Commanding People to Repent

Day 12 (18 August 2018, Saturday)

Read Jonah 3:4 – 10 “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Many believers shy away from speaking about the judgment of a holy God on all who refuse to repent of their wicked ways.  What is promoted is usually the benefits of salvation like peace, joy and in some cases, even of financial freedom or prosperity.

In the book of Acts, Paul preached that “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).  God commands … He does not merely invite!  People can and must be commanded to repent.

Repentance involves a change of heart.  But it is not enough just to “repent in the heart”.  Jesus says, “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8).  When Jonah warned the people of impending judgment, they repented.  They expressed their repentance by serious fasting.  They repented in the hope that God may relent from destroying them.

In respect of the king and people of Nineveh, Scripture tells us that, “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it” (Jonah 3:10).  God saw their works.  People aren’t saved by works but by the grace of God.  Yet it says that God saw their works.  God saw their works of repentance.  The people of Nineveh bore fruits in keeping with repentance.

My friends, command your hearers to repent and avoid God’s judgement!

Pray for the Land of Kelantan & Terengganu

Light of Christ to Remove the Darkness

Matthew 4:16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

Restoration of the Social Order

Isaiah 32:15 – 17 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.  Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.  And the effect or righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.


Bible Reading:       
Matthew 25 - 28           
Jeremiah 1 – 6

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Share Your Faith Everywhere

Day 11 (17 August 2018, Friday)

Matthew 9:35 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages… proclaiming the good news of the kingdom…

Jesus led and exemplary life.  He never sinned and He did the will of God throughout His life.  He preached to multitudes but He also witnessed to individuals, e.g. the Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, etc.  Not everyone is called to preach to multitudes but every believer is empowered to be a witness to the gospel of Christ (Acts 1:8).

Jesus came in love and as an expression of God’s love for mankind.  He is the living word of God communicated to us.  Jesus witnessed to the love and power of God wherever he went.  Jesus asked His followers to do the same.

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  “(Mark 16:15) We meet people every day whom we can share our faith with.  Our family members, our friends, our relatives, our colleagues at work or our mates in school, our clients or our customers, the people we buy things from, our neighbours, even people we don’t like.  After you have shared your faith to every person you know in your area, go to another place and get to know even more people so that you can share with them.  One day Jesus will definitely come back to this world… but not before our task of sharing His Good News is completed! (Matthew 4:14)

When was the last time you share about the Lord to someone who did not have a personal
relationship with Jesus?

Pray for the Heads & Governments of Kelantan & Terengganu

Govern their People with Love

Romans 13:8, 10 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law… Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Look after the Welfare & Interest of their States

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.

Bible Reading:         Matthew 19 - 24            Ruth 1 – 4

SOURCES

Necf  Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Feet that Go (with the Shoe of Gospel)

Preface for Day 11-15:  Harvest & The Gospel

The Lord of the harvest is building His Bride who will continue to share and reach out in all towns and villages.


Focusing on North-East States (Kelantan & Terengganu)

Kelantan: 1,507,129 (Malay: 95%; Chinese: 3.4%; Indian:0.3%; Other: 1.3%).  The “Land of Lightning”, located in the northernmost state on the East coast of Peninsula Malaysia.  Kota Bharu, the capital of the state reflects an ‘old world’ of the Malay traditions and the predominantly Islamic city in the country.  Muslim’s prayer times are rigorously observed, during which all other activities come to a standstill, especially on Fridays.  Pantai Dasar Sabak in Kota Bharu has great historical significance.  On Dec. 8, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy troops landed here in one of Japan’s first acts of aggression during World War II.


Terengganu: 1,017,210 (Malay: 97%; Chinese: 2.6%; Indian: 0.2%; Other: 0.2%).  Islam is the major religion in the state.  Kuala Terengganu, the state capital, and where the seat of sultans of Terengganu is located.  Most Chinese and Indians in Terengganu live in this district.  The population of Christians, mainly the Chinese and the Indian is only 0.2%.  Kuala Terengganu was declared as Bandaraya Warisan Pesisir Air (Coastal Heritage City) in 2008.  Batu Bersurat, a 700-year-old inscribed stone proclaims Islam as the state religion in Terengganu and also is the earliest evidence of Jawi writing in the Malay Muslim world of Southeast Asia.

Walk worthy of His Calling (Ephesians 4:1)

Have you been walking faithfully in His calling in the harvest field?  Where is your harvest field?


Feet of the Good News

SOURCES

Necf Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

Comfort & Affliction

Day 10 (16 August 2018, Thursday)

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.


What is “comfort”?  The dictionary defines it as “consolation” or “a state of physical ease”, which is a kind of “gentle empathy” that strengthens the receivers.

People often base their feeling on their experiences.  Thus, it is not easy to possess such kind of “gentle empathy”.  It is an ability to comfort others when we have personally gone through the troubles ourselves with the comfort we received from the Holy Spirit.  It is more than feeling and sharing the pains, but strengthening and encouraging each other because of the common experiences we have encountered.  Therefore, there is a very positive element about the meaning of “affliction”.

Jesus is not spared from affliction.  “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  It is indeed a source of strength helping us to overcome suffering, for there is hope amidst our affliction.

Who needs our comfort?

The dying:  Provide an environment of rest and spirit cultivation for patients with terminal illness as well as for their families.  Share the Gospel with them.

Migrant workers and refugees:  Provide them with meeting places, learning centers, health care and shelters for refugee children.  Teach their women at home to do craftwork, and ease them from feeling lost in a foreign land, so that they know God cares for them and He does not neglect them.

Disaster relief:  Distribute goods and materials.  Wash or rebuild houses.  Instruct people with the knowledge of disaster prevention.  Enter the interiors to assist with disaster relief (especially when the lives of Orang Asli are affected).  Assist in fundraising, etc.

Pray for the Church of Penang & Perak

Living in the Covenantal Love of God

Isaiah 58:9-12…If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 

And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.  And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall rise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

Be the Channels of Comfort & Strength

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.




Bible Reading:         
Matthew 11 - 18            Judges 20– 21

SOURCES

Necf Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)

The Creation of God Reveals His Compassion

Day 9 (15 August 2018, Wednesday)

Isaiah 63:7 I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

We enjoy daily the creation of God like the sun, the air, the water and the produce of the land.  But not necessarily everyone, even the highly educated, realize that fact and learn to appreciate the gifts of God.  Their lives become a pursuit of futility.

We have to tell people who do not understand, whether they are informed or ignorant.  The earliest Orang Asli did not do fish farming, they fished from the river.  They did not grow fruits but climbed trees for it.  They picked up fruits that fell to the ground.  They did not farm wild boars but hunted them.  They did not have bee-hives but obtained honey from the honeycomb on the tree.

All these bring to mind a verse from the bible.  “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate that he may bring forth food from the earth” (Psalm 104:14).  Food is a solid evidence of God’s presence and His provision.  It comes in all kind of flavours, and everyone is well fed and satisfied.

God sent his servants to show them there is a Creator who is almighty, good and awesome so that they learn to give thanks to the Father for His wonderful creation and ingenious design.  The Orang Asli is inseparable from their land, and God has not forgotten them.

Let men find no excuse, for God’s invisible attributes, namely.  His eternal power and divine nature, which are clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made, shall advance His Gospel.

Pray for the Families of Penang & Perak

Marital Faithfulness and Commitment

Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Mutual Love & Respect Between Husband & Wife

Ephesian 5:33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.


Bible Reading:       
Matthew 6 - 10                 Judges 15 – 19

SOURCES

Necf Malaysia

Download 2018 NECF Malaysia  40Days Fast & Prayer (Prayer Booklet)