Friday 17 August 2018

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




Thursday 16 August 2018

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


Wednesday 15 August 2018

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


Tuesday 14 August 2018

More than Meeting our Basic Needs

Day 8 (14 August 2018, Tuesday)


Isaiah 49:10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

Man has basic needs of food and shelter.  But some people are deprived of all these basic needs.  Some people are not properly clothed because of all kinds of unrighteous practices and unequal distribution of resources

All these things do happen in the main cities that are flourishing as well as subordinate cities or towns everywhere.

Ministries were established as God’s people witness these scarcities:
Helping the poor:  single-parent, families in dire needs, poor communities, and Orang Asli living below the poverty level.

Street ministers: 

Distribute food and daily necessities to the homeless.  Open centers for the homeless to take a bath and to do laundry.
Food bank: Provide families with food.
God has compassion for His people, and He allows them to live and to have lives.  God’s food is the One who comes from heaven, the One He gives to the world.  Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Our prayer is that these recipients will come to know God, who has compassion for them and who lead them to the stream of living water.  They will understand that God’s desire for them is more than living on in this life.


Pray for the People of Penang & Perak

Minority People Group : 

Semai & Temiar

Jeremiah 31:34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.  For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

(Semai & Temiar:  Aboriginal tribes in Perak.  Government development projects do improve their lives, yet many more community development projects still need to be done to alleviate their marginalized status.)

Forsake Idolatry and Seek the Truth

Acts 17:29-30 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,….

Bible Reading:   
Matthew 1 - 5              Judges 10 - 14



Monday 13 August 2018

The Person of the Holy Spirit

Who Is the Holy Spirit?


A good number of religious beliefs teaches about a force that offers life and purpose to all things in all of the earth. One example is the concept of the karma- the law of cause and effect where everyone creates their own destiny by his thoughts, words, and deeds.

Most Christians, nevertheless, hold that this “force” is not a strange and impersonal by any means, instead, it's a God who cares greatly about our lives. Early Christianity exclusively and distinctly believes this God is one being made of three unique persons: the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Every single person in the Trinity shares precisely the same substance and possesses a special role. The relationship of love and community that is shared among the three flows over into a relationship that the triune God wants with each and every person. For that reason, the Holy Spirit is a significant aspect of who God is.


Biblical References

Christians believe the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity due to the fact Bible generally back up that idea.

The Old Testament helps to make various evidence to God’s Spirit. The Spirit was present at creation and gave strength and power to humans like Moses, Samson, and David. And the Psalms speak of the Holy Spirit’s boundless presence in which no person can hide or flee.

In the New Testament, authors also elaborated on the Holy Spirit. They wrote in regards to the Holy Spirit’s role in convicting people whenever they do wrong, guiding and directing people to do what is right, and often teaching and enlightening the truth about God to all who seek him. Luke, a medical practitioner and one of the Gospel writers, revealed that one’s relationship to God is very much like one’s relationship to the Holy Spirit.

However, knowing properly who the Holy Spirit is can be challenging. It’s fairly simple to believe God as a creator or a father-like figure. Also, Jesus is a touchable person who we can learn about and study. However, the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, may appear far more unexplainable and incredibly elusive. A selection of examples can certainly help our understanding.

Describing the Holy Spirit


In the first English, translations of the Bible -the Holy Spirit is referred to as the “Holy Ghost.”

Ghosts are generally considered scary creatures. They reportedly haunt houses, graveyards, and people. Or ghosts are represented as nice and cute-like Casper or bed-sheet-covered three-year-olds who knock on the gates at Halloween.

But in line with most Christians, the Holy Spirit is neither scary nor cute. So what exactly is-or who is the Holy Spirit?

One image found in the Bible arises from nature. The word often translated “spirit” from Hebrew and Greek, the original languages of the Bible, also mean “breath” or “wind.”6 In this sense, the Holy Spirit is like the wind you can feel its effects when it blows however, you cannot pin it down.

Jesus described it using this method: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. Therefore it is with every person born of the Spirit.”

One more image regarding the Holy Spirit is advocate or helper. When Jesus was teaching his disciples at some point, he said, “All this I have spoken while still with you. Nevertheless, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

An advocate is someone who stands alongside you, works together with you, encourages and supports your cause. He is a counsellor who supports, defends, teaches, and helps you whenever you are having difficulties. Imagine a legal advocate who pleads your case in court. This is actually the role of the Holy Spirit for people who ask for his support in their lives.

The Presence of the Holy Spirit


So in some cases, the Holy Spirit is comparable to the mysterious but powerful wind; sometimes he is just like a special helper, partner, or advocate beside us. And yet Christians also believe the Holy Spirit can live within us, filling our minds and hearts with freedom, joy, purpose, and grace.

By doing this, the Holy Spirit could be the presence of Jesus in our lives.

When people first started following Jesus, his love infected them and changed their lives. Though Jesus is no longer in physical form present in the world, the Holy Spirit makes his life-giving presence accessible to all who seek him.

The apostle Paul simplified it like this: “But if Christ is in you, then despite the fact that your body is subject to death as a result of sin, the Spirit gives life by virtue of righteousness. Given that the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

That being said we take another look at the unexplained role of the Trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, working together inexplicably to express God and his will in our lives.

What the Holy Spirit Does


Possibly the easiest way to fully grasp who the Holy Spirit comes from outlining what he does. For many years, men and women of faith have tried to communicate the sacred feeling they encounter when they pray and seek God.

To many, it’s a moment of power and inspiration that brings about emotions which can’t actually be explained. Some others summarize it as the voice of their conscience warning them of grave danger or challenging them to help someone in need of help. Additionally, it’s the tremendous sense that-when other people have let us down-we are not alone. We are still loved by a God who is both infinitely transcendent and imminently close.

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