"He will never forget you."

We are all familiar with the song from Sunday School, 'Jesus loves me this I know.....' but how about this:

Jesus loves me, this I know,

Though my hair is white as snow;

Though my sight is growing dim,

Still He bids me trust in Him.

—Warner

God's love never grows old.

Even to your old age, I am He,

and even to gray hairs I will carry you!

I have made, and I will bear;

even I will carry, and will deliver you.

—Isaiah 46:4

Billy Graham's Crusade in New York

Saturday, June 25

“God loves everyone here tonight,” said Billy Graham to a crowd of more than 80,000 Saturday evening at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The second day of meetings for the Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade saw more than 92,000 people in attendance, including 12,000 at the morning’s Kidz Gig. By the end of the evening, more than 4,400 had made decisions for Christ as Lord and Savior, with the majority being young people under the age of 25.

Both events of the day were youth-focused, as games and a live-action drama featuring Bibleman took place at the morning meeting and the “Concert of Hope” including Christian artists Jars of Clay, Nicole C. Mullen, and Tree 63 occurred Saturday night.

The week of the Crusade has seen much activity from Christian teens, as groups from around the country came to New York to participate in street ministry—sharing Christ with passersby, volunteering in soup kitchens and churches, and inviting people to the Crusade. More than 2,000 teens covered the city, visiting nearly every corner from Harlem to Times Square. Thousands of spiritual conversations took place as these bold young people took the Gospel throughout the city, and hundreds of thousands of invitations were passed out on the streets.

Platform guests at the evening meeting included New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former President Bill Clinton, who each shared brief remarks, and New York senators Hilary Clinton and Chuck Schumer.

Mr. Graham spoke of the Rich Young Man from Mark 10:17-27, who came to Jesus with a troubled heart and spiritual questions. “He did a lot of things right,” said Mr. Graham. “He asked the right questions, he came at the right time.” But when Jesus challenged him to change the way he was living, he “did the wrong thing.”

Full story here

Ailing Billy Graham launches his last US crusade

By SHAWN MCCARTHY

Saturday, June 25, 2005

NEW YORK -- At 86 and in ill health, Billy Graham has come full circle in bringing his world-renowned Christian crusade back to the city he once condemned as "a stronghold of Satan" but which launched him into national prominence. ...

Billy Graham
Full story here
And also here

Classic Devotional

God Meant It Unto Good
by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman


"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28).

How wide is this assertion of the Apostle Paul! He does not say, "We know that some things," or "most things," or "joyous things," but "ALL things." From the minutest to the most momentous; from the humblest event in daily providence to the great crisis hours in grace.

And all things "work'--they are working; not all things have worked, or shall work; but it is a present operation.

At this very moment, when some voice may be saying, "Thy judgments are a great deep," the angels above, who are watching the development of the great plan, are with folded wings exclaiming, "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." (Ps. 145:17)

And then all things "work together." It is a beautiful blending. Many different colors, in themselves raw and unsightly, are required in order to weave the harmonious pattern.

Many separate tones and notes of music, even discords and dissonances, are required to make up the harmonious anthem.

Many separate wheels and joints are required to make the piece of machinery. Take a thread separately, or a note separately, or a wheel or a tooth of a wheel separately, and there may be neither use nor beauty discernible.

But complete the web, combine the notes, put together the separate parts of steel and iron, and you see how perfect and symmetrical is the result. Here is the lesson for faith: "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." --Macduff

In one thousand trials it is not five hundred of them that work for the believer's good, but nine hundred and ninety-nine of them, and one beside. --George Mueller

"GOD MEANT IT UNTO GOOD" (Gen. 50:20).

"God meant it unto good"--O blest assurance,
Falling like sunshine all across life's way,
Touching with Heaven's gold earth's darkest storm clouds,
Bringing fresh peace and comfort day by day.

'Twas not by chance the hands of faithless brethren
Sold Joseph captive to a foreign land;
Nor was it chance which, after years of suffering,
Brought him before the monarch's throne to stand.

One Eye all-seeing saw the need of thousands,
And planned to meet it through that one lone soul;
And through the weary days of prison bondage
Was working towards the great and glorious goal.

As yet the end was hidden from the captive,
The iron entered even to his soul;
His eye could scan the present path of sorrow,
Not yet his gaze might rest upon the whole.

Faith failed not through those long, dark days of waiting,
His trust in God was recompensed at last,
The moment came when God led forth his servant
To succour many, all his sufferings past.

"It was not you but God, that sent me hither,"
Witnessed triumphant faith in after days;
"God meant it unto good," no "second causes"
Mingled their discord with his song of praise.

"God means it unto good" for thee, beloved,
The God of Joseph is the same today;
His love permits afflictions strange and bitter,
His hand is guiding through the unknown way.

Thy Lord, who sees the end from the beginning,
Hath purposes for thee of love untold.
Then place thy hand in His and follow fearless,
Till thou the riches of His grace behold.

There, when thou standest in the Home of Glory,
And all life's path ties open to thy gaze,
Thine eyes shall see the hand which now thou trustest,
And magnify His love through endless days.
--Freda Hanbury Allen

• This classic devotional is the unabridged edition of Streams in the Desert. This first edition was published in 1925 and the wording is preserved as originally written. Connotations of words may have changed over the years and are not meant to be offensive.
source: Streams in the Desert

"What is the Gospel ?"

Have you ever tried to define or explain in simple terms what is "the gospel" of Jesus Christ ?

What exactly is the "gospel" ?

Here is part of the explanation from someone who had asked himself this question many years ago:

The Gospel is not just any word about Jesus or any word Jesus spoke. It is a very specific thing. The Gospel can be summed up in one little phrase: "The forgiveness of sins." In other words, if you have the forgiveness of sins, you have the Gospel. If you do not have the forgiveness of sins, you do not have the Gospel. This may seem like a simplistic concept to many who read this, and indeed it should have an air of sweet simplicity. However in our modern evangelicalism, the Gospel has been obscured and expanded to mean things that stand apart from the forgiveness of sins.

(The full article can be viewed at source :Faith Oasis )

Nigeria's war on Christians

FAITH UNDER FIRE

Nigeria's war on Christians
Islamic law brings death, suffering to non-Muslims
Posted: June 11, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

More than 10,000 Christians have been killed since 1999, the year Islamic "Sharia law" was introduced in Nigeria, according to Voice of the Martyrs, a group that aids the persecuted church around the world.

Nearly 1,000 homes and churches have been burned down by Muslim radicals – with a wink and a nod from a government that doesn't recognize the rights of non-Muslims.

The war on Christians began in 1999 when Alhaji Ahmed Sani assumed the office of governor in Nigeria's Zamfara state. Just five months later, he introduced Sharia law. Soon 11 other northern Nigerian states, all with Muslim majorities, followed Zamfara's lead and implemented some form of the harsh Islamic legal code.

Sharia is based on the Quran and Hadith, the Islamic sacred book and teachings. It imposes a strict code of conduct on the population. For example, if an individual is convicted of stealing, the punishment is amputation of his hand. In the case of adultery, the punishment is death by stoning. "If you go around villages, you will see people missing one hand or one foot," explained Rev. Obiora Ike. "Do you think that’s the result of an illness? That is the result of Sharia Law."

Christians in the country say the imposition of Sharia law has resulted in a wave of violence and attacks against them, their homes, churches and villages as the militants wage jihad, or holy war, against them.

Sharia law permits violent attacks against non-Muslims and the killing of former Muslims who have converted to Christianity or other faiths. The destruction of churches and the prohibition of new church constructions are considered legitimate actions.

Recently, before a large crowd, the Zamfara state government recently held a five-year anniversary to celebrate the implementation of Sharia. Governor Ahmad Sani recalled why Sharia was introduced into the state: to satisfy the desire of the people for governance by the "laws of Allah … to cleanse society of social and moral vices like alcoholism, gambling, theft, armed robbery, prostitution, bribery, corruption and deceit."

Muslim zealots are being financed by Saudis who want to Islamicize the entire African continent.

The implementation of Sharia has been blamed for the vast violence and deaths occurring not just in Zamfara state, where it was first implemented, but in other states as well.

Earlier this year Muslim militants announced a death sentence on five Christian students expelled from Abubaker Tafawa Balewa University and the Federal Polytechnic in state of Bauchi, in November 2004, for sharing the gospel with Muslim students. Muslims in the schools complained that the Christian students blasphemed the prophet Mohammed.

The families of two of the students, Hanatu Haruna Alkali and Abraham Adamu Misal, were attacked Jan. 26, when militants went to their family homes located in the state of Gombe, in northern Nigeria, with the intent to kill them. Reportedly, Muslim militants have attacked Hanatu's family's house several times, and the family fears for their lives.

Rev. Oludare Aliu, national coordinator of the students' ministry of the Evangelical Church of West Africa, said: "Muslim militants went to Gombe to … kill Hanatu, but fortunately, she was not at home at the time. The family was held at gunpoint. Hanatu's father happens to be a former military officer. He wrestled with the militants and was able to disarm one of them who had a gun. While he was fighting them, one of the militants stabbed Hanatu's mother with a knife. She has been treated for the wounds."

Hanatu is now in hiding. Militants also attacked Abraham Adamu Misal’s family. He escaped and is in hiding.

On March 17, in the Nigerian state of Benue, a Christian student, Ngumalen Atser, was raped and poisoned to death by two Muslim men. This incident escalated tension between Muslims and Christians, which led to Muslim militants attacking the villages of Chilakera and Imbufu April 10. Seventeen people, mostly Christians, died.

According to a Compass Direct report on this situation, "Community leaders in Nigeria – both Muslim and Christian – blame the escalating violence on social tensions produced by the implementation of Islamic law in a dozen northern states of Nigeria."

The meeting place of Word of Faith Ministries in the state of Kaduna was burned to the ground that same day – April 10, for the fourth time in five years. However, members of the church have rebuilt every time. No arrests have been made in connection to the arson.

Read full article here

(Humour) - Don't take Life too seriously !

1. Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

2. A day without sunshine is like – NIGHT.

3. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

4. I just got lost in thought. It wasn’t familiar territory.

5. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

6. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

7. I feel like I’m diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

8. Honk if you love peace and quiet.

9. Remember. Half the people you know are below average.

10. He who laughs last thinks slowest.

11. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

12. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

13. I drive WAY too fast to worry about cholesterol.

14. Support bacteria. They are the only culture some people have.

15. Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your week.

16. A clear conscience is usually a sign of a bad memory.

17. Change is inevitable – except from vending machines.

18. Get a new car for your spouse – it will be a GREAT trade!

19. Plan to be spontaneous – tomorrow.

20. Always strive to be modest – and be PROUD of it!

21. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple payments.

22. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand!

23. OK, so what’s the speed of dark?

24. How do you tell when you are out of invisible ink?

25. If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. (Murphy’s Corollary 34)

26. When everything is coming your way, you are in the wrong lane.

27. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off NOW!

28. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don’t have any film.

29. If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

30. How much deeper would the ocean be if there were no sponges?

31. Eagles may soar, but weasels do not get sucked into jet engines.

32. What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

33. I used to have an open mind, but my brains kept falling out.

34. I couldn’t repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.

35. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

36. Inside every old person is a younger person who is wondering what happened.

37. Just remember. If the world didn’t suck, we would all fall off.

38. Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

39. Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach that person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks.

40. [If you have one like the previous 39's, then forward it to me and I will add it here !]

Global Breakthrough meeting on 20 - 24 June 2005

An Apostolic and Prophetic Ministry that seeks to take you to touch
God for yourself and to take the breakthroughs that God has for you!

'Sharpening your spiritual senses!' will help you to learn to increase your
awareness, sensitivity and sharpness in your walk with God. God has not
called us to walk ignorantly and carelessly but rather in clarity,
sharpness, accuracy and precision! Have you ever spoken to people whom
some of them give you a kind of blank or blurry look? They have no direction
in life and don't seem to know what is happening to them. If in the natural
they can't see, in the spiritual neither can they see. All things are
parallel. That which is natural can affect the spiritual and therefore, God
has to take us to look into His spiritual insights through the revelation of
His Word in order for us to come into the place where we start to see
sharply and hear accurately from God.

'My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge' - Hosea 4:6.
To be ignorant, uninformed and blur in life means you do not know your
authority as a child of God and what God has given you. Sharpening your
spiritual senses will help you and will deliver you from walking in suspicion
and ignorance! God wants to awaken His people to know and to have their
spiritual senses sharpened! Hebrews 5:14

SHARPENING YOUR SPIRITUAL SENSES!
Date: JUNE 20 - 24, 2005 (Monday to Friday)
Time: 8.00pm - 11.00pm
Venue: Global Breakthrough
No. 54-1 (1st floor)
Jalan Mega Mendung
Off Jalan Klang Lama
58200, K.L.
(Above INSETT hair saloon )

For more inquires, contact:

Pastor Lydia Chee 012-3159717
Pastor Joseph Lam 012-5257135

Negara Ku

Negara Ku


Negara ku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup
bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bahagia
Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita
selamat bertahta,
Rahmat bahagia
Tuhan kurniakan.
Raja kita
selamat bertakhta.
To hear [click] here

(English Translation)

My country, my native land.
The people living united and progressive,
May God bestow blessing and happiness.
May our Ruler have a successful reign.
May God bestow blessing and happiness.
May our Ruler have a successful reign.

Words by: Tunku Abdul Rahman
Music by: Pierre Jean de Beranger
In use since: 1957

Sejahtera MALAYSIA

Sejahtera MALAYSIA

Puji dan syukur pada Ilahi

Anugerah Nya tiada terhingga

Kedamaian, kemakmuran

Malaysiaku bahagia

Dengan tekad untuk berjaya

Berbakti pada nusa dan bangsa

Kami junjung cita-cita luhur

Perpaduan seluruh negeri

Setia, sekata, sehati, sejiwa

Menghadapi cabaran

Kami setia, kami sedia

Berkorban untuk negara

Bersemarak Malaysia tercinta

Kibarkan panji kebesarannya

Kami rela menjaga nama mu

Sejahtera MALAYSIA.

Setia


Demi negara yang tercinta,
dicurahkan bakti penuh setia,
Demi raja yang disanjung tinggi,
kesetiaan tak berbelah bagi.

Kepada pemimpin, kepada rakyat,
khidmat diberi penuh taat,
Sama bekerja, sama berusaha,
setia berkhidmat untuk semua,

Rela berkorban apa saja.
Amanah bangsa tetap dijaga.
Kami berikrar penuh setia
untuk agama, bangsa dan negara.

From The Guardian - June 9, 2005

Indonesia faces new mega-tsunami

David Adam, science correspondent
Thursday June 9, 2005
The Guardian

Another catastrophic giant earthquake similar to the one that caused carnage across the Indian Ocean on Boxing Day last year is lurking off Indonesia, say scientists.

Recent seismic activity in the region has piled dangerous levels of stress onto a section of the Sunda trench fault zone west of Sumatra. This makes a large earthquake there far more likely and could trigger another devastating tsunami.

The warning comes from a team of seismologists at the University of Ulster in Coleraine. Professor John McCloskey, who led the research, said: "This is a very scary event we're concerned about. The potential for a devastating tsunami from it is significant and real. I hope it doesn't happen, but the indications are really strong that it will, maybe even soon."

Full story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami

From: Our Daily Bread

June 8, 2005

A Crooked Generation

Read:Philippians 2:12-16
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless . . . in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. —Philippians 2:14-15

You could call today's generation "crooked and perverse," just as Paul described his own generation in Philippians 2:15. Even Moses would have understood what Paul was talking about, for he said of Israel, "They have corrupted themselves; they are not His children, because of their blemish: a perverse and crooked generation" (Deuteronomy 32:5).

Crookedness refers to the means by which people accomplish their objectives—doing whatever it takes to get what they want. Shortcuts to success are applauded. Some even boast about how they circumvent the law.

Perversion refers to the way people distort the truth. For example, I heard about three teenagers who wanted to end their stay in a youth hostel long before their expected departure. They angrily insisted that the manager return their nonrefundable deposit. When he finally gave in and the three teens were on their way out, they exclaimed to the hostel's other guests that they had been forced to leave.

We may sometimes get hurt by the crooked behavior and distorted thinking of people. But we are called to be "blameless and harmless" and to "shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

Let's show the world a different way of living. —Albert Lee

We are called with a holy calling

The light of the world to be,

To lift up the lamp of the Savior

That others His light may see. —Anon.

The straight and narrow way is God's way for a crooked generation.

extracted from: Our Daily Bread

Henry Cheah's Praise & Prayer Letter

Bolivia: Cajón 736, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Email: payyachan@yahoo.com
Singapore: SIM East Asia Ltd; 116 Lavender Street, #04-09 Pek Chuan Bldg. Singapore 338730
Malaysia: SIM East Asia (M); 9 Jalan 1, Kaw 16, Berkeley Town Center 41300, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
UK: SIM UK; Wetheringsett Manor, Wetheringsett, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 5QX
USA: SIM USA; PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241-7900
Canada: SIM Canada; 10 Huntingdale Blvd; Scarborough, ON M1W 2SF


Dear precious saints,

Some of the more major events that took place since my last prayer letter were:

MARCH – Spoke in an old but new church, old in term of years but new in term of missions. I believe that this is another potential church for missions in the days to come. I was invited to give a basic missionary message because the church had no idea about doing missions overseas let alone heard of the “10/40 windows”. Pray for the “Iglesia Alto Pagador”.

APRIL – I had the privilege of having Neal Pirolo stayed over at my house when he came and do some missions seminar here in Cochabamba. Neal is the author of the book “Serving As Senders” which has been translated into many languages of the world. Also helped him translate some of his meetings in different churches and places.

MAY – Played host to the director for Latin America of Frontiers. Again many lives were challenged as needs were presented to those who came for the seminar.

The church from La Paz again invited me for their annual mission conference as one of the main speakers and I not only had the opportunity to speak about missions but also shared the Lord with some who haven’t heard about the Gospel before, prayed for others in one social event and managed to get a key contact to follow up for the Lord in Cochabamba. An encouraging note about this mission conference is that there are many who came from different denominations and a good number of them were exposed for the very first time in the area of missions. I would say many, if not all were so blessed and as a result I had a number of invitations to speak in the different churches in La Paz. The last day I gave a missionary challenge in the church and many came forward to be prayed for. It was a new group of people that wasn’t in the conference itself.

It was a relief to return to Cochabamba because a day after, the social situation in La Paz was anything but “Paz” (peace in Spanish). Roads were all blocked up and smoke started to rise from burning tires, etc. The days ahead for Bolivia don’t look too good because once again we are up with social confrontations and unrests.



Living by God’s mercy and grace

Henry

Update from Henry in Bolivia !

The following is an update from a Malaysian serving with SIM in Bolivia. Henry Cheah, from Penang, has been a missionary there for the past eighteen years. Earlier he had spent a couple of years with Operation Mobilisation. Please uphold this brother and his ministry in prayer.

God Bless.

Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 19:00:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Henry Cheah"
Subject: henry´s news

Dear folks,

Peace and greetings! I am enclosing my prayer and newsletter. Besides I appreciate prayers for me and the country as we are going through another social and political unrest. Roads being blocked, shops and market places starting to close down due to the dangerous situation, food supplies running out because of the blockages, petrol stations running out of gas, etc.etc. It sounds like war and in a way it is. People against the government and against each other!

In all this I have peace as I know that He who calls me is faithful. Also your prayers will move the Hands who move the world and this nation and for that I can rest assured in Him.

In the Sovereign Lord,

Henry

To read Henry's Praise & Prayer - 2005 in Full here

Update from India - Missing pastor found dead

Message from India, Hyderabad…..

-----Original Message-----
From: lata lincoln [mailto:fcmlata@yahoo.co.in]
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2005 12:00 AM
To: gphilip@in.twrsa.org; balbero busmate; vincent anne; Ruth; singapore c/o terry; T W
Subject: this is news in the local news paper

Missing pastor found dead

Hyderabad, June 2:

Pastor K. Isaac Raj of Rock Church, who went missing on May 24, was found murdered at Errakunta in Shaikpet on Thursday morning. His highly-decomposed body was found among the bushes, tied up with ropes in a gunny bag. The Cyberabad police control room was tipped off by an anonymous caller about a body lying in the bushes of Shaikpet on Wednesday midnight.

Cyberabad police immediately alerted Golconda police who traced out the body. After finding that the address of a tailor from Dargah was printed on his shirt, the Golconda cops informed the Raidurgam police of the matter. A case relating to the disappearance of the pastor had already been registered by the Raidurgam police.

The body was identified by Isaac’s wife, Mrs Satyaveni, and his son Satya Prakash, at the Osmania General Hospital mortuary in the afternoon. Golconda police suspect that he was killed about a week ago. Isaac, a native of Ankapuram village of East Godavari district, had been escorted from his house at Prasanth Hills in Dargah on the night of May 24, by a person who claimed to be Vinod from Toli Chowki.

He told the pastor’s relatives that he was taking Isaac for a prayer meeting in Toli Chowki. This is the second time a pastor has been killed in the city in the last few weeks. Earlier, a preacher, K. Daniel, 28, who went missing from his house at Kumarwadi in Asifnagar on May 19, was found murdered in the bushes in Pedda Shapur a few days later.

Golkonda is my postal address where we have joyland and office and church and Asifnagar is where my school is .Pray for my neighbourhood

Abraham and Lata Lincoln

For perishing souls

Prayers

Five-Finger Prayers

Read:James 5:13-18

Pray for one another. —James 5:16

Prayer is a conversation with God, not a formula. Yet sometimes we might need to use a "method" to freshen up our prayer time. We can pray the Psalms or other Scriptures (such as The Lord's Prayer), or use the ACTS method (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). I recently came across this "Five-Finger Prayer" to use as a guide when praying for others:

When you fold your hands, the thumb is nearest you. So begin by praying for those closest to you—your loved ones (Philippians 1:3-5).

The index finger is the pointer. Pray for those who teach—Bible teachers and preachers, and those who teach children (1 Thessalonians 5:25).

The next finger is the tallest. It reminds you to pray for those in authority over you—national and local leaders, and your supervisor at work (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

The fourth finger is usually the weakest. Pray for those who are in trouble or who are suffering (James 5:13-16).

Then comes your little finger. It reminds you of your smallness in relation to God's greatness. Ask Him to supply your needs (Philippians 4:6,19).

Whatever method you use, just talk with your Father. He wants to hear what's on your heart. —Anne Cetas

Our prayers ascend to heaven's throne
Regardless of the form we use;
Our Father always hears His own
Regardless of the words we choose. —D. De Haan


It's not the words we pray that matter, it's the condition of our heart.

extracted from Our Daily Bread dated 02 June, 2005

Update from India

From India, Hyderabad

-----Original Message-----
From: lata lincoln [mailto:fcmlata@yahoo.co.in]
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 12:01 AM
To: coRuth vbs; vincent anne; Ruth; hope; singapore c/o terry; terryholderread@insightbb.com

Subject: the missing pastor's deadbody found

Dear friends and prayer team

This evening in the city of Hyderabad the moments are so tensed for the Ministers of the gospel. The dead body of the missing pastor Mr. Isaac Raj was just found on the shores of a lake packed in a gunny bag. The killing is almost similar to the killing of another pastor 12 days ago. The police is yet clueless about this.

2 days ago in a news paper there was a claim from anti Christian forum about the killing of the first pastor. These are organised killings to cause fear in the hearts of those who are fearlessly preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The second incident happened much closer to Light House [the body is found where my grand daughter goes to school] where our main office and falls into the neighbouring police limits and it is just within 5 miles distance.

The body of Pastor Isaac Raj is sent for post mortem. The church in Hyderabad needs special prayers in this hour. She needs special grace from God Almighty to go through this situation. The Pastors and evangelists especially those who are leading small congregations around the city need special grace, a very special grace from God the Father.

Thank you very much for praying for us

Abraham and Lata Lincoln
For perishing souls

See earlier post: Letter from India

A new soul added to the Kingdom today !

Halelujah !

This afternoon( June 02, 2005), four of us (Lydia, Oscar, Sunny & myself) went to Hospital University Kebangsaan Malaysia to pray for two men who were warded there.

At about 1 pm we were at the bedside of Cheong, who is in his mid thirties and Lydia started to encourage him and share with him to trust in Jesus Christ for his healing. He is warded for kidney failure and a kidney dialysis machine was by his bedside.

After some time of sharing with him, he indicated that he wanted to invite Jesus Christ into his life. We then join him in prayer as Lydia led him in asking Jesus into his life. Praise the Lord !!!


(L-R: Sunny, Lydia, Oscar & Cheong)

Please pray for this new believer that the Lord will watch over him as he grows in the faith and that he be healed from all his sicknesses.

Next we moved on to pray for another man who is in the ICU. The name of that man is Tan Cheng Piow, who is in coma as a result of an operation on his stomach.

Although he was unconcious, we prayed for him after getting the permission from the nurses on duty to let us. His son, in his late twenties, was there to visit his father when we were there.

Please uphold these two men in prayer.

God Bless.

Fast & Pray for Malaysia !

Fast & Pray for our Nation!

Prayer is important for our nation, for all nations exist for the glory of God.

While fasting, John Knox prayed, "Give me Scotland or I will perish."

When the national day of prayer and fasting was designated, Abraham Lincoln charged all Americans "to observe and keep that day according to their several creeds and modes of worship, in all humility and with all religious solemnity, to the end that the united prayer of the nation may ascend to the Throne of Grace and bring down plentiful blessings upon our Country."

The biblical illustration of fasting and praying for the nation is best represented by Daniel’s example in chapter 9 where he gives his "attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" (9:3).

"Everything about nations is intended to provide an arena, a way in which God's glory and His goodness can be unveiled," says Max Lucado. Therefore, the importance of talking to God about our nation cannot be overlooked. Just as a single prayer can make a difference, how much more so when thousands of people join in prayer nation-wide. For the prayers of all saints are not simply powerful weapons against evil forces, but rather God’s glory and His mighty work might be manifested through the believers.

It is time to seek the Lord, until He comes to rain righteousness on our nation. As we stand in the gap for our land, we will see greater transformation of churches, communities and the nation.

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour" (1 Tim. 2:1-3).

Therefore, NECF Malaysia invites you to partnership with us in prayer for all ‘Lighting up Our Nation’ events.

Prayer Items:

1. 40-day Fast & Prayer "Turn to Our Father in Heaven" (22 Jul – 30 Aug) – wholehearted participation, fervent in prayer, united in one heart and spirit.
2. National Conferences for smooth operation and effectiveness in all aspects of administrative works.
   English-speaking National Conference (25-27 Aug)
   Chinese-speaking National Conference (23-25 Aug)
   Bahasa-speaking National Conference (29-31 Aug)
3. Conference speakers: wisdom, insight and discerning God’s purpose for Malaysia.
   Pr Peter Tsukahira & Pr Djohan Handojo (English)
   Rev Dr Xiao Wan (Chinese)
   Rev Rachmat T. Manullang (Bahasa)
4. Children’s intercession workshop (26-27 Aug)
   Speakers: Mr Jeffrey & Irene Chew, Eunice Wong
5. Conference participants: greater desire in seeking God, love for the nation, compassion for the lost.
6. Merdeka Prayer Rallies in all major cities/towns (29-31 Aug)
   Klang Valley: 28 Aug 7:30pm (venue: PGRM, Cheras).
7. NECF staff – for grace, strength, wisdom and unity
   

Course of action:

Sign up for the round-the-clock prayer (http://www.necf.org.my/)
Sign up for conferences and encourage your friends to do so
Take part in the Merdeka Prayer Rally of your towns and bring your friends

source: http://www.necf.org.my

Prayer Requests from Malaysia

May-June 2005 NECF Prayer Digest

Bahasa Bibles

Since April 24, 2003, the Home Affairs Ministry has detained a load of 1,000 Bahasa Indonesia Bibles at the Port Klang customs. The bibles were imported by The Bible Society Malaysia from Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia, Jakarta. Since then, many letters have passed between the Society and the Ministry.

Two organisations have also attempted to help secure the release of the bibles. They are the Christian Federation Malaysia – the umbrella body comprising NECF Malaysia, Council of Churches of Malaysia, and the Catholic Church of Malaysia – and the MCCBCHS (Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism). CFM leaders have personally raised the matter with the Deputy Minister of Internal Security and the Prime Minister’s Political Secretary, among other cabinet ministers. Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and Datuk Maximus Ongkili – both who are Christians – are also assisting in the matter.

It appears that all avenues that require human effort have been made. We are now to wait and pray, as we have prayed unceasingly ever since the bibles were put away in a warehouse. Pray for the physical condition of the 1,000 Bibles, that they will be preserved and protected against "moth and rust". Pray too for the government, ministers and public servants to be sensible to religious freedom in this country, and to continue to stand for what is right and just.

Young criminals

The Government is concerned about the large number of young criminals in the country and fears the situation may jeopardise national security, according to a recent newspaper report. Over 5,500 juveniles were arrested last year for 3,658 criminal cases, of which 24 were murders involving nine students. Most of them were aged between 16 and 18 and were caught mainly for petty theft and stealing motorcycles. This is disturbing as crimes are being committed by youths and this may pose a threat to national security, said Internal Security Deputy Minister Chia Kwang Chye. Please continue to pray for our youths. Pray for all youth organisations – whether religious or non-religious, government or non-government – to implement effective programmes to help our young people.

Education

The Government is trying to make national schools more attractive to the non-Malays, many of whom attend Chinese and Tamil schools at primary level. Newspapers recently reported that 90 percent Chinese attend Chinese (national-type) schools.

There is still a sense of suspicion among the various communities where school is concerned. Besides the perception of lower quality education provided by national schools, non-Malays also fear the emphasis on Islam is an attempt to ‘Islamise’ their children. The generally smaller number of non-Malay teachers in school adds to non-Malay parents’ apprehension. The small percentage of non-Malays attending national schools greatly affects the government’s social integration efforts.

Racial polarisation is a major concern that demands our most passionate intercession. Please pray for effective measures to overcome, or at least minimise, the problem. The National Service programme, despite all the criticisms, is nevertheless a start towards racial integration. Pray for our policy makers whose decisions will affect the future of our millions of children.

Corruption

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has warned against corruption being a culture in Malaysia. He cautioned that if corruption became rampant, there would be no turning back "because everybody, from the bottom to the top, will be corrupt". Please continue to pray for our Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, that he will press on in his battle against this insidious evil. Pray too for the Inspector-General of Police who is battling corruption within the police force. Pray for these two leaders’ protection, and for God to appoint honest men and women to leadership positions in the government.

Different Gifts

Romans 12: 6 - 8 (New International Version)

6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.
If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7If it is serving, let him serve;
if it is teaching, let him teach;
8if it is encouraging, let him encourage;
if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously;
if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;
if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Guarding Our Hearts

The Greenhouse of the Mind

By Max Lucado

A Pure Heart

Suppose you come to visit me one day and find me working in my greenhouse. (Neither my house nor thumb is green, but let’s pretend.) I explain to you that the greenhouse was a gift from my father. He used state-of-the-art equipment to create the ideal structure for growth. The atmosphere is perfect. The lighting exact. The temperature is suited for flowers, fruit, or anything I want, and what I want is flowers and fruit.

I ask you to join me as I collect some seeds to plant. You’ve always thought I was a bit crazy, but what I do next removes all doubt. You watch me walk into a field and strip seeds off of weeds. Crab grass seeds, dandelion seeds, grass burr seeds. I fill a bag with a variety of weed seeds and return to the greenhouse.

You can’t believe what you’ve just seen. “I thought you wanted a greenhouse full of flowers and fruit.”

“I do.”

“Then don’t you think you ought to plant flower seeds and fruit seeds?”

“Do you have any idea how much those seeds cost? Besides, you have to drive all the way to the garden center to get them. No thanks, I’m taking the cheap and easy route.”

You walk away mumbling something about one brick short of a load.

The Greenhouse of the Heart

Everybody knows you harvest what you sow. You reap what you plant. Yet strangely, what we know when we develop land, we tend to forget when we cultivate our hearts.

Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse. The similarities come quickly. It, too, is a magnificent gift from your father. It, too, is perfectly suited for growing. And your heart, like a greenhouse, has to be managed.

Consider for a moment your thoughts as seed. Some thoughts become flowers. Others become weeds. Sow seeds of hope and enjoy optimism. Sow seeds of doubt and expect insecurity. “People harvest only what they plant” (Gal. 6:7).

The proof is everywhere you look. Ever wonder why some people have the Teflon capacity to resist negativism and remain patient, optimistic, and forgiving? Could it be that they have diligently sown seeds of goodness and are enjoying the harvest?

Ever wonder why others have such a sour outlook? Such a gloomy attitude? You would, too, if your heart were a greenhouse of weeds and thorns.

Perhaps you’ve heard the joke about the man who came home one day to a cranky wife. Arriving at 6:30 in the evening, he spent an hour trying to cheer her up. Nothing worked. Finally he said, “Let’s start over and pretend I’m just getting home.” He stepped outside, and when he opened the door, she said, “It’s 7:30, and you’re just now getting home from work?”

The wife was reaping the harvest of a few weedy thoughts. Let’s pause and make an important application. If the heart is a greenhouse and our thoughts are seeds, shouldn’t we be careful about what we sow? Shouldn’t we be selective about the seeds we allow to come into the greenhouse? Shouldn’t there be a sentry at the door? Isn’t guarding the heart a strategic task? According to the Bible it is: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23 niv). Or as another translation reads: “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.”

What a true statement! Test the principle, and see if you don’t agree.

Two drivers are stuck in the same traffic jam. One person stews in anger, thinking, My schedule is messed up. The other sighs in relief, Good chance to slow down.

Two mothers face the same tragedy. One is destroyed: I’ll never get over this. The other is despondent but determined: God will get me through.

Two executives face the same success. One pats himself on the back and grows cocky. The other gives the credit to God and grows grateful.

Two husbands commit the same failure. One bitterly assumes God’s limit of grace has been crossed. The other gratefully assumes a new depth of God’s grace has been discovered.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Let’s look at it from another angle. Suppose I ask you to take care of my house while I’m out of town. You pledge to keep everything in great shape. But when I return, I find the place in shambles. The carpet is torn, walls are smeared, furniture is broken. Your explanation is not impressive: some bikers came by and needed a place to stay. Then the rugby team called, looking for a place for their party. And of course there was the fraternity—they wanted a place to hold their initiation ceremony. As the owner, I have one question: “Don’t you know how to say no? This is not your house. You don’t have the right to let in everyone who wants to enter.”

Ever think God wants to say the same to us?

Guarding Our Hearts

You’ve got to admit some of our hearts are trashed out. Let any riffraff knock on the door, and we throw it open. Anger shows up, and we let him in. Revenge needs a place to stay, so we have him pull up a chair. Pity wants to have a party, so we show him the kitchen. Lust rings the bell, and we change the sheets on the bed. Don’t we know how to say no?

Many don’t. For most of us, thought management is, well, unthought of. We think much about time management, weight management, personnel management, even scalp management. But what about thought management? Shouldn’t we be as concerned about managing our thoughts as we are managing anything else? Jesus was. Like a trained soldier at the gate of a city, he stood watch over his mind. He stubbornly guarded the gateway of his heart. Many thoughts were denied entrance. Need a few examples?

How about arrogance? On one occasion the people determined to make Jesus their king. What an attractive thought. Most of us would delight in the notion of royalty. Even if we refused the crown, we would enjoy considering the invitation. Not Jesus. “Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself” (John 6:15 msg).

Another dramatic example occurred in a conversation Jesus had with Peter. Upon hearing Jesus announce his impending death on the cross, the impetuous apostle objected. “Impossible, Master! That can never be!” (Matt. 16:22 msg). Apparently, Peter was about to question the necessity of Calvary. But he never had a chance. Christ blocked the doorway. He sent both the messenger and the author of the heresy scurrying: “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works” (Matt. 16:23 msg).

And how about the time Jesus was mocked? Have you ever had people laugh at you? Jesus did, too. Responding to an appeal to heal a sick girl, he entered her house only to be told she was dead. His response? “The child is not dead but sleeping.” The response of the people in the house? “They laughed at him.” Just like all of us, Jesus had to face a moment of humiliation. But unlike most of us, he refused to receive it. Note his decisive response: “he put them all outside” (Mark 5:39–40 rsv). The mockery was not allowed in the house of the girl nor in the mind of Christ.

Jesus guarded his heart. If he did, shouldn’t we do the same? Most certainly! “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Prov. 4:23). Jesus wants your heart to be fertile and fruitful. He wants you to have a heart like his. That is God’s goal for you. He wants you to “think and act like Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). But how? The answer is surprisingly simple. We can be transformed if we make one decision: I will submit my thoughts to the authority of Jesus.

It’s easy to overlook a significant claim made by Christ at the conclusion of Matthew’s gospel. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18 niv). Jesus claims to be the CEO of heaven and earth. He has the ultimate say on everything, especially our thoughts. He has more authority, for example, than your parents. Your parents may say you are no good, but Jesus says you are valuable, and he has authority over parents. He even has more authority over you than you do. You may tell yourself that you are too bad to be forgiven, but Jesus has a different opinion. If you give him authority over you, then your guilty thoughts are no longer allowed.

Jesus also has authority over your ideas. Suppose you have an idea that you want to rob a grocery store. Jesus, however, has made it clear that stealing is wrong. If you have given him authority over your ideas, then the idea of stealing cannot remain in your thoughts.

See what I mean by authority? To have a pure heart, we must submit all thoughts to the authority of Christ. If we are willing to do that, he will change us to be like him. Here is how it works.

A Guard at the Doorway

Let’s return to the image of the greenhouse. Your heart is a fertile greenhouse ready to produce good fruit. Your mind is the doorway to your heart—the strategic place where you determine which seeds are sown and which seeds are discarded. The Holy Spirit is ready to help you manage and filter the thoughts that try to enter. He can help you guard your heart.

He stands with you on the threshold. A thought approaches, a questionable thought. Do you throw open the door and let it enter? Of course not. You “fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 phillips). You don’t leave the door unguarded. You stand equipped with handcuffs and leg irons, ready to capture any thought not fit to enter.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say a thought regarding your personal value approaches. With all the cockiness of a neighborhood bully, the thought swaggers up to the door and says, “You’re a loser. All your life you’ve been a loser. You’ve blown relationships and jobs and ambitions. You might as well write the word bum on your résumé, for that is what you are.”

The ordinary person would throw open the door and let the thought in. Like a seed from a weed, it would find fertile soil and take root and bear thorns of inferiority. The average person would say, “You’re right. I’m a bum. Come on in.”

But as a Christian, you aren’t your average person. You are led by the Spirit. So rather than let the thought in, you take it captive. You handcuff it and march it down the street to the courthouse where you present the thought before the judgment seat of Christ.

“Jesus, this thought says I’m a bum and a loser and that I’ll never amount to anything. What do you think?”

See what you are doing? You are submitting the thought to the authority of Jesus. If Jesus agrees with the thought, then let it in. If not, kick it out. In this case Jesus disagrees.

How do know if Jesus agrees or disagrees? You open your Bible. What does God think about you? Ephesians 2:10 is a good place to check: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (niv). Or how about Romans 8:1: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (niv)?

Obviously any thought that says you are inferior or insignificant does not pass the test—and does not gain entrance. You have the right to give the bully a firm kick in the pants and watch him run.

Let’s take another example. The first thought was a bully; this next thought is a groupie. She comes not to tell you how bad you are but how good you are. She rushes to the doorway and gushes, “You are so good. You are so wonderful. The world is so lucky to have you,” and on and on the groupie grovels.

Typically this is the type of thought you’d welcome. But you don’t do things the typical way. You guard your heart. You walk in the Spirit. And you take every thought captive. So once again you go to Jesus. You submit this thought to the authority of Christ. As you unsheathe the sword of the Spirit, his Word, you learn that pride doesn’t please God.

“Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance” (Rom. 12:3 phillips).

“The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging” (Gal. 6:14).

As much as you’d like to welcome this thought of conceit into the greenhouse, you can’t. You only allow what Christ allows.

One more example. This time the thought is not one of criticism or flattery but one of temptation. If you’re a fellow, the thought is dressed in flashy red. If you’re a female, the thought is the hunk you’ve always wanted. There is the brush of the hand, the fragrance in the air, and the invitation. “Come on, itall right. We’re consenting adults.”

What do you do? Well, if you aren’t under the authority of Christ, you throw open the door. But if you have the mind of Christ, you step back and say, “Not so fast. You’ll have to get permission from my big brother.” So you take this steamy act before Jesus and ask, “Yes or no?”

Nowhere does he answer more clearly than in 1 Corinthians 6 and 7: “We must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever…. Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them” (6:18; 7:1–2 msg).

Now armed with the opinion of Christ and the sword of the Spirit, what do you do? Well, if the tempter is not your spouse, close the door. If the invitation is from your spouse, then hubba hubba hubba.

The point is this. Guard the doorway of your heart. Submit your thoughts to the authority of Christ. The more selective you are about seeds, the more delighted you will be with the crop.

Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.

Romans 12:12 tev

Letter from India

A prayer request was received from India. Please pray for our brothers there.

-----Original Message-----
From: lata lincoln [mailto:fcmlata@yahoo.co.in]
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 12:17 AM
To: Ruth; T W
Subject: need prayers


Dear friends and prayer partners,

Within a week's time another tragedy struck our city. A pastor named Isaac Raj working in the outskirts of the city has gone missing since 3 days. His whereabouts are still not known.

About eight days ago an independent church pastor from our city was missing and two days later his dead body fully doused in acid was found in the outskirts of the city. Body was nothing but a lump of flesh and it was beyond recognition. Acid was poured in his mouth too. This pastor went out of home distributing gospel tracts and that was the last time his wife saw him.

Only after another few days the news papers came out with the news of another pastor missing and this time it was a different a story. Pastor Isaac was not there at home when three unknown people visited his family and talked to his old parents and went away. Then after two days he receives a phone call from one Mr. Vinod(name may be created) who is not known to pastor, but he was requesting Pastor to come home and pray for his sick mother and the Pastor agreed. After an hour he received another call saying that he is standing outside the house. And that is the last time the family has seen the Pastor. Even after three days he has not returned home and the family has lodged a complaint with the police. Still it is not known what has happened to him.

Let's pray that God will keep him safe and deliver him safely out of the situation he is in. We pray that God sends His angels to protect his child. Also pray especially for the covering over all the Pastors and Churches of our city for special protection and wisdom.

Abraham and Lata Lincoln
For perishing souls

Prayer Meeting

Prayer Meeting
The usual Saturday prayermeeting was held at Helen's place last 28 May, 2005.

These are the photos taken at that meeting.
http://photos.yahoo.com/aliza33

Be joyful, pray & give thanks.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually;

18give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Lights The Way

He Lights The Way

Read:Psalm 112

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness. —Psalm 112:4

A missionary in Peru went to visit a group of believers one evening. She knew that the house where they were meeting was located on a cliff and the path would be treacherous. She took a taxi as far as it could go, and then she began the hazardous ascent to the house on foot. The night was dark and the way was very difficult. As she rounded a bend, she suddenly came upon several believers carrying bright lanterns. They had come out to light the way. Her fears were relieved, and she ascended the path easily.

In a similar way, God lights our path. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, He who is the Light of the world enters our lives and removes the darkness of our sin and despair. This light continues to comfort us through times of sorrow. In the midst of sadness, trouble, illness, or disappointment, the Lord brightens the way and encourages His children by giving hope.

This may come through a word of exhortation from a fellow believer. It may be the illumination of God's Word by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It may be calm reassurance in response to heartfelt prayer. Or it may be the miraculous supply of a specific need. Whatever the case, God sends light when we are engulfed in darkness. Jesus gives light in the darkest night! —Dave Egner

No darkness have we who in Jesus abide—

The Light of the world is Jesus;

We walk in the Light when we follow our Guide—

The Light of the world is Jesus. —Bliss

God sometimes puts us in the dark to show us that Jesus is the light.

May 9, 2005

La Llave de David (The Key of David) - Spanish

LA LLAVE DE DAVID: ADORACIÓN CONTINUA

"Escribe al ángel de la Iglesia en Filadelfia: esto dice el Santo, el verdadero, el que tiene la llave de David, el que abre y ninguno cierra y cierra y ninguno abre" Apocalipsis 3:7.

Mucho se ha escrito sobre el Apocalipsis y mucho sobre la llave de David. Yo sólo daré un enfoque o apreciación particular. Mi opinión personal es que Dios le entregó a David una llave de sabiduría que le abrió puertas enormes de autoridad espiritual.

David fue rey de Israel por aproximadamente 40 años. En este largo reinado, ningún enemigo por numeroso o fuerte que fuera, pudo hacerle frente. David fue sentado en niveles muy altos de autoridad y poder terrenal. Creo que todo esto fue posible sólo porque él como vidente (profeta de Dios), aprendió a influenciar el ámbito espiritual, el cual posteriormente afectaría el mundo natural (las circunstancias que le rodeaban).

David tenía un secreto revelado por Jehová que le garantizaba en sus batallas la intervención divina y por ende, la derrota de sus adversarios.

Su secreto movía a Dios; activaba el ejército celestial y destruía la fuerza contraria. David tenía una llave por gracia. El Padre Dios le había revelado que las batallas las gana Dios. El rey debía afectar el mundo espiritual y sus enemigos caerían. El rey David aprendió a enternecer a Dios y mover Su corazón a favor de Su pueblo. El rey tenía una llave; la llave de David. Esa llave o secreto davídico asentó el trono de Dios por años en Israel y lo envolvió con Su gloria. Esa llave abrió la puerta de la victoria y de la prosperidad. Atrajo hacia él fama, renombre y honor entre los pueblos. En realidad, el Señor le dio todo esto al activar la llave, "la llave de David".

Cuando el Espíritu de Dios impulsó a Juan a escribir la carta a la Iglesia de Filadelfia, presentó al Señor como el dueño de la llave de David. Desde luego que David sólo fue un receptor de la revelación divina; pero es Dios quien tiene la llave en Su mano santa. Es obvio que con esa llave se abren puertas que nadie puede cerrar. Esa puerta son bendiciones divinas, influencias sobre ciudades y naciones y el poder apostólico para hacer la tarea misionera en los confines de la tierra.

Dios dijo a Filadelfia, a su Iglesia establecida en esa ciudad: "Yo conozco tus obras; he aquí, he puesto delante de ti una puerta abierta, la cual nadie puede cerrar" (verso 8a).

La Iglesia de Filadelfia recibió de manos del Poseedor de la llave de David; de Aquel que abre y ninguno cierra y cierra y ninguno abre, la protección y unción para las misiones en el mundo. Aunque ésta fue una Iglesia humilde y sin muchos recursos económicos, guardó la Palabra y el testimonio. Esa Iglesia, Filadelfia, guardó la Palabra y la practicó; por ello Dios la ungió. Aleluya.

Cada iglesia en las naciones puede recibir incrementos impresionantes en sus niveles de autoridad, cuando Dios abra la puerta a través de la llave de David.

Esa bendita llave es la "Alabanza de Alto Nivel" o la "adoración de Excelencia" al Gran Rey. Como profeta, David fue ministrado profundamente por el "Espíritu de Sabiduría" en lo concerniente a la adoración celestial, la cual activaría la mano de Dios a su favor y atraería Su Presencia.

Dios puso en su mano una llave. Si aprendía a usarla, Jehová estaría siempre en su reinado y edificaría su reino, David fue diestro en usar la llave; de él aprendimos los principios más sencillos pero trascendentes de la exaltación de la Divinidad.

En el Tabernáculo de Moisés se ofrecía cada tarde y cada mañana holocausto a Jehová. Estas ofrendas se conocían como el "Sacrificio continuo". Era necesario a través de esta práctica ceremonial mantener el fuego y la ofrenda constantemente. Este seria un anuncio profético de la perpetuidad del sacrificio de Cristo y su extraordinada eficacia.

David, bajo "el manto de la revelación profético", entendió el simbolismo y recibió del Espíritu que estos sacrificios u holocausto continuo (de animales) dejarían de ser para dar paso a otro tipo de sacrificio continuo: el de la alabanza y la adoración al Dios Viviente.

David descubrió que estableciendo una alabanza continua, adoración verdadera al Señor las 24 horas del día, era como llevar a la esfera del cumplimiento profético todo lo anunciado en las ofrendas y ceremonias de Moisés. Esa adoración continua, durante todo el día, atraería la Presencia Divina entre el pueblo de Israel. David estableció turnos sacerdotales para llenar la nación y el santuario de alabanza . Instituyó el servicio de músicos y cantores para ministrar continuamente ante el Arca del Señor.

Este adorar de continuo entronizó a Jehová en el Campamento de Israel. Dios quiso estar allí; David y su pueblo le ganaron el corazón. Jehová gozaba de estar allí ante un pueblo contrito y humillado. La adoración fue la llave de David. Su meta era el Arca del Pacto. Solo anhelaba a Dios en Israel. Aleluya.

Después de 15 años de haber escrito el libro titulado "El Tabernáculo caldo de David", he visto con honda tristeza a miles de creyentes caminar ignorando la verdad de la revelación dada al profeta y rey.

El Tabernáculo de David, lamentablemente, ha terminado siendo interpretado como un simple modelo de alabanza, un manual de música y canto.

No y mil veces no. David nunca quiso establecer un molde rígido de alabanza o una única forma de dañe canción y música a Dios.

No. La meta de David no eran formas de alabanza o estilo de música o tipo de instrumentos. Su meta era más elevada; era elevadísimo. Su meta era Dios mismo.

David sólo escudriñó la Escritura; sólo buscó sabiduría en el secreto del Señor para acercar a Dios y perpetuar Su Presencia en Israel.

Bajo esa búsqueda ferviente de Él y bajo ese anhelar continuo de Su Presencia, el rey se encontró con la llave que desató sobre él la más elevada autoridad delegada.

Esa llave, la adoración en espíritu y verdad, lo llevó a proclamar que hay un sin fin de formas a través de las cuales yo puedo glorificar al Padre. Su intención era practicarlas todas con tal de que Jehová viniera a Sión. Aleluya.

David nos dio el mensaje: lo más importante de todo es tener a Dios con uno; hagan todo lo que deban hacer para atraer Su Presencia y cuando la tengan, no lo dejen irse, denle alabanza continua cada hora del día. Túrnense, organícense y tome cada uno su instrumento y el corazón en la mano y mantengan con su alabanza y ofrendas de adoración, el fuego encendido en el altar.

Esa es mi llave, nos enseñó David. Si quieren victoria continua, renombre, bendición, prosperidad y unción, úsenla de inmediato.

Esa es la llave; actívenla. Reconozcan su grandeza entre los pueblos Amén.

The Touch of God

The Touch of God
By Max Lucado

A Compassionate Heart

May I ask you to look at your hand for a moment? Look at the back, then the palm. Reacquaint yourself with your fingers. Run a thumb over your knuckles.

What if someone were to film a documentary on your hands? What if a producer were to tell your story based on the life of your hands? What would we see? As with all of us, the film would begin with an infant’s fist, then a closeup of a tiny hand wrapped around mommy’s finger. Then what? Holding on to a chair as you learned to walk? Handling a spoon as you learned to eat?

We aren’t too long into the feature before we see your hand being affectionate, stroking daddy’s face or petting a puppy. Nor is it too long before we see your hand acting aggressively: pushing big brother or yanking back a toy. All of us learned early that the hand is suited for more than survival—it’s a tool of emotional expression. The same hand can help or hurt, extend or clench, lift someone up or shove someone down.

Were you to show the documentary to your friends, you’d be proud of certain moments: your hand extending with a gift, placing a ring on another’s finger, doctoring a wound, preparing a meal, or folding in prayer. And then there are other scenes. Shots of accusing fingers, abusive fists. Hands taking more often than giving, demanding instead of offering, wounding rather than loving. Oh, the power of our hands. Leave them unmanaged and they become weapons: clawing for power, strangling for survival, seducing for pleasure. But manage them and our hands become instruments of grace—not just tools in the hands of God, but God’s very hands.

Surrender them and these five-fingered appendages become the hands of heaven.

That’s what Jesus did. Our Savior completely surrendered his hands to God. The documentary of his hands has no scenes of greedy grabbing or unfounded finger pointing. It does, however, have one scene after another of people longing for his compassionate touch: parents carrying their children, the poor bringing their fears, the sinful shouldering their sorrow. And each who came was touched. And each one touched was changed. But none was touched or changed more than the unnamed leper of Matthew 8.

When Jesus came down from the hill, great crowds followed him. Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” And immediately the man was healed from his disease. Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show the people what I have done.” (vv. 1–4)

Mark and Luke chose to tell this same story. But with apologies to all three writers, I must say none tell enough. Oh, we know the man’s disease and his decision, but as to the rest? We are left with questions. The authors offer no name, no history, no description.

The Ultimate Outcast

Sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me, and I wonder out loud. That’s what I’m about to do here—wonder out loud about the man who felt Jesus’ compassionate touch. He makes one appearance, has one request, and receives one touch. But that one touch changed his life forever. And I wonder if his story went something like this:

For five years no one touched me. No one. Not one person. Not my wife. Not my child. Not my friends. No one touched me. They saw me. They spoke to me. I sensed love in their voices. I saw concern in their eyes. But I didn’t feel their touch. There was no touch. Not once. No one touched me.

What is common to you, I coveted. Handshakes. Warm embraces. A tap on the shoulder to get my attention. A kiss on the lips to steal a heart. Such moments were taken from my world. No one touched me. No one bumped into me. What I would have given to be bumped into, to be caught in a crowd, for my shoulder to brush against another’s. But for five years it has not happened. How could it? I was not allowed on the streets. Even the rabbis kept their distance from me. I was not permitted in my synagogue. Not even welcome in my own house.
I was untouchable. I was a leper. And no one touched me. Until today.

I wonder about this man because in New Testament times leprosy was the most dreaded disease. The condition rendered the body a mass of ulcers and decay. Fingers would curl and gnarl. Blotches of skin would discolor and stink. Certain types of leprosy would numb nerve endings, leading to a loss of fingers, toes, even a whole foot or hand. Leprosy was death by inches.

The social consequences were as severe as the physical. Considered contagious, the leper was quarantined, banished to a leper colony.

In Scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast: infected by a condition he did not seek, rejected by those he knew, avoided by people he did not know, condemned to a future he could not bear. And in the memory of each outcast must have been the day he was forced to face the truth: life would never be the same.

One year during harvest my grip on the scythe seemed weak. The tips of my fingers numbed. First one finger then another. Within a short time I could grip the tool but scarcely feel it. By the end of the season, I felt nothing at all. The hand grasping the handle might as well have belonged to someone else—the feeling was gone. I said nothing to my wife, but I know she suspected something. How could she not? I carried my hand against my body like a wounded bird.

One afternoon I plunged my hands into a basin of water intending to wash my face. The water reddened. My finger was bleeding, bleeding freely. I didn’t even know I was wounded. How did I cut myself? On a knife? Did my hand slide across the sharp edge of metal? It must have, but I didn’t feel anything.

“It’s on your clothes, too,” my wife said softly. She was behind me. Before looking at her, I looked down at the crimson spots on my robe. For the longest time I stood over the basin, staring at my hand. Somehow I knew my life was being forever altered.

“Shall I go with you to tell the priest?” she asked.

“No,” I sighed, “I’ll go alone.”

I turned and looked into her moist eyes. Standing next to her was our three-year-old daughter. Squatting, I gazed into her face and stroked her cheek, saying nothing. What could I say? I stood and looked again at my wife. She touched my shoulder, and with my good hand, I touched hers. It would be our final touch.

Five years have passed, and no one has touched me since, until today.

The priest didn’t touch me. He looked at my hand, now wrapped in a rag. He looked at my face, now shadowed in sorrow. I’ve never faulted him for what he said. He was only doing as he was instructed. He covered his mouth and extended his hand, palm forward. “You are unclean,” he told me. With one pronouncement I lost my family, my farm, my future, my friends.

My wife met me at the city gates with a sack of clothing and bread and coins. She didn’t speak. By now friends had gathered. What I saw in their eyes was a precursor to what I’ve seen in every eye since: fearful pity. As I stepped out, they stepped back. Their horror of my disease was greater than their concern for my heart—so they, and everyone else I have seen since, stepped back.

The banishing of a leper seems harsh, unnecessary. The Ancient East hasn’t been the only culture to isolate their wounded, however. We may not build colonies or cover our mouths in their presence, but we certainly build walls and duck our eyes. And a person needn’t have leprosy to feel quarantined.

One of my sadder memories involves my fourth-grade friend Jerry. He and a half-dozen of us were an ever-present, inseparable fixture on the playground. One day I called his house to see if we could play. The phone was answered by a cursing, drunken voice telling me Jerry could not come over that day or any day. I told my friends what had happened. One of them explained that Jerry’s father was an alcoholic. I don’t know if I knew what the word meant, but I learned quickly. Jerry, the second baseman; Jerry, the kid with the red bike; Jerry, my friend on the corner was now “Jerry, the son of a drunk.” Kids can be hard, and for some reason we were hard on Jerry. He was infected. Like the leper, he suffered from a condition he didn’t create. Like the leper, he was put outside the village.

The divorced know this feeling. So do the handicapped. The unemployed have felt it, as have the less educated. Some shun unmarried moms. We keep our distance from the depressed and avoid the terminally ill. We have neighborhoods for immigrants, convalescent homes for the elderly, schools for the simple, centers for the addicted, and prisons for the criminals.

The rest simply try to get away from it all. Only God knows how many Jerrys are in voluntary exile—individuals living quiet, lonely lives infected by their fear of rejection and their memories of the last time they tried. They choose not to be touched at all rather than risk being hurt again.

Oh, how I repulsed those who saw me. Five years of leprosy had left my hands gnarled. Tips of my fingers were missing as were portions of an ear and my nose. At the sight of me, fathers grabbed their children. Mothers covered their faces. Children pointed and stared.

The rags on my body couldn’t hide my sores. Nor could the wrap on my face hide the rage in my eyes. I didn’t even try to hide it. How many nights did I shake my crippled fist at the silent sky? “What did I do to deserve this?” But never a reply.

Some think I sinned. Some think my parents sinned. I don’t know. All I know is that I grew so tired of it all: sleeping in the colony, smelling the stench. I grew so tired of the damnable bell I was required to wear around my neck to warn people of my presence. As if I needed it. One glance and the announcements began, “Unclean! Unclean! Unclean!”

Several weeks ago I dared walk the road to my village. I had no intent of entering. Heaven knows I only wanted to look again upon my fields. Gaze again upon my home. And see, perchance, the face of my wife. I did not see her. But I saw some children playing in a pasture. I hid behind a tree and watched them scamper and run. Their faces were so joyful and their laughter so contagious that for a moment, for just a moment, I was no longer a leper. I was a farmer. I was a father. I was a man.

Infused with their happiness, I stepped out from behind the tree, straightened my back, breathed deeply … and they saw me. Before I could retreat, they saw me. And they screamed. And they scattered. One lingered, though, behind the others. One paused and looked in my direction. I don’t know, and I can’t say for sure, but I think, I really think, she was my daughter. And I don’t know, I really can’t say for sure. But I think she was looking for her father.

That look is what made me take the step I took today. Of course it was reckless. Of course it was risky. But what did I have to lose? He calls himself God’s Son. Either he will hear my complaint and kill me or accept my demands and heal me. Those were my thoughts. I came to him as a defiant man. Moved not by faith but by a desperate anger. God had wrought this calamity on my body, and he would either fix it or end it.

But then I saw him, and when I saw him, I was changed. You must remember, I’m a farmer, not a poet, so I cannot find the words to describe what I saw. All I can say is that the Judean mornings are sometimes so fresh and the sunrises so glorious that to look at them is to forget the heat of the day before and the hurt of times past. When I looked at his face, I saw a Judean morning.

Before he spoke, I knew he cared. Somehow I knew he hated this disease as much as, no more than I hate it. My rage became trust, and my anger became hope.

From behind a rock, I watched him descend a hill. Throngs of people followed him. I waited until he was only paces from me, then I stepped out.

“Master!”

He stopped and looked in my direction as did dozens of others. A flood of fear swept across the crowd. Arms flew in front of faces. Children ducked behind parents. “Unclean!” someone shouted. Again, I don’t blame them. I was a huddled mass of death. But I scarcely heard them. I scarcely saw them. Their panic I’d seen a thousand times. His compassion, however, I’d never beheld. Everyone stepped back except him. He stepped toward me. Toward me.

Five years ago my wife had stepped toward me. She was the last to do so. Now he did. I did not move. I just spoke. “Lord, you can heal me if you will.” Had he healed me with a word, I would have been thrilled. Had he cured me with a prayer, I would have rejoiced. But he wasn’t satisfied with speaking to me. He drew near me. He touched me. Five years ago my wife had touched me. No one had touched me since. Until today.

“I will.” His words were as tender as his touch. “Be healed!”

Energy flooded my body like water through a furrowed field. In an instant, in a moment, I felt warmth where there had been numbness. I felt strength where there had been atrophy. My back straightened, and my head lifted. Where I had been eye level with his belt, I now stood eye level with his face. His smiling face.

He cupped his hands on my cheeks and drew me so near I could feel the warmth of his breath and see the wetness in his eyes. “Don’t tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded for people who are made well. This will show the people what I have done.”

And so that is where I am going. I will show myself to my priest and embrace him. I will show myself to my wife, and I will embrace her. I will pick up my daughter, and I will embrace her. And I will never forget the one who dared to touch me. He could have healed me with a word. But he wanted to do more than heal me. He wanted to honor me, to validate me, to christen me. Imagine that … unworthy of the touch of a man, yet worthy of the touch of God.

The Power of The Godly Touch

The touch did not heal the disease, you know. Matthew is careful to mention that it was the pronouncement and not the touch of Christ that cured the condition. “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, ‘I will. Be healed!’ And immediately the man was healed from his disease” (Matt. 8:3).

The infection was banished by a word from Jesus. The loneliness, however, was treated by a touch from Jesus. Oh, the power of a godly touch. Haven’t you known it? The doctor who treated you, or the teacher who dried your tears? Was there a hand holding yours at a funeral? Another on your shoulder during a trial? A handshake of welcome at a new job? A pastoral prayer for healing? Haven’t we known the power of a godly touch?

Can’t we offer the same?

Many of you already do. Some of you have the master touch of the Physician himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak. If you aren’t touching them personally, your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking pies. You have learned the power of a touch.

But others of us tend to forget. Our hearts are good; it’s just that our memories are bad. We forget how significant one touch can be. We fear saying the wrong thing or using the wrong tone or acting the wrong way. So rather than do it incorrectly, we do nothing at all.

Aren’t we glad Jesus didn’t make the same mistake? If your fear of doing the wrong thing prevents you from doing anything, keep in mind the perspective of the lepers of the world. They aren’t picky. They aren’t finicky. They’re just lonely. They are yearning for a godly touch. Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will you do the same?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
james 1:22–24 niv