Forgiveness

FORGIVENESS
One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on, she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children.
It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one-half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So, they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand.
The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry, the pastor's son stood to speak.
He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife-to-be. He began to speak and his statement was this:
"My fiancee's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin.
Today, you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?"
The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely, then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus--end of case!!!
-- Author Unknown

Welcome classmates

This blog has been created for all of us born in 1956, plus or minus a year or two, and sharing the same school, namely ACS Ipoh. I shall be inviting all to co-administer this blog with me. Please feel free to post your thoughts, pictures and give comments on each others' posts. However be mindful not to post obsene articles or thoughts.

The advantages of a blog are that the old articles, pictures are archived and readily reviewed.

Please try to blog together. If you have any problems posting do let me know. HKK also has experience blogging.

John 3:16

A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and
out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell
many papers.
He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know
where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You
see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and
it's
awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place
to
stay."
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the
street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come
out
the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in."
So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady
answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in,
Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in
front
of a great big fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while
and thought to himself: John 3:16...I don't understand it, but it sure
makes
a cold boy warm.


Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a
little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a
little bit of food," The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to
a
table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any
more.
Then he thought to himself: John 3:16...Boy, I sure don't understand it
but
it sure makes a hungry boy full.
She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm
water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought
to
himself: John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a
dirty
boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life.
The
only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big fire hydrant as
they flushed it out.
The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a
big
old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him
goodnight
and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the
window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself:
John 3:16...I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.
The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that
same
big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big
old
split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big Bible.
She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. "Do you
understand John 3:16?" She asked gently. He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't.
The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me
to
use it," She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him
about
Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart
and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16....don't understand
it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was
willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do
such
a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in
heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the
intense
love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand
it, but it sure does make life worth living.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.

A blurred and arid KL....and it could have been worse

It had been 8 years since the last serious haze hit us. Traumatic for many......KL Tower & Twin Towers just simply disappeared.

Not too sure what the long term consequences would be..........but some thoughts did come to my mind last nite.

We must learn to be thankful for the current situation....as it could have been worse. Just imagine instead of just haze ….a combination of haze, water rationing and power cut simultaneously. All very possible because of the severe drought and demand for electricity as most people stay indoor and switch on their air conditioners.

Hopefull all of us will see this as a wake-up call and learn not to take anything for granted.


....agfoxx aka dR HAzE & dR HAzE JUNior

Haze in Ipoh

If you think you are going up North from KL, Klang or Putrajaya to escape the haze, think again! Ipoh is getting worse by the hour. The air is pungent all around. My eyes are smarting and itchy. S-N-E-E-Z-E.

ACS Reunion Dinner 2005

Mr. Cheah TK and Mr. Foo

Dr. & Mrs. Thum SC, Mrs. Wong CY, Mr. Lee CW

Mr. Chin Yoong Kim leading in the singing of the ACS school song

Mr. & Mrs. Lee Hoo Keat (mathematics teacher and badminton player)

Ong Su Ming, Mr & Mrs. Chye, Lam Poh Wah

Unidentified, Liew Kam Chong, Subramaniam (former ACS principal)

Unidentified, Dr. Liew, Ong Sek Chuan (former ACS primary headmaster), Lee Chun Wah

Lam Poh Wah (former history/geography teacher), Leong Oon Keong (standing), Mr. & Mrs. Chye Kooi Loong (war historian who wrote 2 books about British defense against the Japanese in Kampar)

The reunion dinner was organised by the ACS Alumni Association which was formerly known as the ACS Old Boy's Association. It is strange that after all these years the total number of members does not exceed 200. The total number of students who have studied in ACS over these 110 years must be in the thousands. We should not forget our teachers and school where we received our early education. Perhaps it's time for us to consider a trust fund or anything which you can suggest to help the school and it's current students.

ACS CX Anniversary Celebration Concert

This concert was held on 6th August 2005 at 3.00 pm at the ACS school hall. Excellent performance. There was Eddy Chin, Romesh Roy, Jamie Chang, etc. (So sorry I couldn't find the souvenir programme to list all the names). Tea at the canteen followed. It ended at 5.00 pm. The reunion dinner was at 7.00 pm. Will post more photos later.

Next MSF Presentation

The next presentation in September will be on influenza (flu) and getting prepared for the next flu pandemic. What shall we do? We must pray for continued good health and thank the Lord for keeping us alive. What shall we do to help others?

Family Carnival 2005

This is a very interesting game and is known as the "flush". A person catapults a water filled balloon on to the cage, wherein a person is sitted on the "throne", and when hit a bucket of water above the cage pours onto her/him. A sure success game and probably the winner for the carnival. You should see the long queue.

This year's Family Carnival is probably better than last year's, judging from the crowd. Food is good too. If you miss this come and join us next year.

MSF Meeting 19 July 2005

Yesterday night I had the opportunity to attend the MSF meeting held in CGMC. It was an interesting worship session followed by good food. My talk on snoring and sleep apnea was well received. Then came the quiz session on sleep hygiene. There were alot of questions from the floor. Participation was excellent. We will have more of these health sessions soon.

SermonAudio.com - faith cometh by hearing

I have just discovered this wonderful website with so many webcasts in it. You can have your own private Bible study here. Download them into your iPod and take them wherever you wish. I like the section on Bible topics. Click and find out.

SermonAudio.com - faith cometh by hearing

The Tablecloth

THE TABLECLOTH
The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry,
to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited
about their opportunities.
When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They
set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on
Christmas Eve.
They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc., and on
December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a
terrible empest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.
On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw
that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8
feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do
but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.On the way he noticed
that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored,
crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
embroidered right in the center. It was just the right
size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to
the church.
By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the
opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in
the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.
She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder,
hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could
hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem
area.
Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a
sheet..
"Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to
see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These
were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years
before, in Austria.
The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten
the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband
were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to
leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home
again.
The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep
it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the
least he could do.. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was
only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.
What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost
full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they
would return.
One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued
to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't
leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall
because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they
lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so
much alike.
He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for
her safety,
and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison.
He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.
The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride.
They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken
the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment
knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever
imagine.
True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
Who says God does not work in mysterious ways..

Christians Ethics in the Marketplace

Today's presentation by Dr. Samuel Ong, a cardiologist from KL, is rather interesting. Christians will react differently to various situations in the marketplace. Christian ethics involve knowing the biblical facts well, Christ's teachings and putting them to practice. Often there are no clear cut solutions to ethical issues. When such situations occur; pray, go back to the bible, seek the opinions of other Christian friends or church elders.

Be Patient

BE PATIENT

This is a true story which happened in the States.

A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his
three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the
truck.

The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands
into pulp as punishment.

When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital. Although
the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to
amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands.

When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he
innocently said, " Daddy, I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but
when are my fingers going to grow back?"
The father went home & committed suicide. Think about this story the next
time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first
before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.
Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't.
Too often we fail to recognise the difference between the person and the
performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge. People
make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take
while in a rage will haunt us forever.

Pause and ponder. Think before you act. Be patient. Forgive & forget.
Love one and all.
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Mission Nite in CGMC

Mission Nite, 16th June 2005 at 8.00 pm.
3 persons shared their experiences in Bangladesh, Thailand, China and amongst the Sengois in Perak. The presentations were about spreading God's word in different parts of the world. I found several points interesting. 1. We can actually do very little in terms of relieving immediate human needs like housing, food shortage, sanitation, medical care etc. Our time and monetary resources are limited and finite. 2. I believe it is the instant delivery of support, care and love which the people want and lack that make mission trips successful. 3. These trips "softened the hearts of the people and are good examples of Christian living and sharing" quoted Dr. Tai Kim Teng. I strongly agree with him. 4. Henceforth, it makes the job of the local pastor easier to talk about Christ. 5. Further, missions deepen the soul's hunger for the word of God. Missions are interesting! Field work is not for everyone. One can encourage and support mission activities (e.g. monetary pledges)

A Wonderful Trip

Our trip to Cameron Highlands on 29th May 2005 was truly wonderful. The weather was beautiful. Four families and 4 little guests from our church had so much fun. We should organise more trips of this sort. Thank God we went into the jungle and came out unhurt. The kids truly enjoyed themselves. Will we go back again? A resounding 'YEEEEES'.

Walking on the road

When we walk on the road nowadays we are always concerned about snatch thieves. But we should be more concerned about whether a motorist is going to hit and injure us.

Some suggestions. 1. Always walk on the side of the road with you facing on coming vehicles. In this way you can see the driver and the vehicle. Observe the speed and how near the vehicle is coming onto the side of the road. 2. Always walk on the allocated foot path when available. 3. Use overhead brigde when crossing roads. 4. Never cross a road near a junction. Cross a road at least 50 yards away from the junction. Motorist turning a sharp corner may not be able to brake on time 5. Face straight looking at on coming vehicles but beware of uncovered man holes. 6. Wear light coloured dress in the dark or flourescent belts.

Remember if a motorist can ram another vehicle much larger than us, beware, we are easier targets for accidents.

Response to Motor Vehicle Accident

Often enough we do see a motor vehicle accident while we are on the road. What should be our response? Should we get off our cars to help? How can we help?

If we decide to help the first thing to do is actually to make sure that our vehicle is safely parked by the side of the road with hazard lights blinking. Next, before alighting make sure the occupants in the car are safe or are able to take care of themselves especially if there are children in the car.

Here are some of the things we can do in an accident scene.
1. Direct traffic. Make sure you are wearing clothes which are readily visible. A torch like and a reflective vest will be very useful at night.
2. Move injured away from further danger eg. on coming cars, possible fire. Make sure there is no neck injury otherwise movement may cause further damage of spinal cord resulting in paralysis. Splinting of injured parts maybe required. Wear gloves if you have. The scene can be very bloody.
3. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Only if you know how.
4. Call for help with your handphone. Police, hospital, etc.
5. Transporting injured in your vehicle to nearest hospital maybe faster and life saving if there is uncontrollable bleeding or serious penetrating injuries. Be prepared to see blood, vomitus all over your car.
6. Pack and bandage areas of profuse bleeding. A tourniquette application may occasionally be required when a large artery is severed and bleeding profusely.

Understanding Worship

Worship is far more than praising, singing, and praying to God. Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, loving him, and giving ourselves to be used for his purposes. When you use your life for God's glory, everything you do can become an act of worship. The Bible says, "Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God." ---- Rick Warren

I agree with him.

About Money

Something to ponder about what George Buttrick (pastor and writter) said, "Of all the masters the soul can choose, there are at last only two - God and money. All choices, however small, however the alternatives may be disguised, are but variants of this choice."

Thought provoking, huh!!

Doing Our Part

Today's posting in Our Daily Bread is rather interesting. Read: 2 Kings 20:1-7.

Essentially, when we ask God for help, we must be willing to do whatever we can, using whatever means He gives.

I am still scouting for suitable candidates to form the Perak Chest Society. It has been rather disappointing day after day. Do let me know if you have someone who might me interested in doing some charitable works.

My old friend, Dr. Yoong Sao Chin will be giving a talk in CGMC this Saturday at 4.30 pm till 6.30 pm. The topic is about disaster relief work. He served under CREST for a week long missions aid programme in Nias (Indonesia) recently. All are welcomed.

A Small Church

A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was "too crowded." "I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room for her, and she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor who had befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School."
For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.
But the story does not end there... A newspaper learned of the story and published It. It was read by a wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents.
Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.
When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure to visit Temple University, where thousands of students are educated. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time

Seeing Life in God's View

The way we see our lives shape our lives. The bible offers 3 metaphors for life according to Rick Warren. The 3 metaphors are:- 1. Life on earth is a Test. 2. Life is a Trust. 3. Life is a Temporary Assignment.

Rick Warren went on to say money is both a test and a trust from God. Accordingly, God says there is a direct relationship between how we use our money and the quality of our spiritual lives. Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Question: Is the way we manage our money preventing God from doing more in our lives? Can we be trusted with spiritual riches?

Less sinful people?

CG meetings are interesting. Last night discussion on the book of Genesis was thought provoking. The great flood during Noah's time drowned alot of sinful people. That's great. But, is the situation today much better? No, I think not. So, what will happen next when we provoke the wrath of God again?

The Perak Chest Society

My top priority this year is to set up this society. This means getting the right people in the team. I have been praying and I believe the names will be forthcoming. The infrastructure for the society is in order. I now only need the team and getting the society regisered. Will be off to KL Sunway Lagoon tomorrow and be back on Monday. Meanwhile, please keep your postings coming. God bless.

Welcome

Congratulations to Mr. Ong and Mr. Wong for being the first two persons to be admitted as administrators for this blog. You may now place your postings here. Currently, comments are only allowed from our blog registered CG members. God bless.

Public Forum

To all CG 16 members. We are entering a new era of communication besides our usual Friday prayer meetings. Please feel free to post anything you wish but make it short and accurate. I will start by informing you that I am organising a Public Forum on Sunday 19th June at 3.00 pm in Hospital Pantai Putri. The topic is "Can Snoring Kill?". I have informed Mr. Wan our church Social Concern Committee Chairman. He and pastor will decide whether it is appropriate to invite the church members for the forum. To confirm the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) one has to undergo a sleep study which costs rm 550 per night. No discount will be offered to church members going for the test but rm 200 (from the rm 550 test fee) will be donated to DAYBREAK. We have a lot of elderly church members who may have OSA. OSA sufferers may suffocate during sleep, have heart attacks or strokes and die.

Good nite and may His blessings be with us all.