Child Development Needs

Proverbs 19:27 ESV

Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

James 1:19 ESV

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Proverbs 12:15 ESV

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 5:1-23 ESV

My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; ...

John 3:11-18 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ...

Five Things Every Child Needs Daily
by Katy O'Neal Arrowood

With the five fingers on just one of your hands, you can remind yourself of the following five actions that will foster self confidence in your child, as well teach him/her to trust others. As the old saying goes, "It is easier to build up a child than to repair an adult."

1. Hugs - One of the best gifts you can share with your child is touch. Giving your child daily hugs demonstrates your love in a caring way that can't be replaced. Affection toward your child helps teach him/her that families nurture each other in a loving way.

2. Open communication - A child needs to hear approving words often, but a child must also feel that he/she is heard. Talking with, as well as listening to your child will help to build a strong sense of self, as well as encouraging your child to know the importance of listening to others.

3. Daily blessing - Telling your child with words that you know he/she will accomplish great things worth giving! Enlighten your child that you know he/she was created in a special way with unique talents that will fit perfectly with his/her dreams. Words spoken will help to mold your child into who he/she will be; better for the words to be uplifting than to be disapproving. Remember to tell your child daily those three little words: I love you!

4. Respect - Treat your child like a valuable person, and he/she will treat himself/herself and others with honor and respect. Setting limits, being consistent with discipline, and insisting on good manners will demonstrate to your child that you value him/her, and you have a stake in making sure his/her life is honorable.

5. Time - The debate over quality time versus quantity time is over. Yes, the time spent with your child should be quality time, but you also need to spend lots of time with your child. It is not a secret that we all are busy people, but our children must know that we enjoy just being with them. Every activity doesn't have to be spectacular; even time together in the kitchen while one is cooking and the other is working on homework puts you in the same room. You may be surprised the time your child decides to really talk to you, it probably won't be during the quality planned time, rather during just an everyday routine.

EASTER @ NILAI GOSPEL CHAPEL

There's no greater love than the love of Jesus

There's no love that's wiser, that's stronger,
that lasts longer, that's more willing or thrilling.
There's no love more beautiful, more bountiful,
more bold, more basic and unbiased.

There's no love more gracious, more giving,
more living, more sacred, more selfless,
more soul-satisfying, more pure and undying.
There's no love more verifiable, more valuable,
more validating, more victorious, more glorious.

There's no love more precious, more costly, more kingly.
There's no love that's greater-that's more wonderful,
more wild, more passionate, more powerful - than the love of Jesus.

Good Friday Quotes

Jesus died praying. His last words were words of prayer. The habit of life was strong in death. It may seem far off; but this event will come to us also. What will our last words be? Who can tell? But would it not be beautiful if our spirit were so steeped in the habit of prayer that the language of prayer came naturally to us at the last? James Stalker


Mark 14:36 He said,"Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want."
Gethsemane is where He died; the cross is only the evidence. Leonard Ravenhill


And in the article of death, as He saw the last fold of the grand design unrolled, He passed out of the world with the cry on His lips, "It is finished!" He uttered this cry as a soldier might do on the battlefield, who perceives, with the last effort of consciousness, that the struggle in which he has sacrificed his life has been a splendid victory. But the triumph and the reward of His work never come to an end; for still, as the results of what He did unfold themselves age after age, as His words sink deeper into the minds of men, as His influence changes the face of the world, and as heaven fills with those whom He has redeemed, "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied." James Stalker


No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown. William Penn


Good Friday is the mirror held up by Jesus so that we can see ourselves in all our stark reality, and then it turns us to that cross and to his eyes and we hear these words, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." That'sus! And so we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. We see in that cross a love so amazing so divine that it loves us even when we turn away from it, or spurn it, or crucify it. There is no faith in Jesus without understanding that on the cross we see into the heart of God and find it filled with mercy for the sinner whoever he or she may be. Robert G. Trache


Does God really love us? I say look to the crucified Jesus. Look to the old rugged cross. By every thorn that punctured His brow. By every mark of the back lacerating scourge. By every hair of his beard plucked from his cheeks by cruel fingers. By every bruise which heavy fists made upon His head. God said, "I love you!" By all the spit that landed on his face. By every drop of sinless blood that fell to the ground. By every breath of pain which Jesus drew upon the cross. By every beat of His loving heart. God said, I love you. Billy Lobbs


Christ died He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to the soldiers, and His mother to John. But to His disciples, who had left all to follow Him, He left not silver or gold, but something far better - His PEACE! Matthew Henry

Eliminate The Distractions

Let's be honest, our life not just lately has had so many distractions that we have difficulties to stay focused on what the Lord is saying to us. We have so many extremely important ministry situations that absolutely need our ability to hear from God on and it just seems that other distractions are causing us to miss what He is trying to say to us, as a Church as well as individually.












Here's a sermon that worth our time for our reading and meditation.

Mark 8:13-18

13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to takebread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

INTRO:
Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse code operator.

Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in.

Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.

Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled.”

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!”

The employer said, “I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’

None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are our ears tuned to His voice??

Now, there are some things that interest me about this story!
1.) This young man was not the FIRST one there!
2.) There were probably men with higher qualifications!
3.) There may have been men who were better dressed.
4.) Maybe they were comparing themselves among themselves, and touting their own qualifications!
5.) Maybe each one was telling the other why he deserved the job!
6.) Maybe they were arguing about who was right and who was wrong for the position!

But, while they sat there this young man waltzed right in and got the job!

But, the reason this young man got the job was because he was listening for the right voice!

Somehow he had eliminated all distractions, all outside influences!

While others were pre-occupied with other conversations, although worthwhile they may have been, they missed the main message!

While others were talking among themselves, the small, unobtrusive voice of the telegraph machine went unnoticed! Even though the quietest sound, it was the most important sound in the room, and the one who heard it was the one who eliminated all outside influences and distractions!

I.) THE ONES WHO WILL HEAR THE STILL, SMALL VOICE OF JESUS IN THIS GENERATION ARE THE ONES WHO ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS!

The ones who block out all outside influences and concentrate on what God is saying amid the clutter, and hubbub of every day life!

WE HAVE ALL HAD PEOPLE SAY SOMETHING TO US AND WE WERE DAYDREAMING, OR OTHERWISE PRE-OCCUPIED.

And, so when we finally come back to ourselves, we say. “What did you say? I didn’t HEAR you!”
When, what we really mean is, I heard, but didn’t understand you!
I heard you speaking, but what you said didn’t register with me.
I knew you were talking to me, but my mind was preoccupied with other things, and I didn’t understand what it was that you wanted me to hear.
· I was riding in the truck with my father-in-law the other day and said something to him and he said, “Mike, I didn’t understand what you said, the doctor has told me I have lost 50% of my hearing. I can HEAR, but I don’t UNDERSTAND sometimes what has been said.”
And then he said this, which really stuck with me, “The only way I can really understand what someone says is if I am looking directly at them when they speak!”

II.) IN ORDER TO HEAR WHAT GOD IS SAYING, WE MUST REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS AND KEEP OUR EYES ON HIM!

Isaiah 6:1-10
In the year that king Uzziah died I SAW also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

King Uzziah had become a distraction to Isaiah, and it was only when he died that Isaiah saw the Lord!

Uzziah - a contracted form of Azari’ah the Lord is my strength. (1.) One of Amaziah’s sons, whom the people made king of Judah in his father’s stead (2 Kings 14:21; 2 Chr. 26:1). His long reign of about fifty-two years was “the most prosperous except that of Jehosaphat since the time of Solomon.” He was a vigorous and able ruler, and “his name spread abroad, even to the entering in of Egypt” (2 Chr. 26:8, 14). In the earlier part of his reign, under the influence of Zechariah, he was faithful to Jehovah, and “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 15:3; 2 Chr. 26:4, 5); but toward the close of his long life “his heart was lifted up to his destruction,” and he wantonly invaded the priest’s office (2 Chr. 26:16), and entering the sanctuary proceeded to offer incense on the golden altar. Azariah the high priest saw the tendency of such a daring act on the part of the king, and with a band of eighty priests he withstood him (2 Chr. 26:17), saying, “It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense.” Uzziah was suddenly struck with leprosy while in the act of offering incense (26:19-21), and he was driven from the temple and compelled to reside in “a several house” to the day of his death (2 Kings 15:5, 27; 2 Chr. 26:3). He was buried in a separate grave “in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings” (2 Kings 15:7; 2 Chr. 26:23).

Isaiah learned that position was not what he should be seeking!

Uzziah gave him a position, and when he got his position, he lost sight of God!
I want you to notice Isaiah’s 3-fold vision:

1.) When the man who had taken care of him died, Isaiah turned again to the Lord, and it was then that he received his vision!

In the year that king Uzziah died I SAW also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Isaiah said, when my distractions were eliminated, then I saw the Lord!
When I stopped looking to the arm of the flesh, I saw the Lord!
When I got my focus off of the things that man could do for me and to me, I saw the Lord!

2.) After Isaiah saw the Lord, he saw himself!
5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah realized how far he had drifted away from God when he finally saw God again! He realized how unclean he was after he got a vision of God! And, immediately he began to repent!

3.) And, finally, after he saw God and himself, he got a vision of the world that he was sent to witness to.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

I am saying to this church tonight, God has a job for someone to do!
There is a work to be done, and the position is open, who will fill it?
Who will go and do the work of God in this generation?

III.) THE JOB POSITION IS OPEN, AND THE ADVERTISEMENT HAS GONE FORTH!

Matthew 28:19
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mark 16:15-16
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Matthew 9:37-38
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The job?
Reach the lost at any cost!

The Pay?
Matthew 16:26-27
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

The benefits?
Romans 14:17
17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
And a life insurance policy that is out of this world!
And, the applicants have come from near and far, and are sitting in the interview room, waiting for their turn!
But, I would say to you today, that it is not the most qualified, not the most well-dressed, not the first on the scene, or not the ones with the most ability that will get the job, but the ones that will get the nod from the Lord of the Harvest are those who will hear his still, small, voice and understand what the purpose of the church is in this day!

Those whose attention is not diverted by the other sounds that clamor all around, those who don’t think that they have already arrived and deserve the job because of their superior qualifications, but those who are listening and understanding the voice of God!

We can argue all day long amongst ourselves, and use scripture to back up why we are right, and everyone else is wrong, but while we are crossing theological swords, people are dying and going to hell!

IV.) THE ONES WHOM GOD WILL WORK THROUGH IN THIS GENERATION ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE ELIMINATED THE DISTRACTIONS IN THEIR LIVES.

Not the most educated,
Not the best dressed,
Not the ones with the most impressive pedigree or heritage,

But, those who have eliminated distractions!

Psalm 24:3-6
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

It’s interesting to note that one of the meanings of both of the words used here, CLEAN and PURE, is CLEAR!

Not muddled or double-minded, but a clear, unhindered direction.
Matthew 6:22
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
One of the definitions for SINGLE in this passage is SIMPLE, or CLEAR!
I truly believe that what God is looking for in this generation is not talent, ability, pedigree, heritage, etc.

I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS SIMPLY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS!
PEOPLE WHO WILL KEEP THEIR PURPOSE CLEAR, THEIR LIVES UNCLUTTERED, AND FREE FROM THE THINGS OF THE WORLD THAT WILL DIVERT OUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE STILL, SMALL VOICE OF GOD!

People that will not only hear, but understand what God is saying.

CONCLUSION
How do I hear and understand the voice of God?

It’s not enough to hear the voice of God; I must understand what God is saying.
SAMUEL HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD, BUT RAN TO ELI TO ASK HIM WHAT HE WANTED!

It’s one thing to hear the voice, but another to know from where it is coming and what it is saying.

John 10:27
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
The way that I can hear the voice of God is only through prayer, fasting, spending time in the Word and eliminating distractions.

We are going to work on ELIMINATING DISTRACTIONS.

Your Life's Handwriting

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day,

By the deeds that you do, by the words that you say;

People read what you write, whether faithless or true—

Say, what is the gospel according to you? —Anon.

Some people believe that our hand-writing reveals our character. Experts in the field of graphology watch for things like the slant of letters, the way they are formed, where the “t” is crossed, and how the “i” is dotted. Based on these distinctions, conclusions are drawn about one’s personality. We are told that the style of our writing shows whether we are outgoing or withdrawn, individualistic or of a conforming nature.

While some may question the reliability of this practice, it reminds me of what the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:2. He told us that Christians are epistles “known and read by all men.” The way we compose the letters of our conduct indicates the kind of persons we really are.

If we are trying to please the Lord Jesus Christ, the handwriting of our lives will reveal a love for others and a responsiveness to their needs. We will also express an individuality and a willingness to stand alone for righteousness’ sake if duty demands it. Each day we will try to adjust our behavior to the will of our heavenly Father.

Allow the Savior to live through you by relying on His power. Then let the handwriting of your life tell others you belong to Him.

The Christian's life is the world's Bible.

This article was featured in Our Daily Bread, August 20, 1995

Have a very Blessed New Year 2012 !

TIME TO THINK OUTSIDE THE CASKET

This article was featured on Asian Beacon Magazine (June-July 2011, Vol 43, No 3) by Lily Fu, 63

We’ve heard it before: 60 is the new 40 and 70 the new 50. Yet, there are many among us senior citizens who view themselves as 60 going on 80, and 70 going on 90. They think old, look old and act old. No wonder they feel they already have one foot in the grave.

Death is a taboo topic in most Asian cultures, but, seriously, we all need a wake-up call sometimes before it’s too late and we are staring Death in the face. Do we want to spend the rest of our lives merely existing instead of living? The fastest way to speed up the ageing process is to think we are old and ready to die. Sure, we all have to die one day, but that shouldn’t stop us from having fun, adventure, romance and happiness while we can still draw breath.

When we think we are old, we are. Our thoughts are very powerful. They govern how we behave and react. There are folks who, upon reaching retirement age, retire not just from their jobs, but from everything that used to define who they are.

The first thing they give up is their physical appearance. In their minds, they are thinking – at my age, nobody gives me a second look, so why spend hard-saved money on unnecessary grooming. Their wardrobe consists mainly of auntie or uncle-type clothes in various funereal shades of black, brown and grey. If comfort is the reason, ok. But if they dress or act to please others, then they are allowing others to dictate how they should be living their golden years.

Many retirees allow themselves to put on weight and wrinkles by avoiding all manner of physical activity. Their excuse – oh, at my age, I shouldn’t exert myself too much. Over time, they build up a host of health problems like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. They become frail and sickly, and dependent on others.


They give up making an effort to keep in touch with old friends or making new ones. They spend their days mostly at home, moping around the house, and idling away the precious hours. They have no interest in anything that will improve their lives or that of others. Their favourite pastime is complaining about the government. A close second is dwelling on the past with regret. No wonder they end up lonely, cranky, depressed and bitter. What a way to live their retirement years!

It’s easy to identify people who are ageing before their time. They say things like:

I’m too old to travel.
I’m too old to love again.
I’m too old to dance.
I’m too old to learn a new skill.
I’m too old to take up a course of study.
I’m too old to wear bright colours.
I’m too old to venture out on my own.
I’m too old to be outrageous.

It’s time to get rid of the ‘I’m too old to’ mantra and replace it with a new one:

I’m still young enough to learn a new language.
I’m still young enough to welcome romance into my life.
I’m still young enough to write a book.
I’m still young enough to take up belly dancing.
I’m still young enough to go on an adventure trip.
I'm still young enough to....ENJOY LIFE!

We must constantly remind ourselves to make the most of our golden years, not waste them waiting for Death to knock on our doors. It's so easy to fall into the ageing trap. Time to think outside the casket!

Sorry if I come on a little strong here, but I just want to get the message through that our retirement years are not a period of gloom and doom. It doesn't have to be so if you choose not to live that way.

‘And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.’ – Abraham Lincoln

Footnote: This article was first posted in August 2008. It's reproduced here with some minor changes. The message remains the same. Source: More articles in Seniors Aloud at http://seniorsaloud.blogspot.com/

NGC Christmas Celebration 2011

Date: 25th December 2011
Day: Sunday and Christmas day !
Time: 9.30am - 1.30am

Venue:
1. Lord's Supper & Worship @ Nilai Gospel Chapel (9.30am - 10.30am)
2. Celebration @ Rajah Brooke Ballroom, Nilai Springs Resort Hotel (11.30am - 1.30pm)

Please RSVP latest by 12 noon, 18th December 2011 at wkpeng68@yahoo.com or inform any of the Working Committee so that we may prepare and estimate the preparation without any wastage.

Luke 2:14:

"Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." New Living Translation (©2007)

On behalf of the leadership and members of Nilai Gospel Chapel we would like to wish all our members and friends a blessed Christmas and a wonderful 2012 New Year !

Someone has written these beautiful words. Must read and try to understand the deep meaning of it. They are like the ten commandments to follow in life all the time.

1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

2] So why a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large and the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today's PEACE.