Light that we can't live without

Who do you think you are? - a series by Paul Holifield looking at Jesus in his own words

‘IF it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight,' observed American comedian George Gobel.

Joking apart, it is difficult to imagine life without electricity. We rely on it so much in our daily lives that we don't even think about it. We flick on a switch and there it is - available, all day and night.

When the electricity supply temporarily fails, it seems as though the world is about to end. Transport grinds to a halt, sources of entertainment vanish and work stops as equipment fails. How did people ever live without it?

It is thanks to men such as Thomas Edison that electricity is easily available to so many people in the Western world. He created the first safe and economic system for distributing it when he established the first public power station.

One of Edison's reasons for wanting to make electricity widely available was to encourage people to use one of his inventions - the incandescent light bulb. For that one invention the American deserves the lion's share of the credit for lighting up the world.

However, it was Jesus who claimed to be ‘the light of the world'. But what did he mean? Why would Jesus claim such a thing?

Jesus made his an­nouncement during the Feast of Tabernacles. In this Jewish festival a ceremony took place in which several large candles were lit in the Temple precinct.

As the people were enjoying the light from the candles, Jesus took the opportunity to use this act to illustrate his teaching.

What he said must have been a shock for his listeners. He said: ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (John 8:12 New International Version).

We live in a dark, decaying and dying world. Countries go to war. Families fall out. Individuals hurt each other. But God does not want us to resign ourselves to a dark future. In Jesus he has given us an answer to the darkness. If we turn our attention to him, he will shed a whole new light on our lives.

Those who do put their trust in him wonder: How did we ever live without him!

War Cry 16 January 2010 - TSA UK

More than just a crumb of comfort

THERE is something appealing and comforting about freshly baked, crusty bread. The makers of TV adverts realise this. A recent Hovis advertisement also appealed to our sense of nostalgia as a boy ran through the decades to de­liver a loaf of bread in time for tea.

Every day in the UK an astonishing nine million loaves of bread are sold. In recent years, when diets have dominated much of people's time and imagination, bread has sometimes been seen as a food to avoid. But it continues to be a part of many people's staple diet.

Jesus said: ‘I am the bread of life' (John 6:35 Good News Bible), and his listeners were confused.

They asked Jesus questions, making requests for bread to eat. Maybe their minds were on their stomachs.

Jesus had recently fed 5,000 of them with only five loaves and two fish. Rather than wanting signs and explanations, the people really wanted to be fed again - to have their stomachs filled.

But Jesus had his mind on something much more important.

He wanted to turn their desire for bread into a desire for a different kind of food - spiritual food.

Jesus encouraged them to have faith and to believe that, just as they needed food to live on earth, they also needed him so that they could live a life with purpose and one which lasts for eternity.

What sort of things are you hungry for in your life? Are you like some of the crowds who listened to Jesus but who wanted their physical needs met? Do you long for good food, a comfortable home and a healthy bank balance?

You may have tried to satisfy this type of hunger by trying to accumulate wealth. Many people have - and many of them have found that it has not brought them the satisfaction they thought.

But Jesus says to us today, just as he said to people centuries ago, that he is the bread of life. He can satisfy that hunger, that feeling of wanting more in our lives, if we are willing to follow him.

War Cry 9 January 2010 - TSA UK

A journey into the unknown

‘SPACE: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.' The words of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) launched each episode of a television programme that became a classic.

The first Star Trek series beamed up onto TV screens in 1966. Created by Gene Roddenberry, it was set on board a 23rd-century spaceship and portrayed the dangers and moral dilemmas faced by the crew.

Since the first episode was aired, the show has inspired feature films, spin-off dramas, an animated series and a No 1 single, ‘Star Trekkin'.

Starship 'Enterprise'
But Star Trek's take-off was not as smooth as its longevity might lead viewers to believe. It took two pilot episodes to convince the television company to make the programme and it was almost cancelled after the second series.

But it survived its faltering start and generations of fans have watched engrossed as the captain has led his crew to ‘boldly go where no man has gone before'.

As we stand at the beginning of a new year we may be able to identify with the sentiments of Kirk's words. A new year can seem like a voyage into the unknown. Who knows what this new year will bring?

We may be apprehensive or excited at the prospect of new experiences and challenges. Or we may be feeling a little lost. But we are not alone on our journey.

God has promised to be there with us each step of the way. In the Bible God paints a picture to show that no bad experience of life need overwhelm us. He says: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze' (Isaiah 43:2 New International Version).

There is not an experience where God is not available to help us and guide us.

We may not be able to change where we have come from; we may even feel that, like Star Trek, we've had a faltering beginning. But we can change where we are going. Our future does not have to be a carbon copy of a disappointing past - God does not want that. He wants our journey into the new year to be positive, enjoyable and one that includes him.

War Cry 2 January 2010 - TSA UK

Prayer Request

1. Pray for the Corps next financing year, April 2010 to March 2011. Our Corps is still under deficit of 40K after deducting all fund raising amount.

Pray that God will help us to overcome this financial difficulty.

2. Please pray for Malaysia Territorial Youth Camp to be held in Penang, 7th - 11th June 2010.

Please pray that God will supply the financial needs to bring all Malaysian youth together.

Announcements

Youth Cell Group will held on 28th Jan 2010 - Thursday at the Youth Hall, 8:00pm.

Ang Pao Sunday - 21st Feb 2010.

This is a special sunday to collect some fund for your Candidate Fund and replacement of Corps musical instrument.
Kindly pray also for some fund to channel to this area.

Chinese New Reunion Dinner

There will be a Chinese New Year Reunion dinner for this coming CNY, Date: 26 Feb 2010, Time: 7:00pm, Venue: Corps Community Hall.
Kindly bring 1 friend or family (eg. ex boys, long time church members, your friend you want to reach out too, etc).

God Worker's

Calling Corps members to come forward to take up some roles working for God in areas of prayer warriors, ushers, worship leaders, musician, etc.
Kindly contact Capt Tan or Capt Brenda to volunteer yourself.

Pastoral Letter - January 2010

BEGINNINGS

Dear Fellow Salvationists,

Through this first Pastoral Letter of 2010 I greet you warmly in the sacred name of Jesus. In these opening weeks of the New Year I lift you up to God in prayer. May the Divine Presence be very real to each one of you at this time of new beginnings. May you sense the Lord's nearness day by day, moment by moment.

The theme of this 17th Pastoral Letter is 'Beginnings'.

Another year is a gift from God to each of us. The very newness of it causes us to pause and take stock of our lives. It is good to do this from time to time.

We can, first of all, cast a backward glance over our shoulders to review the year that has just closed. Can you see the gracious hand of the Lord in it: in the things that have happened in your life, and in the events impacting the lives of your loved ones and friends? It is a time to pause and give thanks to Almighty God for his promised presence with us through all the days of 2009. He has been there in the good and in the bad times. He has seen us through. He has been faithful.

Next we look ahead. It is a very great mercy that the future is veiled. This prompts our hearts to reach out still further to God as consciously we put our trust in him for the unknown days ahead. A time of new beginnings is a time also for new trust.

Let us find a quiet moment in which to tell the Lord that we do indeed love and trust him. It is a very great help to our souls to do this deliberately, with full intentionality. This quiet moment of rededication will become perhaps a source of great strength, of great grace, in the days ahead. Let it be a renewing of your love for God, a renewing of your devotion, a renewing of your willingness to serve him and to be seen and known by all as his disciple.

Then having placed our lives afresh before him in this manner, we can place our loved ones again into his loving care and protection.

For example, how good it is to pray for one's spouse, to speak aloud the name of a husband or a wife in prayer. The best marriages, marriages that endure, are built on such foundations. How helpful it is when a husband and wife can sit quietly together to pray aloud for each other and for the whole family circle. It is especially important to do this at a time of new beginnings and before the gentle, calm blessedness of Christmas has faded.

How good it is also to pray for one's children, naming them aloud before the Throne of Grace. God hears these prayers. They are never wasted. God's ear is inclined toward those who seek his guidance and protection for their children. Christian parents often make such prayers, as do Christian grandparents and Christian aunts and uncles. I say again: these prayers are never wasted.

This season of new beginnings allows us to place before the Lord also the hopes we have in our hearts concerning our daily work. Many of you reading this are Salvation Army officers making plans for the spiritual advancement of those you lead and those you serve in Christ's name. I say to you, 'May God bless those plans, those sacred ambitions for the souls of others.'

Many of you are local officers in the Army, holding sacred hopes that 2010 will see your service more fruitful for God than ever before. I join you in that good hope and I share the Spirit-prompted ambitions for your Kingdom-work.

I know also that many of you have influence over our young people in the Army. God bless you for that! I pray that you will be guided in all things by the Holy Spirit and that you will be given wisdom to lead many a young person into a new beginning with God.

Finally, I request that you continue to pray for me as we enter 2010. I need your prayers. Please pray for wisdom from God to be my portion, and also for physical strength to be granted day by day.

Commissioner Helen Clifton joins me in greeting you as we commend you each one to the matchless love of the Saviour.

God be with you.

Yours in Christ

Shaw Clifton

General

New Year Eve 2010 Celebration

Photo Album for New Year Eve 2010



Album - Click here

Flower Offering 2010

Christmas 2009

Photo Album for Christmas Carolling 2009



Album - Click here

Photo Album for Christmas Day 2009



Album - Click here

Photo Album for Christmas PCH Open House 2009



Album -Click here

Welcome Capt Tan & Brenda

We want to take this opportunity to welcome Capt Tan and Brenda as our new TSA Officer for Penang Corps. They have served in Bintulu with Chinese speaking congregation. They have accepted the new appointment to serve in TSA Penang with English members.



We also want to welcom Major Kamala as TSA Officer for Penang Children's Home.

We pray that God will continue use them for the TSA work here in Penang.

Once again we welcome them and we want to work together for the TSA.

Major Francis - Farewell Group Picture

We want to say thank you to Major Francis and Major Mary who have been with us for the past 6 years in TSA Penang. They have served as TSA Officer for Penang Corps and PCH.

We pray that God will continue to help and strengthen them as they take up their new appointment in Kuching. We enjoy their 6 years ministry here in Penang and left with mix feelings. Kuching will be Major Mary hometown and this will be their first time serving in Kuching in their 25 years of service as TSA Officer.

Prayer Request

1. Please pray for Brother Chew Pong Hoe (Ah Boy), who is going through an operation. May God grant him a fast recovery process and continue good health.

2. Pray for our Local Officers and those who want to serve the Lord in coming years.

3. Pray also for the prayer group, that this group will continue to start meeting again in early 2010 to study God's word and pray earnestly for all the prayer request that we have continue to pray since 2008/2009 and coming new ones.

Announcements

Watch Night Service:

We are will be having a Pot Blessed Dinner to celebrate Year 2009 and welcoming Year 2010 on 31 December 2009, 8:00pm.

You are welcome to contribute your dishes to share with brother and sister in Christ.

Kindly bring your family and friends along. All are invited for this dinner.

Follow by that, we will be having a short Watch Night Service around 11:30pm.


Sunday School:

We will be resuming activities on first Sunday, January 2010. Please pray for our children and teachers who have put in their hard-works to teach the young ones about God's word.


Serving Team:

Those who have God calling to serve in the church programme, please contact Capt Tan and Capt Brenda. We also thank those who involved actively serving in the passed years.

The King

The King - when he came an acclamation
Rang out from a heav'nly choir.
The angels above
Sang of mercy and love
Goodwill to all people on earth.
His mother she saw
Past the manger and straw,
The pain and the passion of birth,
The Light of the World - her son, Redeemer -
Who'd burn up with holy fire.

The King he announced with power, with passion,
The rule he would usher in.
The blind they will see
And the captive go free
To live in his Kingdom of grace.
For all who believe
Will his pardon receive
And find by his mercy: a place,
A seat by his throne, a home, a mansion,
An end to the reign of sin.

The King in his crown of thorns was beaten,
Then nailed to a cruel tree.
Abandoned, alone
And so far from his throne
He took what the demons could hurl.
And there, crucified,
Lion-hearted he died -
The Lamb for the sin of the world.
A tomb for a womb, the prophets' whispers
Would birth a dawn victory.

The King, when he comes again, will conquer.
His river of grace will flow.
The last will be first
And the dead they will burst
To life at the sound of his voice.
And round by his throne
The King gathers his own -
His children, his bride. Oh rejoice!
The King, when he comes, will reign in triumph,
As prophets said long ago.

Nigel Bovey

War Cry 19 December 2009 - TSA UK

Twelve Days of Carol - Nice Version

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

Christmas Message 2009 from the General

All My Heart Rejoices

WHAT a night! The night our Saviour was born! A night to rejoice with all our hearts!

Sweet angel voices, sounding far and near, announced his birth: Christ is born! It was as though the entire sky announced this matchless message. Joy filled the air. Joy-bells still ring to hail his coming.

If we listen carefully, our ear attuned, we can still hear the holy baby’s first cry from the manger in Bethlehem. It is as though from birth he has been calling us, entreating, pleading with us to flee from the snares and dangers that await our souls. ‘Come to me,’ he says. ‘Leave all that grieves and burdens you. I can offer freedom. I can give you all you need.’

So let us accept his divine invitation, you and I together. Let us do so without delay. He invites us all. He calls to the lowly and the great alike. We cannot impress him with our education or our income, so whoever we are we approach him together with awe and wonder as equals. He invites us to commit ourselves to him. He wants us to return the love he offers us all. The Christmas star, high and bright in the sky, is a hope-filled sign of divine love.

Coming to the newborn Christ-child is a signal that we have come to our senses. We come to him, deciding to live in obedience to him, and finding our hope of Heaven in him. He offers us the matchless prospect of living with him for ever. Who else promises matchless joy both now and in all eternity?

For all these reasons my heart rejoices. Christ is born!

By General Shaw Cliftonwith acknowledgements to Paulus Gerhardt (1607-76)and 'The Song Book of The Salvation Army', No 73

Announcements

1. We congratulate and wecolme Lt. Anthony, Wai Chun and Kevin Meredith on their Commissioning on 28 Nov. Lts. Anthony & Wai Chun will be appointed to bintulu corps and will take a corps appointments in Australia.

2. We thank Pastor Sam Santhanam and Jenny who spoke last Sunday and led the meeting respectively.

3. The General has announced the appointment of Lt. Colonel Gillian Downer as the Territorial Commander and Territorial President of Women's Ministries of this territory upon the retirement from active service of Colonels Keith and Beryl Burridge at the end of June 2010.

The appointment is effective from 1st July 2010 and Lt Colonel Downer will be promoted to the rank of Colonel as she take up the new responsibilities as Territorial Commander.

Lt. Colonel Downer Gillian Downer has a real love for Asia and is no stranger to this territory having served firstly as General Secretary and then as Chief Secretary up until mid 2007.

4. Major Francis and Mary Ng with Caleb and Angelynn will leave for Kuching on 9 Dec at 6:25pm.

5. Major Kamala will arrive on 9 Dec at 11pm on AK6505 from Kuching. Captains Tan & Brenda will arrive on the 10 Dec at 6:10pm on MH 1158.

6. December 13 will be the welcome meeting for Captains Tan & Brenda and Lt Col Bob will conducr the installation. Major Kamala will be welcomed in the meeting too.

7. Pray for the christmas program and celebration in the month of December. First caroling will commence on the 12 December, next Sunday.

8. Combined Churches Christmas Celebration 20 Dec @ Time Square, 7:00pm

9. Flowers for the week. Susan Zechariah

Epic journey inspires awe

NINETY-FIVE years ago today, on 5 December 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail on the final leg of his journey to reach Antarctica.

His team aimed to be the first to cross the continent - one and a half times as big as the United States - from one coast to the other via the South Pole. It was a remarkable project even for an era that already had more than its fair share of heroic tales.

Shackleton planned meticulously for the expedition, expecting to face a whole range of hardships. But the expedition party never set foot on Antarctica.

Their ship, Endurance, was crushed by the drifting ice, and survival became their first priority. In an amazing story of courage and heroism none of Shackleton's party died, although it was May 1917 before Sir Ernest finally arrived home in Britain.

We can be thankful that not all journeys end up like that but, whenever we travel, organisation is vital. Decisions need to be made about what is to be taken, the route mapped out and suitable resting places found.

It would be foolish to embark on a long journey without making some practical preparations.

In the Christmas story the wise men, or ‘magi' as they were known, travelled extraordinary distances in search of a new king. They started off not knowing for sure where their journey would take them.

‘After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, during the time of King Herod, magi from the east came to Jerusalem' (Matthew 2:1 New International Version). This expedition would have taken planning and preparation. They saw an unusual star and set out to follow it to who knows where, for who knows how long.

When they finally arrived where the star stopped they discovered Jesus and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Life is often thought of as a journey. For many people, like the magi, the journey has included an encounter with Jesus. That encounter has been life-changing. It has helped them to cope with the difficulties life can bring and provided direction when they've not been sure which way to go.

Two thousand years ago the wise men followed the direction of a star to find Jesus. Today we can follow Jesus to find direction for our lives.

Salvation Army UK - War Cry 5 December 2009

Announcements

1. Pray for Cadets Anthony, Wai Chan & Kevin Meredith's commissioning on 28 November. That the Covenant Day and Ordination service will confirm their calling to serve God in The Salvation Army.

2. Pray for the following who are sitting for their SPM exams - Jih Han, Kheng Guan, Jonathan, Scott.

3. Pray for the Officers Retreat that Major Mary & Francis Ng will attend from 23-26 November, thereafter for the Cadets commissioning in Singapore on the 28-29 November. They will be back fromm Singapore on the 4 December after several days of furlough. They then will leave on the 9 December for Kuching to take up their new appointments.

Pray for Major Kamala and Captain Tan Guat Hai & Brenda as they come to PCH and Penang Corps respectively.

4. Pastor Sam Santhanam will be the speaker for next Sunday meeting. Sis Jenny will lead the meeting with Elizabeth supporting the praise and worship time.

5. Pray for the Art Class ministry which is in its 3rd week which is conducted by Bro Sam Ooi. We thank God for 4 children.

6. Pary for the children and boys from PCH who will be going back for home leave for the school break.

7. December 6 will be the last Sunday meeting for Majors Francis & Mary Ng

8. December 13 will be the welcome meeting of Captain Tan Guat Hai & Brenda and Lt Col Bob will conduct the installation. Major Kamala will be welcomed in the meeting, too.

9. Pray for the Christmas program and celebration in the month of December

Can we find God through life?

CHARLES DARWIN'S On the Origin of Species was first published 150 years ago next Tuesday (24 November). This significant anniversary falls in the same year as the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and is leading to a renewed interest in the scientist and his theories.

Television documentaries, books and a feature film have been released, adding more vigour to the debate between evolution and creationism. People have been challenged to think about how life began.

In May telegraph.co.uk carried a report, headlined: ‘Mystery of how life on Earth began solved by British scientists'. According to the article, scientists at Manchester University solved the mystery by studying the molecule that is thought to have existed when the planet was devoid of life billions of years ago.

The scientists claim to have discovered the mechanism that led to the first living, breathing creatures - ‘a process attributed by generations of evolutionary theorists, such as Charles Darwin, to an unexplained primordial soup,' says the article.

While the arguments about how life began are likely to continue, the more important question is not about the origin of life but its purpose.

The writers of the Book of Psalms searched for the purpose of life as well as its origins. Their writings recognise that the secrets of life are far beyond our limited understanding: ‘Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain' (Psalm 139:6 New International Version).

The closest we get to understanding life and finding God in it is to realise how he is active in every sphere of human existence. ‘My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be' (139:15, 16).

If we want to look for the purpose and meaning of life the best place to start is with the Creator. God created all life - including us - with a plan in mind. Life's meaning comes when we discover what God has in mind for us.

TSA UK War Cry 21 November 2009