Effective Discipleship

To be a real disciple of Jesus is challenging.  But if we have some guides they will help us to go in the right direction.  Here is a guide of being an effective disciple from Charisma Magazine.

I pray that this list is helpful in your walk with Jesus:

• Practice spiritual disciplines. Read the Bible daily, confess and repent of your sins and pray for the lost. Your relationship with Christ is a priority and the key to effectively discipling others.
• Remain conservative in your ethics. Remember that pride can be dangerous. Pride may imply that you are judging others falsely, and is said to be the mother of all sins, because pride resides in each one of us.
• Lead by example. "Do as I say, not as I do" is not an effective way to disciple someone. Make sure your life is worthy of emulating.
• Be patient with people who anger you. Forgive those who may have hurt you. You must learn to love your enemies and teach others to do them same. God loves everyone, and we all need to, also. Say farewell to selective loving. If you have a hard time loving your enemies, pray to God for help. Teach anyone you are discipling the importance of forgiveness.
• Be there. Many times the simple act of letting someone know that they can call on you for help, advice and prayer at any time can make a difference in their life. Be sure to use wisdom and discernment to keep healthy boundaries. But letting someone know you care and are there, can go a long way.
• Admonish with grace. Being harsh, rude and "in your face" only tear people down. Be understanding and try to help people through their struggles and faults with love and wisdom. Remember you, too, were once a sinner saved by grace.
• Be a humble servant. We read in Mark 10:43-44 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all." Our attitude should be that of a servant of Christ and we should live this out by serving those around us.
• Put Christ first in all things. As disciples of Christ we need to be set apart from the world. Our focus should be on our Lord and pleasing Him in every area of our lives. We must put off self-centeredness and put on Christ-centeredness.
• Try to see the perspectives (point of view) of others, even if you personally disagree with them.
• Be accountable. Have an accountability partner you can turn to for encouragement and wisdom and to discuss any weaknesses you may be encountering. Accountability is being responsible for one's own actions. You may not be able to share everything with your disciple, even though they may share a lot with you, but you should find someone you can discuss your struggles with to help maintain your integrity.

Korean Christians Praying Against Lady Gaga

http://www.churchnewssite.com/portal/?p=74591


South Korea has the second largest Christian population after the Philippines.

The Christians there are outraged that Lady Gaga will be performing in their country this Friday.  A group of Christians are praying that the concert will not materialize.  The organizer said, “We will pray to God that the concert will not be realised so that homosexuality and pornography will not spread around the country,”

Many people believed Lady Gaga is promoting Satan from the lyrics of her songs to her dressings and props in her performances.  What she is doing is negative and dark.  No right thinking people would do such things unless they want to exploit the situations.  Her songs attracted many young people, and they do not realized that these songs and messages are working on their subconscious minds.  Before they know it, they are caught in darkness.

Christians should stay clear of her performances.

Belief in God Increase With Age

Researchers at the University of Chicago found that as people aged their belief in God also increased. The report also said perhaps as we aged and approach death we tend to believe in God. Perhaps there are some people who felt this way, but many just believe as they grow older. Recently there is a research which find the "God spot" in our brains. The spot is not in specific area but covered several areas that triggered spirituality in human. It seems we human are "hard wired" to believe in God after all. From personal experience and observations it seem that many people turn to God when they are in their middle age. Some realized that there is a "God" but which God people turn to is critical.

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

The highest percentage of people believing in God is Catholic country like Philippines at 94%, the lowest is in Western Europe at 13%.

To read further click on the title of this post.

Sunday Church Service

This Sunday our Church had the honor of hosting Bro John Carter, Elder Holborn Church, Leeds, United Kingdom. He is no stranger to us as he has been here to preach and share for about three years now. Prior to this Sunday message he had two other sessions on Saturday afternoon and evening. These sessions were most enjoyable. His teaching is practical and he shared his personal experiences of more than 50 years as a Christian.

This morning sharing was entitled "People who walk in God's way" based on the Book of Genesis. He said Abraham is a model of us today. He was obedient to God and trusted God entirely. It was no joke hearing from God for the first time and being led to leave his home for an unknown place. Yet Abraham obeyed. Today we live in a dark world which is modeled along Sodom and Gomorrah. Sins are everywhere. Bro John expressed his shock that the British government is about to legalize gay marriage. Utter nonsense he said, such union cannot produce any children. Abraham obeyed God and through him all nations were blessed. Similarly, we the people of God will bless others. Abraham carried out God's mission to spread his people to all nations, similarly we are to spread the Gospel to all nations.

The warning to us is to turn back to God. We are in this world and not of this world.

Free Lunch

Yes, our congregation had a free lunch at noon! Thanks to some brothers and Sisters who took the initiative to prepare lunch for our members. Malaysians like their foods. All in all about 300 members were served. Thank you Lord for your provision!

Sunday Service Free Lunch - photo slideshow

Chuck Colson Dies at 80

Chuck Colson founder of Prison Fellowship ministry and a former US senator involved in the Watergate scandal dies at 80. He was one of the prominent evangelicals and a defender of Christianity.

Christian Post writes:

"Evangelical Christianity lost one of its most eloquent and influential voices today with the death of Charles W. 'Chuck' Colson. The Prison Fellowship and Colson Center for Christian Worldview founder,,,,,,,

To read further clock on the title of this post.

Holy Robe of Jesus

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Pilgrims try to touch the ‘Holy Robe,’ reportedly worn by Jesus Christ, during the 20th pilgrimage in the German Cathedral of Trier on Sunday. The ancient town of Trier marks the 500th anniversary of the first public appearance of the Seamless Robe of Jesus. Some 500,000 pilgrims are expected to visit to see the relic til May 13, 2012, since its last appearance dates back to 1996.

Unquote

Source: Charisma news

Living Like A Prodigal Son

Pastor Dan Delzel of Wellspring Lutheran Church, Nebraska wrote saying America is living like the prodigal son as written in Luke chapter 15. He said that there is strong correlation between sexual immorality and over spending. Like the prodigal son in Luke 15, he spent his fortune on wine and women and in the end he had nothing. Pastor Dan Delzel said, "America is bleeding badly today. Sexual immorality is rampant, as is overspending. This lack of self-control eventually catches up with the body, the soul, and the economic survival of the nation. The only way to fix both problems is to recognize where you went astray from God's plan. Without that recognition and a sincere turning to God in repentance, there is no way to avoid complete destruction."

Last Sunday a speaker in Church just reminded us to guard our hearts against darkness in this world. Our country is modeling America and it is also "living like a prodigal son". Sexual immorality seems to be on the rise. Everyday we watch T.V news of raids on nightclubs where women from countries like China, Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines worked as guests relation officers who usually provide sexual services too. Even in our small city there are so many reflexology centers supposedly providing massage services. However, they provide more than massage services. Men are attracted to these centers because of these "extra services".

The lesson is that God wants His people to return to Him. He is a loving God who forgives those who asked Him.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

To read further click on the title of this post.