The Life Chapel Youth Fellowship

WISH Campers 2011

2011-12-23T00:54:00.000+08:00

Hey guys,

Just want to say a big thank you to everybody for participating so enthusiastically in this year's camp :) We hope you had an awesome possum wonderful time, but more importantly, that you found the message meaningful and thought provoking.

We hope that the next time you come up to Camerons, you'll look at that old building across the road, and perhaps have the chance to say...'cucu, look over there...once upon a time, Grandpa/Grandma danced around like a ballerina and sang a song with a mouthful of water... rolled tissue on the floor and built my model dream home... and found peace in the Rock of my Salvation :)'

Not forgetting to thank our dear Lord for His blessings and protection...and also all who have laboured to make this camp a success :)

God bless and Merry Christmas!!

Regards,

The Life Chapel Youth Fellowship 2011

YF Camp 2011 Check List

2011-12-10T17:17:00.001+08:00

Hey guys!! YF Camp 2011 is almost here! In another 6 days, we'll all be up the mountain, so brace yourselves for the 4 Days 3 Nights you'll never forget =)

Here's the checklist for things you need/can bring. Hope you will find it helpful:

1. Bible
2. Stationery
3. Warm Clothing (Sweater or Jacket)
4. Clothes for 4 days
5. Black pair of shirt and long pants
6. Decent clothes for Sunday Service (smart casual)
7. Sport Shoes
8. Slippers
9. Toiletries (Toothbrush, Facial Cream etc.)
10. Medicine
11. Pillow/Snuggle-up blanket
12. Small Gifts (for Guardian Angels/Mortals)

Also, just a reminder to be @ The Life Chapel by 8am for Registration. For any inquiries, feel free to contact any one of us @

Teoh Hong Ken 0123235979
Emily Mah 0166868282
Su Yuen Hsiang (teacher) 0163376176

See you guys there!! =)

Giving Yourselves

2011-10-14T14:02:00.001+08:00

Dear all,
There is no YF classes on this Saturday. But there is a special talk on "Submission" by Mr.Michael Wong. Please feel free to invite any of your friends to come. Bring your bibles too. Pls & TQ. :)

Y.F (3rd September, Saturday)

2011-09-02T10:14:00.000+08:00

Hello people,

This short post is just to let chu all know that this coming Saturday's Youth Fellowship is off due to the school holidays. Do come back again next week though.

"Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich." - 2 Corinthians 8:9

Shalom Home Visitation

2011-08-14T22:10:00.000+08:00

Fellow peeps,

Just to let you all know, our Shalom Home visit has been postpone from this coming Saturday, 20th August, to next Saturday, 27th August. YF classes will be on as usual this Saturday.

27th August

1. We will be leaving at 3:30 p.m. sharp.

2. Those who are available can come around 2:30 p.m.to help out with the making of sandwiches.

4. We will be back at church around 6:30 p.m.

YF Annual Year End Camp

2011-08-14T22:05:00.001+08:00

Dear Youths,

YF Year End Camp is back again! 2011 edition.

Our theme this year is W.IS.H = Where IS He?

Date : 16th - 19th December (Friday to Monday)

Venue : Barre-I-J, Cameron Highlands

Fees : RM 150

RM 130 (early birds till 15th November)

Promo video link below : -
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/6919829/where_is_he_yf_camp_2011/

Camp forms are available at the church's office. Or you can get it from your teachers.

* I'll post up the camp forms later.

EMERGENCY

2011-07-14T16:44:00.002+08:00

Guys, Yes, Hello..

There is YF again this Saturday.

Francis Dunn will be speaking on the topic "Freedom". Is that what you need? Then come. :)

*MUST bring your Bibles, thank you.

Upcoming Saturday

2011-07-07T18:40:00.002+08:00

Yello' youths,

We're back again! This time, to tell the rest of you that there is classes going on this coming Saturday ( 9 July 2011 ) from 4 p.m till around 6 something. Be sure to bring your bible, pens, and yourself.

See you guys there! :)

"We are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him" - 1 John 5:14

OMGosh! Homey :P

2011-06-28T16:50:00.000+08:00

Lol. Hey peeps, what's up?

Just wanna inform you guys out there that it's a special week. This week's Saturday (2nd July 2011). We'll be helping out with the Social Club's Sports Day. It starts at 9:00 a.m till 11:30 a.m. If you're free, don't mind dropping by to lend a hand. It'll be fun & the rest of the day is off. No YF classes on that day.

See 'ya guys there! ;)

Inter-Assembly Games Meet

2011-06-20T02:09:00.000+08:00

Heys~!!

On behalf of the YF committee, we just like to say thank you for your participation in the Captain Ball Game last Saturday. We hope all of you enjoyed yourselves and of course.... the food!!

Anyways, once again congratulations to the winning team. We're glad to see that we have many qualified pro-players in our midst and we look forward to seeing you in the 2012 London Olympics!! XP

On another note, there will be YF next Saturday (25th June 2011), so we hope to see you guys back in classes, recharged to study the word of God. :)

p.s: We'll be posting up the photos on Facebook soon ya, so don't forget to check!!

Inter-Assembly Games Meet

2011-06-06T21:55:00.002+08:00

Just some updates on the games. There will be a change in venue for the captain ball game. It will no longer be held at BBBS, but we have changed the location to Futsal Sports Centre, PJ

Address: No 4, Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

For those who are not too familiar with the place, its near The Otomotif College. Here's a map for the place.

All other details are the same. You can check out the previous post.

Hope to see you all there!

The Holidays

2011-05-27T16:46:00.001+08:00

Hear 'ye hear 'ye all men & women of the Youth Fellowship,

Congrats to all those students who finally completed their exams, good job! I'm sure you fine folks did great. :) Well, there is a meeting on Saturday (28th May 2011) with normal classes. Be aware that you guys will be staying back after the meeting to help with the preparations for Sunday's YF fundraising event. So don't ponteng a.. !!

We love Saturdays!

2011-05-21T14:10:00.001+08:00

All peoples of the TLC YF,

There is a meeting today, 21th May at 4:00p.m. (*another late post. >_> ) . Classes as per usual. Bring your bibles and pens to jot down notes. :)

"So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding." - Hebrews 6:1

Inter-Assembly Games Meet

2011-05-12T21:27:00.000+08:00

Hey peeps,

Here's some details on the Inter-Assembly Games Meet. Please do keep your dates booked and join us for this time of fun and fellowship.

Date: 18 June 2011 (Saturday)
Time : 1.00pm-5.30pm (Games)
6.30 - 10pm (BBQ Dinner)
Venue: Bukit Bintang Boy's School (Games)
The Life Chapel (BBQ Dinner)

Here's a list of fees applicable for both participants and supporters:

RM 10 - joining us for the Games and BBQ Dinner
RM 5 - joining us for the Games only

We won't be competing with other churches, so no need to get all kia-su xD... just make sure you bring yourself, your smile and of course, some extra change of clothes lah. Also, do bring some of your frens along. This will be an awesome time for them to fellowship with us.

For those who haven't signed up yet, please register with Hong Ken or Emily as soon as possible. We hope to confirm everybody's attendance by 31st May, so be nice and register early, ok?

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Hong Ken @ 012-3235979 or Emily @ 016-6868282...

God bless and hope to see you guys there!

Wanna talk colour?

2011-05-12T21:02:00.000+08:00

Hey YFers,

There will be a talk this Saturday (14th May 2011) by Dr Living Lee. For those who don't know, Dr Lee is actually Mr Lee Yew Kong's dad, the guy who gave the talk the other day on peer pressure.... remember?

Dr Lee will be speaking to us on 'Building Bridges Between Races'. So, if you're the kind of guy or gal into 1Malaysia (or otherwise..) and/or if you have any such frens, this is the time for you. Even if you're not into it, do come anyways, I'm sure Dr Lee will talk some senses into you =D

Hope to see you guys this Saturday!

YF is back!

2011-05-06T13:43:00.000+08:00

Greetings to you YF people,

I'm gonna make this short.

There is a YF meeting tomorrow ( 7th May, Saturday ). We'll be having classes as per usual so bring your bible and pens. :)

Special Notices

2011-04-17T20:57:00.005+08:00

Youths, just to let ya'll know..

We will not be having YF sessions next week ( 23th April ) due to the Easter celebration. Group outings will be on the following week. ( 30th April )

Easter Celebration Flyers

Do come on Easter Sunday & bring a friend or two! :)

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing". - Luke 23:34

Catch! :P

2011-04-09T10:33:00.001+08:00

To: My lovely Youths

There is a small announcement.

We'll be having games (Captain Ball) after every YF session now. Please don't hesitate to come because, you will be awarded the chance of bullying Su right after / before game. (LOL, I'm just kidding.. :) ) x_x

Btw, there is classes going on today!! xP

There is YF tomorrow!! ( 2th April 2011 )

2011-04-01T15:11:00.003+08:00

Hey guys, really sorry about ~~always~~ updating really really late.. >_> Bad habit. Anyways, just wanna inform you YOUTHS, that there's a meeting going on tomorrow with the usual Bible study classes. :)

See you guys then!

Oh, and before that.. Peter suggested that if anyone has anything interesting songs they wanna share or wants to sing a particular song during Youth Fellowship sessions, feel free to voice it out in our ChatBox. Thank you for your cooperation. :D

" Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" - Luke 18:14 ( ODJ )

26th of March, 2011 (Saturday)

2011-03-25T15:40:00.002+08:00

Attention all youth members of The Life Chapel, there is a meeting on Saturday! I repeat, there IS a MEETING on Saturday.. :)

Please come, and bring your friends because we'll be having an interesting talk about "Peer Pressure" given by Mr.Lee Yew Kong. Food and fellowship is provided. xD

So.. Come people!!

*P.s. Sorry about the wrong usage of words on the last post.. >_> Opps?

Drawing Near to God - A Day of Reflection

2011-03-16T12:34:00.000+08:00

Prayer Camp was awesome!! (* this is for people who missed it :P Aha! Do you feel left out now? xD )

There were only 21 of us in all, including the teachers.. Though the numbers were small, we still made something out of this camp. We gathered in church on Friday night ( 8:00p.m.), Uncle Gerald prayed for our safety & so, the journey started up the winding roads of Genting! Throughout the entire trip, there was much laughter and chatter. There was a whole lot of secrets being told during the car ride too.. Muahaha! (* interested? Ask the people who went. :) ) We arrived at Peacehaven, Genting at around 10 something. Everyone was tired by then, so after the checking-in stuff were done, bed sheet sorting were done, it was time for bed.

The next day, we arise at 8:00a.m., had breakfast and started our first session. The first session was about reflection. Su handled this session, asking us a few hardcore questions. "Why do you come to church?" , "Why do you come to YF?" , "Jesus died for us, so what?" , "Where would you be now if you weren't a christian?" and many many more. It was intense. Few of the youths emerged red eyes moments later, a few were emotionless and some wore pondering looks. I guess everyone had something to think about then. After the session, we were required to write a testimony for ourselves. This testimony would help in times to come when you need to tell someone about Christ and serve as a reminder of why we choose to believe what we believe.

After the session was lunch. Food was awesome as usual, but the fellowship we had was even aweso-mer. ;) The second session commenced after that. Our lovely Amy took charged of this session. She led us through a number of games, each meaning to teach us more about distractions. What is distracting you in this time, in this world? Pray about it. Later, we had 2 hours of free time. Captain ball!!! :D Everyone had fun except the teachers, they wanted to play monopoly deal. >_> *laughs*

The third session took on a much more serious tone as we gathered to pray for the world, our country, our church and ourselves. The world: Earthquakes, tsunamis and war are frequent nowadays. They say 2012 is the end of the world, you think so? Pray for the victims of these current events, and pray for their salvation. Pray for the missionaries at these particular places, that they'll be strong in faith and just keep trusting the Lord. Our country: Corruption cases and stuff to do with the rights of each Malaysian citizen. Did it get better in year 2011? Did it really? Pray for the leaders of Malaysia, that they'll be just and not be corrupted. Pray that they'll lead Malaysia to be a better country. Pray too, for the younger ones. That many more christians will rise up to be a leader. (*coughs* Hong Ken prime minister *coughs* xD ) Our church: We often neglect the leaders and the ministries in our church, thinking they do not need our prayers. But we should learn to be more aware of these people and ministries. The elders, that they'll continue to stay close to Him and not stray from the right path because the church depends on them. For the ministries, such as tuition ministry, music and arts ministry and Sunday school. They constantly need to be kept in our prayers. Ourselves: To treasure our family members and love them before all is too late. For non-believers, that they'll accept the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour.

On the last day, we had our Sunday morning breaking of bread service. Followed by a short sharing from Kok Cheong about the importance of prayer. We ended our 2011 Prayer Camp with a group photo and hugs and kisses and much more laughs. Truly, through this camp, many of us youths have been touch by Him. May we continue to grow deeper in Him and let us not stray from the path of righteousness.

*pictures are with Chrislyn. :)

'One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the whole night praying to God' - Luke 6:12

YF Prayer Camp!! :)

2011-03-01T21:04:00.000+08:00

Hey YF peeps, guess what's up again?

Guess..

Guess..

Yes, you've got it right.. It's our annual Youth Fellowship Prayer Camp!! *woots* :D

The Details..

Date: 11-13 March 2011 ( Friday - Sunday )

Place: Peacehaven, Genting Highlands

Price: RM 80 per person

Forms are available from our youth teachers.

Please come alright.. friends and relatives (and pets and soft toys etc.) are welcomed. :]

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" - Jeremiah 33:3

YF's First Session!

2011-01-05T16:49:00.000+08:00

Hey youths,

Hope you all enjoyed your holidays and had a great first few days of school. Well, YF will be having it's first session for this year or the year 2011 on the 8th of January 2011. It will be at 4.00 p.m. as usual. We hope to see all of you there especially the ones that came for camp! Have a great first week of school!!

YF CAMP 2010

2010-12-12T18:53:00.001+08:00

Hello youths,
The YF camp is coming up in 5 days! Here is a list of things to bring.

The Life Chapel Youth Camp 2010 Things to Bring
Complusory items

Clothes for 4 days 3 nights
Black T-shirt (for workshop)
1 Set of Smart Casual Wear
Toiletries(Shampoo, Soap ,Toothbrush, Etc.)
Bible( If you have)
Stationary
Swimming Suit
Extra Towel, clothes and shoes or sandles for Gua Tempurung
Long Pants for Gua Tempurung to avoid scratches on your legs
Shoes for Games and Etc.

Optional Items

Mosquito Repellent
Sunblock
Torch Light

Note

Be prepared to get dirty and wet so don't hesitate to bring extra clothes
Please be in The Life Chapel by 6.30am as we will have to leave early to go to Gua Tempurung(17/12/2010,Friday)
Estimate Time of Arrival is around 4.00pm(20/12/2010, Monday)

See you guys on Friday ( 17th December 2010). Don't be late.

Next week

2010-10-31T15:31:00.000+08:00

Hello again youths!
Next week, instead of having our normal classes, we will be going out on our group outing! Please contact your group teachers for more information on your outing.

See you guys on the following Saturday (13 November 2010).

YF CAMP 2010!!

2010-10-21T22:22:00.000+08:00

Hey youths, the promotional video is out!
It's not only here but also on Facebook. Remember to show it to your friends.
Don't let the effort put in it go to waste.

Next week

2010-10-16T22:00:00.000+08:00

Hello youths,
Next week we will also be having something else instead of our normal classes. We will be having a talk on special people by our sister Wei Lyn. It will be an interactive talk.

We hope to see all of you there.

Letters to God

2010-10-10T22:25:00.001+08:00

Hello guys,
Next Saturday (16th October 2010), we will be watching a video entitled "Letters to God" instead of our usual classes.

We hope you all will be able to make it.

YF CAMP 2010

2010-09-18T21:46:00.000+08:00

Hello youths,
The camp forms are finally out!!! They are available at the church office or you can just print them right here. We'll also be shooting a video to promote our camp. ALL of you are INVITED to shoot this video. If you all want to help, kindly stay back a little longer next Saturday, 25th of September 2010. The camp info is as below:

Date : 17th December (Friday) to 20th December 2010 (Monday)
Venue : Harvest Haven, Gopeng, Perak
Price : RM180
Camp Speaker : Lai Mun Onn

Our theme this year is iLove.

God's love for you.

What is it all about?

Whats so important about it?

Come to this year's camp and you'll know.

poof.

2010-08-31T18:54:00.000+08:00

Hey people ! (:

Because of the holidays, YF will be off for 2 weeks.

TWO WEEKS I TELL YOU ! ):

This is all so that everyone can go on holidays without missing youth. HAH.

So, we'll be off on the 4th of September 2010 and the 11th of September 2010, meeting back on the 18th of September 2010 !

YAAAY. :D :D

Don't forget the dates !

See you in two weeks time (:

YF Camp Fundraising

2010-08-12T21:29:00.002+08:00

Hello guys,

YF camp's coming up, and we are having our camp fundraising this Sunday, we are staying back this Saturday night (14 August 2010) to help with the preparations. Remember to come and bring your friends along. We will be staying back until 8.30 pm.
There'll be great fellowship while preparing the ingredients. Don't forget to help out on Sunday if you can.

For those helping out with the cooking and selling, you guys will go for the second service and for those who are helping out with the cleaning up, you guys will go for the first service.

Hope to see all of you there.

Social Club Sports Day ! (

2010-08-04T13:49:00.000+08:00

HELLO YF-ERS !

Trust that most of you had an enjoyable outing last Sunday !

Just a little reminder,

there won't be usual YF this Saturday (7th July 2010) .

Instead, we're going to help out with the Social Club Sports Day !

Basically, we're helping those that aren't as fortunate as us.

We hope that you can take some time off to help us out.

Please meet in church at 8.15 am sharp for the briefing.

We should end at 12 pm (:

Do come and help out,

make this day one day that these people won't forget.

See you there !

:D

2010-08-04T13:43:00.000+08:00

Congratulations Tim & Aliza !

We're all really happy for you guys, and wish you all the best !

May God continue to bless you both with a wonderful, happy marriage (:

Much love,

YF-ers.

YF Camp

2010-07-08T21:26:00.005+08:00

Hey guys,
YF camp is coming!!!

The venue is Harvest Haven, Gopeng, Perak. Yes, its the place that we had last year's prayer camp.
The dates are from 17 Dec to 20 Dec 2010. (Friday - Monday)
Our camp speaker this year will be Lai Mun Onn.
The prices are to be confirmed.

Remember to come and BRING A FRIEND.

Heres the promotional video. Its also on Facebook so remember to tag all your friends!!!

We are hoping to see you and your friends there. It will be loads of fun and fellowship so you won't want to miss it!!

outttiinnnggggggggggggggggggggg !

2010-06-09T14:38:00.000+08:00

Hello youths !

The YF team has put together another outing for everyone next week,

19th June 2010 at the TTDI Park (:

We'll be having games and fellowship together,

so make sure you come and we encourage everyone to bring a friend !

So everyone's to meet in church at 8.30 am and we'll be done at 1 pm.

So, get your parents to pick you guys up at church because we'lll be heading back there.

Lunch will be provided and

everyone is to pay a really really tiny fee of RM 5.

So hope to see everyone there, it's going to be so FUN.

Don't miss it !

The Disciple & his Glorification (29 May 2010)

2010-05-31T23:53:00.000+08:00

1. What is the meaning of “Glory” and to be “glorified”?

2. Read Romans 8:18-25. What does is the hope that Paul is talking about?

(Col 1:27)

3. Compare Romans 8:18-23 with Romans 8:14-17. What is the correlation between these two passages? What is the significance of this?

4. What is Justification?

(Romans 5:12-21) (Romans 3:22)

What is Sanctification?

(Heb 10:14)

How do Justification, Sanctification and Glorification relate to one another?

(refer 1 Cor 13:12, 1 Cor 15:52-53, 2 Cor 5:2-4)

The Disciple & his Sanctification (22 May 2010)

2010-05-24T14:09:00.003+08:00

Read Romans 6

1. What is sanctification?

2. Read Romans 5: 18-21 with Romans 6:1. Why would anyone think that continuing to sin would make grace abound?

3. Read Romans 6:3-10. What does it mean to be baptized in Christ’s death? What does it mean to be buried with him?

4. Is the idea of being a slave to sin in Romans 6: 12-23 talking about sin determining our destiny or controlling our behavior?

5. What are your motivations for not sinning? How might you go about not allowing sin to reign in you? Can you think of any sin that God has turned you away from since you became a believer?

The Life Chapel Assembly Retreat 2010 - Promo Video

2010-05-17T18:31:00.001+08:00

Hey guys! Thinking of joining the assembly retreat? Students need to only pay RM100 for staying in HCC for 4 days and 3 nights! RM180 for staying in Heritage Hotel. Download the retreat form here!

The Disciple and his Salvation (15 May 2010)

2010-05-15T22:21:00.008+08:00

1. How are you saved?
2. Read Romans 3:21-26. What is righteousness? How is it obtained?
3. What is grace? (Read Titus 2:11, Romans 6)
4. Read Romans 4:16. What is the relationship between grace and faith?
5. What is your salvation to you?

10 Ways NOT to Share Your Faith

2010-05-10T11:38:00.006+08:00

1. Stand on the corner and scream “REPENT!” at others. If it didn’t work for Jeremiah the prophet, it won’t work for you.

2. Break into a public high school and shove gospel tracts into the lockers. Trust me on this. I’ve done it…seriously.

3. Wear a “Ready to die…ask me why” T-Shirt. I’ve done this too. It’s not effective, but it did scare people.

4. Go into a bookstore and secretly slip gospel tracts into all of the New Age/Witchcraft books. Have I done this? Maybe…okay, yes.

5. Put gospel tracts in the hands of the manequins at J.C. Pennys. While it looks like the fashion dummy is offering the gospel tract it’s the real dummy that gets thrown out of the mall. Suffice it to say that I’ve met many security guards this way and they are nothing like the guy in “Mall Cop.”

6. Use fake $100 dollar bills with “the gospel” on them to get people excited that they found a $100 dollar bill and then get them ticked off when they realize that they didn’t.

7. Go on Christian television and offer the gospel as a way to get rich on earth. Does anybody have a barf bag?

8. Sky dive from 3,000 feet into an outdoor Atheist’s convention with “John 3:16″ painted on your parachute.

9. Yell out “I love Jesus how ’bout you?” in the middle of class.

10. Any kind of Christian bumper sticker (especially if you’re a bad driver!)

So, if this is how you should NOT share your faith, how should you? How about this? Talk to people! Love them, listen to them, engage them and share the gospel with them. It’s only taken me about 30 years of sharing my faith to figure this out. I guess I’m a slow learner. It’s a good thing I love the book of Colossians. I finally got the message after reading this passage in chapter four, verses four through six,

“Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

I love Jesus how ’bout you?

Taken from http://www.christiantoday.com/article/10.ways.not.to.share.your.faith/25868.htm

NEWS: Nigeria Swears in New Christian President

2010-05-10T11:25:00.002+08:00

Nigeria swore in its new president, a Christian, this week after months of leadership confusion while its elected president was receiving medical treatment.

Goodluck Jonathan, who has been Nigeria’s acting president since February, officially became president of Nigeria on Thursday. His Muslim predecessor, Umaru Yar’Adua, died on Wednesday despite extensive treatment, including a medical stay in Saudi Arabia.

The peaceful power shift provides stability to the oil-rich country, avoiding Nigeria’s history of military coups whenever there was a leadership vacuum.

It is unclear at the moment if Jonathan will run for the office of president during the next election.

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is about evenly split between Muslims in the north and Christians in the south. There is an agreement that the office of president would be alternated between Christians and Muslims.

While the presidency problem is, for now, settled, Nigeria is facing the problem of increased sectarian violence.

Just last month, Islamic extremists allegedly kidnapped and killed Pastor Ishaku Kadah of the Church of Christ in Nigeria and his wife.

In March, ethnic Fulani Muslims attacked predominantly Christian villages in the central Jos area where somewhere between 100 to 500 people were killed, depending on reports. The attack occurred at night and many of the victims were defenseless women and children.

Then acting president Goodluck Jonathan ordered security forces in Plateau State and neighboring states to be on high alert to keep the violence from spreading.

The attack had come just months after a large-scale clash around the Jos area. Nearly 500 people were killed in January. The Plateau state police said the violence was sparked by an unprovoked attack on worshipers at a local church.

Jos has a well-known history of conflict between the Muslim and Christian communities. The central city lies between Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south.

Beyond religious differences, many sectarian conflicts are also sparked by poverty and competition over access to resources.

Taken from http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100508/nigeria-swears-in-new-christian-president/index.html

(:

2010-05-04T18:57:00.004+08:00

Hello wonderful youths !

Just a tiny reminder that this week, 8th of May 2010,
YF will be on as usual.
YAAAAYYYY !

So, so.
Please please please make it this week.
We have on something special (:
Adrene Wong will be coming to speak to us and I think it's going to be awesome.
She'll be speaking on the topic of MUSIC.
So if you love music, do come !
And even if you don't like music, please come.
Maybe you'll like music after this talk.
heh.

See you all this week !

The Disciple & his Call (24 April 2010)

2010-04-25T14:33:00.000+08:00

1. Many people speak of finding their calling. What does that mean?
2. Does answering God’s call mean that we will have to be full time worker or missionaries?
3. Read Jeremiah 1. What was Jeremiah’s response to God’s call.
What was God’s response to Jeremiah?

4. Have you ever felt in adequate or afraid to do something God was asking you to do? How does Romans 8:28-30 encourage you?
5. What do you think is God’s calling for you? Are you answering it? Or is something holding your back?

The Disciple and his Character (17 April 2010)

2010-04-20T07:56:00.004+08:00

OBJECTIVE: To understand the growth of Christian character and holy living.

1. When did you come to know Christ? How did you come to accept Him as your personal Saviour?

2. What will happen to your thoughts as you grow in character? Read Eph 4:20- 24.

3. How has God equipped you to grow in character? Read 2 Peter 1:2-4.

4. What does 2 Peter 1:8 say about fruitfulness?

5. List the qualities mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-7. Which one of these qualities can you begin to strengthen?

well done (:

2010-04-11T22:54:00.007+08:00

We'll like to congratulate the cast of The Hottest Story. Ever. (:
Well done, guys !

Especially congratulating our YF teachers and staff members.

Su and Kok Choong !
We all love them. Who wouldn't?

Aliza !
You looked pretty, with the cotton and all. haha.

and and, our YF member tooo (:

Emily !
We thought no one else could make a better lamp. Seriously.

It was a great show, and for those who didn't get to catch it, you should try to look for the people that taped it up. The cast managed to put on 4 successful shows and we praise God for that. And we're looking forward to see more ! (:

:D :D

2010-04-02T14:53:00.003+08:00

Hey youths ! (:

Just a friendly reminder that YF is off this week (3rd April 2010).
BUT WE HAVE YF NEXT WEEK !

and do join us for the Hottest Story. Ever. play !

Happy Easter everyone.
(:

The Hottest Story. Ever.

2010-03-30T16:42:00.006+08:00

Easter is just around the corner and the Music and Arts Ministry has come up with a sizzling production. Come and join us and have a smoking hot time!

Show times :
Date: Easter Sunday, 4th April 2010
Time: 10:30am
Venue: The Life Chapel
Tickets: FREE

Date: Saturday, 10th April 2010
Time: 3:30pm and 8:30pm
Venue: PJ Live Arts, Jaya One
Tickets: RM12

Date: Sunday, 11th April 2010
Time: 3:30pm
Venue: PJ Live Arts, Jaya One
Tickets: RM12

Head over to the FB site for more details :D
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=372512032869

Sypnopsis

In a nutshell, The Hottest Story. Ever. is a retelling of some of the major events in the life of Jesus Christ while on earth – His birth, His baptism, His temptation in the desert, His arrest and crucifixion as well as His resurrection, but from a rarely seen perspective, i.e. from the real Down Under. Yup, The Hottest Story. Ever. is the story of Christ’s ministry on Earth, told from the demonic perspective.

Although mostly fun, light-hearted and comedic, the drama also carries a perceptible tinge of darkness and boding evil at times. Seen through the eyes of Satan’s trusted agents, led by the outlandish Mephistopheles, the drama unfolds as a continuation of the age-old battle between God and the Devil which has raged since Creation.

Satan and his minions sought to strike a major blow at the Almighty by killing Jesus, whom they identified at His baptism, only to discover after that Christ’s death was part of God’s plan to save the human race! At the resurrection, the demons come to the realization that they have lost the battle and that their inevitable fate lies at the bottom of the Lake of Fire, which forces them to rethink their strategy…

Congratulations!!!

2010-03-23T22:44:00.004+08:00

The Life Chapel Youth Fellowship would like to send our warmest congratulations to Weng Soon and Amy. You have both been a blessing to us and we pray that as you start your new lives together, God will always be the center of your marriage. God Bless!

Prayer Camp 2010 @ Peacehaven

2010-03-14T23:54:00.006+08:00

Baptism - 4th April 2010 (Easter Weekend)

2010-03-10T16:10:00.002+08:00

Hello youths! There would be a baptism on the 4th of April 2010. Anyone who is interested in going through the waters of baptism, please inform your class teachers, su or weng soon.

Baptism symbolises our death with Christ. Baptism come from the greek word "baptizo" which means to dip. Immersion best depict the symbol of death, burial and resurrection. In the early church, baptism was not an optional exercise. Every believer was exhorted to be baptised. God Bless!

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, EVERY ONE of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

Lesson - The Disciple and the Beginning (6 Feb 2010)

2010-03-10T15:56:00.001+08:00

OBJECTIVE: To understand sin, its power and influence over Christian lives.

Read Genesis Chapter 3
1.What do you think that caused Adam and Eve to sin? Can the same happen to us now?

2.How did God react when he found out that Adam and Eve sinned?

3.What are the consequences of sin during Adam’s time? What are the consequences of sin now?

4.Can we ever escape the consequence of sin?

The Big Rock

2010-03-10T15:44:00.005+08:00

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel.

In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sand box. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.

Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved-but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy’s father watched from the living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but firmly he said, “Son, didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!”

“No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.”

With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

Do you have “rocks” in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don’t have what it takes to lift them? God is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need to overcome obstacles and to accomplish great things for Him. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Beware of Curare

2010-03-04T16:25:00.003+08:00

In 1799 the famous Prussian explorer and scientist Baron Von Humboldt discovered a potent drug called curare.

On an expedition into the jungles of Venezuela, he watched an Indian hunter bring down a large animal with a single shot from his bow and arrow. The arrow had been poisoned with curare, a potion with two curious properties, derived from the jungle paints.

Curare injected into the bloodstream, as it was when hunting animals, was deadly. It immobilized the body, attacked the vital organs, and caused death almost instantaneously.

Humboldt discovered the second property of curare in a more dramatic fashion. He became sick, and a native witch doctor forced Humboldt to drink some curare that had been diluted with water. Terrified that he was going to die, Humboldt was surprised to find that after drinking the curare, he felt significantly better. Curare, when it was diluted and taken orally, he discovered, could have a positive medicinal value without causing any damage to vital organs.

The key to curare’s impact lies principally in the way it is taken into the human body. Injected into the bloodstream, it’s deadly killer. Ingested orally, it’s a soothing muscle relaxant.

Christianity is a lot like curare. Its impact depends chiefly on how it is received. Many people choose to take it orally, diluted as much as possible, so that it has few side effects and makes them feel better- but that’s not the purpose of true Christianity.

Christianity’s purpose is to change us into new creations in Christ. In order for us to become new creations, we must die to our old selves and be born again, trading in our old lives for new ones. Those who want a “safe” Christianity that costs them little have a difficult time accepting death and new birth. True Christianity is not safe- it costs you your life. It cost God His only beloved Son, and it will cost you everything to follow Him. Paul wrote,” I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” ( Gal. 2:20a).

Don’t settle for a watered-down version of Christianity. It can’t be taken orally. It has to be injected.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Beauty and the Beast

2010-03-01T16:04:00.004+08:00

Do you remember the gripping scene in the animated Disney film Beauty and the Beast when the Beast was about to confess his love to Belle? Cogsworth looked on with euphoric anticipating, for if Belle pledged her love to the Beast, presto! The spell that hung over the castle like a dark, dank cloud of doom would finally be broken.

As she clasped hands with the Beast, Belle asked permission to gaze into the magical mirror in order to see her father. Viewing her father in obvious distress, she dropped the mirror and gasped at his plight. “I’ve got to go to him,” she sobbed.

“Go to him, then,” the Beast responded. Those four words spoke volumes.

Cogsworth later walked into the room with an air of triumphant expectancy as he declared to the Beast, “I must say that things are going swimmingly.”

All hope vanished into thin air, however, when the Beast uttered the most significant line in the film. “I let her go,” he confessed to his enchanted little clock.

As the reality of those words sunk in, Cogsworth shook himself and asked, "You did what?"

Can you imagine the impact of the Beast’s admission? To let her go was to plunge his kingdom into another season of a cursed existence. To let her go meant that all hope was lost of ever becoming normally human again. To let her go meant that he forfeited his last, best chance of ever being loved. But he let her go. Why?

“I had to,” he said. “I love her.” The Beast understood that a lover does not hold the object of his love hostage to his possessive grasp.

Perhaps a similar scene played itself out in heaven when God let go the beautiful angel Lucifer, who rebelled against God, determined to go his own way. “You did what?” Michael or Gabriel or some other angel might have asked, realizing that this action would bring untold misery and suffering upon God’s creation.

What about you and me? Though God could force us to love Him, He lets us go. “I love them too much,” He says. God loves us and allows us to go our own way, knowing full well that misery and suffering could be the result. Like Beauty, however, we have the option to come back, to change misery suffering into joy and celebration. Whenever one person comes back to our loving heavenly Father, the angels rejoice (see Luke 15:10)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Lesson - The Disciple and the Beginning (30 Jan 2010)

2010-02-28T21:31:00.004+08:00

OBJECTIVE: To understand that God created man in His image and that we are perfect in God’s sight. Although we have sinned, Jesus blood has made us perfect again in God’s eyes.

Read Genesis Chapter 2

1. List the difference between the man and the other animals.

2. What does it mean to have man created in God’s image?

3. Why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden?

4. What lesson can we learn from God in how to live our lives?

The Blind Men and the Elephant

2010-02-22T17:19:00.004+08:00

In an ancient village, a parable tells, all the people were blind. One day while walking on the road, six men from that village came upon a man riding an elephant. The six men, who had heard about elephants but had never been close to one, asked the rider to allow them to touch the great beast. They wanted to go back to their village to tell the other villagers what an elephant looked like.

The rider agreed and led each of the six men to a different part of the elephant. All the blind men touched and stroked the elephant until they were certain they knew what the animal looked like.

In great anticipation they returned to their village to report their experience. The villagers gathered around to hear about the elephant. The first man, who had felt the animal’s side, said, " An elephant is like a great thick wall."

"Nonsense," said the second man, who had felt the elephant’s tusk. "He is rather short, round, and smooth, but very sharp. I would compare an elephant not with a wall but with a spear!"

The third man, who had touched the ear, took the exception. "It is nothing at all like a wall or a spear," he said. "It is like a gigantic leaf made of thick wool carpet. It moves when you touch it."

"I disagree," said the fourth man, who had handled the trunk. "I can tell you that an elephant is like a giant snake."

The fifth man shouted his disapproval. He had touched one of the elephant’s legs and concluded, "An elephant is round and thick, like a tree."

The sixth man had been allowed to ride on the elephant’s back, and he protested, "Can none of you accurately describe an elephant? Clearly he is like a gigantic moving mountain!"

To this day, the men continue to argue, and no one in the village has any idea what an elephant looks like.

The Bible describes God in many different ways - because He is experienced in many different ways. He is the Creator of the universe, but He is also the faithful friend. He is the righteous judge, but He is also the forgiving Father. For us to understand God, or for us to understand the Bible, we must carefully study the Word of God in its entirety. Whenever we perceive only one view of God, or one view of the truth, we are likely to be misled.

One of the reasons that so many people still don’t understand the Gospel is because Christians can’t agree on what it is. We Christian must strive to find the common ground between us and to present a united front to the world. Jesus.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

The Bee Sting

2010-02-10T18:08:00.005+08:00

A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden, a big black bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the backseat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour.

“Oh, Daddy,” she squeals in terror. “It’s a bee! It’s going to sting me!” The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing around toward him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps it in his fist.

Holding it in his closed hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father’s hand and in pain, the father lets go of the bee. The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics, “Daddy, it’s going to sting me!” The father gently says, “No honey, he’s not going to sting you now. Look at my hand.”

The bee’s stinger is there in his hand.

Paul exulted in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? He has Satan’s sting, the sting of death, the sting of sin, the sting of deceit, the sting of feeling worthless. Jesus has all of those stingers in His hands. When you see that nailed-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf, Jesus took all the pain that Satan could throw at Him. He reduced Satan to a big black bee that’s lost its stinger - all Satan can do is buzz. That’s victory that Jesus won for you.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Lesson - The Disciple and the Beginning (23 Jan 2010)

2010-02-02T12:02:00.002+08:00

OBJECTIVE: To understand that God is all mighty and that everything is possible through him, even creating the world in 6 days.

Read Genesis Chapter 1

1. Can you name the order of creation? What would be the most difficult to create?

2. What would be the most contradicting subject in regards to creation? What would be the issue at conflict?

3. What was God most glad about in relation to His creation?

4. What is the most important lesson that you can learn from Genesis 1?

Tooth Fairy - Review

2010-01-27T14:35:00.005+08:00

Derek Thompson, played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, is the clutch ‘go to’ offensive forward for a professional hockey team. That is the team goes to him when they want an opposing player's teeth knocked out and this has earned him the nickname 'The Tooth Fairy'.

However, it seems that this Tooth Fairy has long since stopped believing in dreams and is seen telling a young fan, who dreams of growing up to play in the NHL, to just 'lower his expectations'. This is the last straw for Lilly, Queen of the Fairies (Julie Andrews) who promptly orders him up to fairyland and sentences him to tooth fairy duty.

Now the biggest dream killer in the NHL needs to serve time as a tooth fairy over the next few weeks while trying to win over the reluctant teenage son of his girlfriend Carly (Ashley Judd), defend his place on the team against a better talented new kid and maybe recapture his own dream in the process.

Objectionable Content

Very minor. Language is limited to a few stern uses of “idiot” and mentions of “butt” and its English counterpart “bum”. When one of Derek’s assignments gets cancelled he starts to say bull__ when a horn interrupts the more offensive part of that expletive. The Lord’s name is not taken in vain making this a very clean film in that respect.

Violence, besides the on-ice clashes standard in hockey, is limited to his initial training as a fairy where, during flight training, he is pelted by tennis balls including the obligatory groin shot. There is also the comic peril of him during his first forays as a Tooth Fairy but none are overly threatening and clearly played for laughs.

Lessons

As the movie begins Derek is at the top of his offensive game as well as a fan favorite. Unfortunately he has bought into accepting the loss of one’s dream and is not about to encourage anyone in theirs. The Word of God is clear on many occasions of not only the importance of encouraging each other but its purpose in strengthening us in this life:

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thes. 5:11).

“…encourage others by sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9).

“But encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).

Derek’s rapport with Carly’s adorable 8-year old daughter Tess (Destiny Whitlock) seems as genuine and as wholesome as his feelings for Carly. Despite having a cynical outlook his dealing with being a tooth fairy matures him and we get to watch him actually moving towards the best definition of love:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Cor. 13:6-7).

Derek finds himself at one point in jail and a fellow inmate, not knowing the nature of his problem, tells him, “You just have to surrender to a higher power.” Although a reference to Alcoholics Anonymous’ twelve step program it was still a welcome bit of truth to hear in a film.

Final Thoughts

Julie Andrews is as enchanting as ever and Billy Crystal, in an all too short supporting role, supplies Derek with his protective fairy gear and gadgets and the film with some of its sharpest wit. The director really should have used him in more scenes as the movie was lighter than expected in the laugh department.

Fans of 'the Rock' expecting his portrayal of the self-assured, egotistical, cynical tough guy that discovers his heart through a series of comical misadventures won’t be disappointed. With more heart than outright comedy, The Tooth Fairy is a sweet film that promotes a single theme and it does it well: that of the importance of dreams and how you should never let them go. A moderately entertaining film it should delight primarily younger audiences and the parents that accompany them.

Taken from http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html by Christian Spotlight™ on Entertainment

The Bear in the Cave

2010-01-27T11:09:00.005+08:00

Two adventurous teenage boys who were good friends were out spelunking (exploring caves) when they found what appeared to be huge bear tracks deep inside a long, cavernous tunnel. They bravely decided to keep going, but they moved ahead slowly and with extreme caution, keeping their eyes and ears open in case they actually encountered a bear.

Suddenly, from the darkness behind a rock jumped the biggest, meanest-looking grizzly bear they had ever seen. Standing squarely in front of them, the bear beat on his chest and roared like a lion, sending a terrible sound echoing off the walls of the cave. Scared to death, the two boys decided they had better run for their lives. They immediately turned to make a dash for daylight.

Just then, one of the boys dropped to the floor and started untying his hiking boots. He whipped the boots off, jammed on his running shoes, and began tying the laces.

His exasperated friend yelled at him, "Come on, man! Let’s get out of here! Why in the world are you changing shoes? We don’t have much of a chance of outrunning that bear anyway!"

Lunging to his feet and starting to run, the first boy replied, "I don’t have to outrun the bear. All I have to do is outrun you."

Do you ever feel like your friends treat you like bear bait? When the going gets rough, they bail out on you. They remain friends with you until it costs them something - then they ditch you.

One of the great things about having Christ as your friend is knowing you that He will never leave you nor forsake you (see Matt. 28:20 and Heb.13:5). He is the friend who is not only willing to lay down His life for you, but He has done exactly that. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

The Battleship and the Lighthouse

2010-01-25T10:32:00.004+08:00

In the darkest part of the night, a ship’s captain cautiously piloted his warship through the fog-shrouded waters. With straining eyes he scanned the hazy darkness, searching for dangers lurking just out of sight. His worst fears were realized when he saw a bright light straight ahead. It appeared to be a vessel on a collision course with his ship.

To avert disaster he quickly radioed the oncoming vessel. “This is Captain Jeremiah Smith,” his voiced crackled over the radio. "Please alter your course ten degrees south! Over."

To the captain’s amazement, the foggy image did not move. Instead, he heard back to the radio, "Captain Smith. This is Private Thomas Johnson. Please alter your course ten degrees north! Over."

Appalled at the audacity of the message, the captain shouted back over the radio, "Private Johnson, this is Captain Smith, and I order you to immediately alter your course ten degrees south! Over."

A second time the oncoming light did not budge. "With all due respect, Captain Smith," came the private’s voice again, "I order you to alter your course immediately ten degrees north! Over."

Angered and frustrated that this impudent sailor would endanger the lives of his men and crew, the captain growled back over the radio, "Private Johnson. I can have you court-martialed for this! For the last time, I command you on the authority of the United States government to alter your course ten degrees to the south! I am a battleship!"

The private’s final transmission was chilling: "Captain Smith, sir. Once again with all due respect, I command you to alter your course ten degrees to the north! I am a lighthouse!"

Many of us in today’s world have little respect for authority. We operate as if rules can be (or should be) changed to fit our personal needs and desires. Commercials egg us on: "Have it your way." In reality, we can’t always have it our way. We have to conform our lives to a higher truth, a higher authority - the Word of God.

God’s truth is like a lighthouse. It’s not going to change to accommodate us. We are the ones who must change to conform our lives to what God wants for us.

Jesus is also like a lighthouse. The Bible teaches that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb. 13:8). He will always be there for us. He is absolutely dependable. We Christians must conform our lives to His will for us. If He tells us to alter our courses, we have no choice but to obey. That’s what being a disciple is all about.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Letters from Friends

2010-01-24T10:10:00.000+08:00

Letter from Peter Lim (please click to enlarge)

Letter from Chung Wei (please click to enlarge)

Awesome Obedience

2010-01-21T13:27:00.005+08:00

A few centuries before Christ, Alexander the Great conquered almost all of the known world with his military strength, cleverness, and diplomacy. One day Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly defended, walled city. Alexander, standing outside the wall, raised his voice, demanding to see the king. The king, approaching the battlements above the invading army, agreed to hear Alexander’s demand.

"Surrender to me immediately," commanded Alexander.

The king laughed. "Why should I surrender to you?" he called down. "We have you far outnumbered. You are no treat to us!"

Alexander was ready to answer the challenge. "Allow me to demonstrate why you should surrender," he replied. Alexander ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff that dropped hundreds of feet to rocks below.

The king and his soldiers watched in shocked disbelief as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths. After ten soldiers had died, Alexander ordered the rest of his men to stop and to return to his side.

The king and his soldiers surrendered on the spot to Alexander the Great.

The king and his soldiers realized that nothing would stop the eventual victory of men actually willing to give their lives for their leader.

Are you as dedicated to obeying Christ’s commands as Alexander ’s soldiers were to obeying Alexander? Are you willing to be that committed to Christ? Think how much influence Christians could have in the world if they took seriously the commands of Jesus. "Be careful to obey…, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God" (Deut. 12:28)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

An Answer to Prayer

2010-01-19T10:12:00.004+08:00

A group of California high school students had spent three months preparing and planning to go to Mexico during Easter break to help the poor. They had prayed that God would use them in a mighty way. Anticipating an exciting week of ministry, they journeyed to a small church near Mexicali.

Upon arriving at the small rural village on a Sunday morning, the students saw that the church where they were going to serve had been badly burned. The roof had caved in, and only the four walls remained. They cautiously made their way into what was left of the building, while a hymn was being sang in Spanish. They were greeted by the puzzled stares of a weary, discouraged Mexican pastor and nine parishioners who were midway through their Sunday morning service. It was apparent that the congregation had never received the group’s letters explaining their plans to serve and had no idea that the group was coming to spend the weeks with them.

At the end of he hymn, the pastor stopped the service, walked back to the group of high school students and said, "Que pasa?" (which the group interpreted to mean, "What in the world are you rich white kids doing in our church?")

After a long silence, one of the students spoke:” We are Christians, and we are here to serve.”

On hearing this the pastor’s eyes brimmed with tears."Some people in the village burned down our church six months ago," he explained. "We’ve been praying that God would send help, but we had given up hope that help was ever coming. Praise be to God!"

The thirty-five high school students were stunned silent. They had heard many times that God wanted to use them; now they were experiencing it for the first time. Amazed, one of the students turned to another and said, "I can’t believe it. We’re an answer to a prayer!"

God does want to use us, and He will — if we will only obey Him and follow Christ’s example to be a servant. (See Philippians 2:3-11.) We can be the answer to someone’s prayer by moving out of our comfort zones to use the gifts God has given us to make a difference in the world.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Face the Music

2010-01-14T22:58:00.003+08:00

Have you ever heard the expression "Face the music"? Here's how that phrase came about:

Many years ago, a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but he couldn't play a note. Since he was a person of great wealth and influence, however, he demanded to be allowed to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king.

The conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra. Even though he couldn't read music, he was givena flute, and when a concert would begin, he would raise his instrument, pucker his lips, and move his fingers. He went through all the motions of playing, but he never made a sound.

The deception went on for two years. Then one day a new conductor took over the Imperial Orchestra. He told the orchestra that he wanted to personally audition all the players to see how well they could play. The audition would weed out all those who weren't able to meet his standards, and he would dismiss them from the orchestra.

One by one the players performed in his presence. Frantic with worry when it was his turn, the phony flutist pretended to be sick. The doctor who was ordered to examin him, however, declared that he was perfectly well. The conductor insisted that the man appear and demonstrate his skill.

Shamefacedly, the man had to confess that he was a fake. That was the day he had to "face the music".

Many of us go through the motions of the Christian life. We attend church or youth group, recite Bible verses, and say all the right things. In reality, though, we are fakes. A time is coming when all of us will be called to stand before the judge of heaven and earth and "face the music". No one will be able to hide in the crowd. The phonies will be separated from the true players. (See Matthew 12:36-37 and 25:31-46.)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

2010-01-14T22:11:00.007+08:00

Sorrow can cause us to doubt God’s plan. Even the writer Psalms wondered if God was still there and if he still cared:” Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” ( Psalm 77:8-9 ). Though we may face trouble and difficulties, sadness and pain, God is still in control, and he is always with us.

Life can sometimes leave us feeling completely crushed and lost. When terrible things happen, you may feel like you’re the only one who has ever felt so bad. It may help to remember that as long as there have been people, bad things have happened to them.

Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. …His wife said to him,” Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied,” You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
(Job 2:7, 9-10)

What should help even more is to know that God has been with all people who have suffered, comforting and caring for them in dark times.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:18)

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.
(Psalm 6:9)

Even Jesus experienced deep sorrow while he was living on earth as one of us. In the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed the night before he died, the Bible says that Jesus was actually sweating blood because he was in such turmoil. Jesus did that for you, and when you experience deep sorrow, he’ll be there to see you through it. He’s been there and knows what it’s like.

Probably the deepest sorrow we’ll face in this life is losing people we love to death. But God reminds us that he is still in control. Death is not the master-God is!

Never again will they hunger; Never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, Nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
(Revelation 7:16-17)

Jesus said,” I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

I’m a college professor. Sometimes I ask my students,” What is the most evil thing that ever happened in human history? They always answer,” The crucifixion of Jesus! ” Then I ask,” What is the most wonderful thing that ever happened in human history?” The same students say,” The crucifixion of Jesus! ” This horrible event, which was the result of sin, was taken by God and transformed into something that has blessed people everywhere.

God doesn’t make bad things happen, but he is at work in the middle of all things, overcoming evil with good and turning tragedy into blessings. So, instead of asking,” Why does God allow bad things to happen?” we should be asking,” What can God do through this tragedy? How can I work with God to turn this into something good?”

~ Tony Compolo ~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

Who was Cain's wife? Was Cain's wife his sister?

2010-01-12T10:46:00.007+08:00

The Bible does not specifically say who Cain’s wife was. The only possible answer is that Cain's wife was his sister or niece or great-niece, etc. The Bible does not say how old Cain was when he killed Abel (Genesis 4:8). Since they were both farmers, they were likely both full-grown adults, possibly with families of their own. Adam and Eve surely had given birth to more children than just Cain and Abel at the time Abel was killed. They definitely had many more children later (Genesis 5:4). The fact that Cain was scared for his own life after he killed Abel (Genesis 4:14) indicates that there were likely many other children and perhaps even grandchildren of Adam and Eve already living at that time. Cain's wife (Genesis 4:17) was a daughter or granddaughter of Adam and Eve.

Since Adam and Eve were the first (and only) human beings, their children would have no other choice than to intermarry. God did not forbid inter-family marriage until much later when there were enough people to make intermarriage unnecessary (Leviticus 18:6-18). The reason that incest today often results in genetic abnormalities is that when two people of similar genetics (i.e., a brother and sister) have children together, there is a high risk of their recessive characteristics becoming dominant. When people from different families have children, it is highly unlikely that both parents will carry the same recessive traits. The human genetic code has become increasingly “polluted” over the centuries as genetic defects are multiplied, amplified, and passed down from generation to generation. Adam and Eve did not have any genetic defects, and that enabled them and the first few generations of their descendants to have a far greater quality of health than we do now. Adam and Eve’s children had few, if any, genetic defects. As a result, it was safe for them to intermarry.

Taken from http://www.gotquestions.org/Cains-wife.html by Got Questions Ministries

Camp Reunion & First YF Session of 2010

2010-01-07T09:40:00.004+08:00

Hey youths! Youth Fellowship will having its first session of 2010 soon! We'll be starting on the 16th of January at 4pm in The Life Chapel. To kick it all off we'll be having a Made to Last camp reunion! So invite your friends and make sure you're there too!

Beyond The Gates of Splendor

2010-01-06T16:26:00.002+08:00

Bible Knowledge (9221/1)

2010-01-05T23:47:00.006+08:00

Hey youths! Bible Knowledge (BK) (9221/1) class for SPM will start this Sunday, 10.01.2010!!! BK is an elective paper for SPM. The weekly classes will cover 2 books of the bible, firstly Luke and followed by Acts in a year. The class is open to all who wants to take BK as an elective paper for SPM and to all who wants to have an in-depth study of the 2 books. Studying the books of Luke and Acts will open your eyes to the life of Jesus and the growth of the church in early Christian history. Please contact us should you require more details.

Time: 11.00am
Venue: Dr Daniel Wong's home
Fee: FOC

Bye-bye 2009. HELLO 2010!!!

2009-12-31T15:04:00.013+08:00

Bye-Bye

Prayer Camp

Shalom Home Visit

Outing to FRIM

YF Camp

Upcoming Events for 2010

YF Year End Camp
Harvest Haven, Gopeng
17-20 December 2010

What sort of New Year’s Resolution should a Christian make?

2009-12-28T16:20:00.009+08:00

The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3000 years to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a New Year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31st and January 1st. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31st. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make?

Common New Year’s resolutions are: to quit smoking, to stop drinking, to manage money better, and spend more time with family. By far the most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, in conjunction with exercising more and eating healthier. These are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” The vast majority of New Year’s resolutions, even among Christians, are in relation to physical things. This should not be.

Many Christians make New Year’s resolutions to pray more, to read the Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. These are fantastic goals. However, these New Year’s resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no power in a New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for vanity, to honor yourself?

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5 declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If a resolution is not God honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution.

So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make? Here are some suggestions:

(1) Pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what resolutions, if any, He would have you make;

(2) Pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you;

(3) Rely on God’s strength to help you;

(4) Find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you;

(5) Don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead allow them to motivate you further;

(6) Don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory.

Psalm 37:5-6, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

Taken from http://www.gotquestions.org/new-years-resolution.html by Got Questions Ministries

Merry X’mas or Merry Christmas??

2009-12-28T14:02:00.008+08:00

Well, do you really know what is the meaning of Merry Xmas and Merry Christmas? What is the difference between this two?

Many people nowadays like to use Merry Xmas a lot but they don’t really understand what is the real reason of putting “X” in it. You can see it all over the place especially all the commercial shops lot.

People thought that it is a use of short form by putting “X” to substitute the word “CHRIST”. Yes, it is use in the early 16th century where the printing technology was just introduce. In order to save the cost of printing which is very expensive at that time,they chose to use the word X-mas where the letter X is actually the first letter of the Greek word-Christ (CristoV) to abbreviate the word Christmas . It may be the initial intention of an individual using such word–Merry Xmas, but do they or do you really know how the word “Merry Xmas” accommodates in today’s world ? Do you know what is the intentional use of this word in the commercial world? If you really don’t know, let me tell you what it is.

This word “Merry Xmas” originates for the use of commercial. For the businessman , putting “X” to substitute the word “CHRIST” is not a use of short form as what you thought it is. They have their purpose of doing so. To maximize the market available for different people from different family background,different culture or different religion, they have to come out a way to attract those major part of people,which i call Christian as the minor part. Because the fact is Christian only stand a minor part out of thousands or millions of Non-Christian. Despite the fact that have shown the figure of Christian, It never stops the Christmas from being a well known festival and celebrated by almost everyone including Muslim.

We’ve to really express our “gratitude” to the businessman who have contribute so much to the publicity of Christmas and leaving an incorrect perception of what actually Christmas is. To eliminate the thought that Christmas is only for Christian,what they do is using the word “Merry Xmas. For “CHRIST” is the defined word for Christian, so in order to achieve their intention or purpose they execute the word “CHRIST”. By placing “X” on it, it means to put Christ away, for “X” often symbolizes “NO”. Literally it means “Merry NO-CHRISTmas”, i know it sounds awkward but it’s true.

By doing so,it makes people feel that actually Christmas is not only for Christian. In another words, it is to make it more “UN-CHRIST” like. So that people of different culture and religion can be a part of it to celebrate Christmas. Thus, what is the result of doing all this? Tons of $$$$ going in to the pocket of those businessman who know nothing about Christmas but Money is the outcome of all this. Christmas has become a great tool for them to do so!

You may think that the 8 letter words alone can’t affects much on it. But the truth is it does work and it works so effectively that people thought that Christmas is all about Gifts, Prizes, new Shoes or Clothes, Reindeer, Mistletoe and Santa Claus where all of this got nothing to do with the true purpose of Christmas at all! It’s just some human “spices” to make Christmas a more “spicy” festival.

I understand that many people use it not purposely, but now that you know the reason lies behind it, I hope you will think twice before you lay your hand to write or type the word “Merry Xmas” and think thoroughly through the way you celebrate Christmas, is it the real meaning of Christmas?

Let makes this a joyous festival by celebrating the Birth Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but not because of all those Glamor,Gifts and Prizes that you got during Christmas. Do understand the purpose of why you celebrate Christmas and what you are celebrating about it, I’m sure by doing so you will have a different experience of Christmas.

Thanks for taking your time to read this. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a “Merry and Blessed Christmas”! Hope that you all will have a different experience of Christmas with the presence of Lord Jesus Christ by knowing the truth and purpose!

Taken from http://andrew-caruso.blog.friendster.com/2007/12/merry-xmas-or-merry-christmas/ by Andrew Lee

YF Camp 2009!!!!!

2009-12-23T22:08:00.005+08:00

I'll let the pictures do the talking first! More to come.....

Are you ready for the siew pow challenge?

2009-12-16T09:23:00.002+08:00

4 days 3 nights of great fun in Seremban! Are you ready? Seremban is ready!! JESUS is ready!!!!

Prayer is Our Connection to God’s Power

2009-12-10T23:49:00.004+08:00

Are you trudging through life seeing little evidence of God’s power? As you read the Bible and learn about God’s might and power in history and over the lives of His people, have you ever wondered if we worship the same God today? I have good news for you. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is still the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Almighty God! The problem lied with us, not with God.

Take for example an electric motor. It has been lying idle the whole day. What is the problem? It is not plugged into the socket which connects to the power source. Although the power has always been available, the electric motor will remain idle as long as it is not properly connected to the power supply.

Prayer is our connection to God’s power. It aligns us to God’s will and purpose. God is pleased to work through us to manifest His power to the world. Look at Daniel. He was a man of prayer (Daniel 6:10), and God used him mightily (Daniel 6:13-28). All the great men of God in the Bible were men of prayer. God is able and willing today to make us “more than conquerors” through Jesus Christ if we are properly connected to Him (Romans 8:37).

You may say, “But I pray everyday – how come I do not experience this power?” Try to honestly evaluate your life and prayers. Have you been totally open to God and willing to let Him change you? Do you realize that prayer begins and ends with God? Do you see the world through God’s eyes? Do you have a loving relationship with God? If you can say yes to all of these, then claim that power in prayer. It was not enough for the Israelites to know that God wanted to give them the Promised Land. They had to go forth, claim it, then possess it (Joshua 1:1-31). In the same way, it is not enough to know that we have power in prayer. We have to claim and let this power operate in our lives.

The principles on prayer may sound simple, but the real test comes as we try to put them into practice.

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

What’s wrong with our Prayers?

2009-12-09T10:34:00.000+08:00

Very often we pray to persuade God to grant our requests. But we should pray because God wills it. He changes us as we pray according to His will. As Rev.Ernest Chan puts it “We usually pray to ask God to alter circumstances or change people. However, it is often us who need to be changed.”

When we pray, we must come before God totally open – not hiding anything from Him. We search our hearts for areas that need to be corrected, confess our every sin, and ask for His cleansing. We must obey His every direction for our lives and allow Him to mold us according to His image.

Nothing will stand in the way of our prayers of we are totally open with God. We will know Him more intimately and become more conscious of His presence. His desires will become our desires. Jesus’ promise will be fulfilled – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7) But if certain areas in our lives are off limits to God, our prayers will not be effective.

Our confused young man expects God to change him “miraculously”. But the Lord wants him to realize his shortcomings, confess them, and follow His way. God is neither unwilling nor unable to answer his prayers. For God does not need to be prodded to answer any of our prayers. Jesus said, “Your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). God, however, desires that we be totally open to Him.

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Muslims pray 5 times a day. How many times do you pray?

Prayer is the Channel through which Love Flows

2009-12-08T13:50:00.005+08:00

Have you ever been so deeply in love that the very thought of your loved one fills you with utter bliss? You love each other so much that you know whatever you ask would gladly be done. Would you ask your loved one to do something he would not like? If you know he wants something and you are able to give it to him, would it not fill your heart with joy to give it to him?

In our relationship with God, the same thing holds true. God grants our requests because He loves us so much. And when He answers our prayers, His love flows towards us and our love flows back to Him in thanksgiving and adoration. When we listen to him and become aware of something we can do to please Him, we respond because we love Him. He accepts our love offering and we rejoice in his love. Prayer forms the channel through which this love flows.

Let’s reflect for a moment :

a. As I draw near to the throne of grace, is His love to me and my love to him flowing back and forth through the channel of prayer?

b. Do I experience His love? If not, why not?

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Prayer Begins and Ends with God

2009-12-03T16:40:00.004+08:00

In his book, People in Prayer, Dr. John White reminds us that prayer is a divine-human interaction and it is always God who takes the initiative. He writes, “God speaks and we respond. God is always speaking. To hear His voice is not usually a mystical experience. It consists merely of a willingness to pay heed to God who lays a claim to our lives.

“We are called into prayer either that we might collaborate with Him in bringing His will to pass, or that we might get a larger vision of what He is like.” When we pray, we become more deeply aware of who and what God is.

Robert used to be a “baby Christian” mostly concerned with his needs, his wants, and his feelings. His prayers usually revolved around himself. But as he grew in his Christian life, and as he spent time in prayer – listening and talking to God – he began to know God more intimately. Having a greater awareness of God’s majesty, God’s holiness, God’s wisdom, God’s power, God’s love… Robert could not help but bow down and worship God. As he matured, he was able to look beyond himself so that someone else’s well-being became more important than his own. His concern for others deepened and he began to see the world through God’s eyes.

This new perspective changed the subject of Robert’s prayers. He is no less concerned with his own needs and wants. When he prays, he praises and exalts the living God – not only for what He has done, but for who He is. His heart overflows with thanks for God’s many blessings. Whereas he used to be burdened with everyday problems, now he has learned to appreciate positive things.

As we listen to God, the Holy Spirit begins to show us the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of other people. We learn to pray for them, also asking God for wisdom and strength – so we can help them. The Holy Spirit also witnesses to our spirit that God will provide all our needs. We know that God loves us very much.

God always speaks. It is up to us whether we’ll listen and respond to Him. Many of us think that we are the ones who initiate prayer. But prayer begins and ends with God.

Sometimes, after we have prayed, God’s answers may puzzle us. But as time goes by and as events unfold we see God’s purpose in His answers. We get a larger vision of what He is like. We exclaim with the prophet Isaiah, “God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God’s ways are higher than our ways!” (Isaiah 55:9).

As we begin to see the world through God’s eyes, we see that God is in control of the universe, and in control of our lives. We will want to work for God and with God. And what an exciting life it is – to be a co-worker of the King of kings!
Let’s reflect for a moment :

a. How does the idea that prayer begins and ends with God affect me now? Do I have the habit of listening to God? How do I respond to Him?

b. What is my perspective as I pray? Am I usually engrossed with my own needs and wants, or do I see the world through God’s eyes?

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Prayer is Opening Up to God

2009-12-02T10:06:00.004+08:00

Mr.Lacson thought of a plan to help his local church grow. He was convinced that it was a good plan but his colleagues did not agree with him. They favoured another plan which he thought was not as good as his. He prayed that God would move his colleagues to accept his plan. But the situation remained the same.

What are Mr.Lacson’s options? Will he persist in his prayer? Or should he re-evaluate his prayer? If Mr.Lacson is totally open to God’s design and is ready to accept it, he might realize that :

1. The other plan may be better than his. The reason he was pushing for his own idea was pride. If this is the case, he has to repent before God and then wholeheartedly support the other plan. James 4:3 says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.”

2. His plan may be better but his arrogant and abrasive attitude repels would-be supporters. If this is the case, he must confess his sin, change his attitude and get right with the others. James adds further, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

3. His plan may be better but it is ahead of its time. He should learn to be patient and wait for God’s time. In the meantime, he should continue to support his colleagues and help them grow, so that they may become one in spirit.

Have you noticed that all the above possibilities involve some changes inside Mr.Lacson himself? The same is true with every praying Christian. God will deal with us first. Only after our hearts are pleasing before Him, can we focus our prayers on other people and circumstances.

Let’s reflect for a moment :

a. How do I usually pray? Have I been trying to persuade God to change other people or circumstances?

b. Am I willing to let God change me?

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

How effective are your prayers?

2009-12-01T10:08:00.009+08:00

A young man once confided to me, "I am really confused. I'm the only Christian in our family, so I am praying that God will transform me so I can be a witness at home. But my behaviour at home is far from ideal! My brother criticizes me and asks me questions like, 'Are all Christians like you?'"

"Why have I not changed? Is God powerless to change me or is He unwilling to do so? It doesn't make sense."

I asked him, "Have you been totally open with God? Have you been obedient to Him even in the smallest way that you know of?"

He became thoughtful for a moment and then answered, "No."

"Then," I said. "That is how you should start."

What’s wrong with our prayers?

Very often we pray to persuade God to grant our requests. But we should pray because God wills it. He changes us as we pray according to His will. As Rev.Ernest Chan puts it “We usually pray to ask God to alter circumstances or change people. However, it is often us who need to be changed.”

When we pray, we must come before God totally open – not hiding anything from Him. We search our hearts for areas that need to be corrected, confess our every sin, and ask for His cleansing. We must obey His every direction for our lives and allow Him to mold us according to His image.

Nothing will stand in the way of our prayers of we are totally open with God. We will know Him more intimately and become more conscious of His presence. His desires will become our desires. Jesus’ promise will be fulfilled – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for yuou” (John 15:7) But if certain areas in our lives are off limits to God, our prayers will not be effective.

Our confused young man expects God to change him “miraculously”. But the Lord wants him to realize his shortcomings, confess them, and follow His way. God is neither unwilling nor unable to answer his prayers. For God does not need to be prodded to answer any of our prayers. Jesus said, “Your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). God, however, desires that we be totally open to Him.

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Q & A - Were the biblical miracles magic tricks which fooled the simple, primitive people?

2009-11-29T13:45:00.006+08:00

Hey youths! It is often contended that people who lived during biblical times were more simpleminded and superstitious than modern man, and could be tricked into believing the miraculous stories contained in the Bible.

Today, it is claimed we live in a scientific age and have outgrown these superstitions, since we have developed the mental capacity to see these miracles as being superstitious myths rather than paranormal phenomena. A close study of the evidence will show that these accounts are not a superstitious reaction to some clever trickster. The response to the miraculous acts of God shows the same surprise and anxiety that modern man would have if he were placed in the same situation.

The people living at the time of Jesus certainly knew that men born blind do not immediately receive their sight (John 9:32), that five loaves and a few fish would not feed 5,000 people (John 6:14) or that men do not walk on water (Matthew 14:26).

Doubting Thomas said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25, RSV). He refused to accept the testimony of the unbelievable event of the resurrection, but changed his mind when confronted face-to-face with the resurrected Christ. Thus we are not expected to believe the ridiculous, and neither were the people of biblical times.

The people living in those times were no less skeptical than we are today. It was the unavoidable, the inescapable, the irrefutable fact that caused them to believe. The natural order was interfered with as a miracle occurred. It is only the skepticism of modern man that caused him to deny that miracles occurred.

Taken from Answers to Tough Questions about the Christian Faith by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart.

YF Year End Party @ Mah Pung's Pics

2009-11-25T22:55:00.016+08:00

Hey youths! Some photos taken during the recent YF year end party over at Mah Pung's home.

Orange everywhere!

Playing monkey

Jonathan Mah joining us LIVE from down under

Teachers playing monkey too!

Su taking the risk!

What are the teachers discussing about?

Updating the blog?

Why so many black? Isn't it suppose to be orange?

Hong Ken trying to win

Pizza, KFC, salad and home made muffins!!!

Makan time.

More makan time pics. Why Peter look so angry?

What is Hong Ken thinking?

Everyone so happy.

So much food!

Do you know what you believe?

2009-11-24T15:54:00.008+08:00

Hey youths! This is The Life chapel's Basis of Faith (this is what The Life chapel members believe in) and Practice of Faith (this is what The Life chapel members do!)

Basis of Faith

1. That God is One, revealed in Scripture as a Trinity of persons, existing eternally as Father, Son and Holy Sprit. Matt. 28:19

2. That the Bible is the Word of God, a sure basis for our faith and of final authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. 2 Tim. 3:16

3. That Jesus Christ was God manifest in flesh, conceived of the Holy Spirit of God, born of the Virgin Mary, being perfect God and perfect Man. Isaiah 7; Matt 1:18-25

4. That man without exception is by nature and by practice a fallen creature and is consequently under condemnation and unable by any personal merit or works to fit himself for the presence of God. Rom. 3:23; 8:8; Tit.3:5

5. That in love our Lord Jesus Christ suffered the penalty for sin at Calvary; that He rose from the dead, and now lives in Heaven as Saviour and Lord. Jn 1:14; 2 Cor. 8:9; 5:21; Acts 5:30-31

6. That by personal faith in Christ one may receive forgiveness of sin and receive the gift of God which is eternal life. Eph. 2:8,9; Col 1:14; Rom. 6:23

7. That the Holy Spirit convicts men of sin and brings about regeneration resulting in personal salvation. He indwells the believer from the moment of conversion. The believer is baptised into the body of Christ, the Church Universal. 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13,14

8. In the universal priesthood of the believer. 1 Peter 2:5,9; Rev. 1:6; 5:9,10

9. That all rejecting Christ as Saviour are lost eternally. Jn. 3:36; Rev. 20:11-15

10. In the personality and malignity of Satan.

11. That the Lord Jesus is coming again:-

a) For His Church. 1 Thess. 4:14-17; Phil. 3:20-21

b) With His Church. To establish His Kingdom on earth. 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Rev. 19:11-16

12. That hereafter there will be a resurrection, judgement and eternal punishment of the unsaved dead. For the redeemed a New Heaven and a New Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Rev. 21:1-3

Practice of Faith

1. The scriptural observance of the ordinance of Believer's Baptism by Immersion on personal confession of faith and the commemoration of the Lord's death in the Breaking of Bread on the first day of the week in so far as circumstances allow. Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:36,38; 10:47,48; 20:7; Rom.6:3,4;1 Cor.11:23-26

2. The reception at the Lord's Table of all baptised Believers known to be sound in faith and godly in life. Rom. 15:7; 1 Cor. 5:6-8; 10:14-17

3. The conducting of meetings for worship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit with opportunity for the exercise in the assembly of all true gifts for edification subject to the Lordship of Christ. Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:13.14; 1 Peter 4:10,11

4. The preaching of the Gospel of God and the establishing of Assemblies (churches) of believers in accordance with Divine Command. Matt. 28:18-29; Mk. 16:15; Luke 24:44-48

Taken from http://www.thelifechapel.org/faith.asp

Q & A - Does the Bible allow for the theory of evolution?

2009-11-23T19:54:00.006+08:00

Hello youths! This is one of our most often asked questions, and it comes in various forms, such as, "Can a person be a Christian and believe in evolution?” or “Hasn’t science proven the theory of evolution, thus contradicting the Genesis account of creation?”

To answer this, we must first understand what we mean by the term evolution. If it is defined as simply “change” – as the development of an infant to an adult or a change within a kind, such as dog or cat – then this would pose no problem. This evolution, or developmental change within certain kinds, is completely consistent with Holy Scripture.

The problem is that the prevailing theory of evolution goes far beyond this. The theory states basically that complex elements have developed from simpler elements, and living organisms have sprung from non-living chemicals, by a chance association.

The theory of evolution is less of a scientific theory and more of a philosophy about the origin of life and the meaning of man.

The theory of evolution is contradictory to the biblical narrative of creation. The Genesis account records ten different times how God created plants and animals after their kind with no crossing of the kinds. Man was fully man at his creation, as was woman, with no long gradual period of development.

The idea of natural selection, or survival of the fittest, is at odds with the biblical teaching that all things were created good (Genesis 1:31). The Scriptures teach that everything was originally created perfect, and death and decay occurred when sin entered into the universe. This is opposed to the evolutionary concept of everything getting better.

Evolution not only contradicts the Bible, but it also contradicts some basic laws of science. For example, the second law or thermodynamics implies that left to itself, everything tends to become less ordered, not more ordered or “complex”.

This rule is an observation of the obvious: things grow old, run down and eventually die or decay. They lose their structure. The theory of evolution says that things develop their complexity and structure. This is not the case.

Evolution also says that changes or mutations are beneficial, while nature shows almost all variations are harmful. The theory contradicts observable phenomena.

Neither the theory of evolution nor the theory of special creation can be proven scientifically; that is, they cannot be repeated in a laboratory environment. Special creation happened once in the past, and evolution is too slow to observe.

Both theories are faith assumptions, and on the basis of the evidence one must choose one or the other. The Christian should not be embarrassed for believing the Genesis account of creation, since it not only fits better with observable facts but also was the view of the God-Man Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:1-6).

Taken from Answers to Tough Questions about the Christian Faith by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart.

Alone?

2009-11-23T16:31:00.007+08:00

Have you ever wondered why God made you or why he made people at all? Great question, and you’re not the first to ask it. King David asked pretty much the same thing in Psalm 8:4 : “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Why did God make us?

Well, it wasn’t because he needed us. Acts 17:25 says, “[God]… is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.”

And he didn’t make us because he was lonely. Long before we were here, God the Father already had “company” with his Son and the Holy Spirit. All of God’s needs for companionship are met within the Trinity. He also didn’t make us because he needed people to tell him how great he is. God is totally secure in who he is – and he always has been.

Despite not needing us, God chose to create us anyway, out of his great love. Yes, God loved us before he even created us. This concept is bigger than our tiny brains, but it’s true; that’s what everlasting love means. God is love (see 1 John 4:8), and because of that love and his wonderful creativity, he made us so we can enjoy all that he is and all that he’s done.

Another reason God created us is to fulfill his eternal plan. I could write pages and pages and pages about this, but let me simply say that God, in his infinite wisdom, chose to make us a part of his eternal plan. What part do we play in this plan? Well, the bible is full of instructions for how we should live our lives. Here are just a few:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)
Love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:39)
We are God’s workmanship, created in Jesus Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Perhaps the most important part we play in God’s eternal plan is to point people to eternal life with God – through his Son Jesus Christ.

So, because of the deep love God has for you, you will always have at least one unfailing friend! Maybe he’s not flesh and blood and waiting at your locker for you after class. But that’s part of what’s so cool about God. He’s a friend who is with you all the time. Whether you’re at the cool kid’s party or just at home alone, God is always right there with you. The God of the universe is just waiting to spend time with you. Hey, have a blast hanging out with him today!

~ Dawson McAllister ~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

Remember

2009-11-19T11:43:00.001+08:00

We have God’s promise that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We can depend on this promise because God made it to us, and he never lies.

We also need to look at this promise as it fits in with the verses around it. In this first chapter, the apostle John is trying to help us understand a bigger idea. He reminds us that “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). This means God is perfect; there’s not even a tiny bit of sin in him. When we come to God, we come into his light, where we can see things more clearly. It’s like looking at your face in a big mirror under bright lights. You suddenly see things you didn’t see before.

This is what happens when we really start to know God. We become aware of our sins. And if we are obedient, we confess them to God, and he forgives us. But we also become aware of God’s righteousness and how different it is from the darkness in our lives. As you walk in the light and allow God to cleanse the darkness in your life, you will discover that regrets about your past will fade away. God forgives and “remembers no more” so you don’t need to remember them either!

~ Jay Kesler ~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

The 6 Styles of Evangelism

2009-11-16T18:34:00.017+08:00

CONFRONTATIONAL STYLE

Biblical example : Peter in Acts 2
Characteristics : Confident, bold, direct, skips small talk (likes to get right to the point), has strong opinions and convictions
Cautions :
1. Be sure to seek God's wisdom so you will be appropriately sensitive and tactful.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to restrain your desire to come on strong in every situation.
3. Avoid judging or laying guilt trips on others who approach evangelism with a different style.
Contemporary examples:
Billy Graham

Billy Graham younger days

Recent photo of Billy Graham

Evangelist Billy Graham took Christ literally when He said in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”

Mr. Graham has preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories—through various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts.

Since the 1949 Los Angeles crusade vaulted Mr. Graham into the public eye, he has led millions of individuals to make personal decisions to live for Christ, which is the main thrust of his ministry.

William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr., (born November 7, 1918), is an American evangelist and an Evangelical Christian. He has been a spiritual adviser to multiple United States presidents and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for the 21st century. He is a Southern Baptist. He rose to celebrity status due to his sermons being broadcast on radio and television.

Graham has preached in person to more people around the world than any other Protestant in history. According to his staff, as of 1993 more than 2.5 million people had "stepped forward at his crusades to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior". As of 2008, Graham's lifetime audience, including radio and television broadcasts, topped 2.2 billion.

Chuck Colson

Charles "Chuck" Wendell Colson (born October 16, 1931, in Boston, Massachusetts) was the Special Counsel for President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. He was commonly named as one of the Watergate Seven, but was never charged with, or prosecuted for, any crime related to the Watergate break-in or its cover-up, although he did plead guilty to obstruction of justice in another case.

After extensively investigating Colson's activities relating to Watergate, Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski attempted to make a deal with Colson in which Colson would agree to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge relating to Watergate, in exchange for which Jaworski agreed to recommend that he not be sentenced to prison. Colson felt doing so would be pleading guilty to a crime he did not commit. Instead, Colson counter-offered. Colson told Jaworski that he would agree to plead guilty to the crime of obstruction of justice, not in relation to Watergate, but in relation to having attempted to smear Pentagon Papers defendant Daniel Ellsberg and damage his chances for a fair trial. Colson insisted also that Jaworski would not be constrained to recommend no prison time. At the sentencing, Judge Gerhard Gesell sentenced Colson to the maximum prison term permitted under federal law.

Colson's later life has been spent working with his non-profit organization devoted to prison ministry called "Prison Fellowship." Colson is also a public speaker and author. He is founder and chairman of the Wilberforce Forum, which is the "Christian worldview thinking, teaching, and advocacy arm of" Prison Fellowship, and includes Colson's daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint, now heard on a thousand outlets. The ministry conducts justice reform efforts through Justice Fellowship. Colson has received 15 honorary doctorates and in 1993 was awarded the Templeton Prize, an annual which is given each year to the one person in the world who has done the most to advance the cause of religion. It is the world's largest annual financial prize given for merit (over $1 million). He donated this prize to further the work of Prison Fellowship, as he does all his speaking fees and royalties.

INTELLECTUAL STYLE

Biblical example : Paul in Acts 17
Characteristics : Analytical, logical, inquisitive, likes to debate, more concerned with what people think than what they feel
Cautions :
1. Avoid getting stuck on academic points, arguments, and evidence. These are mainly to clear the way back to the central Gospel message.
2. Remember that attitude is as important as information. 1 Peter 3:15 says to have "gentleness and respect."
3. Avoid becoming argumentative.
Contemporary examples:
Josh McDowell

Joslin "Josh" McDowell is a Christian apologist, evangelist, and writer.

He is within the Evangelical tradition of Protestant Christianity, and is the author or co-author of some 77 books. His most well known is the apologetic book Evidence That Demands a Verdict, which was ranked 13th in Christianity Today's list of most influential evangelical books since 1945. Other well known titles are More Than a Carpenter, A Ready Defense and Right from Wrong.

D James Kennedy

Dennis James Kennedy, (November 3, 1930 - September 5, 2007), better known as D. James Kennedy, was an American televangelist, megachurch pastor, and founder of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was senior pastor from 1960 until his death in 2007. Kennedy also founded the Westminster Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, the Knox Theological Seminary, and the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, a now defunct socially conservative political group.

He began Coral Ridge Ministries in 1974, which produced his weekly religious television program, The Coral Ridge Hour, carried on various networks and syndicated on numerous other stations with a peak audience of three million viewers in 200 countries.[1] A daily radio program, Truths That Transform, was heard on radio stations in the United States and archived versions are available as a podcast on the program's website. During his lifetime, Coral Ridge Ministries grew to a US$37-million-a-year non-profit corporation with an audience of 3.5 million.

In 2006, the National Religious Broadcasters association inducted Kennedy into its Hall of Fame. As a result of a heart attack from which he never fully recovered, Kennedy last preached at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church later that year, on December 24, 2006. His retirement was officially announced at the church on August 26, 2007, and he died in his home ten days later.

TESTIMONIAL STYLE

Biblical example : The Blind Man in John 9
Characteristics : Clear communicator, good listener, vulnerable about personal life, its ups and downs, overwhelmed by the account of how God reached them, sees links between their own experience and that of other people's
Cautions :
1. Be sure to relate your experience to the life of your listener. This requires first hearing enough about your friend's life to know how to relate your story to their situation.
2. Do not stop with merely telling your story. Challenge them to consider how what you learned might apply to their life.
3. Avoid downplaying the value of your story because it seems too ordinary. The ordinary story is the kind that relates best to ordinary people!
Contemporary examples:
Corrie ten Boom

Cornelia Johanna Arnolda ten Boom, generally known as Corrie ten Boom, (April 15 1892 – April 15 1983) was a Dutch Christian Holocaust survivor who helped many Jews escape the Nazis during World War II. Ten Boom co-wrote her autobiography, The Hiding Place, which was later made into a movie of the same name. In December, 1967, Ten Boom was honored as one of the Righteous Among the Nations by the State of Israel.

Joni Erickson Tada

Joni Eareckson Tada is an evangelical Christian author, radio host, and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization "accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community." A diving accident in 1967 left Tada hospitalized and paralyzed (as a quadriplegic; unable to use her hands or legs.) After two years of rehabilitation and in a wheelchair, Tada began working to help others in similar situations.

INTERPERSONAL STYLE

Biblical example : Matthew in Luke 5
Characteristics : Conversational, compassionate, sensitive, friendship-oriented, focuses on people and their needs
Cautions :
1. Beware of valuing friendship over truth. Telling them they are sinners in need of a saviour will test the relationship.
2. Do not get so involved in the process of building friendships that you forget the ultimate goal: bringing people to know Christ as forgiver and leader.
3. Do not get overwhelmed with the amount of needs your friends might have - do what you can and leave the rest to God.
Contemporary examples:
Becky Pippert

Recognized internationally as a prominent authority in the area of evangelism, founder of Salt Shaker Ministries, Rebecca Pippert is author of several books that include the modern classic, Out of the Salt Shaker, which was recently selected by Christianity Today as one of the books that has most influenced evangelical thought in the past 50 years. She is also author of the award winning 4 volume set, Salt Shaker Resources: An Evangelism Tool Kit. Her books have been translated in more than 25 languages.

Joe Aldrich

He wrote more than a dozen books, including "Lifestyle Evangelism: Learning to Open Your Life to Those Around You," which was controversial in some Christian circles and a classic in others. In it, he argued that one of the most effective ways to demonstrate one's faith was by actions, rather than solely by words.

INVITATIONAL STYLE

Biblical example : Matthew in Luke 5
Characteristics : Hospitable, persuasive, enjoys meeting new people, committed (believes in the things in which he or she is involved), sees outreach events as unique opportunities
Cautions :
1. Do not let others do all the talking for you, Your friends and acquaintances need to hear how Christ has influenced your own life. In addition, your friends have questions you could answer concerning the implications of the Gospel in their own lives.
2. Carefully and prayerfully consider which events or church services you take people to. Look for ones that are truly sensitive to spiritual seekers that will help them in their journey toward Christ.
3. Do not get discouraged if people refuse your invitation. Their refusal could be an opportunity for a spiritual conversation. Also, their "no" today may be a "yes" tomorrow.
Contemporary examples:
Ruth Graham

Ruth Bell Graham (June 10, 1920 – June 14, 2007), wife of the famous evangelist Billy Graham, was born at Qingjiang, Kiangsu, China as Ruth McCue Bell, the second of five children.

Ruth Graham was always a vital part of Billy Graham’s evangelistic career, and he turned to her for advice and input about many ministry decisions. One of the early uses of media by the BGEA was the “Hour of Decision” radio program begun in 1950, which she named. After her upbringing in China and high school experience in Korea, she continued to have compassion for the people of Asia. She encouraged her husband to visit and later accompanied him during his historic visits to the People's Republic of China.

SERVING STYLE

Biblical example : Dorcas in Acts 9
Characteristics : Patient, others-centered, sees needs and finds joy in meeting them, shows love through action more than words, attaches value to even menial tasks
Cautions :
1. Remember that although "words are no substitute for actions," "actions are no substitute for words." In Romans 10:14 Paul says that we must verbally tell people about Christ. You can do this in many ways as you point to Him as the central motivation for your acts of service.
2. Do not underestimate the value of your service. It is your style that will reach those persons who are the most negative and hardened toward God. Acts of loving service are hard to resist and difficult to argue with.
3. Be discerning as to how much you can do realistically, without depriving yourself or your family of needed care and attention.
Contemporary examples:
Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997) was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun with Indian citizenship who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta), India in 1950. For over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries.

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. (born October 1, 1924) served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office.

After leaving office, Carter and his wife Rosalynn founded The Carter Center in 1982, a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that works to advance human rights. He has traveled extensively to conduct peace negotiations, observe elections, and advance disease prevention and eradication in developing nations. Carter is a key figure in the Habitat for Humanity project, and also remains particularly vocal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Taken from Becoming A Contagious Christian by Mark Mittelberg, Lee Strobel & Bill Hybels

Something Beautiful

2009-11-16T12:59:00.020+08:00

A friend of mine, the chaplain of a college, was brokenhearted when he found out one of his brightest students, a Christian, had been hit by a bus and killed. One upset student asked my friend, “Why did Jesus kill Cliff?” My friend answered, “You are an intelligent person. You ought to be able to tell the difference between Jesus and a bus!”

While God doesn’t make bad things happen, the bible promises us that in the midst of bad things, God works to bring good out of it all (see Romans 8:28). There used to be a guy who had his own TV show. And one of the other guys on the show, Jose Melos, was a fantastic piano player. Sometimes the show host would walk over to the piano and slap his hands down on a bunch of keys. They made an awful sound, of course. Then he would say, “OK, Jose, let’s see what you can make out of that mess!”

Jose would then out his fingers on the exact keys the show host had played and build those sounds into a magnificent melody. Incredibly, the clashing sounds became a beautiful song.

God can do that with the messes in our lives. God is able to take our tragedies, and the mistakes we make, and turn them into something beautiful.

~Tony Campolo~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion he understood
All I had to offer him
Was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life

by Gloria Gaither (Spectrum of Praise No.505)

Isn't this beautiful?

Thank God for the stuffs that didn't hit you!

YF Year End Party!!!!!

2009-11-16T12:27:00.006+08:00

Yo youths!!! The LAST YF session will be this Saturday, 21 November 2009. On Sunday, 22 November 2009, we will have our year-end party!!!! LAST official meeting before we meet again for CAMP BRIEFING and for our YF CAMP!!!! Those of you who have not signed up, please sign up NOW!!! Email your registration to tlcyouths@hotmail.com or to your teachers.

YF year-end party will be at Mah Pung's home @ 12.30pm. You can also invite your friends who are going to camp to this party.

You can go there direct or you can meet in chapel @ 12.00 noon and we will leave from there. There will be a dress code colour. Hint below. See you there!!! God bless!!!

You can know how to have victory over your enemy.

2009-11-13T13:21:00.003+08:00

Hey youths! Can you really have victory over Satan every day? What happens if you fail? Satan wants you to sin so he can spoil your relationship with God. You need to remember four very important things that will help you have victory over Satan.

1. You don’t have to sin. Remember that the Lord Jesus already defeated Satan and sin when He died on the cross and rose again. The bible says, “Resist [stand against] the devil, and he will flee [run] from you” (James 4:7). You can choose to say no to sin through the strength of the Lord Jesus, who lives in you.

2. Remember that sin spoils your friendship with God. He will never leave you, but sin makes Him sad. Sin also blocks your prayers so that God will not answer.

3. You can make things right by confessing your sin to God. The bible says that if you agree with God about your sin, He is always fair and promises to forgive you. Then your friendship with God will be made right. Ask Him to help you not to sin that way again. You may also need to say “I’m sorry” to someone else who has been hurt by your sin.

4. Thank God for victory over Satan. Remember that Jesus is the one who makes you a winner.

The bible says, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). How good it is to know deep inside that you can be a winner over Satan!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 15:57

Taken from The Wonder Book by Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc

Lesson 14 November 2009

2009-11-11T21:37:00.003+08:00

Hello youths! This weekend we will be looking into the study of a disciple and his purpose in this world. Sharing the Gospel!!! Let us be prepared for the coming YF evangelistic camp!! Let us be the ones telling our family and friends on the good news. Let's invite them away from the Sin Prison!!

God Bless!

You can know you have an enemy.

2009-11-11T10:02:00.008+08:00

Hey youths! Satan is our greatest enemy. The bible says that he was created by God as a beautiful angel. But he turned against God and wanted to destroy God’s plan. He was the one who tricked Eve and brought sin into the world. Sin ruined God’s beautiful creation.

Satan is also called the devil. From the beginning he wanted to stop God from keeping His promise to send a Saviour to die for the sin of the whole world. But Satan failed. Jesus defeated Satan when He died on the cross and came alive from the dead.

Satan hated God and he hates those who have trusted the Lord Jesus as their own personal Saviour.

Satan tried to make us do wrong things. He puts doubts and bad thoughts into our minds. He does not want us to love the Lord Jesus. If Jesus is your Saviour, you do not have to be afraid of Satan. The bible says, “The one [Holy Spirit] who is in you is greater than the one [Satan] who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). Jesus is God; He is greater and more powerful than Satan. Someday Satan and all those who follow him will be thrown into the lake of fire where they will be punished forever and ever. Since Jesus lives in you, you can learn how to win over your enemy Satan.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Taken from The Wonder Book by Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc

The Discussion Questions for 7th of November 2009

2009-11-11T09:50:00.002+08:00

Hey youths! These are the questions during the discussion in YF on the 7th of November 2009. Just a recap for those who were not present on that day.

The Disciple & his Enemy Pt.2

1.Summarize the previous lesson in one sentence. Who is Satan and what will happen to him?

2.Read 2 Conrinthians 11:3. What is Satan’s desire? What do you think is his strategy to accomplish this? Find verses to back this up.

3.What are the three major areas of temptation Satan uses? Which of these areas is the hardest for you to deal with?

4.Knowing this how should we prepare ourselves to overcome Satan?
a)Psalm 17:4, 3:31
b)1 Peter 5:8-9
c)Ephesians 16:16-18

5.Read Hebrews 2:14-15. What does Christ’s death on the cross mean for Satan? What does it mean for man?

Take care and have a blessed week. God bless :)

Baptism - 22nd November 2009

2009-11-08T20:09:00.008+08:00

Hello youths! There would be a baptism on the 22nd November 2009. Anyone who is interested in going through the waters of baptism, please inform your class teachers, su or weng soon.

Baptism symbolises our death with Christ. Baptism come from the greek word "baptizo" which means to dip. Immersion best depict the symbol of death, burial and resurrection. In the early church, baptism was not an optional exercise. Every believer was exhorted to be baptised. God Bless!

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, EVERY ONE of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

Playlist Competition

2009-11-08T19:51:00.003+08:00

Hello youths! There is a competition going on now. The music player in this blog requires 10 Christian songs to be listed. We want you guys to submit 10 Christian songs regardless of genre, ie jazz, rock, worship, pop, etc. We need the 10 songs to be in a theme and not just randomly picked just because you like the songs. The 10 songs can be chose from the chapel's SOP, black hymnal or any Christian songs that you have heard from CDs, YouTube, etc. Send in your list to tlcyouths@hotmail.com by 21 November 2009 12pm to win yourself a prize. There could be more than 1 WINNER!!! Why wait? Think of a theme and submit your 10 songs now.

God Bless!

Pray for the SPM & STPM students.

2009-11-08T07:39:00.004+08:00

Hello youths! Do remember the following the students who are taking national exams.

SPM
Alicia Soon
Peter Lim
Chung Wei
Philip Mah
Joyee Wong

STPM
Teresa Lo
Daryl Tan

God Bless!

Q & A - Where do dinosaurs and other extinct animals fit into the biblical story?

2009-11-07T14:14:00.005+08:00

Hello youths! Very few of the many species of animals are mentioned in the Bible. Genesis records only that God created all living creatures of the sea, of the earth, and of the sky, and labels them in the most general terms; cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth and winged creatures.

Only those animals that are significant to human history are mentioned in the Bible specifically, such as cattle, oxen, goats, sheep (important to the economy), plus the specific list of clean and unclean animals in the Levitical law, etc. Many animals are not specifically named in the Bible, dinosaurs among them. (This includes the giraffe, elephant, shark, whale, platypus, kangaroo, etc).

Lack of mention means little, other than that they did not come into the history of man in a way significant or necessary to record. That dinosaurs existed is apparent from the fossil records of the great dinosaur beds, presumably preserved by a catastrophe, such as the flood.

Unless the sediments which entrapped them hardened quickly into stone, their bodies would have soon decomposed, but the remains that we have are whole bodies intact. A catastrophe such as the flood would explain having such remains.

Additional evidence for their existence, and at the same time as man, is the pictographs left in Africa and North America, and from the fossil evidence of human and dinosaur footprints in the same formation.

As to why and how they became extinct, we can only guess. We do know that Genesis records that when God finished creation, everything was very good. When the Fall occurred, death and destruction entered the universe.

Eventually, corruption was so widespread that God destroyed all but Noah's family and two of every kind of living creature, which he caused to come to Noah for safekeeping on the ark.

It is possible that God left out some of the earth animals, that He didn't cause them to come to Noah, such as the dinosaurs. But the Bible says, "Two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive."

We can guess that either dinosaurs didn't make it onto the ark because, plausibly, God intended them to become extinct at that time, or that because of climatic conditions after the flood, they failed to reproduce in sufficient numbers and died out. We simply don't have enough data to go beyond guessing at this point.

Taken from Answers to Tough Questions about the Christian Faith by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart.

Weekend is here again!!

2009-11-06T10:44:00.005+08:00

Hello youths! A reminder that we are continuing our study on The Disciple and his Enemy this saturday, 7 November 2009. Learn more about Lucifer, his army and his strategies!!

God bless!

Saturday Cooking for Fundraising

2009-10-31T23:46:00.012+08:00

Hello youths ! Here are the pictures from last saturday's cooking, slicing, chopping, peeling and everything that we can do in the kitchen. Thank you all once again for lending a helping hand and made this a success. Enjoy what we have for you right below:-

Nigel giving instructions

Tomato purees

Peel, cut, chop, slice..

Onions

Peeled carrots

Carrots and cabbage

Frozen mince beef

Onions and garlics

Carrots

Onions

Mince beef and tomato puree

What's behind the windows..

Slicing carrot

Very serious in slicing

Final product

Busy in the kitchen

Cooking in progress

Photos credits to Weng Soon. Hope you guys enjoy the pictures. Have a good week and God bless : )