1. Please intercede for Bro Fong Yen Wong, Bro Neoh Ah How and Bro Willie Lim Thiam Seng
2. Please intercede for TSA ministry in Malaysia, officers, staff and large network of people.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Christmas Program and TSA ministry in Penang.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Announcement
Penang Christmas Open House
Date: 14 Dec 2014 (Sunday) / Time: 7-10pm
Venue: Fort Cornwallis, Esplande.
Caroling Practice
Kindly take note of caroling practice after the church service.
Bro. Tong Sing will lead us, please do come and support.
Flower offering for 2015
Please contact Bro Francis Elias.
Note:
There will be no program for December. Instead of that we will concentrate on Christmas program.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Going Broke? The answer could be here
For an increasing number of us, financial troubles are precariously close to home. With businesses and financial institutions failing daily, it’s no wonder so many worry that their own livelihoods or homes are at risk.
In such times of trouble and uncertainty it’s natural to worry about your own family foremost. If until recently you’ve been supporting your church or various charities, now, with gloomy future prospects, perhaps you question whether such giving makes sound financial sense.
The answer is that if you want God’s blessing, then giving is still definitely in! “God loves a cheerful giver” is one of the pillars of God’s financial plan. In fact, God’s way to plenty is to give it away.
His Word says, “The generous soul will be made rich.” Of course, those “riches” may not always be material. I heard a true account of a woman who gave $10 a month to help support an impoverished child in India through the Save the Children charity until the boy reached 18. Over the years he sent her thank-you notes and they exchanged occasional letters. Thirty years later she received a phone call from him. He was overcome with emotion as he told her how, because of her, he had received an education and become a successful businessman. In turn, he was now helping to support 1,000 poor children—all because she’d helped him with that $10 a month.
—
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?”
And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
—
2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV – Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Malachi 3:10 ESV – Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Proverbs 11:24 ESV – One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
In such times of trouble and uncertainty it’s natural to worry about your own family foremost. If until recently you’ve been supporting your church or various charities, now, with gloomy future prospects, perhaps you question whether such giving makes sound financial sense.
The answer is that if you want God’s blessing, then giving is still definitely in! “God loves a cheerful giver” is one of the pillars of God’s financial plan. In fact, God’s way to plenty is to give it away.
His Word says, “The generous soul will be made rich.” Of course, those “riches” may not always be material. I heard a true account of a woman who gave $10 a month to help support an impoverished child in India through the Save the Children charity until the boy reached 18. Over the years he sent her thank-you notes and they exchanged occasional letters. Thirty years later she received a phone call from him. He was overcome with emotion as he told her how, because of her, he had received an education and become a successful businessman. In turn, he was now helping to support 1,000 poor children—all because she’d helped him with that $10 a month.
—
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?”
And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
—
2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV – Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Malachi 3:10 ESV – Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Proverbs 11:24 ESV – One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Friday, November 28, 2014
Breaking the Selfishness Cycle
Question: I get frustrated and upset when my husband acts selfishly, but I know I am selfish too sometimes, and that bothers me even more. What can I do to help us both in this area?
Answer: When such problems crop up between two people, whether they are married or not, honest, open, wise communication is very often the necessary first step toward solutions that will be good for both parties. Knowing how to tactfully bring up the subject and finding the humility to do so are often the hardest parts.
In your case, perhaps you could begin by giving your husband an example or two of how you yourself have acted selfishly, and then apologize for how that must have been difficult for him. By assuming rather than placing blame, you will be less likely to put your husband on the defensive. Instead, there is a good chance that he will respond by apologizing for times he has also acted selfishly. It’s human nature to have a more positive attitude about overcoming personal weaknesses when it’s our own idea than when they are pointed out by others, so don’t be too quick to supply his examples or add to his list. Also, you may need to give what you’ve said time to sink in.
If this approach doesn’t have the desired effect, you may need to be more direct when you try again later. Perhaps you could say something like, “It makes me feel unappreciated when you don’t help around the house. Is it because you’re too tired?” Giving the benefit of the doubt makes it clear that you are trying to fix the problem, not the blame. Also, explaining your feelings and needs could help him open up about his own, which is another important step in sorting out the problem.
Talking things out should help you better understand each other. You may find, for example, that a lot of the problem is not actual selfishness, but unrealistic expectations—trying to get more done than the two of you have time or energy for. When you better understand each other’s situation, needs, and limits, it becomes easier to do more than your share when necessary, because you want to do it out of love for the other.
Breaking bad habits is rarely quick or easy, but it gets a whole lot easier when you ask God to help, so “seal the deal” by praying together for the desired change. There are few prayers that He would rather answer than prayers for more unselfish love.
—
Philippians 2:4 ESV – Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV – Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
Galatians 6:2 ESV – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Answer: When such problems crop up between two people, whether they are married or not, honest, open, wise communication is very often the necessary first step toward solutions that will be good for both parties. Knowing how to tactfully bring up the subject and finding the humility to do so are often the hardest parts.
In your case, perhaps you could begin by giving your husband an example or two of how you yourself have acted selfishly, and then apologize for how that must have been difficult for him. By assuming rather than placing blame, you will be less likely to put your husband on the defensive. Instead, there is a good chance that he will respond by apologizing for times he has also acted selfishly. It’s human nature to have a more positive attitude about overcoming personal weaknesses when it’s our own idea than when they are pointed out by others, so don’t be too quick to supply his examples or add to his list. Also, you may need to give what you’ve said time to sink in.
If this approach doesn’t have the desired effect, you may need to be more direct when you try again later. Perhaps you could say something like, “It makes me feel unappreciated when you don’t help around the house. Is it because you’re too tired?” Giving the benefit of the doubt makes it clear that you are trying to fix the problem, not the blame. Also, explaining your feelings and needs could help him open up about his own, which is another important step in sorting out the problem.
Talking things out should help you better understand each other. You may find, for example, that a lot of the problem is not actual selfishness, but unrealistic expectations—trying to get more done than the two of you have time or energy for. When you better understand each other’s situation, needs, and limits, it becomes easier to do more than your share when necessary, because you want to do it out of love for the other.
Breaking bad habits is rarely quick or easy, but it gets a whole lot easier when you ask God to help, so “seal the deal” by praying together for the desired change. There are few prayers that He would rather answer than prayers for more unselfish love.
—
Philippians 2:4 ESV – Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV – Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
Galatians 6:2 ESV – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
How to Find Real Love
To be genuine and lasting, romantic love must be based on a more
enduring foundation than mere physical attraction or fleshly
gratification.
It must include an unselfish desire to protect and help and make someone else happy. It must also involve admiration for the other person’s finer qualities. A person can be in love with their partner’s mind, spirit, sentiments, and bearing—all of which have little or nothing to do with physical beauty. Real love is a spiritual thing; it’s not merely physical. It’s mostly manifested in spiritual and mental companionship and compatibility, the likes and dislikes and habits that the two people have in common.
When I was a young man, my mother once told me not to put the physical features first in my quest for a soul mate, but to seek something more in a woman than that. “Most of all,” she advised, “seek that indefinable thing called personality. Seek the liveliness of the spirit, the fascination of the mind, the irresistibility of the heart, the magnanimity of the soul.” The things of this earth can satisfy the body, but God has made us so that our spirit can only be satisfied by the things of the spirit.
God’s Word tells us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” God didn’t say we wouldn’t or shouldn’t need or desire or enjoy the things of this life, but He admonishes us not to have an inordinate love for them to the point that we put these things before the even greater needs of our spirit.
If you put the desires of the flesh first, then you’ll find that nothing ever satisfies, not even the most total indulgence. Those who seek only to gratify their flesh will never find complete satisfaction and happiness. The things of this earth can satisfy the body, but only God and His true love can ever fill that aching spiritual void in the heart, because He created that place for Himself alone.
True happiness comes not in your personal pursuit of selfish pleasure and satisfaction, but in finding God and giving His love and life to others, and bringing them happiness. Then happiness will pursue and overtake and overwhelm you, personally, without you even seeking it for yourself.
I once knew a woman who was always seeking the man of her dreams but never finding a relationship that satisfied or lasted because she was always seeking to get love, to receive love, to be loved. When I suggested to her that perhaps she needed to learn to give love and to love unselfishly for the benefit of another, this struck her as an entirely new thought. It had never even occurred to her before! She went out and soon found what she had been looking for all the time—by finding a man she could make happy by giving him her love.
That’s the secret: Look for someone to make happy, and then happiness will find you! “He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”4Those are God’s laws of the spirit and are just as definite as the laws of physics, such as the law of gravity. God’s laws of the spirit never fail. They always work for you or against you, depending on your actions and motives. And the first law is the law of love—unselfish love for Him and others. If you will obey that law and give the love that is His and others’ due, you will also receive love, “for with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Life, liberty, and the giving of happiness to others—these are things that only God can give and the only things that will ever satisfy your spirit. So if you want to be happy and make someone else truly happy, seek the satisfaction of the spirit that can be found only in God and His love!
John 13:34-35 ESV – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
1 John 4:7 ESV – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
It must include an unselfish desire to protect and help and make someone else happy. It must also involve admiration for the other person’s finer qualities. A person can be in love with their partner’s mind, spirit, sentiments, and bearing—all of which have little or nothing to do with physical beauty. Real love is a spiritual thing; it’s not merely physical. It’s mostly manifested in spiritual and mental companionship and compatibility, the likes and dislikes and habits that the two people have in common.
When I was a young man, my mother once told me not to put the physical features first in my quest for a soul mate, but to seek something more in a woman than that. “Most of all,” she advised, “seek that indefinable thing called personality. Seek the liveliness of the spirit, the fascination of the mind, the irresistibility of the heart, the magnanimity of the soul.” The things of this earth can satisfy the body, but God has made us so that our spirit can only be satisfied by the things of the spirit.
God’s Word tells us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” God didn’t say we wouldn’t or shouldn’t need or desire or enjoy the things of this life, but He admonishes us not to have an inordinate love for them to the point that we put these things before the even greater needs of our spirit.
If you put the desires of the flesh first, then you’ll find that nothing ever satisfies, not even the most total indulgence. Those who seek only to gratify their flesh will never find complete satisfaction and happiness. The things of this earth can satisfy the body, but only God and His true love can ever fill that aching spiritual void in the heart, because He created that place for Himself alone.
True happiness comes not in your personal pursuit of selfish pleasure and satisfaction, but in finding God and giving His love and life to others, and bringing them happiness. Then happiness will pursue and overtake and overwhelm you, personally, without you even seeking it for yourself.
I once knew a woman who was always seeking the man of her dreams but never finding a relationship that satisfied or lasted because she was always seeking to get love, to receive love, to be loved. When I suggested to her that perhaps she needed to learn to give love and to love unselfishly for the benefit of another, this struck her as an entirely new thought. It had never even occurred to her before! She went out and soon found what she had been looking for all the time—by finding a man she could make happy by giving him her love.
That’s the secret: Look for someone to make happy, and then happiness will find you! “He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”4Those are God’s laws of the spirit and are just as definite as the laws of physics, such as the law of gravity. God’s laws of the spirit never fail. They always work for you or against you, depending on your actions and motives. And the first law is the law of love—unselfish love for Him and others. If you will obey that law and give the love that is His and others’ due, you will also receive love, “for with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Life, liberty, and the giving of happiness to others—these are things that only God can give and the only things that will ever satisfy your spirit. So if you want to be happy and make someone else truly happy, seek the satisfaction of the spirit that can be found only in God and His love!
—
1 John 4:8 ESV – Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.John 13:34-35 ESV – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
1 John 4:7 ESV – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Walk a Mile in His Shoes
“Never judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.”If there
was anyone who knew all about that, it was probably Mother Teresa. After
having lived among the poorest of the poor in India for nearly 30 years
(and she would continue to do so for nearly 20 more), she was awarded
the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. She began her acceptance speech with the
words, “Life is life.” She went on to explain that all human beings are
special and of great worth, no matter who they are, and that only when
we have learned to respect that fact can we begin to help them improve
their lives.
Most people would be happy to walk a mile in a pair of plush designer shoes or top-of-the-line athletic shoes, but how many would want to step into a poor laborer’s shoes? When I was living in Uganda, East Africa, I found a discarded pair of shoes that became to me a symbol of Africa and its sweet-spirited but struggling people.
It was apparent from the cement splatters that their last owner had been a construction worker. Like many others I observed there, he no doubt worked long days in sweltering heat with no protection against the sun and had only a couple of sticks of raw sugar cane for lunch. He had worn those shoes until the holes in the soles had gotten so big that the shoes no longer served their purpose. When there was no point in wearing them one more day, he left them for me to find. It wasn’t his intention, of course, but those shoes put my own petty problems into perspective.
There wasn’t any question in my mind when, some time later, a young man knocked at my door, asking for help. He had won a scholarship to a boarding school, but there was one requirement he couldn’t fulfill—he didn’t have any shoes. He asked if I had an extra pair I could give him. The ones I was wearing at the time fit him quite nicely, and that was that.
No, one simple act of kindness didn’t make me a saint on the level of Mother Teresa, but I do believe that in that moment I experienced a touch of what motivated her all those years: “The love of Christ compels us.”
Proverbs 14:29 ESV – Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
Proverbs 17:27 ESV – Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Most people would be happy to walk a mile in a pair of plush designer shoes or top-of-the-line athletic shoes, but how many would want to step into a poor laborer’s shoes? When I was living in Uganda, East Africa, I found a discarded pair of shoes that became to me a symbol of Africa and its sweet-spirited but struggling people.
It was apparent from the cement splatters that their last owner had been a construction worker. Like many others I observed there, he no doubt worked long days in sweltering heat with no protection against the sun and had only a couple of sticks of raw sugar cane for lunch. He had worn those shoes until the holes in the soles had gotten so big that the shoes no longer served their purpose. When there was no point in wearing them one more day, he left them for me to find. It wasn’t his intention, of course, but those shoes put my own petty problems into perspective.
There wasn’t any question in my mind when, some time later, a young man knocked at my door, asking for help. He had won a scholarship to a boarding school, but there was one requirement he couldn’t fulfill—he didn’t have any shoes. He asked if I had an extra pair I could give him. The ones I was wearing at the time fit him quite nicely, and that was that.
No, one simple act of kindness didn’t make me a saint on the level of Mother Teresa, but I do believe that in that moment I experienced a touch of what motivated her all those years: “The love of Christ compels us.”
—
Proverbs 18:2 ESV – A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.Proverbs 14:29 ESV – Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
Proverbs 17:27 ESV – Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Let Me Be a Little Kinder
A popular song that made a big impression on me as a teenager seemed
to be a prayer. I say “seemed” because the song didn’t mention God or
prayer. It also didn’t sound like any religious music I’d ever heard.
The lyrics were deceptively simple—big truths about character and
success in life expressed humbly and winsomely. I wanted to be like
that, I remember thinking. It was the best sermon I’d ever heard.
Let Me Be a Little Kinder
Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me;
Let me praise a little more.
Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.
Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver;
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be.
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker;
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.
Let me be when I am weary,
Just a little bit more cheery;
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am striving for.
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.
—Glen Campbell
If that was what religion was all about, I also remember thinking, it wasn’t so bad. It would be a few more years before I read from the Bible for the first time, but when I did I was pleasantly surprised to learn that was what true Christianity was all about—loving God and others. I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to muster that love from within myself. It is a gift from God, freely available to anyone who asks for it. All it takes is a simple, sincere prayer. Like that song.
Ephesians 4:32 ESV – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Proverbs 11:17 ESV – A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
Let Me Be a Little Kinder
Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me;
Let me praise a little more.
Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.
Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver;
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be.
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker;
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.
Let me be when I am weary,
Just a little bit more cheery;
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am striving for.
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker,
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me.
—Glen Campbell
If that was what religion was all about, I also remember thinking, it wasn’t so bad. It would be a few more years before I read from the Bible for the first time, but when I did I was pleasantly surprised to learn that was what true Christianity was all about—loving God and others. I was also pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to muster that love from within myself. It is a gift from God, freely available to anyone who asks for it. All it takes is a simple, sincere prayer. Like that song.
—
Genesis 21:23 NIV – Now swear to me here before God that you will not
deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and
the country where you are living as an alien the same kindness I have
shown to you.Ephesians 4:32 ESV – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Proverbs 11:17 ESV – A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
Monday, November 24, 2014
The Seasons of Life
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…
Thank You, God, for the seasons of my life, each having its own special beauty.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”—Psalm 118:24
A time to be born, and a time to die…
Thank You for the gift of life, and thank You that one day I will pass from this life to the next, carried onwards through Your love.
“My times are in Your hand.”—Psalm 31:15
A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted…
Thank You for both success and failure; experience is a hard but faithful teacher.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”—Psalm 37:23–24
A time to kill, and a time to heal…
Thank You for the sicknesses and other troubles that You have allowed in my life, so that I could rely more on You. Thank You for bringing me through them all.
“To you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.”—Malachi 4:2
A time to break down, and a time to build up…
There have been disappointments and losses; thank You for how they have made room for better things.
“We know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”—Romans 8:28
A time to weep, and a time to laugh…
Thank You for seasons of sorrow and of joy, for the sunshine that is even more appreciated after a storm.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”—Psalm 30:5
A time to mourn, and a time to dance…
Thank You that despite the sadness I feel at the loss of loved ones, I have the enduring comfort of knowing they are happy in heaven and we will be together again.
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.”—Psalm 30:11
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones…
Thank You for changes, which remind me that You are the one constant in my life.
“[Nothing] shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 8:38–39
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…
Thank You for the company of friends and loved ones, and thank You also for times of loneliness when I experience the comfort that You alone can give.
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”—Deuteronomy 33:27
A time to gain, and a time to lose…
Thank You for the times of need as well as the times of prosperity, each in their own way teaching me to appreciate my blessings.
“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”—Job 1:21
A time to keep, and a time to throw away…
Help me to let go of pride, selfishness, and other sins of the heart. Whatever the future holds, help me to hold onto what are most precious—You and Your love and truth.
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.”—Philippians 1:6
A time to tear, and a time to sew…
Even when I go astray, You never withdraw Your love. Your mercy and forgiveness make me want to do better.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:9
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak…
Thank You for always being there to listen to my problems, offer solutions, and put me on a positive path. Help me to be more like that with others.
“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.”—James 1:19
A time to love, and a time to hate…
Help me to forgive those who wrong me—to “love the sinner but hate the sin”—as You do with me.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”—Ephesians 4:32
A time of war, and a time of peace.
War will be with us as long as evil exists in this world, but thank You that one day You will put a stop to all that. In the meantime, help me to be a peacemaker.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”—Matthew 5:9 KJV
Thank You, God, for the seasons of my life, each having its own special beauty.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”—Psalm 118:24
A time to be born, and a time to die…
Thank You for the gift of life, and thank You that one day I will pass from this life to the next, carried onwards through Your love.
“My times are in Your hand.”—Psalm 31:15
A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted…
Thank You for both success and failure; experience is a hard but faithful teacher.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”—Psalm 37:23–24
A time to kill, and a time to heal…
Thank You for the sicknesses and other troubles that You have allowed in my life, so that I could rely more on You. Thank You for bringing me through them all.
“To you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.”—Malachi 4:2
A time to break down, and a time to build up…
There have been disappointments and losses; thank You for how they have made room for better things.
“We know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”—Romans 8:28
A time to weep, and a time to laugh…
Thank You for seasons of sorrow and of joy, for the sunshine that is even more appreciated after a storm.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”—Psalm 30:5
A time to mourn, and a time to dance…
Thank You that despite the sadness I feel at the loss of loved ones, I have the enduring comfort of knowing they are happy in heaven and we will be together again.
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.”—Psalm 30:11
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones…
Thank You for changes, which remind me that You are the one constant in my life.
“[Nothing] shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”—Romans 8:38–39
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…
Thank You for the company of friends and loved ones, and thank You also for times of loneliness when I experience the comfort that You alone can give.
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”—Deuteronomy 33:27
A time to gain, and a time to lose…
Thank You for the times of need as well as the times of prosperity, each in their own way teaching me to appreciate my blessings.
“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”—Job 1:21
A time to keep, and a time to throw away…
Help me to let go of pride, selfishness, and other sins of the heart. Whatever the future holds, help me to hold onto what are most precious—You and Your love and truth.
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.”—Philippians 1:6
A time to tear, and a time to sew…
Even when I go astray, You never withdraw Your love. Your mercy and forgiveness make me want to do better.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:9
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak…
Thank You for always being there to listen to my problems, offer solutions, and put me on a positive path. Help me to be more like that with others.
“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak.”—James 1:19
A time to love, and a time to hate…
Help me to forgive those who wrong me—to “love the sinner but hate the sin”—as You do with me.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”—Ephesians 4:32
A time of war, and a time of peace.
War will be with us as long as evil exists in this world, but thank You that one day You will put a stop to all that. In the meantime, help me to be a peacemaker.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”—Matthew 5:9 KJV
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Changing for the Better
God wants only the best for us.
Psalm 84:11b: No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Matthew 7:9–11: Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Luke 12:32: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
God can and will help us change for the better, if we let Him.
2 Timothy 1:12b: I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Philippians 1:6: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:13: For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
But the natural man resists change.
Mark 7:9: And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”
Luke 5:39: And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’
Yieldedness to the Lord’s will is the key to beneficial change.
1 Samuel 3:18b: So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
Psalm 40:8: I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.
Isaiah 64:8: Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Jeremiah 42:6: Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.
Matthew 6:10b: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
During the changing process, we must do two things: not worry about the past and keep our eyes on the goal ahead.
Philippians 3:13–14: Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:18: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Hebrews 12:1–2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Psalm 84:11b: No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Matthew 7:9–11: Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Luke 12:32: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
God can and will help us change for the better, if we let Him.
2 Timothy 1:12b: I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Philippians 1:6: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:13: For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
But the natural man resists change.
Mark 7:9: And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”
Luke 5:39: And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’
Yieldedness to the Lord’s will is the key to beneficial change.
1 Samuel 3:18b: So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
Psalm 40:8: I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.
Isaiah 64:8: Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Jeremiah 42:6: Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.
Matthew 6:10b: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
During the changing process, we must do two things: not worry about the past and keep our eyes on the goal ahead.
Philippians 3:13–14: Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:18: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Hebrews 12:1–2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Paryer Points
1. Please intercede for Bro Soon Bee, Wei Lin and Ethan Ong
2. Please intercede for all TSA ministry in Malaysia, all officers, staff and large network of people.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Christmas Program and TSA ministry in Penang
2. Please intercede for all TSA ministry in Malaysia, all officers, staff and large network of people.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Christmas Program and TSA ministry in Penang
Announcement
Count Down: West Malaysia Children's Camp
Date: 27-29 Nov Venue: Penang Children's Home
Please pray for all the childrens, teachers, volunteers for a successful camp and blessed fun time.
Penang Christmas Open House
Date: 14 Dec 2014 (Sunday) / Time: 7-10pm
Venue: Fort Cornwallis, Esplande.
Caroling Practice
Kindly take note of caroling practice after the church service.
Bro. Tong Sing will lead us, please do come and support.
Flower offering for 2015
Please contact Bro Francis Elias.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Seize the Day!
One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
—Dale Carnegie
The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the “buts” you use today.
—Les Brown
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
—Albert Einstein
What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Today is a most unusual day, because we have never lived it before; we will never live it again; it is the only day we have.
—William A. Ward
Build to-day, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;
And ascending and secure
Shall to-morrow find its place.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“The Builders”)
You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow.
—Harriet Martineau
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
—Groucho Marx
Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
—Will Rogers
I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today!
—William Allen White
The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.
—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Light tomorrow with today!
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning
—
James 4:14 ESV – Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 – I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
Psalm 31:14-15 – But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand.
—Dale Carnegie
The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the “buts” you use today.
—Les Brown
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
—Albert Einstein
What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Today is a most unusual day, because we have never lived it before; we will never live it again; it is the only day we have.
—William A. Ward
Build to-day, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;
And ascending and secure
Shall to-morrow find its place.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“The Builders”)
You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow.
—Harriet Martineau
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
—Groucho Marx
Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
—Will Rogers
I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today!
—William Allen White
The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.
—H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Light tomorrow with today!
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning
—
James 4:14 ESV – Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 – I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.
Psalm 31:14-15 – But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Life’s Editing
I had struggled with and overcome the demons of self-doubt and fear of failure, launched out into the deep, put pen to paper, and written my first short inspirational piece.
I sat back and read it through several times. Pleased with my modest effort, I submitted the piece to a monthly magazine for possible publication.
Some time later the magazine’s editor contacted me, saying he would like to print my article. He also enclosed an edited draft for my approval or further revision. Edited! As I sat and stared at “my” work, now before me in edited form, a strange mix of feelings swept over me. I had seen myself as an up-and-coming writer, but that image vanished like a mirage in a gathering sandstorm.
After the initial shock subsided, I tried to think about the situation more objectively. The edited version was indeed better. The central idea I wanted to convey was still there, the imagery was intact, and the tone was unchanged, but the superfluous parts had been cut to get to the heart of the piece.
As I contemplated this, my eye caught a picture of a diamond ring in a magazine lying open on my table. I thought about how someone had mined the chunk of rock that had contained that diamond, and about the skilled hands of the lapidary that had transformed that diamond in the rough into a thing of beauty, highly valued and greatly desired. Like a diamond trapped in a chunk of rock, my rough piece had not been the final product. The diamond had been there, but it had taken other skilled hands to retrieve, cut, and polish it.
Life is like this too. We are created as rough drafts that must go through the editing process. God sees in each of us that spark of promise, like the editor spots a promising thought as he scans the rough drafts that cross his desk. Then God works to transform us step by step into a finished article that will make worthwhile reading. Our substance is reshaped repeatedly by the choices and decisions we make, the superficial and superfluous bits are purged through life’s trials, and we are fine-tuned and polished through our daily interaction with others.
Like my roughly penned story, in the hands of the Great Editor my life has become more than it was to begin with—and He’s not done yet.
—
Psalm 119:59 ESV – When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Proverbs 21:1 ESV – The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
I sat back and read it through several times. Pleased with my modest effort, I submitted the piece to a monthly magazine for possible publication.
Some time later the magazine’s editor contacted me, saying he would like to print my article. He also enclosed an edited draft for my approval or further revision. Edited! As I sat and stared at “my” work, now before me in edited form, a strange mix of feelings swept over me. I had seen myself as an up-and-coming writer, but that image vanished like a mirage in a gathering sandstorm.
After the initial shock subsided, I tried to think about the situation more objectively. The edited version was indeed better. The central idea I wanted to convey was still there, the imagery was intact, and the tone was unchanged, but the superfluous parts had been cut to get to the heart of the piece.
As I contemplated this, my eye caught a picture of a diamond ring in a magazine lying open on my table. I thought about how someone had mined the chunk of rock that had contained that diamond, and about the skilled hands of the lapidary that had transformed that diamond in the rough into a thing of beauty, highly valued and greatly desired. Like a diamond trapped in a chunk of rock, my rough piece had not been the final product. The diamond had been there, but it had taken other skilled hands to retrieve, cut, and polish it.
Life is like this too. We are created as rough drafts that must go through the editing process. God sees in each of us that spark of promise, like the editor spots a promising thought as he scans the rough drafts that cross his desk. Then God works to transform us step by step into a finished article that will make worthwhile reading. Our substance is reshaped repeatedly by the choices and decisions we make, the superficial and superfluous bits are purged through life’s trials, and we are fine-tuned and polished through our daily interaction with others.
Like my roughly penned story, in the hands of the Great Editor my life has become more than it was to begin with—and He’s not done yet.
—
Psalm 119:59 ESV – When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Proverbs 21:1 ESV – The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
11 Tips Making Resolutions Realities
1. Make a list of your goals and select the top three to five that are the most important to you. Pray for God’s guidance in the process. He knows best.
2. Be realistic. Reaching for a goal should stretch you, but it should also be doable. Decide on a reasonable time frame for reaching each goal.
3. Don’t try to do everything at once. Focus on your top goal for a set period of time. Then move to goal number two, while maintaining the progress made toward reaching the first one, and so on.
4. Pray. Prayer brings into play the spiritual help you need to reach your goals.
5. Work with God. Change involves overcoming past thought and behavioral patterns. This is never easy, but change for the better is possible if you ask God to help and follow His lead. “With God nothing will be impossible.”
6. Chart your progress. Keep track of how far you’ve come, using a journal or chart. Keeping records and reviewing them periodically can also help you to identify weak spots.
7. Get help from others. Share your plan with a friend and ask for his or her help. Being accountable to someone will give you added incentive to stick to your resolutions even when it’s tough.
8. Don’t be discouraged by your mistakes. You will have some setbacks and “off” days. Take these lows as a reminder that you can’t do it on your own. Draw closer to God and depend more on His help. Tomorrow is a fresh chance to do better!
9. Be in it for the long haul. If you are truly serious about making a change, you will be willing to see it through, no matter how long it takes.
10. Visualize victory. Periodically visualize what your life will be like once your goal is reached. Picture the advantages you will gain and how much happier, healthier, or more productive you will be.
11. Reward yourself for each goal you reach. The real reward will be the feeling of accomplishment and the benefits you’ll experience from the change you’ve made, but having a physical treat attached to a specific goal can make it even more enjoyable.
—
2 Timothy 2:15 ESV – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Proverbs 4:21 ESV – Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
Job 38:4 ESV – Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
2. Be realistic. Reaching for a goal should stretch you, but it should also be doable. Decide on a reasonable time frame for reaching each goal.
3. Don’t try to do everything at once. Focus on your top goal for a set period of time. Then move to goal number two, while maintaining the progress made toward reaching the first one, and so on.
4. Pray. Prayer brings into play the spiritual help you need to reach your goals.
5. Work with God. Change involves overcoming past thought and behavioral patterns. This is never easy, but change for the better is possible if you ask God to help and follow His lead. “With God nothing will be impossible.”
6. Chart your progress. Keep track of how far you’ve come, using a journal or chart. Keeping records and reviewing them periodically can also help you to identify weak spots.
7. Get help from others. Share your plan with a friend and ask for his or her help. Being accountable to someone will give you added incentive to stick to your resolutions even when it’s tough.
8. Don’t be discouraged by your mistakes. You will have some setbacks and “off” days. Take these lows as a reminder that you can’t do it on your own. Draw closer to God and depend more on His help. Tomorrow is a fresh chance to do better!
9. Be in it for the long haul. If you are truly serious about making a change, you will be willing to see it through, no matter how long it takes.
10. Visualize victory. Periodically visualize what your life will be like once your goal is reached. Picture the advantages you will gain and how much happier, healthier, or more productive you will be.
11. Reward yourself for each goal you reach. The real reward will be the feeling of accomplishment and the benefits you’ll experience from the change you’ve made, but having a physical treat attached to a specific goal can make it even more enjoyable.
—
2 Timothy 2:15 ESV – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Proverbs 4:21 ESV – Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
Job 38:4 ESV – Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Got Potential?
What can you realistically expect to be or accomplish? That depends in part on how you define “realistic.” Nobody knows what we’re capable of better than God, and often His definition of “realistic” is “potential.”
He knows our limits—“He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust”—but He also sees our hearts and continually looks at us from the viewpoint of what we can become.
God expects us to do what we can, but He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He knows we’ll never be perfect, and if we’re smart we’ll realize that it’s foolish for us to try or pretend to be. We have to do our part, but our part isn’t to be perfect—and that’s the beauty of God’s plan!
Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, He lives in us. And if we will remember that we’re weak and imperfect and nothing, really, without Him, He can come through and be our everything. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” His strength is made perfect in our weakness. God loves to do amazing, extraordinary things through some of the most unlikely, imperfect people who find themselves in the most seemingly impossible situations. He does that to show us what He can do. It’s never about how good or strong we are. It’s about God and His goodness and power.
With God nothing is impossible, and He knows that no matter what has happened in the past or what our current weaknesses or lacks may be, we can change; He can make us better. We must learn to see ourselves through the eyes of faith, through the perspective of what we can become, what God’s power can transform us into, what Jesus can be in us.
So what if you aren’t perfect! Who is? You can still be a great success in life if you let the Spirit of God work in you and through you. His Spirit will fill in the gaps of the little problems and imperfections. God doesn’t need perfection from us to work His wonders.
Make room for God to work by not looking at your shortcomings and imperfections, but rather by looking to Him to help you reach your full potential as you do your part and hold Him to the promises He has made to you in His Word.
—
Psalm 103:14 ESV – For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
John 15:5 ESV – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV – But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
He knows our limits—“He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust”—but He also sees our hearts and continually looks at us from the viewpoint of what we can become.
God expects us to do what we can, but He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He knows we’ll never be perfect, and if we’re smart we’ll realize that it’s foolish for us to try or pretend to be. We have to do our part, but our part isn’t to be perfect—and that’s the beauty of God’s plan!
Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, He lives in us. And if we will remember that we’re weak and imperfect and nothing, really, without Him, He can come through and be our everything. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” His strength is made perfect in our weakness. God loves to do amazing, extraordinary things through some of the most unlikely, imperfect people who find themselves in the most seemingly impossible situations. He does that to show us what He can do. It’s never about how good or strong we are. It’s about God and His goodness and power.
With God nothing is impossible, and He knows that no matter what has happened in the past or what our current weaknesses or lacks may be, we can change; He can make us better. We must learn to see ourselves through the eyes of faith, through the perspective of what we can become, what God’s power can transform us into, what Jesus can be in us.
So what if you aren’t perfect! Who is? You can still be a great success in life if you let the Spirit of God work in you and through you. His Spirit will fill in the gaps of the little problems and imperfections. God doesn’t need perfection from us to work His wonders.
Make room for God to work by not looking at your shortcomings and imperfections, but rather by looking to Him to help you reach your full potential as you do your part and hold Him to the promises He has made to you in His Word.
—
Psalm 103:14 ESV – For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
John 15:5 ESV – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV – But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
God Can Do the Impossible
To one degree or another, just about all of us are unsatisfied with
ourselves—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A certain amount of
dissatisfaction is necessary if we’re going to keep making progress. To
become all that we can be, we must dream of being more than we are. The
problem is that too many of us stop there, in the dream stage. Why do
you suppose that is?
I suspect that more often than not it’s because we don’t think we have what it takes to turn our dreams into reality. And we’re usually right about that. We can make some changes by sheer willpower or working harder, like reaching a new sales quota or dropping a dress or pants size. But what about the bigger changes, the changes inside that we know would make us happier and better people? It’s that kind of change that is often most elusive.
We’re not good enough, we tell ourselves. We have too many flaws and make too many mistakes. We’ve tried and failed too many times. What’s the use? It’s just not in us!
Jesus summed it up simply when He said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” The secret lies in putting ourselves in God’s hands and letting Him do the impossible for us and through us and sometimes in spite of us. We may be small and weak and incapable, but there is a very big, strong, capable God just waiting to give us a hand. With His help, it’s easier than you ever imagined to make those “impossible” changes in yourself.
Mark 10:27 KJV – And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Mark 11:24 KJV – Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
I suspect that more often than not it’s because we don’t think we have what it takes to turn our dreams into reality. And we’re usually right about that. We can make some changes by sheer willpower or working harder, like reaching a new sales quota or dropping a dress or pants size. But what about the bigger changes, the changes inside that we know would make us happier and better people? It’s that kind of change that is often most elusive.
We’re not good enough, we tell ourselves. We have too many flaws and make too many mistakes. We’ve tried and failed too many times. What’s the use? It’s just not in us!
Jesus summed it up simply when He said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” The secret lies in putting ourselves in God’s hands and letting Him do the impossible for us and through us and sometimes in spite of us. We may be small and weak and incapable, but there is a very big, strong, capable God just waiting to give us a hand. With His help, it’s easier than you ever imagined to make those “impossible” changes in yourself.
—
Matthew 19:26 KJV – But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With
men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.Mark 10:27 KJV – And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Mark 11:24 KJV – Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Appreciate the Good
After I commented on my blog about a Christian song that I had found particularly inspiring, someone wrote and asked if I was aware of certain personal details about the singer/songwriter. I wasn’t, and learning these things about him came as a bit of a surprise.
I still appreciate the song, though, and I don’t feel that this man’s lifestyle choices change the fact that the song contains a beautiful truth. I’m thankful for the way that song moved me, and for how it is reaching people with God’s love.
We don’t have to embrace everything about a person in order to appreciate the good that he or she does. If we can take on this attitude, it will help us to be less exclusive and to find common ground with people who are different from us.
If we judged everyone according to things they have done that we don’t agree with, or by the sins they may have committed, we would miss out on a lot of very good things. We would have to reject the book of Psalms, because the author of most of those psalms, King David, plotted an innocent man’s death. And we couldn’t appreciate Moses’ leadership or the five books of the Bible that were authored by him because he killed a man in a moment of anger. We wouldn’t appreciate and benefit from a good deal of the New Testament, either, because the apostle Peter denied Jesus, and the apostle Paul persecuted some of the first Christians before he found Jesus. We would have little inspired music if we started to dissect the lives of those who wrote or produced each song. For that matter, we’d have very little in life that we could appreciate or benefit from, because no one is perfect. Where would we draw the line?
The point is, when we see a beautiful piece of art or hear some beautiful music, we can appreciate it and the inspiration behind it. Even if the artist or composer didn’t know where that inspiration was coming from, we do. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.”
Think about Jesus’ interactions with mankind when He lived as one of us. He welcomed people who had made choices that He certainly didn’t agree with. Those things weren’t what mattered to Him. What mattered was that they wanted His love, and He gave it freely. If Jesus, perfect and without sin, was that accepting and welcoming of everyone, how can we do less?
—
Psalm 31:19 ESV – Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
Psalm 27:13 ESV – I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
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.
I still appreciate the song, though, and I don’t feel that this man’s lifestyle choices change the fact that the song contains a beautiful truth. I’m thankful for the way that song moved me, and for how it is reaching people with God’s love.
We don’t have to embrace everything about a person in order to appreciate the good that he or she does. If we can take on this attitude, it will help us to be less exclusive and to find common ground with people who are different from us.
If we judged everyone according to things they have done that we don’t agree with, or by the sins they may have committed, we would miss out on a lot of very good things. We would have to reject the book of Psalms, because the author of most of those psalms, King David, plotted an innocent man’s death. And we couldn’t appreciate Moses’ leadership or the five books of the Bible that were authored by him because he killed a man in a moment of anger. We wouldn’t appreciate and benefit from a good deal of the New Testament, either, because the apostle Peter denied Jesus, and the apostle Paul persecuted some of the first Christians before he found Jesus. We would have little inspired music if we started to dissect the lives of those who wrote or produced each song. For that matter, we’d have very little in life that we could appreciate or benefit from, because no one is perfect. Where would we draw the line?
The point is, when we see a beautiful piece of art or hear some beautiful music, we can appreciate it and the inspiration behind it. Even if the artist or composer didn’t know where that inspiration was coming from, we do. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.”
Think about Jesus’ interactions with mankind when He lived as one of us. He welcomed people who had made choices that He certainly didn’t agree with. Those things weren’t what mattered to Him. What mattered was that they wanted His love, and He gave it freely. If Jesus, perfect and without sin, was that accepting and welcoming of everyone, how can we do less?
—
Psalm 31:19 ESV – Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
Psalm 27:13 ESV – I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
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.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Success with People
Look for the good in others.
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Titus 3:2: To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Matthew 7:2–5: For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:12: Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Luke 6:31–33: And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
Show understanding to those who are weaker.
Romans 15:1–2: We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
Galatians 6:1: Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Be winsome; dwell on points of agreement.
Romans 14:19: Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
1 Corinthians 9:19–22: For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Be patient and forgiving, as God is with us.
Psalm 103:8–10: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.
Matthew 18:21–22: Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Ephesians 4:32: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Philippians 4:8: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Titus 3:2: To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Matthew 7:2–5: For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:12: Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Luke 6:31–33: And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
Show understanding to those who are weaker.
Romans 15:1–2: We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
Galatians 6:1: Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Be winsome; dwell on points of agreement.
Romans 14:19: Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
1 Corinthians 9:19–22: For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Be patient and forgiving, as God is with us.
Psalm 103:8–10: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.
Matthew 18:21–22: Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Ephesians 4:32: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Prayer Points
1. Please intercede for Bro Seow Hwee, Loo Thoe and Khye Lin (Tan's Family)
2. Please intercede for Sis Rachel and Sis Maggie's mother for a speedy recovery and health to be restored. Keep the family in your prayer for God to strengthen and comfort them.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Penang Corps Local Officers
5. Please intercede for Christmas Program and TSA ministry in Penang
2. Please intercede for Sis Rachel and Sis Maggie's mother for a speedy recovery and health to be restored. Keep the family in your prayer for God to strengthen and comfort them.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Penang Corps Local Officers
5. Please intercede for Christmas Program and TSA ministry in Penang
Announcement
Reminder: West Malaysia Children's Camp
Date: 27-29 Nov Venue: Penang Children's Home
Volunteer needed for this camp in various area. Please do pray for this event.
Officer's away and retreat
Date: 11th Nov - 20 Nov 2014
Pastoral matters: Bro SH Tan
Building matters: Bro Francis
Caroling Practice
Kindly take note of caroling practice after the church service.
Bro. Tong Sing will lead us, please do come and support.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Blank Spaces
It has been said that when it comes to helping those we care about, prayer is not the least we can do, but the most. The Bible promises, “This is the confidence that we have in [God], 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.” That’s a lot of power!
There are many times during the day when our thoughts wander aimlessly, and those thoughts usually involve others—friends, family, colleagues, or those we’ve crossed paths with or heard about in the news. Perhaps you are stuck in traffic, or you have your hands in dishwater, or are taking a walk, or are waiting to fall asleep at night. When you find yourself in one of these blank spots and someone springs to mind, instead of only thinking about that person, turn your thoughts into a prayer.
Instead of wondering how your nephew is doing in school, pray for him to excel and be happy. Instead of wondering if your mother is recovering from the flu, pray for her healing. Instead of worrying about your friend who just lost his job, pray for him to not be discouraged and to find a new one.
By making a conscious effort to direct your thoughts to God and ask for His help, you will not only be giving a great gift to those you care about, but you’re likely to find greater peace of mind yourself. The more situations you ask God to take care of, the less you will have to worry about. “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.”
—
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV – Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Hebrews 13:6 ESV – So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
There are many times during the day when our thoughts wander aimlessly, and those thoughts usually involve others—friends, family, colleagues, or those we’ve crossed paths with or heard about in the news. Perhaps you are stuck in traffic, or you have your hands in dishwater, or are taking a walk, or are waiting to fall asleep at night. When you find yourself in one of these blank spots and someone springs to mind, instead of only thinking about that person, turn your thoughts into a prayer.
Instead of wondering how your nephew is doing in school, pray for him to excel and be happy. Instead of wondering if your mother is recovering from the flu, pray for her healing. Instead of worrying about your friend who just lost his job, pray for him to not be discouraged and to find a new one.
By making a conscious effort to direct your thoughts to God and ask for His help, you will not only be giving a great gift to those you care about, but you’re likely to find greater peace of mind yourself. The more situations you ask God to take care of, the less you will have to worry about. “Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.”
—
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV – Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Hebrews 13:6 ESV – So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Friday, November 14, 2014
Enemies of Success
Today’s armies of life coaches and business gurus often seem to build their strategies on a fundamental bit of advice from the 6th-century bc Chinese general Sun Tzu in his treatise, The Art of War—“Know your enemy.” Not until we identify and understand the attitudes and conditions that threaten our success can we take the steps necessary to overcome them.
Lack of a clear goal.
“What often leads to failure,” says entrepreneur and consultant Joseph Ansanelli, “is [the absence of] a well understood, small set of very important goals.”
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else.”—Yogi Berra
Lack of a plan.
It’s okay to dream of building castles in the air, but they won’t become realities without a realistic step-by-step plan for putting them there. Today we have space stations, but they didn’t just happen.
“He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”—Author unknown
Lack of focus.
Various things can contribute to lack of focus, including low motivation, a poor work environment, or being distracted by matters of lesser priority. Identify interferences and determine how to best deal with each.
“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life.”—Anthony Robbins
Laziness.
You can have a great idea and even a great plan for achieving it, but if you lack the necessary dedication or aren’t willing to put in the work, the idea and plan are doomed.
“Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it.”—Author unknown
Rigidity.
Few things undermine initiative and progress worse than holding on to the way things have been done in the past.
“A closed mind is not only closed to outside thoughts, it is often closed to itself as well. It is closed to new thoughts and anything that threatens the status quo. But if you can open the doors, maybe just a crack at first, the ideas that have been patiently waiting at your gates will flood in.”—David Straker and Graham Rawlinson, How to Invent (Almost) Anything
Lack of enthusiasm. If an idea is like a spark, enthusiasm is the wind that whips it into a bonfire strong enough to withstand the rain of adversity.
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”—Winston Churchill
Accepting defeat.
Very often, the battle is lost in the mind before the real action even begins. Expect defeat, and you are already defeated; hope to win, and you give yourself a chance; expect to win, and you increase your chances exponentially. Even the most seemingly impossible situation can be overcome if approached positively, as a challenge.
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”—William Feather
Complacency.
The greatest danger often comes when things are running smoothly and the pressure is off, because the natural tendency then is to not try as hard. It may be possible to coast for a while, but valuable momentum will be lost; if left unchecked, things will grind to a halt.
“There is a very fine line between confidence and complacency. If you win the first game against a team, the worst thing you can do is fool yourself into thinking that the second game will be easier.”—Dave McGinnis
Overconfidence.
The hare and the tortoise, the giant Goliath and the boy David, the Titanic—you get the picture.
“Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds you’re beating.”—Larry Kersten
Procrastination.
The most capable people in the world, with the best ideas in the world and all the financial backing in the world, will get nowhere until they take action.
“There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back.”—Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
Disunity.
Joint efforts rarely come to full fruition without reasonable levels of consensus and compatibility, so work at building those. Then when opposing ideas and interests emerge, rather than becoming stumbling blocks, they can be used as stepping stones.
“Honest differences of views and honest debate are not disunity. They are the vital process of policy making.”—Herbert Hoover
Moral compromise.
The credo of some seems to be “All is fair in love, war, business, and life,” but what works is not always what’s right. Victories won immorally are shallow, usually short-lived, and often have consequences that cancel any success. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
“Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles.”—Walter Cronkite
Failure to learn from mistakes. Victory is very often decided according to who has learned the most from past mistakes.
“The real test is not whether you avoid failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”—Barack Obama
Lack of a clear goal.
“What often leads to failure,” says entrepreneur and consultant Joseph Ansanelli, “is [the absence of] a well understood, small set of very important goals.”
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else.”—Yogi Berra
Lack of a plan.
It’s okay to dream of building castles in the air, but they won’t become realities without a realistic step-by-step plan for putting them there. Today we have space stations, but they didn’t just happen.
“He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”—Author unknown
Lack of focus.
Various things can contribute to lack of focus, including low motivation, a poor work environment, or being distracted by matters of lesser priority. Identify interferences and determine how to best deal with each.
“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life.”—Anthony Robbins
Laziness.
You can have a great idea and even a great plan for achieving it, but if you lack the necessary dedication or aren’t willing to put in the work, the idea and plan are doomed.
“Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it.”—Author unknown
Rigidity.
Few things undermine initiative and progress worse than holding on to the way things have been done in the past.
“A closed mind is not only closed to outside thoughts, it is often closed to itself as well. It is closed to new thoughts and anything that threatens the status quo. But if you can open the doors, maybe just a crack at first, the ideas that have been patiently waiting at your gates will flood in.”—David Straker and Graham Rawlinson, How to Invent (Almost) Anything
Lack of enthusiasm. If an idea is like a spark, enthusiasm is the wind that whips it into a bonfire strong enough to withstand the rain of adversity.
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”—Winston Churchill
Accepting defeat.
Very often, the battle is lost in the mind before the real action even begins. Expect defeat, and you are already defeated; hope to win, and you give yourself a chance; expect to win, and you increase your chances exponentially. Even the most seemingly impossible situation can be overcome if approached positively, as a challenge.
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”—William Feather
Complacency.
The greatest danger often comes when things are running smoothly and the pressure is off, because the natural tendency then is to not try as hard. It may be possible to coast for a while, but valuable momentum will be lost; if left unchecked, things will grind to a halt.
“There is a very fine line between confidence and complacency. If you win the first game against a team, the worst thing you can do is fool yourself into thinking that the second game will be easier.”—Dave McGinnis
Overconfidence.
The hare and the tortoise, the giant Goliath and the boy David, the Titanic—you get the picture.
“Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds you’re beating.”—Larry Kersten
Procrastination.
The most capable people in the world, with the best ideas in the world and all the financial backing in the world, will get nowhere until they take action.
“There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not even a single way to get one back.”—Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister
Disunity.
Joint efforts rarely come to full fruition without reasonable levels of consensus and compatibility, so work at building those. Then when opposing ideas and interests emerge, rather than becoming stumbling blocks, they can be used as stepping stones.
“Honest differences of views and honest debate are not disunity. They are the vital process of policy making.”—Herbert Hoover
Moral compromise.
The credo of some seems to be “All is fair in love, war, business, and life,” but what works is not always what’s right. Victories won immorally are shallow, usually short-lived, and often have consequences that cancel any success. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
“Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles.”—Walter Cronkite
Failure to learn from mistakes. Victory is very often decided according to who has learned the most from past mistakes.
“The real test is not whether you avoid failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.”—Barack Obama
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Work Smart
One of the best things to keep in mind when organizing your work is to not give yourself more to do than you can manage. Set priorities and work through your to-do list at a sustainable pace, starting with the most important or urgent items and doing what you can each day. Then you will have the satisfaction of knowing you used your time and energy wisely, and you will be that much closer to your goals when you start work the next day.
Getting the job done right is the most important thing. Accuracy is more important than speed. Typing tutors emphasize that speed will come with practice, and the same is true of most work. Over time, positive results will come more easily and quickly, and eventually they will come almost automatically. Don’t rush or push; just focus on getting it right, and as you gain experience, you will naturally gain speed.
Racehorses can spurt for a few rounds around the track, but that’s it. They’re extremely high-strung and not good workhorses. Pack mules and donkeys, on the other hand, are plodders and load carriers. You cannot rush them, but they can carry heavier loads and negotiate trails that horses would never survive. Some people struggle at their work because they approach it like a racehorse rather than a pack mule.
Other people’s troubles stem from the fact that they have no regularity, no schedule, no scientific organization. If they would keep a chart or spreadsheet or even a simple prioritized list, they would know at a moment’s glance where their work was at and what to concentrate on next. Getting and staying organized may seem like extra work, but it saves a lot of work in the long run.
That is also the best way to avoid last-minute cramming and the stress that comes with that. Having everything planned and scheduled and charted is a far more effective and pleasant course of action than constantly rushing to meet the next deadline.
Most large companies have what they call “efficiency experts” or “time management consultants” who hang over the shoulders of the workers to figure out how they could do their jobs better, cheaper, or faster, as well as what they’re doing that they don’t need to do. You can do that for yourself too. By planning your work, keeping records, and evaluating the results, you can significantly improve your work habits and productivity. Now that is working smart!
—
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 ESV – For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Proverbs 14:23 ESV – In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Proverbs 12:24 ESV – The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
Getting the job done right is the most important thing. Accuracy is more important than speed. Typing tutors emphasize that speed will come with practice, and the same is true of most work. Over time, positive results will come more easily and quickly, and eventually they will come almost automatically. Don’t rush or push; just focus on getting it right, and as you gain experience, you will naturally gain speed.
Racehorses can spurt for a few rounds around the track, but that’s it. They’re extremely high-strung and not good workhorses. Pack mules and donkeys, on the other hand, are plodders and load carriers. You cannot rush them, but they can carry heavier loads and negotiate trails that horses would never survive. Some people struggle at their work because they approach it like a racehorse rather than a pack mule.
Other people’s troubles stem from the fact that they have no regularity, no schedule, no scientific organization. If they would keep a chart or spreadsheet or even a simple prioritized list, they would know at a moment’s glance where their work was at and what to concentrate on next. Getting and staying organized may seem like extra work, but it saves a lot of work in the long run.
That is also the best way to avoid last-minute cramming and the stress that comes with that. Having everything planned and scheduled and charted is a far more effective and pleasant course of action than constantly rushing to meet the next deadline.
Most large companies have what they call “efficiency experts” or “time management consultants” who hang over the shoulders of the workers to figure out how they could do their jobs better, cheaper, or faster, as well as what they’re doing that they don’t need to do. You can do that for yourself too. By planning your work, keeping records, and evaluating the results, you can significantly improve your work habits and productivity. Now that is working smart!
—
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 ESV – For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Proverbs 14:23 ESV – In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Proverbs 12:24 ESV – The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
How to Succeed
There is a common force that drives most of us: we want to be successful. Regardless of who we are or what our specific goals may be, we want the security and comfort that material success provides, as well as the satisfaction of knowing that our lives are turning out well and count for something.
If we all want the same basic thing, why then are some people so much more successful than others? Circumstances alone aren’t the deciding factor, because some people succeed despite incredibly difficult circumstances. Neither is success determined by natural ability alone, because many gifted people fail, while others who seem less likely to succeed do.
What, then, makes the difference? Some experts say it comes down to organization—establishing priorities, planning, managing time wisely, and so on. Others say creativity is the key, or motivation, or hard work, or single-mindedness, or the ability to work well with others. In reality, to have the greatest chance at success, it takes a combination of these and more. Success, it turns out, is a tricky matter.
Who can help you put it all together?—Who better than God? Look at the balance of His creation. From the tiny atom to the far reaches of the universe, can you imagine anything more intricate, efficient, or enduring? And who has more or better ideas than Him? Or who knows you and your needs better than Him?
And here’s the best part: He wants to help you succeed. He says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,” so “commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” You and God can make an unstoppable combination.
—
Proverbs 16:3 NIV – Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
John 14:27 NIV – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
If we all want the same basic thing, why then are some people so much more successful than others? Circumstances alone aren’t the deciding factor, because some people succeed despite incredibly difficult circumstances. Neither is success determined by natural ability alone, because many gifted people fail, while others who seem less likely to succeed do.
What, then, makes the difference? Some experts say it comes down to organization—establishing priorities, planning, managing time wisely, and so on. Others say creativity is the key, or motivation, or hard work, or single-mindedness, or the ability to work well with others. In reality, to have the greatest chance at success, it takes a combination of these and more. Success, it turns out, is a tricky matter.
Who can help you put it all together?—Who better than God? Look at the balance of His creation. From the tiny atom to the far reaches of the universe, can you imagine anything more intricate, efficient, or enduring? And who has more or better ideas than Him? Or who knows you and your needs better than Him?
And here’s the best part: He wants to help you succeed. He says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,” so “commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” You and God can make an unstoppable combination.
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Proverbs 16:3 NIV – Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
John 14:27 NIV – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Be a Maximizer
Be a Maximizer
Most people, it seems, fall into one of three broad groups when it comes to their level of dedication and initiative, their work ethic, and how much they’re able to accomplish.
These three groups are the minimizers, the maintainers, and the maximizers. Minimizers do as little as they can get away with, and maintainers do only what is needed to maintain the status quo, but maximizers are ready and willing to go the distance; they are focused on moving closer to their goal, even though they know it will cost them in time and energy.
Maximizers are the cream of the crop. They take initiative, are proactive, are the first to respond to a need or adapt to changing circumstances, and give their best at whatever they do. It comes as no surprise, then, that maximizers are generally more successful than their less committed counterparts.
There is no simple formula for becoming a maximizer, but there are some basic principles that apply almost universally.
Put in the hours. Maximizers don’t watch the clock. To be maximizers, we must be willing to work long and hard, within reasonable limits, and sometimes do so in less-than-ideal conditions. Ancient Israel’s King Solomon, who was himself a maximizer when it came to things as varied as his building projects, pursuing wisdom, and (perhaps less wisely) acquiring wives and concubines, put it this way: “Lazy people want much but get little, while the diligent are prospering,” and, “The lazy man will not plow because of winter; [therefore] he will beg during harvest and have nothing.” Finding a balance is essential. The goal is not to become a work-aholic, but if we want the maximum results from any venture, it stands to reason that we need to put in more than a minimum of work.
Have a good work ethic and self-discipline. Cultivating a good work ethic, good work habits, and self-discipline are all crucial to becoming a maximizer. We should look for opportunities to renew our commitment to excellence through constantly challenging ourselves to stretch and grow. Good work habits include such things as planning ahead, prioritizing, wisely delegating, learning from mistakes, and remaining flexible. Maximizers have a purpose. They are driven to accomplish something beyond the norm, and they realize that to be successful at it they need to make sacrifices.
Share the load. Maximizers work hard, but they are wise enough to know that their own efforts alone will never achieve the maximum results possible, and they are humble enough to solicit the help of others. They see the potential in others, delegate what they can, and inspire their coworkers to strive to be maximizers too. And if they are really smart, they also share the load with God by involving Him at every step in the endeavor, knowing that the inspiration, insight, and strength He can add will get them much farther than they could ever get on their own. They believe in the power of prayer and understand that God can help them reach their objective, even—and especially—when circumstances are beyond their control. They ask for His blessing at every turn, follow His lead, and depend on Him to do what they can’t do.
Abandon the comfort zones. Being a maximizer involves some discomfort. If we continue to do only the things we’ve always done, the way we’ve always done them, we can’t expect greater results. To accomplish more, we need to reach farther or in new directions; we need to pursue new ideas and develop new strengths and abilities. It’s easy to settle into a routine or to rest on one’s accomplishments, but the maximizer is always on the lookout for a new challenge, a new opportunity, and new ways to break out of the mold. When he finds one, he goes for it.
Be a team player. The maximizer looks for ways to serve the common good, to not only accomplish his own work, but also to help others on his team accomplish theirs. He knows that by giving in this way he is building team spirit, which will maximize his own efforts in the long run and cause others to be more willing to help him when he needs it.
Stay strong. Good health and being free from stress make you more productive, so taking time to take care of yourself is a good investment. Eat well, sleep well, exercise, and take time to relax and reflect.
Thank God for the good. Even if you do your best to follow the maximizer’s creed of giving your best, you can’t necessarily expect huge results right from the start—but you can expect to make progress. Focus on and be thankful for the gains, rather than dwelling on what there is left to do.
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Colossians 3:23 NIV – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
2 Timothy 2:15 ESV – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 ESV – Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Monday, November 10, 2014
The Resting Place
I usually enjoyed the ride into town on my motor scooter, but that day my mind wasn’t on the beautiful scenery or the perfect weather. It had been a busy previous two months. One coworker and I had tried to keep up with every aspect of our volunteer work while the rest of our team was away, and now that they were back, instead of the rest I had hoped for, the workload had increased.
I really deserve a break, I thought, but there’s not much chance of that! Enveloped in a fog of self-pity, I never saw the speeding motorcycle until it crashed into me.
In shock, I picked myself up from the street and began pushing the scooter to a repair shop down the street. The shop owner had heard the crash, rushed to help me, and quickly checked me for injuries. “You should go to the hospital,” he said, “and have that hand looked at.”
I looked down and realized I was clutching my left wrist. Several minutes later, serious pain set in.
I clenched my teeth on the ride to the hospital. I’d never felt such strong pain. I thought my wrist might be broken.
As I waited at the hospital to be examined, I closed my eyes and attempted to block out everything for a moment.Jesus, why did this happen? I prayed.
As soon as I formed the question, the answer came. You have been trying to do My work without My power. Come to Me, you who labor and are heavy laden, and you will find rest for your soul. I had gotten so wrapped up in work that I had been neglecting my time with Him. I had thought I needed time to myself, but what I really needed was more time with Him, getting rested and refreshed in spirit.
I’m so sorry, Lord, I answered. Please heal my wrist.
The x-rays showed no serious damage, and the doctor diagnosed it as a bad sprain.
For the next couple of weeks, the brace on my wrist was a constant reminder to not push on in my own strength, but to spend more time with Jesus, drawing on His strength and including Him more in my planning and work. Not surprisingly, everything became easier and went smoother. Despite my sprained wrist, I got more done, not less, and the stress lessened.
Now I try to not let a day go by without taking that time with Jesus.
—
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV – Pray without ceasing.
Psalm 62:5 ESV – For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Psalm 46:10 ESV – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
I really deserve a break, I thought, but there’s not much chance of that! Enveloped in a fog of self-pity, I never saw the speeding motorcycle until it crashed into me.
In shock, I picked myself up from the street and began pushing the scooter to a repair shop down the street. The shop owner had heard the crash, rushed to help me, and quickly checked me for injuries. “You should go to the hospital,” he said, “and have that hand looked at.”
I looked down and realized I was clutching my left wrist. Several minutes later, serious pain set in.
I clenched my teeth on the ride to the hospital. I’d never felt such strong pain. I thought my wrist might be broken.
As I waited at the hospital to be examined, I closed my eyes and attempted to block out everything for a moment.Jesus, why did this happen? I prayed.
As soon as I formed the question, the answer came. You have been trying to do My work without My power. Come to Me, you who labor and are heavy laden, and you will find rest for your soul. I had gotten so wrapped up in work that I had been neglecting my time with Him. I had thought I needed time to myself, but what I really needed was more time with Him, getting rested and refreshed in spirit.
I’m so sorry, Lord, I answered. Please heal my wrist.
The x-rays showed no serious damage, and the doctor diagnosed it as a bad sprain.
For the next couple of weeks, the brace on my wrist was a constant reminder to not push on in my own strength, but to spend more time with Jesus, drawing on His strength and including Him more in my planning and work. Not surprisingly, everything became easier and went smoother. Despite my sprained wrist, I got more done, not less, and the stress lessened.
Now I try to not let a day go by without taking that time with Jesus.
—
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV – Pray without ceasing.
Psalm 62:5 ESV – For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Psalm 46:10 ESV – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Prayer Points
1. Please intercede for Bro John Lee, Shirley, Cheryl, Robin and Michelle
2. Please intercede for Sis Rachel and Sis Maggie's mother for a speedy recovery and health to be restored. Keep the family in your prayer for God to strengthen and comfort them.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Penang Corps Local Officers
5. Please intercede for Form 5 students as they prepare for SPM.
2. Please intercede for Sis Rachel and Sis Maggie's mother for a speedy recovery and health to be restored. Keep the family in your prayer for God to strengthen and comfort them.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Penang Corps Local Officers
5. Please intercede for Form 5 students as they prepare for SPM.
Announcements
Music Class
Date: 12th Nov 2014 @ 8pm / Wednesday
Venue: Worship Hall
Reminder: West Malaysia Children's Camp
Date: 27-29 Nov Venue: Penang Children's Home
Officer's away and retreat
Date: 11th Nov - 20 Nov 2014
Pastoral matters: Bro SH Tan
Building matters: Bro Francis
Bible Message
Date: 16th Nov 2014
Speaker: Bro SH Tan
Date: 12th Nov 2014 @ 8pm / Wednesday
Venue: Worship Hall
Reminder: West Malaysia Children's Camp
Date: 27-29 Nov Venue: Penang Children's Home
Officer's away and retreat
Date: 11th Nov - 20 Nov 2014
Pastoral matters: Bro SH Tan
Building matters: Bro Francis
Bible Message
Date: 16th Nov 2014
Speaker: Bro SH Tan
The Rule of 5
It never ceases to amaze me how much Jesus wants to be a part of our lives by giving us practical, tangible help. When I was discouraged about my inability to get organized, I took the problem to Jesus during my quiet time with Him. “There is no way that I will be able to meet my life goals with this serious state of disorganization,” I told Him. “I try to change, but I need Your help, because without it I keep slipping into my old pattern of doing nothing because I cannot do everything. How can I overcome this problem?”
Faithful as always, He spoke to my heart with words of encouragement about how much He loves me, even though I’m not perfect and don’t accomplish as much as I think I should. Any forward progress is better than nothing, He reminded me. He didn’t design us to succeed every time, only to be able to move forward, to learn and progress, and through that process to eventually become all we can be.
Jesus then gave me a few pointers to help me to make progress in this area, including what I have come to call “the rule of five.” The crux of my problem was that I had accumulated way too many things—clutter that led to a feeling of chaos. Some things I needed, some I had kept because I thought I might need them someday, and some were just plain junk.
Jesus didn’t suggest that I embark on a huge reorganizing project that would have been very taxing and nearly impossible to follow through on, but rather that I start by trying to get rid of five unnecessary things each day. It could be as simple as putting a brochure that I’m through with into the recycle bin. I am also trying to pass on nice things that I will probably never use again, like that item of clothing that would fit if I were to lose some weight, but which would look great on a friend right now. You get the idea. I’ve been able to give lots of small gifts to friends, donate some other things to needy causes, and throw away the junk—and it has brought me back to the joys of simple, uncluttered living.
Of course some days I forget or don’t have time, and I still have a lot of stuff to work through, but the rule of five has given me a plan that works and I no longer constantly feel like an organizational failure.
—
James 1:22 ESV – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV – For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Colossians 1:29 ESV – For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Faithful as always, He spoke to my heart with words of encouragement about how much He loves me, even though I’m not perfect and don’t accomplish as much as I think I should. Any forward progress is better than nothing, He reminded me. He didn’t design us to succeed every time, only to be able to move forward, to learn and progress, and through that process to eventually become all we can be.
Jesus then gave me a few pointers to help me to make progress in this area, including what I have come to call “the rule of five.” The crux of my problem was that I had accumulated way too many things—clutter that led to a feeling of chaos. Some things I needed, some I had kept because I thought I might need them someday, and some were just plain junk.
Jesus didn’t suggest that I embark on a huge reorganizing project that would have been very taxing and nearly impossible to follow through on, but rather that I start by trying to get rid of five unnecessary things each day. It could be as simple as putting a brochure that I’m through with into the recycle bin. I am also trying to pass on nice things that I will probably never use again, like that item of clothing that would fit if I were to lose some weight, but which would look great on a friend right now. You get the idea. I’ve been able to give lots of small gifts to friends, donate some other things to needy causes, and throw away the junk—and it has brought me back to the joys of simple, uncluttered living.
Of course some days I forget or don’t have time, and I still have a lot of stuff to work through, but the rule of five has given me a plan that works and I no longer constantly feel like an organizational failure.
—
James 1:22 ESV – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV – For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Colossians 1:29 ESV – For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Building Habits
Believe it or not, they used to build bridges by first flying a kite from one side of the river or gorge to the other. Someone on the opposite side caught the kite and tied a little thicker, stronger string to the end of the kite string, and the men who had sent the kite over pulled the new, thicker string back across. The teams on each side kept repeating the process, next with an even stronger string, then a cord, then a thin rope, then a thicker rope, and so on. Eventually they could pull a small steel cable across, then a heavier one, until finally they had a cable across the expanse that was strong enough to support them and their tools and materials.—And it all started with one tiny kite string!
That’s how habits are formed, both good and bad. Add a thread every day, and before long you can’t break it. Start developing a good habit by taking the first step, however small, in the right direction. Then keep at it until you’ve built up a routine that can’t easily be broken.
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Romans 12:2 ESV – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV – My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
Ephesians 5:1 ESV – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
That’s how habits are formed, both good and bad. Add a thread every day, and before long you can’t break it. Start developing a good habit by taking the first step, however small, in the right direction. Then keep at it until you’ve built up a routine that can’t easily be broken.
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Romans 12:2 ESV – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV – My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
Ephesians 5:1 ESV – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Bring out the Best
One quality that good leaders seem to have in common is the ability to bring out the best in others. Whether they are bosses, managers, team captains, or role models, inevitably they have learned to not think in terms of problems, but rather in terms of people and their potential.
When those leaders see others doing something wrong or working inefficiently, rather than fuming or stepping in to do the job themselves, they challenge those people to keep trying until they get it right, and then praise them when they do.
The bosses could probably do those particular tasks better or quicker, but if they made a habit of that, they would end up trying to do everything themselves. When there is a lot to do, the leader needs to delegate, and that involves trust, belief, training, and commendation. The leader needs to provide whatever training may be missing and trust the work to others; the people doing the work need to believe they can succeed; and then the leader needs to commend the effort, even if it’s not perfect. Over time, the people doing the work will usually learn to get it right, but not many will continue to try their best if all they hear is what they did wrong or how they could have done better.
No matter how otherwise talented leaders may be, if they can’t work well with people they will soon find themselves disliked and distrusted by those they are trying to lead. People trust those who they know care about them, and such trust is built by their leader taking a personal interest, showing concern, and being generous with praise and appreciation. People who consistently get those types of positive reinforcement usually do their best to live up to their boss’s expectations.
The people expert Dale Carnegie gave an example of a boss who understood that principle. Gunter Schmidt was a store manager, and he had a problem: one of his employees was careless about putting the correct prices on the display shelves. Reminders and admonitions didn’t work, so after receiving one too many customer complaints Schmidt finally called the employee into his office. Rather than giving her the telling-off she expected, however, he told her that he was appointing her “supervisor of price tag posting” for the entire store. It was now her responsibility to keep all the shelves properly tagged—and she fulfilled that role satisfactorily from that day on. All she had needed was for her boss to express trust by giving her a little more responsibility.
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1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV – Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Ephesians 4:29 ESV – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
When those leaders see others doing something wrong or working inefficiently, rather than fuming or stepping in to do the job themselves, they challenge those people to keep trying until they get it right, and then praise them when they do.
The bosses could probably do those particular tasks better or quicker, but if they made a habit of that, they would end up trying to do everything themselves. When there is a lot to do, the leader needs to delegate, and that involves trust, belief, training, and commendation. The leader needs to provide whatever training may be missing and trust the work to others; the people doing the work need to believe they can succeed; and then the leader needs to commend the effort, even if it’s not perfect. Over time, the people doing the work will usually learn to get it right, but not many will continue to try their best if all they hear is what they did wrong or how they could have done better.
No matter how otherwise talented leaders may be, if they can’t work well with people they will soon find themselves disliked and distrusted by those they are trying to lead. People trust those who they know care about them, and such trust is built by their leader taking a personal interest, showing concern, and being generous with praise and appreciation. People who consistently get those types of positive reinforcement usually do their best to live up to their boss’s expectations.
The people expert Dale Carnegie gave an example of a boss who understood that principle. Gunter Schmidt was a store manager, and he had a problem: one of his employees was careless about putting the correct prices on the display shelves. Reminders and admonitions didn’t work, so after receiving one too many customer complaints Schmidt finally called the employee into his office. Rather than giving her the telling-off she expected, however, he told her that he was appointing her “supervisor of price tag posting” for the entire store. It was now her responsibility to keep all the shelves properly tagged—and she fulfilled that role satisfactorily from that day on. All she had needed was for her boss to express trust by giving her a little more responsibility.
—
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV – Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Ephesians 4:29 ESV – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
When Clashes Are Good
Synergy—the working together of two or more people or things in which the result is greater than the sum of their individual effects or capabilities—has become a workplace buzzword.
We’ve all heard lots about the benefits of teamwork. Pool your talents and work together, and you get more ideas, greater effort, and better results. Two and two don’t always equal four; in teamwork they can equal six or eight.
But recently I saw another side to synergy: that some conflict is necessary for a team to be successful. Working together well doesn’t mean sailing gently on a placid sea, as one might expect if the team were made up of people with similar temperaments, talents, and mindsets. The team that really gets somewhere has varied or even opposing ideas and approaches to problems. The resulting turmoil can propel the team forward.
Of course, there needs to be a balance, and when each member of the team genuinely respects the others, there will be. When there is mutual appreciation for what each person brings to the team, when everyone keeps an open mind and every idea can be considered, and when it really doesn’t matter who had the winning idea, conditions are ripe for innovation and progress.
On one team I worked with, there were opposing ideas and needs, which created conflict and uneasiness at first. But because we were more concerned about working together than we were about each having his or her own way, we didn’t let our differences stop us, and eventually we overcame them. The result was positive, even though it wasn’t easy getting there.
I’m the kind of person who gets discouraged by conflict because I feel something must be terribly wrong, but I also have a mind of my own and don’t like to be told what to think or do. Those opposing feelings have complicated many situations that were already difficult enough. Learning to view conflict as a necessary part of the process has been a breakthrough for me. That perspective takes the fear out of presenting my ideas when others think differently, and it also makes it easier for me to be open to opposing ideas.
Synergy takes work and some sparks may fly, but if we can get through that, the rewards are well worth it. As Kenneth Blanchard said, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
—
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV – Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Proverbs 27:17 ESV – Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Colossians 3:23 ESV – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
We’ve all heard lots about the benefits of teamwork. Pool your talents and work together, and you get more ideas, greater effort, and better results. Two and two don’t always equal four; in teamwork they can equal six or eight.
But recently I saw another side to synergy: that some conflict is necessary for a team to be successful. Working together well doesn’t mean sailing gently on a placid sea, as one might expect if the team were made up of people with similar temperaments, talents, and mindsets. The team that really gets somewhere has varied or even opposing ideas and approaches to problems. The resulting turmoil can propel the team forward.
Of course, there needs to be a balance, and when each member of the team genuinely respects the others, there will be. When there is mutual appreciation for what each person brings to the team, when everyone keeps an open mind and every idea can be considered, and when it really doesn’t matter who had the winning idea, conditions are ripe for innovation and progress.
On one team I worked with, there were opposing ideas and needs, which created conflict and uneasiness at first. But because we were more concerned about working together than we were about each having his or her own way, we didn’t let our differences stop us, and eventually we overcame them. The result was positive, even though it wasn’t easy getting there.
I’m the kind of person who gets discouraged by conflict because I feel something must be terribly wrong, but I also have a mind of my own and don’t like to be told what to think or do. Those opposing feelings have complicated many situations that were already difficult enough. Learning to view conflict as a necessary part of the process has been a breakthrough for me. That perspective takes the fear out of presenting my ideas when others think differently, and it also makes it easier for me to be open to opposing ideas.
Synergy takes work and some sparks may fly, but if we can get through that, the rewards are well worth it. As Kenneth Blanchard said, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
—
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV – Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Proverbs 27:17 ESV – Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Colossians 3:23 ESV – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
“Precious Promises” Sampler
Here are just a few of God’s promises to you. There are hundreds more that you can hold Him to when faced with any problem.
God’s promises are contracts. Most have conditions attached. Take a moment to think about each one in terms of God’s part and your part.
(In the following list, only the most pertinent parts of some verses are given in order to highlight the promise.)
God’s love
Romans 8:38–39: 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
James 4:8: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
1 John 4:8: God is love.
Answers to prayer
Jeremiah 33:3: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
John 15:7: If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
1 John 5:14–15: 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.
Material supply
Psalm 84:11: No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Matthew 6:33: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Philippians 4:19: My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
1 John 3:22: Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Protection and help in time of trouble
Psalm 34:7: The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
Psalm 46:1: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Isaiah 43:2: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.
Comfort
Psalm 34:18: The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 119:50: This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your Word has given me life.
John 14:18 KJV: I [Jesus] will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
God’s promises are contracts. Most have conditions attached. Take a moment to think about each one in terms of God’s part and your part.
(In the following list, only the most pertinent parts of some verses are given in order to highlight the promise.)
God’s love
Romans 8:38–39: 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 created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
James 4:8: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
1 John 4:8: God is love.
Answers to prayer
Jeremiah 33:3: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
John 15:7: If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
1 John 5:14–15: 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.
Material supply
Psalm 84:11: No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Matthew 6:33: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Philippians 4:19: My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
1 John 3:22: Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Protection and help in time of trouble
Psalm 34:7: The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.
Psalm 46:1: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Isaiah 43:2: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.
Comfort
Psalm 34:18: The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 119:50: This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your Word has given me life.
John 14:18 KJV: I [Jesus] will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Only Him
The story is told of an elderly woman whose memory was starting to fail her. Over the years she had read and studied the Bible so much that she knew many passages by heart. One of her favorites was from Paul’s second letter to Timothy, which included the verse, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him.” As long as she held onto Jesus, He would not fail her.
As time went by, she found that she could no longer remember the whole verse—only the phrase “what I have committed to Him,” which she quietly repeated to herself.
Then at last, as she hovered between this world and the next, the attending doctor noticed her lips moving and bent down to see if she needed anything. She was repeating over and over the one word of the text she remembered. “Him. … Him. … Him.” She had lost the whole Bible except that one word, but in that one word she had the whole Bible and her faith intact.
There is a wonderful place of peace that we too can reach if we can concentrate solely on Jesus. Find a quiet, comfortable spot and try this spiritual exercise:
Close your eyes. Imagine Jesus bending over you like the doctor in the story above. He is listening to your faintest whispers. Now say His name. Slowly repeat it several times. He is there with you, and He is all you care about. This is not the time for a lengthy prayer listing your problems and needs and describing them in detail. It’s a time of simple trust, as you focus your attention on Jesus and Him alone. In these moments you can discover the truth of the Bible promise, “You [Jesus] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
—
Colossians 3:2 ESV – Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Proverbs 4:25 ESV – Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Matthew 6:33 ESV – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
As time went by, she found that she could no longer remember the whole verse—only the phrase “what I have committed to Him,” which she quietly repeated to herself.
Then at last, as she hovered between this world and the next, the attending doctor noticed her lips moving and bent down to see if she needed anything. She was repeating over and over the one word of the text she remembered. “Him. … Him. … Him.” She had lost the whole Bible except that one word, but in that one word she had the whole Bible and her faith intact.
There is a wonderful place of peace that we too can reach if we can concentrate solely on Jesus. Find a quiet, comfortable spot and try this spiritual exercise:
Close your eyes. Imagine Jesus bending over you like the doctor in the story above. He is listening to your faintest whispers. Now say His name. Slowly repeat it several times. He is there with you, and He is all you care about. This is not the time for a lengthy prayer listing your problems and needs and describing them in detail. It’s a time of simple trust, as you focus your attention on Jesus and Him alone. In these moments you can discover the truth of the Bible promise, “You [Jesus] will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
—
Colossians 3:2 ESV – Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Proverbs 4:25 ESV – Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Matthew 6:33 ESV – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Burden or Blessing?
Many things that seem to us to be curses are in fact gifts from God, oddly packaged.
The story is told of a woman who loved Jesus very much and wanted nothing more than to please Him. “I’ll gladly do whatever You ask,” she promised, hoping secretly for some noble and noticed place of service.
To her dismay He handed her a heavy, rough burlap sack and asked her to carry it as they walked through life together. She was curious about the contents of the sack, but it was tied closed with a strong cord and so many intricate knots that clearly it was not meant to be opened just yet.
As they started on their way, the woman sank down under the weight of her burden. “It’s too heavy!” she protested.
“My strength is made perfect in your weakness, and I will always be at your side,” Jesus reassured her. “When the way gets steep or you feel faint, lean on Me.”
So they walked on together, and it was just as Jesus had said. Sometimes the woman stopped and told Him that the weight was too much for her to bear, and so they bore it together.
By and by they arrived at their destination. The woman set her bundle down at Jesus’ feet and heaved a sigh of relief. Her burden-bearing days were over.
“Let’s see what’s inside,” Jesus said with a twinkle in His eye. With one stroke of His hand the knots were undone, the sack fell open, and the contents spilled out.
“The riches of heaven!” the woman exclaimed as her eyes feasted on treasures of unearthly beauty.
“This is your eternal reward—My gift in appreciation for all you have been through,” Jesus explained.
Astonishment turned to tears of joy. The woman fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Oh Lord, forgive me! I misunderstood all these years. If I had only trusted You and not doubted and questioned! If only I had understood what was inside the sack, it would have been a joy to carry. I never should have grumbled or complained!”
You may look around and see others whose burdens appear to be much lighter than your own, and you may wish you could trade places. But if God were to grant you your wish, you would find that their burden would be even heavier and harder for you to carry than your own, for it was not meant for you. Each burden is tailor-made for its bearer, and is fashioned with the greatest of love and care. God knows exactly what’s best for you. Trust Him.
—
Psalm 55:22 ESV – Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Hebrews 12:1 ESV – Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV – Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The story is told of a woman who loved Jesus very much and wanted nothing more than to please Him. “I’ll gladly do whatever You ask,” she promised, hoping secretly for some noble and noticed place of service.
To her dismay He handed her a heavy, rough burlap sack and asked her to carry it as they walked through life together. She was curious about the contents of the sack, but it was tied closed with a strong cord and so many intricate knots that clearly it was not meant to be opened just yet.
As they started on their way, the woman sank down under the weight of her burden. “It’s too heavy!” she protested.
“My strength is made perfect in your weakness, and I will always be at your side,” Jesus reassured her. “When the way gets steep or you feel faint, lean on Me.”
So they walked on together, and it was just as Jesus had said. Sometimes the woman stopped and told Him that the weight was too much for her to bear, and so they bore it together.
By and by they arrived at their destination. The woman set her bundle down at Jesus’ feet and heaved a sigh of relief. Her burden-bearing days were over.
“Let’s see what’s inside,” Jesus said with a twinkle in His eye. With one stroke of His hand the knots were undone, the sack fell open, and the contents spilled out.
“The riches of heaven!” the woman exclaimed as her eyes feasted on treasures of unearthly beauty.
“This is your eternal reward—My gift in appreciation for all you have been through,” Jesus explained.
Astonishment turned to tears of joy. The woman fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Oh Lord, forgive me! I misunderstood all these years. If I had only trusted You and not doubted and questioned! If only I had understood what was inside the sack, it would have been a joy to carry. I never should have grumbled or complained!”
You may look around and see others whose burdens appear to be much lighter than your own, and you may wish you could trade places. But if God were to grant you your wish, you would find that their burden would be even heavier and harder for you to carry than your own, for it was not meant for you. Each burden is tailor-made for its bearer, and is fashioned with the greatest of love and care. God knows exactly what’s best for you. Trust Him.
—
Psalm 55:22 ESV – Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Hebrews 12:1 ESV – Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV – Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Prayer Points
1. Please intercede for Bro Steven Foo, Sis Casey and Allison Foo
2. Please intercede for Sis Rachel and Sis Maggie's mother for a speedy recovery and health to be restored. Keep the family in your prayer for God to strengthen and comfort them.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Penang Corps Local Officers
5. Please intercede for Form 5 students as they prepare for SPM.
2. Please intercede for Sis Rachel and Sis Maggie's mother for a speedy recovery and health to be restored. Keep the family in your prayer for God to strengthen and comfort them.
3. Please intercede for one another and uphold one another in your daily prayers.
4. Please intercede for Penang Corps Local Officers
5. Please intercede for Form 5 students as they prepare for SPM.
Announcement
Cell Group
Date: 7th Nov 2014 8pm / Friday
Venue: Bro Tong Sing & Sis Irene home
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)
Christmas Involvement List
We invites you all to join in the Christmas programs for Brass Bands, Carols Singing and Trimbrel's Dance. Kindly sign up.
Date: 7th Nov 2014 8pm / Friday
Venue: Bro Tong Sing & Sis Irene home
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)
Christmas Involvement List
We invites you all to join in the Christmas programs for Brass Bands, Carols Singing and Trimbrel's Dance. Kindly sign up.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
The Reward of Faith
“Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” Elisha’s servant asked.
The king of Aram (present-day Syria) was at war with ancient Israel and had sent an entire army to the city of Dothan to capture the prophet Elisha. They came by night, so when Elisha’s servant woke and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet said. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.”
Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (These events are recorded in the Bible, 2 Kings 6:8–17. Read the rest of the chapter to find the amazing outcome!)
In this story, the angelic army was already there, but Elisha’s servant was afraid because he hadn’t yet seen them. Why must we always see with our own eyes in order to believe? We have the Bible promise, “[God] shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” Is it not enough to believe because God’s Word says so?
Seeing is the reward of believing, not the other way around.
Why does it have to be this way? Why does God make it so hard for us? Why do we have to take everything by faith? The answer lies in that last little word—“faith.” It wouldn’t be faith if we could see. Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
This principle of faith is something on which God places a great deal of importance. It’s also something that He gives us credit for (Hebrews 11:6) because it is a sign of our love and trust in Him, that we believe Him and His spiritual power and the principles He lays out for us in His Word.
We walk life’s hot, hard, dusty roads battle-weary and scarred, but we arrive in heaven triumphant. The angels blow their trumpets to herald our victory. We held on when it seemed the whole world was against us. We didn’t sink when the storms of life rocked our ships. Satan attacked us on every side. He threw his worst at us, but we survived. We held on. We did our best. We believed! We won the war of faith. Henceforth is laid up for us a crown of righteousness.
Several years ago when I was very ill, recovering from a bout with cancer, Jesus told me that He had given me an “angel of comfort” to be with me during those difficult times. I never saw her face, but through many long days and lonely nights, when the pain was at its worst, I could feel her presence, like a tender mother’s, as though my head lay in her lap while she held me close and stroked my head. It was such a blessed feeling of peace, like a soft, warm aura that enveloped me. In spite of the pain, I found my heart filled with wonder and thankfulness for that special touch from heaven.
I am now certain of one thing: angels are not far from us, floating around on clouds in heaven. They are here, all around us, standing ready night and day to serve, aid, comfort, and protect us. I may not be able to see them, but I know they are near.
When I receive my heavenly crown someday, I will know that I didn’t earn it by myself; I was aided in my fight of faith by a “great cloud of witnesses,” the invisible armies of heaven. On that glorious day I will want to meet my angel of comfort and the other dear ones who walked with me and lifted me up when I was weary. On that day, I will thank them face to face.
—
John 14:12 ASV – I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Luke 17:6 ASV – He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
Romans 10:17 ASV – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
The king of Aram (present-day Syria) was at war with ancient Israel and had sent an entire army to the city of Dothan to capture the prophet Elisha. They came by night, so when Elisha’s servant woke and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet said. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.”
Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (These events are recorded in the Bible, 2 Kings 6:8–17. Read the rest of the chapter to find the amazing outcome!)
In this story, the angelic army was already there, but Elisha’s servant was afraid because he hadn’t yet seen them. Why must we always see with our own eyes in order to believe? We have the Bible promise, “[God] shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” Is it not enough to believe because God’s Word says so?
Seeing is the reward of believing, not the other way around.
Why does it have to be this way? Why does God make it so hard for us? Why do we have to take everything by faith? The answer lies in that last little word—“faith.” It wouldn’t be faith if we could see. Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
This principle of faith is something on which God places a great deal of importance. It’s also something that He gives us credit for (Hebrews 11:6) because it is a sign of our love and trust in Him, that we believe Him and His spiritual power and the principles He lays out for us in His Word.
We walk life’s hot, hard, dusty roads battle-weary and scarred, but we arrive in heaven triumphant. The angels blow their trumpets to herald our victory. We held on when it seemed the whole world was against us. We didn’t sink when the storms of life rocked our ships. Satan attacked us on every side. He threw his worst at us, but we survived. We held on. We did our best. We believed! We won the war of faith. Henceforth is laid up for us a crown of righteousness.
Several years ago when I was very ill, recovering from a bout with cancer, Jesus told me that He had given me an “angel of comfort” to be with me during those difficult times. I never saw her face, but through many long days and lonely nights, when the pain was at its worst, I could feel her presence, like a tender mother’s, as though my head lay in her lap while she held me close and stroked my head. It was such a blessed feeling of peace, like a soft, warm aura that enveloped me. In spite of the pain, I found my heart filled with wonder and thankfulness for that special touch from heaven.
I am now certain of one thing: angels are not far from us, floating around on clouds in heaven. They are here, all around us, standing ready night and day to serve, aid, comfort, and protect us. I may not be able to see them, but I know they are near.
When I receive my heavenly crown someday, I will know that I didn’t earn it by myself; I was aided in my fight of faith by a “great cloud of witnesses,” the invisible armies of heaven. On that glorious day I will want to meet my angel of comfort and the other dear ones who walked with me and lifted me up when I was weary. On that day, I will thank them face to face.
—
John 14:12 ASV – I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
Luke 17:6 ASV – He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
Romans 10:17 ASV – Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
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