EFC LT @ JB

2010-05-03T04:24:00.000-07:00

3rd May 2010

Thoughts from the 2nd Leadership Summit.

The 2nd Leadership Summit was indeed a significant event for us as the MLM Leadership Training and the Externally Focussed Church Small Groups.The 1st Leadership Summit was an excellent pacesetter and now the 2nd has established the potential and credibility of the group.

Many leaders within the group seems to have come up including the growing emerging leaders. We see the fruit of the faithful ministry of the last few years. The testimonies of the many small groups were encouraging and challenging for each one of us – to network with those who are already working for worthy causes or to do other new projects.

I was particularly impressed and touched with the ministry of Ps. Phua Seng Tiong. His ministry in the schools and later as a pastor exemplifies the things we have been talking about. Since coming back I have been sharing about his experience as Head master of the Jinjang school - how a boy was touched when he was sent home in the Headmaster's car. As it was said, “The heart of education is the education of the heart.” It seems that God has done his homework and prepared people like that so today when we talk about externally focused church, we have role models of it. This again confirms the move of God to show His grace in the community and touch their lives.

I was also challenged by the Malacca group which is on a signature campaign to express the feelings of parents who want the subjects of Maths and Science to continue in English in the schools. I have begun to pray about the matter of what we may do with mission schools and other Christian schools in the country. It seems to be clearer for me to get more involved in the pillar of education for this nation.

One of the highlights of the summit was the visit of YB Lim Guan Eng. It lent a greater credibility to the meeting. He seems to recognize that this movement that we are involved in has great potential especially in view of the Rifle Range ministry and that of the Fettes Park Baptist church involvement in the Public Library. His “prison to Chief Minister” testimony itself was an encouragement. (It parallels how Joseph in the Bible rose from pit to palace.) His challenge to the church was to exercise faith and move forward. He recounted how in his darkest hour of imprisonment when even his children were angry and could not understand the situation, it was faith that kept him going. Having a Christian as Chief Minister of Penang is a testimony that God can do the impossible even in this country!

Finally, we had comfortable trip this time thanks to Air Asia – cheaper than the 10 hour bus rides we took last year. The hotel rooms and meals were excellent and facilities were good despite some hiccups in the air-conditioning.

I thank the organizers especially Ps. Richard Rajoo and Sis. Ooi Piek See for their great contribution to us and to the church in Malaysia.

Ninan Cherian

6th July - Stewardship

2009-07-06T05:46:00.003-07:00

Sharings by the participants.

"God himself says his thoughts are not ours..attitude, perspective and scale are very different from ours. To God, it is not an issue. The scale is very different".

"In the Kingdom of God, our money is all worthless.."

"Money is an end to itself but to God it is a tool - a means to an end to use money to achieve a greater end".

"God allows us to make the choice of having money and how we deal with it. If we conform to the standard of the world and allow money to control us we will be destroyed. So we need to handle money wisely.." Money is an appealing thing to the world's standard but to a Christian money is not everything".

[ continue reading ... ]

"Not every non-Christian believes that money is everything".

"Rather than looking at money as our master we are to look at it as our servant".

"How we handle our money will impact our relationship with our Lord.
Your choice will determine whether you will be blessed or otherwise".

Excerpts of the teaching.

In Relationship to God and Money we have also learnt about Authority.
In a relationship with you and God we are looking at the Lordship. If God is Lord in your life in the relationship between you and God you choose for God to have Authority in your life.

If you choose to let God to have authority over your life than you are also choosing to give up control over your life. Submission comes into your life because of what you have chosen. You are able to submit because of your choice, because of your belief. It is because of a result of and not something you have to learned to do..You cannot learn to submit. If you can learn then you don't need God.

If you have allowed yourself to believe that everything belongs to God - the result is that you can submit and that you are a steward. You don't become a steward doing things but believing God owns everything. You become a steward because you believe just like we don't work for our salvation but work out your salvation in fear and trembling. We become something as a result of what we believe.

If you cannot believe that God is the owner of everything than God cannot be the provider. And therefore, why would you want to come to God to provide your needs.

If you think you are owner you cannot be a steward. God cannot provide if you own even one small little "ant". Either you believe God owns everything or not. Even your heirlooms does not belong to you but the Lord. There are things as a Christian beliefs are non-negotiable.

You cannot talk about Possessions in isolation from Authority or Relationships. Everything is connected. How you view, think about money will impact your relationship with God.

YOU WANT TO BELIEVE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHOICE..

You assess people by what they choose and not what they do. You are a sum total of your choices and as a man thinks so he is..

Who do you think you are?
When you accepted Christ, you became a Child of God and have been translated from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light.

What does Child of God means?

When you were first born you went through a process either as a male or female.

It is childish for you to think that you can control anything and that you own anything. Paul says, when I became a man/woman i put aside childish things.

God wants to raise mature sons of God but the problem is we remain childish and we tends to get the same messages again and again because we are childish in some areas. We become a people that is ever hearing but never learning.

How does a boy become a man so that he can have Authentic relationships with his peers and those around him so that we can have Authentic (real) communities?

You cannot have Authentic family or community without an Authentic man. Research has shown a child is more dysfunctional without a father than a mother. Only an Authentic man can create Authentic relationships. The issue is not simply about money the issue of money transform you to become an Authentic man (boy to man).

Why is it that a man leave a child with a mother?

What has become the state of the man?

If the men in your church is not Authentic your church has major problems. Confused man create major problems. One of the things he will create are:

1. Issue of money

Today, man problem is manifested emotionally and women's problem physically.

Before man never left the family. He worked in the farm and always present with his family. When the Industrial revolution came for the 1st time men left their family and came back tired out and the child left in the care of the woman. Up to 18 years he is raised by the mother and today you have the male child feminine. Today the problem they have is not equality but "same-ness". The role of a man and husband has dissappear because of same-ness causing the breakdown of the family. God is refered to as "Abba, Father"and family is part of God's plan.

A child that has an authority problem is a child who has a problem with the father and not the woman.

If a child cannot give money to the parents the child cannot give money to God.

What childish things that Paul put aside?
1. That he control anything
2. That he owns anything

When was the last time God disciplines you?

God discipline you through the things He ask you to do. The things that He did not ask you to do we say God is punishing you. Now which is it?

In the Garden of Eden, the Devil came to tempt Adam on the thing that God told him not to do. We need to pray when we are not sure. When we know don't need to pray but go and do it.

We think that the thing God told us is the Law but the concept of choice is when we can do it but choose not to do it.

Sin has been dealt with on the cross. The basis of relationship is there must be authority and submission. When God ask you NOT to do something is because you can do it.

When God asked Adam not to eat from the garden, law did not exist.

When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior the relationship was reconciled with God and many of us know what God has told us to do.

What is it that God told you not to do?

Many of us are stuck, because the Law is destroying us.

The Law has the origin in God's Word. God's word without the law is grace.

God's word without Grace is Law.

Law came first followed by Grace and Truth.

If we receive Grace, somewhere there is the Truth.

Can the Word of God be without Law?

Do we think we are eternal or mortal?

We can only think we are eternal when we believe what God says about us and therefore not constraint by Time and Money because we are lead by the Holy Spirit.
Eternal is when God shows up it's the perfect time.

Ps Thomas Fann added that in Jesus time, it was the 12 apostles that died for the mission although there were many women following him and were faithful. He believe it's because the mission IS BIG. The message of this EFC - Nation Transformation is big and we need to communicate this. IF we want BIG FISH we need BIG BAIT. We need to tell people that we have a BIG vision so that real man will die for it.

Men needs things in order to solve their problems. Therefore, in church space have been created for women and child but not for the men. Women can hold hands, cry and have their problems solved.

The vision is so small that after a while the man finds no space. To get the man back into the Christian lifestyle we need to engage the man where he is best at - the hunting ground. Women are gatherers and church is a family room - that is why women feel very at home.

Therefore it is time for the church to send the men out there...

Some Reflection - Leadership Summit

2009-06-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Penang 5th – 7th June 2009.
Submitted by Rev. Benedict Muthusamy

1. I was glad I came.
2. Pastor Alvin and his team were gracious hosts. It was great meeting up with people from all over the country who are on the same mission – Nation transformation. Penang, as always, was great. People said Penang Food was great. For me, it was Penang atmosphere – the people, the traffic and yes, even the air. Once a Penangite, always a Penangite.
3. At the summit, I found the stories that people had to share inspiring. The teaching sessions by the guest speakers continue to encourage us in our journey as EFC congregations. The message at the closing service by Sam Williams was a classic. It was a Word from God that will challenge the way we think about Grace and Truth.
4. There was this lady Cheng See, by her own admission, a housewife who is not very intelligent, who is one of the key people behind the Rifle Range flats project, ‘House of Hope’. I listened to her and there were 3 things that came out of her story for me;

a. She claimed that she was not very intelligent. Praise the Lord, there is still hope for many of us! I think that sometimes we overrate intelligence. There is a place for it, but this lady showed that there is something else that is not often given credit. That is wisdom. It takes wisdom to obey the Lord when He prompts us to do something.
b. She mentioned that when she reads the bible she just believes, because it is in the bible. This is another way of saying she has Faith. If God says something, than I am required to take Him at His word.
c. Her story demonstrated a process. All the stories at the summit demonstrate a process. A process that shows that it is God’s work. He starts it by calling someone, He expands it and He guides it to its completion. We are so privileged to be a part of the work of God in transforming lives.

5. The leadership summit showed me that a transformational process can have the following;

a. The power of our God who can do what is impossible. Nation Transformation by Kingdom Values is an audacious vision. If anyone can do it, God can.
b. The power of a vision – nation transformation. Richard Rajoo’s and Piek See’s tireless vision casting throughout our centres has been inspiring. I am amazed by them and I have to come believe in the same vision for Malaysia.
c. The power of one person – all it takes is one person who obeys the Lord. 1+GOD is a winning formula, every time. It beckons an adventurous journey as others join in. We may never fully see the big picture all at once, but we will see it unfold bit by bit. That is a special joy. But it all starts with the one person.
d. The power of networking – God continually drops people into our lives who will work together with us, encourage us etc for a period of time. We need them as much as we they need us. It is amazing that God has put into the hearts of so many individuals the same restlessness to do something transformational in Malaysia.
e. The power of the first step – To know of a need in the community is one thing, to respond is another thing altogether. Every journey begins with the first step. A small step. Today we have 28 centres that took the first step and I believe that many more centres will begin with that first step also.

"Full of Grace and Truth"

2009-06-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Text: John 1:14-18

Credit to Dr. Sam Williams whose message on 7/6/09 at FPBC inspired this message.

Introduction:

1. Words that goes together – Fish & chips, bread & butter (kaya), bacon & egg, Batman & Robin, etc.

2. Words that doesn’t go together are called oxymoron (From Greek word for sharp (oxy) and moros (dull)). E.g. Jumbo shrimp, found missing, pretty ugly, fried ice-cream, diet ice-cream, etc.

3. Bible terms that goes together – Adam & Eve, Sodom & Gomorrah, Samson & Delilah, David & Jonathan, grace & peace (mercy), etc.

4. Bible terms that doesn’t seem to go together – grace & truth. It seems like an oxymoron phrase.

a. Grace – accepting, forgiving, showing favours, soft and gentle.

b. Truth – judgmental, dividing, unbending, unforgiving, drawing a line, harsh, no mercy.

5. Both these words seems contradictory, a true oxymoron.

Jesus was full of grace and truth

1. Yet these two words were used to describe Jesus in John 1:14,17, not just once but twice.

a. John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

b. John 1:17 - For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

2. “Full of” means Jesus was always full of grace and full of truth, it wasn’t that he was sometimes full of grace and other times full of truth or has half measure of each. This is a paradox, just like he was fully man and fully God at the same time. We will see examples of how Jesus fully applied grace and truth later.

3. Jesus was able to function fully in both grace and truth but His church, Christians tends to swing from one extreme to another.

a. Full of grace – We love you just the way you are, take your time to change if you want to, otherwise that is OK because God still loves you. We become a wishy-washy church with no convictions. E.g. A large denomination in the US ran an advert on TV inviting people to bring their beliefs into the church, without needing to change it.

b. Full of truth – We are a Bible-believing church! We are the pillar of truth! The Bible says…., Thou shalt not do this, thou shalt not do that! You must pray, pay your tithes, fast, etc. We become a legalistic, cold and graceless church.

How did Jesus apply grace and truth?

This theme of grace and truth can be seen throughout this Gospel of John. To some people, Jesus was full of grace; to others he was full of truth. But even when he showed grace, he never left out the truth.

1. John 2:12-17 – Jesus clears the temple. TRUTH.

2. John 3:1-21 – Jesus teaches Nicodemus. GRACE > TRUTH

3. John 4:1-26 – Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman. GRACE > TRUTH.

4. John 5:1-15 – The healing of the invalid at the pool. GRACE > TRUTH.

5. John 6:1-15 – Jesus feeds the five thousand. GRACE > TRUTH.

6. John 8:42-47 – Jesus called the Pharisees, “Children of the devil” TRUTH.

To the lost, the hungry, the thirsty, the blind, the crippled and humble, Jesus always reach out in grace before he administer the truth. To the self-righteous, like the Pharisees, he would just speak the truth.

Lessons from the Samaritan woman at the well (How to reach out in grace?)

1. Keeping a divine appointment – Now he had to go through Samaria (v.4). It is geographically the most direct route but most Jews chose to avoid passing through Samaria due to the hostility of the people towards the Jews. Jesus “had to” was a moral obligation on his part, not a geographical convenience. E.g. Acts 8:26 – Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

2. Humbling himself (v.7) – Jesus initiated the conversation by asking for help. He humbled himself.

3. Crossing over to the other side (v.9) – Jesus broke through three barriers to reach this woman – racial (Samaritan don’t mix with Jews), gender (a good Jewish man won’t speak to a woman alone) and social (the woman had a bad reputation). Jesus got out of his comfort zone and was full of grace to this woman.

4. Address her deepest need (v.10-15) – Jesus knew she had a thirst in her soul that needs quenching (she had 5 husbands and living with another man) and offered her living water. We need to discern and address the real needs, rather than surface needs. E.g. People who over-eat, cut themselves, gambles, etc.

5. Confront with the truth (v.16-18) – After reaching out in grace, Jesus now confronts her with the truth about her sinful condition. The lesson here is – “The more gracious we are to people, the more truthful we can be.” People are more ready to accept the truth from us when we have been gracious to them. Bob Mumford said “Do not carry the weight of truth heavier than the bridge of relationship you have can bear.”

6. Led her to the Christ (v.19-26) – It would not have been complete until and unless she comes to accept Jesus as her Christ and Saviour. When we reach out in grace, evangelism is not an ulterior motive but it is our ultimate aim.

Conclusion

1. As a church, God has called us to be externally-focused, to reach out to our community, to Samaritans around us.

2. Who are our Samaritans? They are someone who lives near to us and very much like us but in some distinguishing way are different from us. They are our neighbours, our colleagues, the poor and needy in our city, the drug addict, the marginalized.

3. We want to create a place of grace where people can discover the truth of God. Are we ready to receive the Samaritans around us – gay, transvestites, PLHIV, prostitutes, etc...?

4. Jesus reached out in grace so that people will be set free by the truth.

5. Most people have not rejected Jesus but they have rejected the graceless representation of Him by the Church.

JB Small Groups

2009-06-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

CityTransformers
Team Leader : Thomas Fann
Growth Champion : Bruce Cheong
Connect Champion : Christopher Ling
Bridge Champion : Cathie Tan
Prayer Champion : Ps Andrew Goh
Men's Champion : Lee Chung Han
Women's Champion : Pauline Chai

CareLink
Team Leader : Thomas Fang
Growth Champion : Ninan Cherian
Connect Champion : Bene Chian Toon Toon
Bridge Champion : Grace Lee
Prayer Champion : Lee Chung Hau
Men's Champion : Steven Woo
Women's Champion : Regina Cherian

2009-04-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

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Pray: Conference & Leadership Summit

2009-04-28T20:55:00.001-07:00

Compiled by Inn Neo, Prayer Champion of Movers & Shakers
It has been a while since we had a good prayer in the group. I always believe that the Holy Spirit should be the centre of our prayers and provide good communication with "Abba". After our last DLT meeting we now have a focus for our prayer life. The following prayer points were raised and by FAITH we believe that it is already DONE.

WE Pray:
1. That the hearts of the Leaders, that are coming, will be
soft and open to the Lord's Word and the Power of Holy Spirit.
2. That the attendees will hear & receive the will and vision of
God for the transformation of Malaysia.

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