace: The word in the Old Testament that is translated “peace” actually has a broader meaning: completeness, soundness, and overall well-being. In the New Testament, “peace” often refers to inner tranquility, a combination of hope, trust, and quiet of mind and spirit. Peace comes from faith, and faith comes from reading and believing God’s Word.

Longsuffering: At least one English version of the Bible translates this “patience”—the ability to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. We often need to be patient, either with people or with circumstances, and we need to do so in a spirit of love.

Gentleness: To be gentle is to have a mild and kind nature, a gracious and honorable manner, consideration, and a spirit of fairness and compassion. Jesus sounds like a true gentleman, doesn’t He?

Goodness: My Bible dictionary says that goodness consists of righteousness, holiness, justice, kindness, grace, mercy, and love. Other definitions include having an upright and virtuous character, and having a kind and gentle disposition. Again, these certainly characterize Jesus. If His Spirit abides in us, so they should also characterize us.

Faith, or faithfulness: One of the meanings of faithfulness is unwavering belief. Another is being conscientious, having a sense of responsibility and devotion to duty.

Meekness: I particularly like one definition that says meekness is “an attitude of humility toward God and gentleness toward men, springing from a recognition that God is in control.”

Temperance, or self-control: This is the ability to control your behavior, especially in terms of reactions and impulses.

Jesus wants to impart to us these qualities, so they mesh into the core of our being. We will then demonstrate them in our lives, not only for our own benefit by changing our nature and improving our personality, but also for the benefit of others whom He wants to bless and reach through our example.

–

1 John 4:16 ESV / 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.

Ephesians 5:25 ESV / Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Romans 5:8 ESV / But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A Better You

How will reading God’s Word make your life better?

Food for spiritual strength and growth
Just as your body needs food to survive and grow strong, your spirit needs spiritual nourishment from God’s Word. This little analogy crops up repeatedly in both the Old and New Testaments:

When Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” He was quoting Moses.
Job declared in his time of suffering, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”
In Psalm 119, King David said to the Lord, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
The apostle Peter, writing to new Christians, admonished them to “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word.”

Deeper relationships with Jesus
When you received Jesus into your heart, you began a wonderful and fulfilling personal relationship with Him. He wants to be your best friend, counselor, teacher, guide, and much more! The way to get to know Him better is through His Word. The four Gospels, especially, reveal His nature, His personality, His power, and His love.
He wants His relationship with you to be a two-way, give-and-take affair. It is through reading the Word that you will find out not only what He has for you, but also what He would like from you.
Think of His words as personal love letters to you from the one who knows and cares about you more than any other can.

Truth and freedom
It seems that everywhere you look today, someone is marketing “the truth” in the form of some new book, program, or product. Who are you supposed to believe—and how much will it cost you?
Well, Jesus has the real article. “If you abide in My word,” He promises, “you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
You can rest assured that the Bible tells the truth. Become familiar with its precepts, and you will have a standard by which you can measure all things.

Faith
Faith isn’t something you can try to have. It comes by taking in the Word of God. If you’re weak in faith, it’s probably because you’re not reading and believing God’s Word enough. But the more you read and study the Word with an open mind and receptive heart, the more your faith will grow. It’s that simple and that sure!

Happiness
Lasting happiness comes from following Jesus’ loving example, and you know how to do that from His Word. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love. … These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Contentment and peace of mind
By studying God’s Word, you will come to understand His loving ways. This will give you faith that whatever your circumstances may be, He is in control and has your best interests at heart. “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.” When disappointments, obstacles, and setbacks wear on you, taking a little time to read from God’s Word will put things back in proper perspective.

Answers to your problems and questions
When you’ve got questions, the Lord has answers, and when you have problems, He has solutions—and they’re all in His Word. By reading God’s recorded Word or hearing Him speak to your heart personally when you pray for guidance—His spoken Word—you can find the answer to every question and every problem you will ever have. Once you become familiar with the spiritual principles, divine wisdom, and practical counsel that are in the written Word, you will find that the Lord will show you how to apply it to questions and problems that come up in your own life. His Word will be like a light, illuminating the path ahead of you.

Finding God’s will
God has a plan for your life. He knows what’s best for you, so if you can learn to let Him direct your decisions, everything will work out great in the end. It sounds simple enough, but how do you find out what is God’s best for you in a particular situation? How do you find “God’s will”?
The Word is the known, sure, absolute, revealed will of God. So when you’re faced with a decision, look at all He’s said before. Pattern your decision on a similar situation in the Word, or on the foundation principles of God’s Word. You can also ask God to speak to your own heart directly and show you what His will is for you in that particular situation.
God’s Word also has the power to change the way you see life’s problems. It will cause you to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove [know] what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Models for godly living
The Bible is full of stories about otherwise ordinary men and women whose faith and love for God saw them through thick and thin and made them great in His eyes. Much can be learned and much strength can be drawn from their examples. There are also many faith-building accounts of God’s love and care for His children, His protection, and His supply of their every need, as well as examples of what not to do and the consequences of violating His spiritual principles. “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

God’s promises and power at your disposal
The Bible is full of promises that God has made to man—promises that He wants us to apply practically. Some of His promises are universal, like “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Others were originally made to certain individuals or groups, but they are also available to anyone who applies them to their own similar situation and meets whatever conditions may be attached.
As you become more familiar with God’s Word, you will learn to recognize His promises and claim them as your own. When you do that, it shows you have faith. It’s a positive declaration of your faith and knowledge of the Word which pleases God and sets His power in motion to answer your prayers.

More love
It is difficult to follow Christ’s injunction to “love your neighbor as yourself” when your “neighbors”—those you interact with on a regular basis—are sometimes the most difficult people to get along with, much less love. Where do you find the “Christian grace” to overlook the overbearing boss, the jealous coworker, the noisy partyers next door, or worse? How do you learn to love as Jesus loved? “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” As you read and study God’s Word, you’ll acquire more and more of His Spirit and love, and that will help you be more understanding, compassionate, and tolerant toward others.

–

1 Peter 2:2 (NIV) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

John 8:31-32 (NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Romans 10:17 (NIV) Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Five Things I Love About Jesus

Randomness: Jesus has an intricate plan for the whole universe, but I love how He seems to be perfectly random about lots of things that don’t have much bearing on that plan. Like the irregular texture of tree bark, or where the next branch will pop out. Either that, or it’s not random at all and that branch needs to be exactly where it is for the universe to run right. If that’s the case, I love how He makes it look random to me.

Intricacy: The flip side of random. I love how He makes seemingly random things happen, but then they all come together at the end and make perfect sense, and I realize it wasn’t haphazard at all, but pure genius.

Color: He seems almost obsessed with color, but it’s not like He splatters psychedelic fluorescent everywhere. He adds just enough khakis and grays so that when something bright comes along, it wows me.

Passion: His way of being passionate about everything He does. For instance, if I was going to create an insect I’d pick a head, a body, a few legs, and maybe a stinger or something. But He can’t stop at that. “Oh, here I could add some antennae with trillions of little hairs on them that will act as sensors, then maybe some fold-up wings to hide inside its shell, a compound eye, a trochanter here, mesothorax there, and a subesophageal ganglion.” He’s crazy!

When I “create” a cloud, I take a blank piece of paper, draw a straight line, add three humps above it, and I’m done. When He creates a cloud, He starts with an insanely complex background of atmosphere, then bunches together millions of microscopic icy crystals, each with six perfectly symmetrical sides but its own unique form. Then He sends light to render it in full 3-D and air currents to make it dance. It seems He can’t get involved in a project without giving it His best.

Care: Boy, does He care! He cares about everything! I mean every single little tiny microscopic itsy bitsy thing. Imagine how much importance He puts on you and me, or the detail, care, and planning that went into each of the 6.8 billion of us now living, as well as the billions before and after. It wears me out just thinking about it. I am so lucky to have Him!

–

Hebrews 11:6 ESV / And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

2. Thessalonians 1:8 ESV / In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Galatians 3:28 ESV / There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Getting to know Jesus

A retelling of John Chapter 4

Susannah sighed as she draped her head-covering over her long raven hair. Picking up an empty clay urn, she set out on the long, hot, dusty walk to fetch water from the communal well near Sychar, the Samaritan village where she lived.

She approached the well warily, because there sat a stranger—a Jew, judging by appearance. She was astonished when the man asked her for a drink of water, because the Jews’ religious customs forbade them any interaction with the Samaritans, whom they considered “unclean.”

“You’re a Jew and I’m a Samaritan!” she exclaimed. “Why do you ask me for a drink?”

“If you knew who I was,” the stranger replied, “you would be the one asking for water.”

Susannah was mystified. How could this man get water out of the well? He had nothing to pull it out with.

The stranger answered with words that she would later repeat until they were imprinted upon her memory—words that millions after her would draw hope from.

“Everyone who drinks water from this well will get thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give comes from the fountain of eternal life.”

“Go on then, give me a drink of that water. Then I won’t ever get thirsty or need to come here anymore!”

“Go and bring your husband,” the stranger told her.

She hesitated, then lowered her eyes. “I don’t have a husband,” she conceded.

“That much is the truth. You have been married five times, but the man you are living with now isn’t your husband.”

Susannah was astonished. “You’re a prophet, I see,” she began. “You might be able to settle a certain dispute then. My people have always worshiped on Mount Gerizim, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the only place to worship.” The fact that a Jewish ruler had destroyed the Samaritans’ temple on their holy mountain 200 years earlier went unspoken, but clearly it was on her mind.

“Believe me,” the stranger replied, “the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. God is a Spirit, and those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth.”

She marveled at this answer. God—a Spirit who she could worship anywhere? Her race, religion, gender, age, background—could none of that matter? She felt warmed by the idea of God’s love being inclusive of all people, even herself.

There was something else she wanted to ask. “I know that the Messiah will come—the one called Christ—and explain everything to us.”

The stranger gazed into her eyes, and her heart beat faster. “I am that one!”

Her eyes widened and her thoughts raced. “I must tell my friends and family! Wait here for me!”

Susannah rushed back to Sychar, her still-empty urn forgotten.

The midday heat had passed, and people were milling around the market square. She excitedly told all those she could about the man she had met and their conversation. “He must be the Christ!” she exclaimed. “He had never seen me before, yet he knew everything about me.”

Soon Susannah returned to the well at the head of a small crowd. The stranger was still there, now accompanied by several men, and from them she learned that the stranger’s name was Jesus.

He did not stay a stranger, because the people were captivated by what He told them. Some of them invited Him and His companions to stay with them, so Jesus spent two days in Sychar, explaining the Holy Scriptures.

Some days later, Susannah made her way back through town with a full water pot. Her load was heavy, but her steps were light. She still needed to fetch water daily, but her inner emptiness was gone.

One of the townsmen who noticed her walking by said, “You tried to convince us that this man Jesus was the promised Messiah. Well, now we believe—no longer just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves and are certain that He is the Savior!”

Susannah smiled as she went on her way. She was not the only one who had found the living water!

–

John 7:38 (NIV)  He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Revelation 22:17 (NIV) Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

John 6:51 (ESV) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Thirsty no more

A retelling of John Chapter 4

Susannah sighed as she draped her head-covering over her long raven hair. Picking up an empty clay urn, she set out on the long, hot, dusty walk to fetch water from the communal well near Sychar, the Samaritan village where she lived.

She approached the well warily, because there sat a stranger—a Jew, judging by appearance. She was astonished when the man asked her for a drink of water, because the Jews’ religious customs forbade them any interaction with the Samaritans, whom they considered “unclean.”

“You’re a Jew and I’m a Samaritan!” she exclaimed. “Why do you ask me for a drink?”

“If you knew who I was,” the stranger replied, “you would be the one asking for water.”

Susannah was mystified. How could this man get water out of the well? He had nothing to pull it out with.

The stranger answered with words that she would later repeat until they were imprinted upon her memory—words that millions after her would draw hope from.

“Everyone who drinks water from this well will get thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give comes from the fountain of eternal life.”

“Go on then, give me a drink of that water. Then I won’t ever get thirsty or need to come here anymore!”

“Go and bring your husband,” the stranger told her.

She hesitated, then lowered her eyes. “I don’t have a husband,” she conceded.

“That much is the truth. You have been married five times, but the man you are living with now isn’t your husband.”

Susannah was astonished. “You’re a prophet, I see,” she began. “You might be able to settle a certain dispute then. My people have always worshiped on Mount Gerizim, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the only place to worship.” The fact that a Jewish ruler had destroyed the Samaritans’ temple on their holy mountain 200 years earlier went unspoken, but clearly it was on her mind.

“Believe me,” the stranger replied, “the time is coming when you won’t worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. God is a Spirit, and those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and truth.”

She marveled at this answer. God—a Spirit who she could worship anywhere? Her race, religion, gender, age, background—could none of that matter? She felt warmed by the idea of God’s love being inclusive of all people, even herself.

There was something else she wanted to ask. “I know that the Messiah will come—the one called Christ—and explain everything to us.”

The stranger gazed into her eyes, and her heart beat faster. “I am that one!”

Her eyes widened and her thoughts raced. “I must tell my friends and family! Wait here for me!”

Susannah rushed back to Sychar, her still-empty urn forgotten.

The midday heat had passed, and people were milling around the market square. She excitedly told all those she could about the man she had met and their conversation. “He must be the Christ!” she exclaimed. “He had never seen me before, yet he knew everything about me.”

Soon Susannah returned to the well at the head of a small crowd. The stranger was still there, now accompanied by several men, and from them she learned that the stranger’s name was Jesus.

He did not stay a stranger, because the people were captivated by what He told them. Some of them invited Him and His companions to stay with them, so Jesus spent two days in Sychar, explaining the Holy Scriptures.

Some days later, Susannah made her way back through town with a full water pot. Her load was heavy, but her steps were light. She still needed to fetch water daily, but her inner emptiness was gone.

One of the townsmen who noticed her walking by said, “You tried to convince us that this man Jesus was the promised Messiah. Well, now we believe—no longer just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves and are certain that He is the Savior!”

Susannah smiled as she went on her way. She was not the only one who had found the living water!

–

John 7:38 (NIV)  He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Revelation 22:17 (NIV) Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

John 6:51 (ESV) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Action through prayer

Praying for others is a powerful way to put love into action. You’re not only thinking of them and wanting to help, but you’re doing something about it. Prayer, as millions of people worldwide will attest, does change things. Prayer moves God’s hand and heart to do the things we ask. It doesn’t always happen right away, but eventually those prayers are answered in the way God knows is best for everyone involved.

Praying for others not only benefits those people, but you too. It brings a spirit of faith, a positive spirit, because you’re focusing on God’s goodness and power and expecting Him to answer. When you manifest faith by praying, it pleases God and He goes to work in the situation or in the person’s life. He loves you and the one you’re praying for, and He wants to effect positive change. Your prayers set His power in motion.

Start by writing a list of people you’re concerned about, who need God’s help. Perhaps they’re sick or have had an accident, or are lonely, or are in a financial bind, or are in danger, or have suffered loss. Include both those you know personally and those whom you have heard about in the news or from others.

Say a prayer for each in turn, claiming an appropriate promise of God from the Bible. Work your way down your list for 10 or 15 minutes, spending a minute or so praying for each person.

Add people to your list daily as their needs come to your attention. As your list grows, you probably won’t be able to pray for every person in the time you have allotted. Pray for the most serious and urgent situations first, and as many of the others as you have time for. Whenever you reach the bottom of your list, start again at the top.

When God answers one of your prayers, thank Him for doing so, and then drop that entry from your daily prayer list. You may want to keep a separate list of answered prayers and take a moment to review it at the beginning of your prayer time to boost your faith that He will also meet the needs still on your prayer list.

Make praying for others a daily habit, and you will not only help make their lives better, but your faith will grow and your spiritual life will be enriched as you see God work.

–

Colossians 4:2 ESV / Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Matthew 6:9-13 ESV / Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Psalm 34:17 ESV / When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Prayer Points

1. Please pray for Bro Colin Ooi, Sis Catherine Ooi, Mark and Seok Mei.

2. Please pray for one another in your prayer - Spiritual Growth, Challenges in Life, School, etc, especially those that are not feeling well. Encouraging one another in Christ likeness.

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

4. Please pray for Penang Children's Home Open Day and all boys and staff in the home

5. Please pray for Music & Arts Camp starting from 15th - 20th Sept.

Announcement

Cell Group Date: 19th Sept 2014 Time: 8:00pm Venue: Bro Soon Bee and Sis Wei Lin's Home

SMM Spiritual Leadership Conference Date: 4-6th Oct 2014 Venue: TSA Singapore

Annual Day of Prayer For victims of human trafficking Date: 28th Sept 2014 Sunday 

Penang Open Day Date: 18th Oct 2014 Time: 8am - 2pm Venue: Penang Children's Home. Help needed to sell coupons, please look for Lt. Fiona 

West Malaysia Children's Camp
Date: 27-29 Nov Venue: Penang Children's Home Fees: RM30.00 (early bird before 27 Oct 2014 )
RM60.00 (normal rate after 27 Oct 2014)

Another kind of healing

Some people have long-term illnesses that don’t go away instantly when prayed for. I’m someone whom God has not seen fit to heal right away.

There are medications to relieve the worst symptoms of the immune system disorders and other chronic conditions I suffer from, but no actual cure. The miracle for me is having God’s help and comfort in my ongoing condition. He’s giving me a happy, fruitful life, even though I’m still quite sick.

There are times when He intervenes to take away an illness completely, but there is the other kind of healing—the kind that continues on and shapes and matures, that teaches deeper lessons and engenders more compassion for others.

I am very grateful for the way God has given me a very happy life in spite of my condition. Happier than before I was sick, I would say.

Of course, I am blessed with close family and friends who have given incredible help and support. My illnesses brought their amazing qualities of love and self-sacrifice to the fore.

So that’s a miracle too—that God can allow some of us to suffer sicknesses which in the long run can both improve the quality of our lives and bring out the best in others. That can be His better plan, rather than granting instant healing.

Being sick has made me more compassionate. It has made me more thoughtful and reflective. It has made me examine my motives for doing things, whereas before I was so focused on just “doing” that I often didn’t think about why. It has given me immense gratitude for things that I took for granted before. It has brought simple peace and greater faith. It has made my life more beautiful.

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James 5:16 ESV / Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

3 John 1:2 ESV / Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

Matthew 10:1 ESV / And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

Long Road to Glory

I never thought I would suffer a life-threatening ailment, so when I was diagnosed six years ago with Crohn’s—an autoimmune disease that attacks the gastrointestinal tract and for which there is no known drug or surgical cure—it was very hard to accept. I was 24 years old at the time and had a four-year-old son.

All the natural remedies I tried did little to stave off the deterioration. I was in terrible pain and mostly bedridden for four years. At one point I had lost 40% of my body weight, weighed only 35 kg (85 lbs), and was in danger of dying of malnutrition.

This long-term illness sucked the life out of me emotionally as well. I felt like a failure, worthless, and a terrible burden on my family. Why had God let this happen to me? What in the world could He do with such a frail, bedridden, emotionally unstable person as I had become?

When I was at my weakest physically and emotionally, my ever-supportive family and friends helped me not give up mentally and spiritually. They also encouraged me that I could still be a help to others by praying for them. So I stopped praying for my own healing, and instead prayed that God would use me in that way, just as I was—and that was the beginning of my recovery. I wasn’t healed physically overnight, but I was at peace and ready to accept whatever God had in store for me.

Several months later, a new option for medical treatment presented itself, and when I prayed about whether or not to pursue it, Jesus told me that He would use this to put me on the road to full recovery. Slowly my intestines began to repair, and over the next year I gradually returned to my normal weight. That treatment, along with a good diet and lots of prayer, has sent my Crohn’s into remission and brought me back from the brink of death, for which I’m very thankful!

Because of Jesus’ never-ending love and care, and with the help of the wonderful people in my life, I made it through those five difficult years, and I believe I have come out better for it. Best of all, it drew me closer to Jesus than I ever thought possible.

I now can say with the apostle Paul, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

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Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:31 (NIV) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) For I am persuaded , that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present , nor things to come , Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Pass The Bucket

What do Clare Balding, Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Anne Hathaway, Lily Allen, Benedict Cumberbatch and George W. Bush have in common? They - along with thousands of others - have all completed the Ice Bucket Challenge.

Over the summer months, the world has gone crazy for the social media campaign, which aims to raise money and awareness of the neurodegenerative disease ALS, also known as motor neurone disease. Launched in America, the Ice Bucket Challenge consists of participants getting doused with buckets of ice water while being filmed, posting the video on a social media website, then nominating others to do the same within 24 hours. Nominees can accept the challenge or make a donation to charity - or do both. The craze has spread like wildfire.

After completing the challenge himself, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg nominated Microsoft man Bill Gates, who then nominated TV presenter Ryan Seacrest, who then nominated David Beckham, who then nominated Leonardo DiCaprio, who then nominated Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada. The list of people willing to sign up for a soaking appears to be endless.

One who has taken the plunge is Cara Macfarlane, deputy editor of The War Cry’s sister paper 'Kids Alive!' ‘I knew that it was only a matter of time before I was nominated,’ she says. ‘I wouldn’t say I enjoyed having water poured over my head, but it had been funny watching other people’s videos. I knew I had to do it.’

As the water continues to wash over people’s heads, so the charity-giving keeps going up. The ALS Association reported that in just one week, donations had increased from some £13 millarbara Newhouse, said that she was thrilled not only by people’s generosity in respondingion to more than £53 million. The figure continues to rise. The president of the ALS Association, B to the challenge, but also by what it meant for the future. ‘Every day the scope of what’s possible when it comes to fighting this disease has changed and continues to change,’ she said.

She’s right. Whatever challenge threatens to swamp us, there is a power that cannot be matched when people unite. Possibility can sweep away hopelessness. Problems which once seemed insurmountable can be dissolved. Strength is found in numbers more so than in going it alone.

When circumstances cause us to feel as though we are drowning in our problems, we need to find a similar source of strength. We need to know that there is someone we can turn to, no matter what. In every situation, God can be that someone. The Bible reassures us that, in all things, God is by our side. He says: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you’ (Isaiah 43:2 New International Version). When we ask God for help, he promises to stay with us always, so that we need never feel alone again. He promises to pour out enough strength and power so that we can overcome the most impossible problems. He promises that, if we trust him, life can be different.

Is it time to take the plunge?

UK & Ireland War Cry September 2014

The Hows, Whys, and Whens of Healing

For the longest time I tried to figure out the hows, whys, and whens of divine healing. I wanted to be able to boil everything down to a step-by-step, one-two-three healing formula so I could say, “If you want to get healed, all you have to do is follow these steps.” But I finally concluded that it doesn’t work that way.

If two people followed the same steps, one might get healed and the other might not. No two people are exactly alike, and God works differently in each of our lives—not only in the matter of healing, but also in our circumstances, the lessons He teaches us, the tests He puts us through, and the blessings He gives.

When we realize this, we can better understand why in some cases He heals us and in other cases He doesn’t—at least not right away.

Divine wisdom at work
Each of us is a complex physical and spiritual being. Our Maker knows everything about us—our every thought, our every weakness, our every joy, our every need. He knows what tests and trials we need to endure to become all we can be, and He measures these things out to us in the exact portion He knows we need. So it is with our afflictions.

Two people could have the same affliction, they could both pray to be healed, and one could get healed immediately and the other not. Does this mean that the one who gets healed immediately is stronger spiritually or closer to God than the other? Not necessarily. The reasons God allowed these two people to be afflicted in the first place may have been completely different. If His reasons for allowing the afflictions are different, then His reasons for how and when He chooses to heal are different as well.

Faith for healing
I’ve suffered from a serious and supposedly incurable eye problem for over 20 years, yet I consider that I have faith for healing. I’ve made a partial recovery over the past several years—far greater than my doctors said was possible, in fact—but I still don’t know when my complete healing will happen. I have no doubt, though, that sooner or later it will. If God doesn’t want to heal me completely right now, then He’s not going to give me faith for immediatehealing, but I do have faith for eventual healing.

I can trust my life and health and eyes to God, because I have faith in His love and know that His ways and thoughts are far above mine.1 I believe that He knows what’s best for me, and that He will heal me according to His plan and His timetable. To me, that’s the best kind of faith—knowing that God is in complete control, trusting Him to make it all turn out the way He wants it to, and expecting Him to carry me through till it happens.

It’s not just a question of having faith for healing; it’s a question of having faith to accept God’s design for our lives, whatever that may be. We have to find and accept the Romans 8:28—“All things work together for good to those who love God”—in our situation. In each and every case where we trust God and don’t give up, it will eventually bear good fruit.

In God’s time
Sometimes God may not heal us right away because He knows we’re more open to what He’s trying to teach us when we have an affliction. If He isn’t ready to heal us, then how can we have faith for healing? Faith is a gift of God, and He’s not going to give us the faith for healing until He’s ready to heal us. In such cases, what He wants to give us is faith to endure and see our situation in a positive light. Then, when He’s ready to heal, He’ll give us the faith for that.

Perhaps you are weak in faith for healing, but that can be remedied through the Word—faith is built by studying the Word. Or perhaps it’s not yet God’s time to heal you because there are things He wants to teach you first. Or perhaps He wants to use you as a good example to others. Whatever the case, real faith is trusting God and doing what He shows you to do in your situation, whether you get healed or not.

Do what you can
God is able to intervene when we are sick, to restore health, to alleviate discomfort and pain, to reverse damage from disease, and even to remove the cause of the sickness. Sometimes He chooses to do this supernaturally, as millions of people have experienced, but usually He chooses to work within the natural laws that He has set up, which He expects us to follow as best we can. That includes eating properly, exercising appropriately and consistently, getting enough sleep, minimizing stress, keeping clean, taking precautions to prevent accidents, and giving our bodies what they need for healing when we do get sick. He will rarely override His natural laws to do something for us that we could have done for ourselves.

When something goes wrong in the body, understanding the problem and what might have caused it is usually one of the first steps to healing. The best place to start is in prayer. Ask God to show you what physical or spiritual problems may be involved and what you can do to correct them. Good doctors are specialists at diagnosing physical problems, so seeking one or more medical opinions is often also part of doing what we can. That doesn’t take away from the roles of faith and God’s power to heal miraculously. Rather, gaining a clearer understanding of our situation and options puts us in a better position to understand how God might want to work in our particular case, so we can make informed decisions and channel our faith and prayers accordingly.

Personal comfort
One thing that can make your physical afflictions easier to bear is knowing that you can pray and receive personal, specific words of love, comfort, encouragement, and guidance. You don’t have to be in the dark about what God is doing in your life, or be plagued by unanswered questions. You can pray and receive His help in the form of personal messages that will be exactly what you need at the time.

He can show you why, in His love, He has allowed your illness to continue, as well as what He wants you to do about it—how to go about securing His healing. Faith comes by hearing the Word, and that is true not only of His recorded Word, the Bible, but also the words of specific encouragement, instruction, and guidance that He can give you personally.

He’s eager to speak to you. He wants to lighten your burdens and make your ailments easier to bear. He loves you and He will never suffer you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but will always make a way to escape.2 That way of escape often comes through His personal comfort and encouragement that will lift you over the storm and bring you to the light of a brighter day.

Sometimes one such message is all it takes, but if you’re fighting a serious or long-term illness, you’ll want to pray often for any further instruction or encouragement God may have for you, because circumstances and conditions change. And if you ever have questions about the words, promises, or explanations He gives, just ask Him about them. He never grows weary of answering your questions. He delights in making it as easy as possible for you, because He loves you so. Let Him bear your burdens, ease your pain, and lighten your load by letting Him speak to your heart through prophecy.

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James 1:5 ESV If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 3:17 ESV But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Ephesians 5:15-17 ESV Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

My First Miracle

When I first met a couple of volunteers from the Family International some years ago and they needed a place to stay, I invited them into my home. I didn’t immediately grasp everything they told me about Jesus, however, and remained skeptical.

Then something happened that changed all that.

One morning while out for my daily jog, I doubled over from a stabbing pain in my back, which intensified as the day went on. That night I developed a high fever. I went to the hospital and explained my symptoms—blood in my urine, pain, fever. The preliminary diagnosis was a serious case of kidney stones. More tests were done, and I was told to come back the next day for the results.

Sick in both body and spirit, I went home to rest. There I told the visiting volunteers about my suffering. They offered to pray with me, but I stubbornly told them, “No, I don’t think I have enough faith.”

They just smiled and said, “Okay, we’ll pray for that, too!”

They prayed for my quick and complete recovery from what was ailing me, reading from the Bible on healing and claiming specific verses as though they were promises God had made directly and specifically to me. Then they prayed for me to be cured from unbelief.

Before bed I found myself reading those verses over and over, and slowly I began to feel at peace. A tiny seed of faith was taking root in my heart.

The next morning I felt much better, so I went first to work at my office, and then to the hospital for more tests. The doctor was clearly confused as he kept rereading the test results. Finally, he handed them to me and tried to explain what I already knew—the X-ray showed nothing! I was healed!

The second set of tests was almost like a different patient’s examination records, the doctor said. But I knew what had taken place. It could only be called a miracle.

The pain was gone, all the symptoms of kidney stones were gone, and they were replaced with faith. That evening when I read the Bible with Family members, I read it in a different light. It was no longer merely a source of intellectual stimulation but, as Jesus said, it was “spirit and life” —words that had saved my life led me into a wonderful new one.

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John 3:16 ESV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Mark 2:28 ESV So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Acts 1:18 ESV Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.

Singing From The Same Hymn Sheet

The cake has been cut, the speeches completed and the happy couple toasted. Now on the dancefloor, as their guests look on, the bride and groom embrace, and the sounds of the opening bars of a song - their song - fill the room. The first dance at many wedding receptions is given over to the newly-weds. They hold each other close while a song that encapsulates their emotions is played. The lyrics tell of a deep love that will last for a lifetime and of a commitment that nothing can break. The words reflect their feelings, and the melody complements them perfectly.

There is something about meaningful words set to great tunes that can stir passionate feelings in us. That does not apply only to love songs. Stand in any packed international sporting arena where a team’s national anthem is being sung with gusto, and it is not long before the hairs on the back of your neck rise as thousands of voices unite, sharing the common bond of national heritage.

A good song can rouse emotions within us, particularly if it connects us to something we hold dear - whether that is our loved ones, country or football club. That is especially true for Christians when they sing songs of praise. The poetry of the compositions articulates their love of God. When sung within a congregation, the song also unites them with other believers. Literally and figuratively, people are singing from the same hymn sheet.

When Christians sing to God, the commitment and conviction they express can go even deeper than those expressed by a newly married couple. They believe that God has made it possible for them to experience his presence and power within their lives. One biblical songwriter put it this way: ‘I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me’ (Psalm 13:6 New International Version).

God wants everyone to experience his goodness. By following him and asking for forgiveness for what we have done wrong, we are able to sing his praises as we connect with him and know his presence in our life.

UK & Ireland War Cry September 2014

The Healer

I was once asked to pray for a young woman who had been eight long years in bed, a total invalid, pitiful and hopeless. The doctors had finally said they could do nothing more for her.

My husband and I visited this woman and her family, staying with them for ten days and spending many hours in prayer. I kept thinking, Oh Lord, so many people have prayed with her, including some with gifts of God’s healing. I felt very desperate and very small before so great a need.

I opened the Bible to one of my favorite verses: “Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us” —a promise of past, present, and future healing. Also I noted the preceding verse, which I had never pondered before: “We should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.”

Then it came to me that this woman’s healing had very little to do with me or the others who were praying. Our only part in the matter was to bring it to God’s attention. It was God who was going to do the work, and we could have no confidence in our own power or abilities. No matter how we feel about ourselves, it is God who heals the sick and raises the dead.

I called my husband over, and we read from the Bible together. Then the girl’s mother and father came into the room and we all prayed for her. With all sincerity and faith in God, we told her, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” —and she did! She rose from that bed. For eight years she had never been out of that bed, but she got up and walked—proof that no one is beyond God’s power to heal.

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Psalm 103:2–3 KJV – Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.

Exodus 15:26 KJV – I am the Lord who heals you.

Jeremiah 30:17 KJV – “I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the Lord.

Healing Is for You

The day of miracles is not past. God is still alive, well, and working just as powerfully as ever amongst those who trust in Him. He says, “I am the Lord, I do not change.”

To heal is a small thing for the God of all creation. If He created the body, He can certainly fix it. He says, “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

This is only one of many promises of healing that can be found in the Bible—promises that you can claim as your own and expect Him to fulfill. This is also where your faith for His supernatural healing will come from. Faith comes, it grows, by reading and believing the Word of God. Faith is built on the Word, so read it prayerfully and ask God to strengthen your faith.

God not only can heal you, but He wants to heal you. A leper once came to Jesus and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus touched the man and said, “I am willing; be cleansed,” and immediately the man’s leprosy was cleansed. He’s more willing to give than we are to receive. All He asks is that we honor Him with faith by believing His promises.

Prayer Power
Prayer is powerful. When we pray, things will happen and things will be different. God will answer prayer. He promises, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it,” and “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” You’ve got these and all of the other “exceeding great and precious promises” in the Bible on your side, so when you pray for healing or anything else, bring those promises with you to remind God of His Word. Doing so is a positive declaration of your faith, which pleases Him.

You usually don’t see the blessing—His healing, in this case—the instant you begin praying for it. You have His promises in His Word, but how do you know He’s going to keep them? You’ve got to put those promises to the test. You’ve got to challenge God. He even tells us, “Concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.” So hold Him to His Word. Expect an answer. He has promised it. Put your faith in the Lord. He is bound by His Word, so remind Him of His promises, cling to them, and never doubt for a moment that He is going to answer—and He will. He has to. He wants to. Trust Him.

Jesus says, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” All we have to do is believe His promises, pray, and expect Him to answer.

The “test of faith”
One of the greatest of healing factors is faith—knowing that God loves us and is concerned about our health and happiness, and that He is going to take care of us no matter what. But He often tests our faith before He heals us, because He wants to see if we’ll believe His promises and continue to love and trust Him even if we think we may never get healed. Before He honors us with healing, He wants to see if we will honor Him with faith.

Ongoing illnesses are sometimes a severe test, and sad to say, they sometimes end in bitterness, complaining, and even holding a grievance against God because He doesn’t heal the way the person wants Him to or thinks He should. “God doesn’t love me! He doesn’t care, because He won’t heal me.” That sort of reaction is the opposite of faith, and “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

God can and wants to heal us, but we must first make the decision that we want what He wants and knows is best for us, without reservations. We must also do our part by first correcting any physical or spiritual problems that may be contributing factors. Then we can pray and trust God for our healing, and we’re bound to get results.

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Matthew 4:23 NIV Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Matthew 17:14 NIV When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him.

Luke 8:26 NIV They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.