Dear Church,

Christmas is round the corner again and we thank God for the opportunity to share the Good News with as many as we can.  Time is short; so do make use of the opportunity to usher as many as possible into the kingdom of the Lord before it is too late.  Harvest time is not for us?. It is for them!  Our loved ones and friends especially are on our hearts, as well as those unreached peoples all over the world.  Jesus came on a mission, burst into earth?s history for the love of His father and His beloved creation ? us. We must continue His mission in whatever way we can.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.  And we are witnesses." And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His Name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."  Acts 10:38,39,42

1.  Keep Climbing

Here is the Word of the Lord for you this Christmas, beloved family of God... Keep climbing! 

Do you remember the times when you gave in to the comfort of inertia (or fear of failure, discouragement or sloth, etc) and then regretted you missed a good thing?  I remind you again of the obstacles that stop many from doing excellently.

 Obstacles

 

2.  We must defeat the enemy of our soul

     "As Goliath moved?to attack, David quickly ran?to meet him."    1Sam17:48 NLT

Day and night Goliath challenged and mocked God?s people. Goliath exists because Joshua left the nation of Gath uncleared from the promised land.  Now the descendant came to harass them.  When we leave an area of our life still occupied by the enemy, it will return to be a thorn to prick us.  Face your enemy in the strength of the Lord and defeat him in the Name of the Lord! Say to the giant of your life, "I come to you in the Name of the Lord" and do not back down till he is defeated!

 

3.  Use the weapons God has given you

    David selected five stones.  John Fabrin suggested these five stones.    

a)  The stone of Past Successes  

Remember all the times God has delivered you!  I think of how God saved me from drowning miraculously, how He healed me of polio when I was eleven, how He defended me against those who persecuted me for my faith and recently, God answered your prayers for me when I was rushed to the hospital for chest pains. After four days of investigation, the doctor gave me a clean bill health and the mystery of the cause of the attack will remain a puzzle to those who do not believe in prayer, but not to you and me! (Thank you church for your prayer, love, flowers, fruits and a hundred more things. I heard a good number of you came to Wednesday Prayer meeting  to pray for me. THANK YOU AGAIN! )

Robbers attacked our brother Joo Tatt last night as I write this pastoral letter. One of them used a cleaver and chopped his hand twice and then his left leg when he was walking home in the dark. But the chopper could not penetrate him and he only had a tear in his pants and a scratch on his arm!   Praise our wonderful God! So people of God, do not forget His past goodness to you and praise God in the midst of your present challenges.

 

b)  The stone of Prayer

Prayer works miracles. Turn your worry into prayer. Worry is not only a waste of energy and time but also a sin! Remember how the churches in Malaysia prayed so hard at the time of turmoil in Indonesia?  God told the churches to pray for Indonesia and also not to let it spill over to Malaysia.  God answered our prayer and we heard many testimonies of miraculous      escapes from our Indonesian Christians.  Like the song says, "Our prayer does the things our hands cannot do".

Making God your priority makes a great difference.  When you make Him and His reputation your priority, He will also make you His priority! Jesus said, if any man has left house, family, etc for His sake, God will also give him houses, fathers, mothers, etc even in this life.

d)   The stone of Passion

 You must face your enemy with a passion to see your call or vision fulfilled because God gave it to you.  How dare any enemy oppose the decree of God? The passion to see God's will done, His kingdom come, (no matter what       discouragement the enemy throws at us) will help us overcome. Have trusted friends failed you, have those you have loved and taken care of deserted you, have co-laborers deserted the work, have spouse or children or parents disappointed you?  Let God's passion burn in you as He strengthens you to stick on till the giant falls under your God-directed stone. 

e)  The stone of Perseverance

Winston Churchill once said he had three pieces of advice to give to the students he was addressing. They are:

1 - Never give up, 2 - Never give up and 3 - Never give up!  

Do not let the giants shout you down or rob you of the inheritance that God has given you as a child of God.  What God has joined, let no man put asunder. Jesus speaks this about marriage.  But this is true of the covenant God has given us and  Jesus calls us His bride.  So let nothing, absolutely nothing  separate you from the love of God and the inheritance He has for you.

This Christmas, let these thoughts encourage you when you think about Jesus who set aside His Deity, His Abode, His Kingship to be born a baby in a manger. The next time He comes, He will not be a baby but the Judge of the Nations!  Let all receive Him as the Savior today and never have to face Him as the Judge of the world.

We wish you a Blessed Christmas 2007 as we approach one Christmas nearer to His Second Coming.

Much love to you, dear family.

Ps Khim and Ps Ang