Friday, January 9, 2009

Be Still and Know...

Happy New Year to all our Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

We have been seeking God for His wisdom and guidance for the past few weeks leading to Christmas and New Year. The Lord has been good and He has been so faithful to us individually.

As we all contemplated and reflected on 2008, we cannot help but be amazed at what our God has done for us and through us in so many ways. We were led to start off the year as a team, with praising and worshipping God for His goodness and mercy upon us throughout 2008. "God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation...Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world." (Isaiah 12:2-5)

God is so merciful and loving to all of us. He has spoken to us individually and confirmed His Word to us, through different prayer warriors. He is coming soon and He is more interested in us preparing ourselves as individuals to meet with Him. God has allowed our beloved church to experience this unplesant saga as a wake up call to all of us as individual Christians, to seek God with all our hearts, look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, and to depend on the Holy Spirit's leading and direction for our own lives.

We have sought the Lord and cried out to Him for the past few months, like Jehoshaphat who prayed, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." (2 Chronicles 20:12) The Lord's answer to us is, "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's". (2 Chronicles 10:15)

In obedience to Him, we have decided to set aside ONE WEEK OF FASTING AND PRAYER to seek to know God more, to love others more through the love that Jesus Christ has first shown us and to be sentitive to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives individually as Christians. So we shall begin our week of fast, on SUNDAY, 11 JANUARY 2009 till 17 JANUARY 2009.

We have put together a simple guide to help us in preparing ourselves to fast and pray.


WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FAST & PRAY?

1. To fast is to abstain from certain foods and/or drinks for a specific period of time.

2. Fasting is a tool by which we humble ourselves before God, by subjugating the flesh's will to the spirit's will in reverence to God.

3. Having a dedicated time of prayer and fasting is not a way of manipulating God into doing what we desire. Rather, it is simply dedicating ourselves to focus and rely on God for the strength, provision, and wisdom we need.


WHY DO WE FAST & PRAY?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk…” (Isaiah 58:6-9)

This passage of scripture tells us that we fast to seek the Lord;
1. To loosen the chains of injustice,
2. To undo the strings that tie us to heavy burdens,
3. To let the oppressed go free,
4. To break every bondage,
5. To receive a heart of compassion for the poor and needy,
6. To bring about healing
7. To restore family relationships.


WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT FASTING?

1. Jesus demonstrated the importance of fasting when he fasted for 40 days in the wilderness prior to facing the devil in temptation. “After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:2)

2. He warned us against the abuse of fasting. “When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:16)

3. He gave us instructions regarding proper fasting. “But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6: 17-18)


WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAST?

1. A Regular Fast - means refraining from eating all food. Most people still drink water or juice during a regular fast. When Jesus fasted in the desert, the Bible says, "After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." (Matthew 4:2) This verse does not mention Jesus being thirsty.

2. A Partial Fast - refers to omitting a specific meal from your diet or refraining from certain types of foods. Daniel 10:2-3 says, "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over." In Daniel 1:12, they restricted their diet to vegetables and water: "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink."

3. A Full Fast - usually means no food and no drink. Acts 9:9 describes when Paul went on a full fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: "For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything."

Esther also called for this type of fast in Esther 4:15-16: "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.'" It is recommended that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for extended periods of time.

4. An Activity Fast - Although not mentioned in the Bible, Christians today commit to fasting from other activities as well, such as TV or movies, playing games or surfing on the computer to concentrate on prayer.


HOW TO START FASTING – WHERE DO I BEGIN?

1. Begin by preparing our mind, heart, spirit, and body. It is important to have a clear purpose for fasting and what we hope to gain from our fast.

2. Pray to the Lord and ask Him to reveal the motives of our heart, any unconfessed sin, and areas in our life that He desires to change.

3. To prepare our spirit for our fast, draw close to God through prayer and worship. Let God reveal Himself to us. The key to any spiritual preparation is intimacy with Jesus. John 15:7 says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."

4. Planning ahead to prepare our body for the fast. A few days before we start, get our body ready by reducing our food intake, eating raw fruits and vegetables, and avoiding foods high in sugar and fat.

5. Decide on the type of fast and the duration of the fast we will be doing. This will help us to adjust our activities to ensure that we will persevere through the fast.

6. Always remember, fasting is about focusing on Jesus, not about abstaining from food.


WHAT ARE WE TO PRAY FOR?

A. God's Sovereign Power & Rule over Calvary Church
1. That truth be revealed and established and all deceit, lies and deceptions to be bound in Jesus' Name.
2. To loose and release the spirit of Truth and Righteousness in the Church.
3. That only Jesus be lifted up in our midst, not anyone else.
4. That God's will be done in our church on earth as it is in heaven.

B. God's Control Over the all Church Services.
1. Pray for the presence and control of the Holy Spirit over the Church services.
2. That all believers will behave rightly and righteously reflecting Jesus in each of our lives and submitting ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit.

C. God's Restoration for Calvary Church
1. That God will restore and revive Calvary Church to fulfill what God has planned for us.
2. God has called us to humble ourselves before Him - to confess our sins, to repent, and ask for forgiveness from God and seek restoration for ourselves individually and collectively as a Body.
3. That God will convict our hearts to pursue our first love for God again.
4. To cleanse us from all our sins: pride, anger, bitterness, covetousness, self-righteousness, deception, lying spirit, blindness and vengeance.
5. Instead we are to ask God for a pure heart, desire for the truth, honesty, integrity, accountability, love, humility, servanthood, sacrifice, gentleness and godliness.
6. Reconciliation of members in the spirit of truth, honesty, forgiveness and love in Christ again.
7. That once again all His people whether Pastors, Deacons, leaders and members alike, young and old can grow together and to worship with one voice and in unity and harmony again.

As we humbly come before His throne of grace in prayer during this time of need we believe our Heavenly Father, will answer our prayers so that we can once again arise and do the Lord's bidding. Yes, let us unite our hearts and commit ourselves to pray in different times for the items as listed above. You may have more items which the Lord may lay upon your hearts. Most importantly, let us all pray that 2009 will be a year where we all will have a desire to know God more intimately, the follow after Jesus more faithfully and to be attentive the Holy Spirit's guidance more closely.

Our God is Good!


The notes above have been compiled from materials taken from the book, "Fasting and Prayer" by Jean Lim and from http://www.allaboutprayer.org/ and http://www.thecarpentershouse.com/

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ANNOUNCEMENT ON COMMENTS

The recent spate of irresponsible blogging by a few new anonymous visitors has caused much concern to our regular blog readers. The malicious and condemning remarks of these new visitors have irked both TTG and PG supporters. CT has, since, deleted some of the inappropriate comments. As this coming week has been set aside for a time of prayer and fasting, CT has decided to disable the "comments" option for all the previous posts. Only prayers, testimonies and scriptures will be allowed to be posted under the latest post. Any other comments during this coming week will be deleted.

110 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is wonderful and I will commit to this 7 day fast. It is timely in preparation of my next trip to China to "cleanse the temple". Please readers, let us keep this blogsite proper and with due respect to all readers both pro TTG and pro PG for the glory of God.

Remember we will have to give an account to Father God for what we write and what we say. Also for the sake of transparency and accountability, I encourage people to use their real names instead of hiding under monikers and anonymous names. We must ensure that we have TTG within our midst before we even DARE request it of CC. “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.

Anonymous said...

Father in the name of Jesus,

I come before you and entering 2009
with great desire and burden in my heart to draw close to you and hear from you and to see You face to face.

Lord, your yolk is easy and burden is light, i claim your word and pray Lord for calvary church,

1. we thank you for cc, you had raised the church and Lord as of today we felt very sad and grieve in our hearts because the church is currently undergoing spiritual slumber. Lord, we plead for your cleansing blood and deliverance upon cc, especially the sp and leadership. Forgive them and speak to their hearts your calling, they are to serve and not to be served.

2. Lord, forgive everyone in cc too, remove the scale in the eyes, we were once blinded and cannot see but because of your salvation, we can now see, yet many cannot see, Lord, open the eyes; convict our hearts of your purity, sanctify all wrongful thoughts.

3. Deliver sp and wife and family from wrongful act and conduct. take away the spirit of unforgiveness and spirit of hatred. Heal their soul and grant them your peace, help them to dwell in your love, so that they will know how to once again show love to the congregation.

I pray Lord your loving kindness will endureth forever and help us to be filled with your strength and let there be victory and light in the house of God--in cc

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Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the CalvaryToday administrator to disable the comments columns for the next 1 week, to enable us to fully seek the Lord for His direction.

I would be joining in the prayer and fasting for the next 1 week and during this period, to uphold all the items listed in prayer.

May our Lord be glorified for He and He alone deserves it. Let the Lord's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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Anonymous said...

As stated could Calvary Today please delete all those comments that are not prayers and testimonies.

Anonymous said...

Will join and commit to you all and be your partner in this time of seeking God.

Anonymous said...

Proverbs Day 10

Proverbs 2:6-7(KJV):
"For the LORD giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth
cometh knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:
he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly."

Anonymous said...

Prayer for the Day

Dear Father,
I am grateful that you have left us the Bible
with all of its wisdom and knowledge
so that we do not get lost in this life
or overwhelmed by the problems that we face.

I do thank you that for every problem we face,
You will help me find the answer and overcome in the situation.

Help me not only be able to overcome my problems,
but also Lord,
help me to maintain the proper heart attitude
as I work on the situations in my life that need changing.
I know that I must react to my problems
with Your love and in a way that is pleasing to you.

Give me the grace to do that,
as in my own strength I am not able to approach many of my problems with a godly attitude.

In Jesus name, Amen.

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CALVARY TODAY said...

CT is disappointed that despite our request that readers restrict their comments under this post to prayers, testimonies and scriptures, some readers like Honestly and Anonymous 11.52pm and 11.59pm do not appear to respect the call to keep this one week holy and prayerful. Asian values teaches us to respect one another’s religious inclinations and therefore, when a group of Christians plans a week of prayer and fasting, even non-Christians will respect that, how much more, another fellow Christian brother. We are sadden by such irresponsible acts of Honestly and friends. We pray for them that God will impress upon their hearts to be still during this time and to seek Him in earnest prayer for our hurting and divided church.

We once again ask that all readers keep this whole week holy. If anyone wish to post comments, please do so prayerfully

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Anonymous said...

Dear Dr. Christopher Shun,

I am a ordinary calvarite. Like many other calvarites, I am very confused by this episode.

I wish I could have a Doctorate like you. I know you are a genuine Christian who always speaks the truth without fear or favour of SP group and Anti-SP group.

Please help me and other calvarites to review critically and fairly whether Calvary Today and TTG are practising what they are preaching and demaning so that all Cavarites can be enlightened.

Your valuable and impartial inputs are crucial at this juncture of Calvary History. I am sure you will do it as a service to our God Jesus Christ.

Thank you and wishing you Happy Chinese New Year.

May God bless you and your family always.

CALVARY TODAY said...

CT, has from the day it was started, requested all readers to post their comments in a responsible manner. Time and again, we have come in and reminded all not to use malicious, condemning and inappropriate words and certainly, no name-calling or mud-slinging. We will not hesitate to delete all inappropriate comments and we will not, for practical purposes, state the reasons.

Anyone who been following this blog, will surely have noted that we have deleted many inappropriate comments since the beginning. We do, of course, realise that sometimes, certain inappropriate comments remain for awhile before they are deleted or certain comments that are subjective, if they are inappropriate or not, remains undeleted. This anomaly arises because CT is administered by various members at different times and each administrator on duty has his or her own perspective as to whether a certain comment is inappropriate or appropriate. By the same token, some comments which may not be inappropriate, may have been deleted as well and for that we extend our apologies.

All of the members behind CT are normal busy working people with their own responsibilities and ministries and they do their best when they are called to monitor the blog.

For everyone's infomation, CT does not belong to any one individual, just as, for example, Calvary Church does not belong to any individual member or pastor. CT belongs to a group of Calvarites, who decided to use this blog to inform all members and worshippers of what is happening in our church. Any views that we have published in our main postings are purely our views. We stand by any statement of fact that we have published in our main postings. If any reader has any evidence to the contrary, they are always welcome to see any one of the core TTG members and we will publish the correction.

Calvary members are all matured enough to be able to read what we have posted, make their own judgments and form their own conclusions. We respect their right to post their opnions here so long as they comply with the guidelines set out.

To those who say that we should not wash dirty linens in public, we aver that we are, in fact, telling the world that as Christians, we do not sweep things under the carpet. We are showing them that Christian do sometimes fail in their walk but the diferrence is that we do something about it.

To those who say that we should be forgiving and not go to the authorities, we say that if we respect the laws of this country as the Bible teaches and expect a non-Christian wrong-doer to be subjected to the law, then we must, also be prepared to subject our own kind to the same laws. If Jesus can subject himself to the most shameful penalty (crucification on the cross), a sentence given to the worst of criminals in His time, certainly none of us are exempted.

To those who say that CT will stumble the kingdom of God, we say that no one, certainly not CT, can stop the work of God. Many great men of God has fallen from grace and created worldwide scandals and yet, God's kingdom has not been affected one bit. The dust caused by CT and the crisis in Calvary pales in comparison.

To Anonymous who has called on Dr Shun to do a critical review of CT, we request that Anonymous will email him personally. His email address is posted together with his testimony in Berita Calvary.

To readers who do not agree with the views posted here by CT or by the readers or are unhappy with the way this blog is managed, we can only advise that you exercise your right not to log into this blog but please respect the right of others who are comfortable with reading and participating in this blog. Each one, regardless of their stand, is accountable to God for their own actions or inactions.

God bless.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous (Jan 11: 8:08 am) and fellow CT readers who have begun the 7 day prayer and fasting,

Firstly since we have begun the 7 day prayer and fasting for all concerned Calvarites (pro TTG or pro PG), I would like to share the following devotion from the book Living Waters by Brother Yun (2008) Zondervan Press. It is timely and should answer Anonymous's genuine request for clarity of answer.

BTW Anonymous, you don't need a Doctorate to hear and obey God's gentle prompting of the Holy Spirit. In fact, In China, my PhD is actually a hinderance not a help when dealing with rural folks with the equivalent of a Form 3 education!)

Living Waters by Brother Yun Chapter 3: Forgiveness

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. (Psalm 130:1-4)


Have you ever been treated unjustly? Has someone hurt you without cause? Unless you have been living in an isolated cave all your life, the answer to these questions will surely be yes.
The world is full of bitterness and unforgiveness. It could be said that whole spiritual
and political structures are founded and based on bitterness.
There is just one solution to the threat of terrorism in the world today (especially the Gaza Strip). Military power will never solve the problem, for you can not overcome a spiritual disease with guns and bombs. The only hope is for a genuine God-sent revival to sweep millions of people into the kingdom of God, changing individuals from the inside out, and replacing hate with love, and bitterness with forgiveness. The living water of Jesus can enter
communities where terrorism is fostered, bringing new life and hope through the cross
of Jesus Christ.

As I (Brother Yun) have traveled around the world meeting numerous Christians, I have become aware that many have long struggled to forgivene other people who have wronged them. I believe it is only through relationship with Jesus Christ that we can start to walk in the freedom that comes from a life of forgiveness.

Unforgiveness soon becomes bitterness, and nothing will choke the streams of living water that are meant to flow from your life than a root of bitterness. The root can grow so large that a person’s whole personality is twisted and deformed by it.
The first step for anyone to become whole in Christ is to accept responsibility for
their own sins and failures. There is no point blaming anyone else, regardless of what terrible things have happened to you. When someone hurts us, our natural response is to pull back and withdraw. We are created in such a way that we want to avoid pain. But then, something takes place that requires us to make a vital decision.

When we pull back from a person who has caused us pain, we must decide whether or not to let bitterness into our heart. Bitterness is what happens to you when you will not forgive. Bitterness is to hold on to an injustice that has been done to you. The Bible indicates that when a Christian is destroyed by bitterness it not only ruins them, but other people as well: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Heb. 12:15).

A bitter person tends to spread the poison in their hearts to others around them. Friendships often break up through bitterness, and then mutual friends are forced to choose sides, which leads to more trouble and pain.

Bitterness is a toxic root that grows in the garden of your heart if left unchecked. Usually we do not see the root, just the surface problem. Many people spend a lot of
time and effort trying to beautify the outside of their lives, pulling up the surface weeds, when in actual fact they need to go below the surface and dig up the root. The verse in Hebrews about a root of bitterness starts by saying, “See to it that no one
misses the grace of God” (12:15). Another translation talks about “pulling back” from the grace of God. Bitterness does exactly this. It causes a person to pull back from the grace of God. (CT bloger please take note!)

The first time I (Brother Yun) was arrested for the Gospel in China was very difficult. Somehow in
my heart I thought that as a servant of God I was entitled to special treatment in prison. I did receive special treatment, but not the kind I was hoping for! I was
severely beaten until my whole body was covered in blood and bruises, and much of my hair was torn from my scalp.

For a time I harbored bitterness against the men who had done this to me, but the gracious Lord Jesus taught me that there is absolutely no point in holding unforgiveness
against anyone, regardless of what they have done. Unforgiveness would only achieve two things. Firstly, it would harden my heart and cause a root of bitterness to take hold, and secondly my relationship with Jesus Christ would be damaged. I came to realize that self-righteousness had risen up in my heart.

In effect, I was saying to God,
“Everybody else should get what they deserve, but don’t we have a special relationship with grace for me?” It doesn’t work like that.
Jesus taught “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt. 5:7).

God wants us to forgive others of their offences as he has forgiven us of our sins and offences. In fact, Jesus tied our forgiveness to whether or not we are willing to forgive others. He said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14-15).

There is only one way to dig out the stubborn root of bitterness from our hearts.

It is to forgive!! (Please forgive all PG and TTG members who have caused each other much offence!)
Too many of God’s children have lost their way and live in spiritual captivity because
of unforgiveness. They can’t hear God’s voice and their lives are directionless andjoyless.

How are we to forgive others? The Apostle Paul told us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph. 4:32), and “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col. 3:13).

We are to forgive others the same way that the Lord Jesus forgave us. How did He forgive us?
Unconditionally.
Freely.
Generously.
And without keeping a record of past wrongs. Don’t think that the person who has wronged you must first ask for forgiveness before
you can give it. This is a dangerous way of thinking. Even at the very moment that the angry crowd were baying for His blood, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

I know many disciples in China who have spent decades of their lives in prison for the sake of the Gospel. Despite unmentionable cruelties being done to them, these men and women are free! Long ago they forgave their persecutors, even though the prison
guards and police officers never came to them and asked.

Dear friend (CT reader), even if somebody has committed the most heinous sin against you, and has never admitted it or shown the slightest inclination to do so, you still must forgive them. If you can forgive them from your heart, you will be free and the prison doors that have kept you confined will be opened.

Reconciliation requires two parties to come together and sort out their differences.

Forgiveness requires only one. We forgive not to set the other person free, but to set ourselves free. If that person wants to be free, they will have to go to the Lord. We don’t have to carry the burden of bitterness any more!

Forgiveness does not mean that people who have committed heinous crimes will get away with it. Not at all. Rather, forgiveness is the act of releasing our own desire for
vengeance, and leaving it in God’s hands. Listen to what the Bible says: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take
revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head’” (Romans 12:18-20).

The Gospel is about restoring our relationship to God, and also about restoring our relationships with other people. When we fail to show this in our lives, our witness is rendered powerless. In effect, our mouths would be claiming that God can forgive our
sins, but our actions would be showing that we are unwilling to extend that forgiveness to others.
Jesus taught, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?

Even ‘sinners’ do that…. But love your enemies, do good to them, and
lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:32-33, 35-36).
You may be reading this book and thinking, “You don’t understand. I have a right to feel the way I do. All this forgiveness talk is easy, but I have tried it and it didn’t change me much.” Other people have told me, “You can’t ask people who have been through the most horrific situations to forgive those who did these acts against them! You can’t put this extra burden on the victims.”

People who think like this have never understood what forgiveness is all about. Forgiveness is not a burden. It is an offer. I (Brother yun) have also had some difficult experiences in my life. I have had sharp metal needles jabbed under my fingernails until I passed out from the pain. My legs have been
smashed by prison guards. On one occasion my body was so destroyed that when my family members came to the prison they did not recognize me. They told the guards
they had brought out the wrong man, and only when my mother noticed my birthmark did they realize it was me. I have been lied about and denounced by other Christian leaders so many times I can’t recall. Yet by the grace of God I have freely forgiven all of
those who brought pain into my life.

Whatever painful experiences you have had in your life, I also encourage you to freely forgive, because Jesus has forgiven all of your sins and offences.

Jesus invites you to walk with Him on the path of forgiveness—the path of freedom.

Forgiveness is a great gift that God has given us so we can survive in an evil world where people hurt us, betray us, and do terrible things to us. When we have learned
to live in a flow of forgiveness we will be living in freedom.

Dear (CT reader) friend, I encourage you to spend some time in prayer (7 day prayer and fast),
asking the Holy Spirit to show you if there is anyone you hold unforgiveness against in your heart. You might consider getting a pen and piece of paper, and write down the names of those who have wronged you in the past (pro TTG or pro PG) , whom you have yet to fully release to the Lord.
Then ask God to forgive them by name, and ask Him to help you release those people into His hands, and to set you free. A heart of bitterness and unforgiveness is like a prison. It not only binds others, but it also destroys you. Jesus is the great gardener, and He is able to uproot even the deepest root of bitterness in your heart.

I exhort you in the name for Jesus Christ to get rid of all bitterness and learn to forgive, before it develops a deep root that is difficult to weed out of your life. The Bible says, “If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” (James 3:14-16).

Praise the Lord! He can set
you free. Jesus wants your life to have living water flowing from it, bringing blessing and refreshing to others around you. Forgiveness is an essential step in the process of becoming a vessel of blessing. As you head into the future with your past wiped clean, ask Jesus to teach you how to walk in forgiveness, so that future offenses will be quickly put aside and handed to God. Then you will truly be free!

By Brother Yun (Chris's comments in parentheses).

May this devotional bless you as much as it has blessed me. Let us start this day of prayer and fast with Forgiveness for all within the TTG and PG group of readers.

I attend the 5 pm Sunday service as I send my Children to Royal Rangers, Missionattes and Nursery. Anonymous can look out for me and I will gladly share with you personally without taking too much blog space here meant for more urgent and important prayers and devotionals. Also you must tell me you name as I like to speak to real people not anonymous ones.

God bless you all

Dr. Christopher K.L. Shun

Anonymous said...

Our Father in Heaven,

Thankyou for all those who made their Faith Promise commitment today out of love for, and obedience to You. I pray that these commitments/giving will cause Your kindgdom to be expanded and Your Name glorified.

And may You continue to guide the Mission Committee/Department in their service to You.

In Jesus Name. Amen!

Anonymous said...

Well said, Calvary Today!

Anonymous said...

Good day everyone,

On this Lord's Day, I learned the following lesson on FAITH:

a) When God SPEAKS, we OBEY what He tells to do (Noah-type faith)
b) When God is SILENT, we TRUST Him for He'll never leave nor forsake us (Job-type faith)

In life's journey, there are times we need to totally OBEY and do what God tells us to do, and at other times when God seems to be silent and we don't seem to know what God is up to, we must simply TRUST His heart for He's good and He'll never leave nor forsake us.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

All of us are Christian soldiers called to TRUST and OBEY God. Amen!

In Him,
Winslow

Anonymous said...

1 Thessalonians 4:1

"Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God"

May God bless all of you as you seek Him.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord

Teach us the true meaning of "faith", today in the 10.30am service, our associate pastor said at the start of the service 'faith promise' is not about money, it is about 'faith' and yet Lord I am once again very confused and troubled because the preacher today Ps Rick Seaward said whatever we pledged if is the net of our expenditure it is only a 'promise' to God but it is not faith; on the other hand, if we pledge a net amount after the expenditure together with a double plus the extra, then only it is a 'faith' and it is call then 'faith promise'. Lord, why had giving become such a tedious mathematic and statistic? I am truly very confused and it was like I was sitting in a class of advance mathematic.

Lord, guide us once again, what is the true meaning of 'giving' and true meaning of your word.

I pray and request in Jesus name, amen

Anonymous said...

Heavenly Father,

I attended the Missions Sunday yesterday. The speaker used some charts of income, expenditure and balance plus extra plus extra pledged as faith promise to illustrate how faith promise worked. I seek your wisdom whether your Great Commission can be reduced to such illustration of faith promise in terms of dollars and cents. Help all Calvarites to discern. Help us to understand whether the words,"faith promise" is rightly used in your eyes with regards to missions.

Father, I saw 21% was budgeted for extended ministries. Help us understand why Calvary Life Ministries and Calvary Communication Ministries still need allocation when these ministries surplus funds run into RM 800K+ and 1.2M+.

Father, please deliver us from any spirit of hypocrisy and spirit of condemnation that flow from the pulpit. Open our eyes so that we are not misled. We believe in giving to you and your work wherever there is need.

Lord, we are your disciples. Our heart desire is to please you in all that we do. Here, in Calvary Church, our Pastor had misused the fund. Now that we know there is lack of accountability to members, shall we not exercise good stewardship by giving to you through other works instead of going through Calvary where Pastor dominates and controls.

Lord, we seek you and want to draw closer to you so that we hear your voice.

Thank you, Father.

In Jesus' name.

Anonymous said...

Dear Student & CT readers,

I understand your confusion and I append below a short teaching concerning faith promise giving. Ask God how much and where to give and He will lead you but don't keep what righfully belongs to him.

Faith Promise Giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-9)


A. The Principle of Giving (9:6) – a basic spiritual law – 3 things about farming which is the analogy for giving.



1. You reap what you sow – you get what you pay for, and what you plant! (Chris- If you plant peanuts how can you can you expect apples ?? :-))



a. It is a true return on investment (ROI)

b. God is talking about spiritual planting, investing

c. Jesus taught it (Luke 6:38)

d. Solomon described it (Pr 11:24,25)

e. Some sow sparingly – hesitantly, with reservation, uncertain of why, or what will come of a gift you make

f. Some sow bountifully, abundantly – without hesitation, confident

g. Just realise, they both reap, collect, but only according to their sowing, their planting, their investment – it is true in all of life!

h. You sow a sinful life – you reap death, and more sorrow than normal – we have enough troubles just in living, why add to it?!



2. You always reap more than you sow



a. The cost of my disobedience was always GREATER than the benefits of my disobedience

b. I found that in work – you still are rewarded for hard work, amen!

c. In the family, investment is the same – so much more in return



3. You reap later than you sow



a. Different seasons – planting, then months later comes harvest

b. Sometimes the delay is only an hour (give to God, and wham)!

c. Sometimes a few months

d. Sometimes a few years

e. Sometimes it is only reaped in heaven (Heb 11:35-39,13)

For any CT readers who are practicing TOTT, I know of many worthwhile China based Christian ministries operating out of Sichuan Earthquake Zone to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the local people who are NOW experiencing their FIRST COLD winter (-10 C) without their homes yet being rebuilt. Think about them seriously as you enjoy you next McDonalds or Char kuay teow and perhaps "sow" the costs of a few hamburgers to help give them a decent meal in Wenchuan?? You might actuall "reap" souls. On a recent Mission trip 8 out of 10 people who heard the Gospel accepted the Lord.

On 12th May 2008, a small town in Mianzhu, Sichuan lost 11,117 people of which only two were known Christians. The Only house that withstood the tremor was a church building which was having a church meeting at the time of the quake. All inside were spared and they were horrified to step outside their church to see every other building leveled! Their pre quake membership of 70 shot to over 1000 in the course of the next few weeks and the news of God's miraculous provision spread across the whole town. (Source: Revival Chinese Ministries International Report 3 ,Oct 2008)

So reaping is not always financial. How do you measure God's protection, provision and safety in the face of calamity ?? For more details, please contact me at chriskl@pc.jaring.my for more inspiring testimonies or better yet join me on my next trip to the Middle Kingdom in March...you will never be the same person again..LOL...

Blessings,

Chris

Anonymous said...

Dear student,

The Word of God tells us in 2 Corinthians 9 verse 7:

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

There's no mathematical model on giving to God's work, simple as that. So don't be confused, for if there's confusion, what you hear is not from God, for our God is NOT a God of confusion.

If what you hear does not bring faith, reject it. Meditate on the Word of God today and His Truth will surely set you free. Amen.

Anonymous said...

Lord God Almighty

I bring before you Calvary Today and the TTG, in the name of Jesus, I praythat YOU help them to continue to march forth your armor of praise and armor of protection in every aspect of their lives; grant them your boldness and favor in every issues that had been brought up to the leadership. O Lord, we claim
your word, You would not forsake us, may your grace and wisdom be their sufficiency.

This moment, I pray specially for all their children, Lord, may your loving hand and your guardian angel surround them with your love, your cord that cannot be broken, watch over them in their daily lives, guard their steps and draw them close to YOU, cause each of them to know that Jesus, your name is enthrone and You are righteous, You are all worthy of praise and worship, they shall not worship other gods, but the true and living God, that is Jesus Christ, the Saviour, the son Of God. Help each children, be they far or near, may they experience power of your love and know that the adult are fervently praying and upholding them in prayers. Lord, let them be triumphant and victorious and be an overcomer in all their ventures.

We too want to commit their studies and works into your hand,
see them through all thier struggles and challenges.

Pray too for those children who are overseas, let Christ be the center of their lives, in times of need, YOU are their refuge and comfort, YOU too their provider, meet their needs, and the Blood of Jesus cleanse them, heal them and restore in them the goodness of your salvation.

Thank you Jesus for answering our prayers, we pray believing and acknowledge in anticipation.

In Jesus lovely name, amen

Anonymous said...

The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:1-10

3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kinngdom of heaven.

4. Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.

5. Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.

7. Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.

8. Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.

9. Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Dear Heavenly Father it is our prayer that Justice, Truth and Righteousness be restored in our church again.

We earnestly seek God with a pure heart to worship You in spirit and truth.

May You give us loving, caring, kind and humble shepherds to lead the Body in Calvary Church to a higher level of commitment and growth, not just in terms of outward appearance but in the inner lives of all members and worshippers in Calvary Church.

Truly as we grow spiritually, others will be attracted to Jesus as we are the sweet fragance of Christ to a hurting and troubled world!

In Jesus' Wonderful Name we pray...
AMEN

Anonymous said...

I am praying alongside you.

Anonymous said...

Proverbs 2:8

"He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints."

When we look at this scripture, we find it says,
God keeps the paths (plural) of judgment.
This means that there are two paths of judgment.
Judgment, therefore, is two-fold:

(1) There is judgment for the wicked.
They are punished for their deeds, as the penalty for sin is executed upon them.
They reap what they have sown:

Ezekiel 11:21, "But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations,
I will recompense their way upon their own heads,
saith the Lord God."

Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."


(2) There is also judgment for the righteous as they are rewarded for their faithfulness:

Proverbs 13:13,
"Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed:
but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded."

Hebrew 11:6,
"But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Anonymous said...

He will eventually reward us in the proper way
and prove our innocence.
He preserves the way of the righteous.
That means He will protect and take care of His own
and make a way for us even if there appears to be no way in the natural.
The Lord delights in answering our prayers
and making a way out of our problems,
even if it takes a miracle. Remember, miracles are God's specialty!

Anonymous said...

Praise waiteth for thee,
O God, in Zion.

To us there is but one God, the Father,
of whom are all things,
and we in him;
and one Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom are all things,
and we by him.
All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.
He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is,
the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me:
and to him that ordereth his conversation aright
will I shew the salvation of God.
I beheld,
and,
lo, a great multitude,
which no man could number,
of all nations,
and kindreds,
and peoples,
and tongues,
stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes,
and palms in their hands;
and cried with a loud voice, saying,
Salvation to our God
which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb.
Amen:
Blessing,
and glory,
and wisdom,
and thanksgiving,
and honour,
and power,
and might,
be unto our God
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord Jesus,

We pray that You will bring CT to the TRUTH and based their action in the word of God.

Also help CT not to only post comments that are bias to their purposes, which in turn will create a false notion that all calvarites support CT.

Lord Jesus I pray that You help CT and it's supporter.

I pray that they will post this comments.

In Jesus name I pray - Amen

Anonymous said...

Lord Jesus, I pray that You will clear the minds of your sheep who are confused by what is preached from the pulpit on Missions Sunday.
Lord your sheep are confused and You have said in your Word that You have not given us a spirit of confusion and fear. You have given us your Holy Spirit to help us understand what You want us to know.
Lord, heal your sheep that are hurt and confused. Lord, answer the cries and prayer of your sheep that are seeking for a shepherd that will care for them.
Open the eyes of those who are blinded by Satan so that they can see what is wrong with CC.
Open the eyes of all our pastors that they will see the need to obey Jesus and not man.
In Jesus Name
Amen

Anonymous said...

Dear Heavenly Father

There is much division in Calvary Church. Look like instead of taking responsibility, SP is blaming others. Lord, he is there too long. Many things he does are hurting. Transferring funds into personal ministry without worshippers' knowledge. Travelling by expensive business class airfare 6-8 times a year..many times with his wife..sometimes with his children. Even grandchildren have these privilege. Lord, are you hurt by these?

Lord, when some members brought up these matters or made a stand, they are removed from serving you in church. Lord, were these done with your permission? Are you pleased with these?

Father, this year is crucial year. SP talked in terms of asking worshippers to sell their possessions. The Calvary Convention Centre costs more than RM200M to build. It is designed by a freemason. Father, we cannot reconcile here. Help us see whether this ccc is your will or man's will. There is so much strife in this project. SP blamed the devil and some rebellous groups. Father, we just want to please you and seek after your heart. Father, we want to protect others from being misled. Father, do we wrong you by standing for truth, transparency and Kingdom governance? Speak to us. We desire to hear your voice.

Father, we know you are a righteous and just God. We can only turn to you for help. Please intervene. SP has been using the pulpit to scold and condemn and use a lot of phychology. Many brothers and sisters felt hurt. Yet, Father, your words teach us that we are your sons and we can call you Abba Father. Yet, our Senior Pastor shows no love, only hard preaching. We don't see Christlikeness in him. He does not seem like a humble servant like Christ.

The things he does are getting worst. Many of many brothers and sisters left for other churches. His ways are unlike your ways as we see in the bible. Father, please help us. We are helpness in many ways. We surrender all that happened in the church to you. Father, come to our rescue.

Thank you, Abba Father. I am your child. I can't bear to see my brothers and sisters hurting by a pastor.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen

Anonymous said...

To Prayer of a Calvarite

I am also wondering why we have to support Extended Ministries so much when they are financially generating revenues. Further why does CC pay for the expenditures but the revenue is never disclosed to CC members or being accounted for?

I am also wondering why the item for Equipment is so high? 25% and for RM 55,000.00 every month? Why do we need to buy or maintain Equipment every month for that sum? It is rather strange?

Dear Heavenly Father,

We pray that CC leadership will be honest and truthful to all members and worshippers as we believe it is fundamental to our faith.

May the Lord reveal the truth to all members and worshippers in His time.

We humbly seek God to be gracious and merciful to all His children in Calvary Church and that all hurts and disappointments be healed in Jesus' Name.

May love, humility, kindness, truthfulness, righteousness and forgiveness be seen in our church not bitterness, anger, vengefulness and deception as the latter are not from our Heavenly Father.

Dear Father please hear our humble prayers and requests.

In Jesus' Name ...AMEN

Anonymous said...

Dear Heavenly Father

With sadness in my heart, I pray for cc, our sp and his wife, all the associate pastors and leaders, i cry out to you for their spiritual well being! Lord as a little baby and little child growing up in cc, and today I am already a young adult, I was taught that God is love, God forgives, God is our everything and yet I am truly very broken and sad because now that I am away from Malaysia and in a foreign land for few years, I had always wanted to be worshipping in cc whenever I come home for my university break, Lord, I am very disturbed this time around while I am back here, cc is no longer the church that was before, what I am asking Lord is a simple prayer to YOU that while our pastors(sp) preached about forgiveness, generosity, I pray and hope that YOU help him to understand and practise what he preached. Is it so difficult Lord for sp to resolve the issues in cc? Lord, i had always believed in prayer and know that as a christian, our sp should learn from the bible about forgiveness and generosity instead of preaching and not practising.

i pray too for all other leaders that YOU grant them boldness to stand for Jesus Christ.

Amen, Lord

Anonymous said...

Prayer delights God's ear;
it melts His heart;
and opens His hand.
God cannot deny a praying soul.


James Wong

Anonymous said...

Our Prayer.

Be pleased, dear Lord, to grant us during the present year—more of Your gracious presence, more tenderness of conscience and fear of offending You; more humility, stronger faith, and more entire devotedness to Your cause. Enable us to leave our temporal concerns entirely with You, to walk by faith, to have our treasure in heaven, and to manifest by our conduct—that we are Your disciples. Let us not grow cold or lukewarm—but may "we lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and may we run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus. Amen."


In His Love,
James Wong

Anonymous said...

What the church needs today is not more or better machinery,
not new organizations, or more novel methods; but men whom
the Holy Spirit can use-- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.

-E. M. Bounds

Anonymous said...

Dr. Christopher KL Shun, Jan 12 8:35am hereto refers...

Correction - II Corithians 9:6-9 should read "FAITH GIVING" not "Faith PROMISE Giving".

Regret to say CC is the only Church that interprets it that way and i.e. to "PROMISE".

Every giving should be given in Faith and as a cheerful giver NOT a generous giver.

Please know the difference!

All these years CC had been playing around with loads of MARKETING words!!!

For CCC - I have a word for you ... "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). Take heed, do not suppress your sheep at CC to fulfil your desire and dream for world recognition!

My Prayer for this week!

Anonymous said...

Job 36:5-12; 19-21, 22, 26

5. "God is mighty, but does not despise men;
He is mighty and firm in His purpose.

6. He does not keep the wicked alive,
but gives the afflicted their rights.

7. He does not keep His eyes off the righteous;
He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.

8. But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction,

9. He tells them what they have done-
that they have sinned arrogantly.

10. He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil.

11. If they obey and serve Him, they will spend the rest of
their days in prosperity
and their years in contentment.

12. But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword
and die without knowledge."

v.19 "Would your wealth or even your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would
not be in distress?

20. Do not long for the night,
to drag people away from
their homes.

21. Beware of turning to evil,
which you prefer to affliction.

22. God is exalted in His power.
Who is a Teacher like Him?..

26. How great is God - beyond
our understanding!"

Dear God... Have mercy on your children, cleanse and forgive your people and heal our church.

In Jesus' Mighty Name we pray.

AMEN

Anonymous said...

Moses ask to see the glory of God
---------------------------------

Exodus 33:12-21

Particularly verse 19, specially dedicated to TTG and CT

v19 And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and i will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Praise the Lord! We thank you Lord for your assurance and comfort. Amen

Anonymous said...

Joshua prays for time to complete his victory:
chapter 10:1-15

v8 So the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you."

Thank you Jesus for reaffirming your victory to truth, tansparency and good governance, we claim your word and power and praise your mighty name, Jesus is our ultimate answer, He knows the pain and hurt the calvarites are going through, thank you, amen

Anonymous said...

Happened to get this Sunday Message preached by the Senior Pastor of The Word Centre.
"We must know that it is Gods will for the church to grow. If we try to tackle the problem of church growth by using methods, models, and marketing strategies, we are only treating the symptoms of the illness. If the church does not grow it is not so much that our programmes, methods and marketing strategies are out of date. Our primary problem in churches is a spiritual one not a methodological one.
Church growth is not produced by a programme, plan or marketing strategy. The church's greatest need is not a clearer understanding of its demographics, but a clearer understanding of its God. Church growth is not something we do or produce in the church. Church growth is not the result of any programme or plan. Church growth is the by-product of a right relationship with the Lord of the church. Church growth is by definition a supernatural activity and thus is accomplished through the church by the Lord Himself. Remember when the Lord Jesus Christ founded the church He promised that He Himself would build the church.
Scriptures:
Matt 16:18 "Upon this rock I will build My church"
1 Cor 3:6-7 "I planted the seed Apollos watered, but God made it grow"
The solution will not be found in methods, models, or marketing strategies. These are not unimportant issues, they are simply not the primary issue. Sometimes human intervention may have inadvertently produce a subtle sense of carnality in the church causing some to conclude a method or programme could produce church growth. Such thinking is wrong and carnal. Scripture is clear and insistent that God alone can grow His church. Any attempt to produce church growth results through a certain method is an attempt to do supernatural work through natural power.
Therefore, the character of a church will ultimately determine the ability of that church to grow.
HOW CHURCH GROWETH?
God is the SOURCE of growth
Relationship with God ENHANCES grow
Obedience to God's word is ESSENTIAL for growth
Word of God is the INGREDIENT for growth
Empowerement by THE HOLY SPIRIT is for growth
Last but not least:
HUMILITY AND TEACHABILITY

Anonymous said...

Thank You Lord for giving us the short extract from the sermon shared by "God wants Church To Grow".

How very true our relationship with God is fundamental to our spiritual growth. Likewise for the Body to grow all members and worshippers have to be spiritually revived, that also includes all our leaders, our pastors and BOD.

God is the Source of Growth!

It starts with humility and teachability on everyone's part. No amount of human efforts, programs and strategies or brain-washing nor manupilation will result in church growth. All such human efforts and labour shall be in vain.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for making known Your heart beat to Your people and that truly it is not sacrifice that pleases You BUT obedience to You.

May we truly seek You and let You lead us into the Truth and indeed the Truth shall set us all free.

Come Sweet Spirit Come and breath Your peace and joy into our hearts today. Hallelujah.

In Jesus' Mighty Name we pray.

AMEN

Anonymous said...

Extract from Handbook for Prayer

WHAT PRAYER WILL DO
"I have experienced that nothing makes us as free as interceding for others." Corrie Ten Boom

There is hope thru prayer. As we pray, God begins the process of healing.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to u, so that in all things at all times, having all that u need, u will abound in every good work." 2 Cor 9:8

NEVER GIVE UP
We're told to pray continually. 1 Thess 5:17. When Billy Graham was asked abt his prayer life, he replied, "I pray all the time ... while walking, talking, lying down, whatever."
Prayer releases the hand of God. Prayer opens the windows of God's grace. Prayer brings God's perfect will to pass.

WAITING IN PRAYER
"We must wait for God, long, meekly, in the wind and wet, in the thunder and lightning,in the cold and dark. Wait, and He will come. He never comes to those who do not wait." Fred W Faber

* God is unrestricted by time
He is eternal
* God's timing is perfect
* God wants us to be patient
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. U need to persevere so that when u have done the will of God, u will receive what He has promised" Heb 10:35-36

HOW MUCH FAITH?
"Anything that He ever did for anybody throughout all history, He can do for you."
Norman Vincent Peale

Jesus said, "If u have faith as small as a mustard seed, u can say to this mtn, "Move fr here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for u"
Matt 17:20. Jesus doesn't condemn your faith however little u may think it is. Use what u have. It is enough to move a mtn!

PRAY WITH CONFIDENCE
"He invites us to come boldly before Him but never arrogantly."
R.C. Sproul

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Heb 4:16
If u look inward, u will shrink from God. But when u come to Him on the merits of Jesus, u can pray confidently.

WHEN YOU PRAY
"Prayer is the golden key that opens heaven." Thomas Watson

When it comes to prayer, miraculour things do happen after your stammering lips send a prayer heavenward. God hears your prayer. "The Lord will hear when I call to Him" Psa 4:3. God is touched with your need. "When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, "Don't cry" Luke 7:13. God acts on your behalf. I sought the Lord, and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears." Psa 34:4
Though my rayers seem weak, God's hand is moved when I pray.

WHY SHOULD I SAY THANKS?
"Thanksgiving is a duty before it's a feeling." Anonymous

When burden press heavily and u go to God for help, begin with thanksgiving. U'll change your focus from the problem to God, who is your faithful, all sufficient Provider. He is greater than the difficulties u bring to Him.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord, I pray that you will move mightily to set up the Truth Commission to include core members of the TTG group. As is, BOD has set up a group to investigate; but, sad to say, there is no fair representation. There is nothing we humans can do. I lay this request at your feet. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Anonymous said...

Heavenly Father, your words teach us that "diverse weights and diverse measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord" Proverbs 20:10. I pray that You will open the eyes of all the worshippers in CC that we should not practice double standards. Double standards are man-made standards which elevate few/one/a group of people at the expense of others. Lord, I also commit our core TTG members unto you. Pray that you will continue to cover them and their loved ones with the precious blood of your son and continue to guide them in their quest for truth, transparency and your kingdom governence.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord Jesus

We thank you for using the CT and TTG, Lord, as we seek your face, your will, your manifestation..we can only thank you and praise YOU because of the way YOU had answered, moved, touched, refreshed, and renewed the many calvarites and the many Christian from other churches. Lord, we give YOU thanks because there are different ones who were once not bold to express their grievances and had now expressed...

Many who felt 'oppressed' had now felt liberated and many who suffered in silence had now rejoice because of the work and prayer of TTG. Thank you once again for Calvary Today for having this blog to update us on the 'dark side' of the stories.

We thank you again and again for your sustaining grace and mercy...

Lord, I am most thankful because I saw and expereinced with my own eyes during the watch-nite service; how 2 of our associate pastors came forward to share of the financial provision of the Lord, because of one courages brother who stood to share the 'predicament in calvary church' from among the TTG. I thank you Lord that because of the pressing issue of 'transparency', the 2 persons had come forward to share openly of God's financial provision, Lord, this is indeed your answer to the TTG prayer. Lord, we know, it was not easy but YOU had help them in their conviction to be transparent..praise YOU Lord for this act of transparency that had begun to take place, though, it may be a small step to begin with ...

I pray once again, YOU revive calvary church and cleanse the leadership in the church of deception...I praise YOU Lord for your good work, amen

Anonymous said...

Father in heaven

Let there be Kingdom dynamics in calvary church, we rebuke all forms of accusation by those who are in the dark in calvary church. Let Lord our sole avenue of salvation be founded in these basic assumption:

1. that humankind without Christ is lost, whether the entire race or individual is concerned.

2. that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved, that is that no other authority, no other personality, no other system or philosophy can effect the rescue of human soul.

3.and in Christ is the only way to enter the "new creation" of God's present promise and His eternal salvation.

Anonymous said...

Jesus gives true rest

Matthew 11:25-30

v25 at that time Jesus answered and said "I thank YOU, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that YOU have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.

v26 "Even so, father, for so it seemed good in YOUR sight.

v27 "All things have been delivered to Me by MY Father, Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

v28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and i will give you rest.

v29 "Take My yoke upon and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

v30 for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Praise you..praise you..O Lord

Anonymous said...

Prayer for boldness ( Acts:28-31)
-----------------------------------
v28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done."

v29 "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word,

v30 "by stretching out Your hand to heal,and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus

v31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together were shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

( Word wealth for the word--BOLDNESS )

it means outspokeness, strong, unreserved utterance, freedom of speech, with frankness, candor, cheerful courage, and opposite of cowardice, timidity, or fear. Here in verse 31, it denotes a divine enablement that comes to ordinary and unprofessional people exhibiting spiritual power and authority.

Jesus, thank you once again for your word as we continue to pray and intercede. amen

-source:bible for spirit filled living-

Anonymous said...

Prayer for boldness ( Acts 4:28-31)
-----------------------------------
v28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done."

v29 "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word,

v30 "by stretching out Your hand to heal,and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus

v31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together were shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

( Word wealth for the word--BOLDNESS )

it means outspokeness, strong, unreserved utterance, freedom of speech, with frankness, candor, cheerful courage, and opposite of cowardice, timidity, or fear. Here in verse 31, it denotes a divine enablement that comes to ordinary and unprofessional people exhibiting spiritual power and authority.

Jesus, thank you once again for your word as we continue to pray and intercede. amen

-source:bible for spirit filled living-

Anonymous said...

Truth in action through PSALMS

Psalms 79:9
A step to knowing God's ways--we must know that God honors His name and will see to it that it is exalted. ( this is TRUTH Psalms teaches )

Understand that God saves and blessed His people because of His name, that is, His Honor,and not because of their works of righteousness. ( this is action Psalms invites)

Anonymous said...

Jesus the Good Shepherd

John 10:7-15, 27-30

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd,one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known by My own.

As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."

The Shepherd Knows His Sheep

27."My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and They follow Me.

28. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

29. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand.

30. I and My Father are one."

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving us Your only Beloved Son to be the Good Shepherd to lay down His life for us.

We want to listen to His voice and follow Him as He leads us in green pastures. We will lie down and surrender all our cares and concerns to Jesus, our loving Shepherd who watches over us at all times.

We know the Good Shepherd will attend to us when we are injured or hurt by fierce attacks and You will never reject nor forsake us even when we face huge opposition and attacks.

We are assured You will protect us and no one can snatch us out of Your Hand.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your loving care and protection in the midst of great danger.

We commit ourselves to Your loving care always.

In Jesus' Mighty Name we pray.

AMEN

Unknown said...

Matthew 13:41-43:

"The Son of man shall send forth his angels,
and they shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth
as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Who hath ears to hear,
let him hear."

Lord,
Truly You will send Your angels and gather out of Your kingdom
all things that offend.

For truly Lord, You want to separate the righteous that they may shine forth

Lord, we pray for your righteouness to rule.
Let your glory shine upon us once again

In Jesus Name
Amen

Anonymous said...

Matthew 5:48

"Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect".

Immediately, we think that there is no way we can be perfect.

The Bible would never tells us
to be something that we could not be.

The Bible meaning of perfect is better rendered mature.

The Lord does not want us to remain immature
and get in the flesh,
and do things that are unbecoming as His followers.

He wants us to grow up
and be perfect or mature.

He wants us to stand in His righteousness
and not our own.

Anonymous said...

Proverbs 2:21
"For the upright shall dwell in the land,
and the perfect shall remain in it.

These verses are a wonderful promise for God's people.
The verse says that the upright
and the perfect shall dwell in the land and remain in it.

This is a great promise of protection
and also is a promise
that the devil cannot run us
off of the land
that the Lord has placed us in.

The Bible calls us righteous
or upright.

Anonymous said...

Proverbs 2:22

But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it."

Verse tells us that it is the wicked that shall be cut off
and removed from the earth,
not the righteous.

The Bible says in Psalm 24:1:
"A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S,
and the fulness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein."

God and His people will eventually inhabit the earth,
and it will be the devil's followers who will be removed.

In the Lord's prayer,
Jesus prayed,
"They kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven."
The Lord wants to demonstrate His will and kingdom in this earth to all people
and the way He wants to do it,
is for each of His people to demonstrate the will of God in their lives.

He wants our light to shine
in this dark world.

Anonymous said...

"We are not trying to please men but GOD
who tests our hearts."
1 Thessalonians 2:4 NIV

LORD, I need
to be less concerned with the praise and approval
of others,
and much concerned with pleasing You.
Help me do just that...
be pleasing to YOU.

Anonymous said...

"Your Heavenly Father knows..."

Matthew 6:32 NIV


At times there are no words
for our prayers.

We have nothing to say.
Nor do we need to
say anything.

He knows.
He understands.

We can rest on His loving Promises
and trust His heart.

Thank You Dear Heavenly Father,
You are seated on Your Throne.
YOU Alone deserve all our praises and worship!

AMEN.

Anonymous said...

Thy Name is Great and Greatly to be praised:

Matthews 5: 13-16

v13. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

v14. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

v15.Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

v16. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Praise the Lord. And all those who ask and seek for the truth, transparency and Godly governance say, Amen.

Anonymous said...

Lord,

As we are moving towards the last 2 days of our fasting and prayer, I pray once again for sp and wife and children and the leadership in cc: Lord, I pray all the above mentioned will learn to take responsibility to resolve the current saga, I am very sad because instead of taking responsibility, our church management chose to engage in gospel war from the pulpit, at the EGM, at the leaders briefing, isolating the concerned members, sacked and witch-hunt, engage in cyber war, cold war...and etc, Lord Jesus, forgive the leadership for not dealing with the agony but instead causing the church to split. O, Lord, pour forth your deliveranceand your cleansing and i rebuke all these forms of activities in the Name of Jesus, by your stripe all chains will be broken, all forces of darkness, oppression, lies, deception be released in the name of Jesus.

I pray and quote Abraham Lincoln--"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."

I bind Lord all your promises that you have bestowed upon the concerned members.

In Jesus name, amen

Anonymous said...

Dear Lord please do not delay your final decision for our church. It is too long and our shepherd is not doing anything. He does not seem to care and acts as if everything is okay.

We know that you are in control and you are going to have the final say.

Dear Jesus, we leave CC into you hands.

Anonymous said...

Sigh...

Last three Sunday messages were only on ONE thing other than referring to the TTG as ........(too sad to mention it).

Anonymous said...

As it is written,
Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.
The Spirit of truth ...
will shew you things to come.

Father God, we need you
Jesus, we need You
Holy Spirit, we need you

I need Thee,
To show us things to come
Holy Spirit,
reveal to us your ways

In Jesus Name
Amen

Anonymous said...

Evil attacks against us or our family do not come from God.

We should have a healthy fear of God and respect the Bible's teachings, as this helps us to resist evil when we are tempted to sin.

Anonymous said...

During the week of fasting and prayer last week, I listened to 2 CD messages of Pastor Joseph Prince of the New Creation Church, Singapore.

The 1st message was titled “What You Learn On The Mount Of His Glory Will Deliver You From The Valley”. His text was from Matthew 17 – The Transfiguration. In his message, he mentioned that even when we fall asleep in our Bible Reading or Prayer Time, JESUS IS STILL PRAYING ON OUR BEHALF. HE IS PRAYING FOR US EVEN WHILE WE ARE SLEEPING. THE GLORY OF GOD IS NOT AFFECTED BY OUR SLEEPING. I was reminded of the scene in Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36-46, where Jesus told His disciples to pray but they all fell asleep instead. After listening to this message, I was encouraged because even as I tried to fast and pray, I was distracted many times by what I see and what I hear happening around me. Our God is so good that He reminded me that He is always mindful of all of us His children even in times when we fail Him miserably.

The 2nd CD was titled, “Have A Throne Attitude – Rest Until God Makes Your Enemies Your Footstool”. His text was from Psalm 110:1, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ ”. This is God the Father talking to Jesus, His Only Son. However, we being joint heirs to the Kingdom of God with Jesus, can also share in this promise of God. So I thank God for this encouragement that God has given to me to SIT AND REST UNTIL GOD HIMSELF BRING THE VICTORY FOR US.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your word that has come to me in this time when I need to hear from you most. I commit all our pursuits into your hands and shall sit at your feet to enjoy your presence because you have said you will take care of us and bring to pass your will and purpose in my life.

I also commit my family and friends to you because I know that even when we fail, you are always praying for us. There is no better person to commit our lives to but to you Lord Jesus. Teach us, guide us, protect us and bless us everyday I pray.

In Jesus’ name I boldly come to your throne. Amen.

Anonymous said...

Dear Karen & those fasting and praying....

just like to share this encouraged you guys. Heb 1:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,today and forever."

Just be steadfast, we can count on Him always, He will be there tomorrow just like it was yesterday. Early in the day or late at night, He stands firm. When pain or hardship bites He is our consistency When majority is tired,irritable, angry at our stand He is not insensitive but reliable and faithful, not opposed to change but trustworthy. Not stubborn but solid.

He is our living model of patience, determination and strength,, regardless of shifty rootless times, the blasts of ridicule and criticism may punch it in the face but He stands and takes it as a bronze statue takes the tempest. He knows the little ups and downs, high or low, hanging in there day in day out. Paul had Him in mind when he told Timothy to "Preach the word! be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke,exhort will all longsuffering and teaching (2 Tim 4:2) and when he exhorted the Galatians "and let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Gal 6:9) James saw Him as the stabilizing factor, which he called "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete,lacking nothing."(James 1:3-4). As me and my family pray with you all we want you all to know He is the truth and the TRUTH will set us free. Amen! God blesses you all.

Anonymous said...

"Wasn't it three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?

They replied, "Certainly, O king.

"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed..."

Daniel 3:24-25 NIV

"As sure as God ever puts His children in the furnance,
He will be in the furnance with them."

Charles Spurgeon

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for Your wonderful promises which are always a yes in You. That even when we are in the most difficult moments of trials and persecution and being falsely accused You are with us through it all.

Thank You Lord that You will take us through the waters and the fire, yet we shall not be overwhelmed or burnt. And after that You will bring us safely out unharmed, and with a renewed and strengthened faith!

Dear Lord Jesus, we commit ourselves and all our families to You, in Your Mighty Name we pray.

AMEN.

Anonymous said...

Dear Jesus,

We only wanted truth, transparency and good governance in Calvary Church but why is the shepherd saying over the pulpit that, or implying that we are from another kingdom and not God's kingdom.

Why cant transparency rule in CC?

Anonymous said...

Dear Sigh,

Be very courageous and strong! Our Father Knows every heartache, disappointment and pain that we are going through.

God knows fully well and in due time He will act as He is an awesome and just God.

Let us continue to hold onto His Promises and trust God to do the impossible even when things may appear quite bleak.

There is HOPE as God is a God of Hope, Power and Might!

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You that You know, You understand and You care for and love Your sheep in CC.

In Jesus' Name we pray... AMEN

Anonymous said...

Great morning bros & sis.

Mine is not a prayer, but an article that I received from a brother which I find to be very thought-provoking. We must earnestly pray for Calvary Church and the churches in Malaysia and beyond, that His truth (His actual words) be professed and NOT with “added flavours” to sooth human lusts and personal agendas. I personally feel that too much “prosperity gospel” has been going around until the actual words of the Lord is being compromised and “abused”.

Below is the article:

Prosperity Gospel on Skid Row
Difficulties of high-profile pastors may reorient movement—or reinforce it.
Bobby Ross Jr. | posted 1/15/2009 09:40AM
Some of the high-flying icons of the prosperity gospel—the belief that God rewards signs of faith with wealth, health, and happiness—have run into financial turbulence.

Not all of their troubles can be blamed on the nation's economic crisis, say critics of the name-it-and-claim-it theology found in some charismatic churches.

"I believe the charismatic movement, of which I am a part, is in the midst of a dramatic overhaul," said J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma magazine. "God is shaking us." Grady predicts the movement will look much different in a few years as it refocuses on evangelism and overcoming what he calls the distraction of "materialism, flashy self-promotion, and foolish carnality." But Scott Thumma, a Hartford Seminary sociologist who studies megachurches, is not so certain.

"Most clergy who preach a prosperity gospel would interpret for their congregation any conflict, scrutiny, or questioning as an attack of the Devil and proof that they are following God," he said.

Among recent developments:

• In Fort Worth, Texas, a review board ruled December 7 that Kenneth Copeland Ministries' $3.6 million jet did not have tax-exempt status. The ruling came after the ministry, whose 1,500-acre campus includes a $6 million church-owned lakefront mansion, refused to release the salaries of Copeland, his wife, and others.

• In suburban Atlanta, Georgia, a sheriff's deputy served an eviction notice November 14 at Bishop Thomas Weeks III's Global Destiny Church. Court documents indicate the bishop, the ex-husband of televangelist Juanita Bynum, owed half a million dollars in back rent. The church has lost roughly half of its 3,400 members since Weeks and Bynum's 2007 fight in a hotel parking lot, in which Weeks was accused of pushing, choking, and beating his then-wife.

• In Tampa, Florida, Without Walls International Church—which once attracted 23,000 worshipers—has shrunk drastically after co-pastors Randy and Paula White announced in 2007 they were divorcing. The church faces an uncertain future after the Evangelical Christian Credit Union began foreclosure proceedings November 4 and demanded repayment of a $12 million loan on the church's property.

• In suburban Minneapolis on November 18, Living Word Christian Center pastor Mac Hammond won the first stage of a court battle with the Internal Revenue Service to keep his salary private. Yet in 2008, he was forced to put his private jet up for sale and cut Living Word's hour-long television show in half to save money amid falling contributions.

Meanwhile, Copeland and the Whites are among six televangelists whose large organizations have been targeted in a Senate Finance Committee investigation into allegations of questionable spending and lax financial accountability. All six preach some form of the prosperity gospel.

Could followers of the prosperity gospel—encouraged by pastors to "sow a seed" of faith by spending money, often in the form of a donation to the pastors' ministries—be turned off by the recent turmoil?

Craig Blomberg, author of a 2001 study of prosperity theology, said he expects the movement to "take a small hit among those who recognize that it can't deliver on what it promises."

But many followers could view the financial difficulties as consequences for sin and personal failings—from Weeks's assault conviction to the Whites' divorce—and determine to try that much harder to please God and prosper themselves, he suggested.

"Some may well interpret this as judgment on the leaders who have abused their positions or proved immoral in other respects," said Blomberg, a New Testament professor at Denver Seminary. "And many may simply assume this is the time to call others and themselves to an even truer faith so that the 'system will work' as it is supposed to in their minds."

In Grady's view, the notion that "God blesses us so we can be a blessing" is biblical. What is needed, he believes, is a shift to a more selfless movement where people "realize that God wants to bless us so that we can feed the poor, lift up the broken, and transform society".

"We need that kind of prosperity," he said, "and I think that is where things are going."

Copyright © 2009 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Anonymous said...

Dear Sigh,

These days when I go to church, I usually pray to the Holy Spirit to help me focus on my worship. And if I hear false doctrine from the pulpit, I would, under my breath, rebuke it in the name of Jesus.

Anonymous said...

Proverbs 3:11-12(Amplified):

"My son,
do not despise
or shrink
from the chastening of the Lord --

His correction by punishment,
or by subjection to suffering
or trial;
neither be weary
and impatient
and loathe
or abhor His reproof.

12 For whom the Lord loves
He corrects,
even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights."

Anonymous said...

Haggai 2

3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory?
And how do you see it now?
Is not this in your sight as nothing in comparison to that?

4 Yet now be strong, alert, and courageous,
O Zerubbabel, says the Lord;
be strong, alert, and courageous,
O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest;
and be strong, alert, and courageous,
all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work!
For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.

5 According to the promise
that I covenanted with you
when you came out of Egypt,
so My Spirit stands and abides
in the midst of you; fear not.

6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:
Yet once more, in a little while,
I will shake and make tremble the [starry] heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;

7 And I will shake all nations
and the [a]desire and the precious things of all nations
shall come in,
and I will fill this house with splendor,
says the Lord of hosts.

8 The silver is Mine
and the gold is Mine,
says the Lord of hosts.

9 The latter glory of this house
[with its successor, to which Jesus came]
shall be greater than the former,
says the Lord of hosts;
and in this place
will I give peace and prosperity,
says the Lord of hosts.

Anonymous said...

As we end our fast, allow me to share a brief devotion. Truth is always the truth when spoken in love. Praise the Lord, our great God is in the heart transformation business and I would encourage us all to meditate on Ezekiel 47: 1-23: Rivers of living waters.

Our precious Lord said that “If you knew the gift of God and who is it that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10) “ Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14 NIV). May this living water start to flow out of our hearts ankle deep, then knee deep, then waist deep and eventually a river that cannot be crossed. (Ezekiel 47:3-6) . “Where the river flows, everything will live” (vs. 9) and finally “fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing (Ezekiel 47: 12 NIV). May this brief passage encourage us to seek this living water which will overflow and bless all of those around us.

May I encourage you “to draw near to Him with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:22) and “let us consider how we might spur one another towards love and good deeds”. (Heb 10:24).

Gods richest blessings

Chris Shun

Gertrude Pereira said...

I would like to state a few points here:

1. Firstly, I would like to see faces and names to the people who are managing this blog. Faceless blogs don't have much credibility. I teach my students to be wary of blogs which do not reveal their personalities. It implies that you do not want to be identified with the information released in the blog and that undermines your credibility.

2. But, some of you have left your names in the comments and that gives me some confidence that I am here with Calverites.

3. As a Calverite, I would like to share a few things. It is good that you are raising these issues but I am not sure if this is the correct forum to do it. I would still prefer if these issues were raised at the AGM or EGM. I think we should try again to submit a resolution to discuss all the issues that need to be addressed at the coming AGM or at an EGM. And thrash out these issues once and for all. I think we should get a petition of signatures to submit with the resolution so that this time it can't be rejected because a large number of people want it.

4. There has been a great deal of emotionalism where Calvary Church is concerned in cyberspace. Cut through the emotionalism -- some of which is negative -- and, yes, there are some legitimate points that have been raised, some truth. But, is there love in speaking the truth? The exhortation is to speak the truth in love as stated in Eph 4:15: "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ."

If we speak the truth in love, we can be sure we are going to grow up into Him through this episode.

5. A word of caution: Gal 5:13-15 states the following: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

If Calverites continue "biting and devouring each other" the outcome is disastrous to those who engage in such behaviour. Those who engage in such behaviour may end up destroying each other. Is that what we want?

Let's, instead, trust God, love one another and try to solve this problem amicably -- privately -- at the AGM or EGM. I think Calvary Church may be ready for it. If not, then persevere in love until Calvary Church turns around. It would be worth it then.

God bless you all and may He direct your hearts and steps.

Anonymous said...

Dear Father God,
We know that You are a faithful God and we are comforted that Truth and Righteousness WILL prevail and that Calvary Church will become back Your Church, and not Guneratnam's church. In Jesus Name, we pray against all those people who are speaking evil about the TTG group. We pray for continual wisdom and peace and strength to be upon the TTG group and we know that victory is ours, and that vengeance is the Lord's!

Amen

Anonymous said...

Dear Father God,
We know that You are a faithful God and we are comforted that Truth and Righteousness WILL prevail and that Calvary Church will become back Your Church, and not Guneratnam's church. We pray for continual wisdom and peace and strength to be upon the TTG group and we know that victory is ours, and that vengeance is the Lord's!

Amen

Anonymous said...

To: Gertrude

It is easier to say but not possible.

Why we do not post our actual names - we will be victimised, blacklisted and taken off leadership. Even passing out a call card to visit the blog (with no instigation) - liable to be taken out of leadership.

EGM & AGM - presume you are a Calvarite - you know how they work. We have a chairman that controls and cuts people off. Ass. pastors hugging mikes and trying to cut people off. It will never work.

What will work and for all these in house fighting to stop - such a disgrace in the community. SP with the BOD to meet the TTG people and thrash out issues.

The committee to redo the constitution consist of all SP's people - how could that be fair?

Dear Lord please let our SP realise that he has to step out and make things work.

Anonymous said...

Joh 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Joh 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Joh 10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.


Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Joh 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Eph 6:23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches
of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of
the Father, and of Christ;
1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2Jn 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.


The Crusader
The Kingdom of Heaven

Anonymous said...

Dear Gertrude,

Based on what you said, I take it that you didn't attend the EGM last year. You may want to talk to somebody who did. Concerned Calvarite @ 11.34 has given you an idea.

Anonymous said...

When someone suggested that we pray more in the earlier comments, someone else took that to heart and rebuke as if the calling was directed to those who have already prayed and waited much.

When someone's comments appear harsh and emotional (even though there are truth in it), there are some who felt we should not be emotional and should work out rationally "so called Christ like". And yet many quoted Bible verses upon verses to justify points and some with good intent to encourage. But others I do not know.

And many more came and gone without leaving any traces here. Some have lost the hope to even wait any longer. They have left the church for good. Are they move on to new church of leaving for good. No one know, ha! no one seems to care.

I am waiting although very discouraged. I cannot pretend but who should I turn to? Who can I trust? The Church leaders? The pastors? The deacons? TTG? Who?? God? Jesus Christ? Where is that simple love? I cannot see, I cannot feel, I don't have one now. One pastor put that as my responsibility because I have once made that choice. Aha, yes, yes and yes, I have made that choice I will stick to it. I cannot tell because it is wrong that I cannot get encouraged when hearing problems such as this happen in Calvary Church. Where should I go? To continue or to move elsewhere? What is the purpose now? Are we not a bunch of hypocrites? Pretenders? I don't know, I am but lost!

Anonymous said...

Dear Need Encouragement,

I keep my eyes on Jesus and claim His promised grace:

Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 26:3

and more.

I support the TTG because my sound mind and intelligence tell me they are genuine. And there is evidence of the church leadership's abuse of church funds etc. Of course, I consult my Lord every step of the way.

You are never alone, especially in this matter re: God's house. Jesus is as near as you want Him to be. You go talk to Him.

God bless!

Anonymous said...

Proverbs 3:13-18(KJV):

"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it
is better than the merchandise of silver,
and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies:
and all the things thou canst desire
are not to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand;
and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
and happy is every one that retaineth her."

These verses describe the value of having God's wisdom.
These scriptures tell us
that His wisdom is better than silver, gold, jewels
or any other worldly treasures.

In fact, God's wisdom is better because it will not only produce prosperity,
but it will be a prosperity
that is gained in an HONORABLE way.

When a person has God's wisdom,
he is even given a blessing beyond anything the world has to offer
and that is the promise of long life.

Only God
could make this kind of promise
to anyone
because life
and death
are in the hand of the Lord.

Anonymous said...

Dear Need Encouragement,

Real happiness and peace come only by knowing God.
When we accept Jesus as our savior and repent of our sins,
we are given a peace that passes all understanding.

It is a gift of God.
The kind of peace and joy
that one receives by knowing Him is not based on circumstances,
or how much material wealth
we might have,
or lack of it.

It is based on our relationship with Jesus.
When we know Him, we have access to all things that we might need in this life.

Fix your eyes on Jesus everyday
God Bless.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Anonymous said...

Hope you will be blessed!

http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200503/200503_038_antagonists.cfm

Anonymous said...

(Mat 5:14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(Mat 12:32) And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:
but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this
world, neither in the world to come.
(Mat 13:22) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the
care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
(Mat 13:35) That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my
mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the
world.
(Mat 13:38) The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares
are the children of the wicked one;
(Mat 13:39) The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the
reapers are the angels.
(Mat 13:40) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end
of this world.
(Mat 13:49) So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the
wicked from among the just,
(Mat 16:26) For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
(Mat 18:7) Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but
woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

The Crusader
The Kingdom Of Heaven

Anonymous said...



He is the Rock,
His work is perfect:
for all His ways are judgment:
a God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is he.”

Deuteronomy 32:4

Anonymous said...

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

2Jn 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

The Crusader
The Kingdom of Heaven