The Basel Christian Church of Malaysia, Sandakan

Be Your Own Best Friend

2012-02-12T17:16:00.001-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

The command of God ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ first appears in Leviticus 19:18. Paul says the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:14 (NLT). And James calls this the Royal Law (See James 2:8). Jesus says the whole teaching of the law is this; loving God wholeheartedly and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (see Matthew 22:37-40).

Let us take a closer look at this, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ You have to love yourself first before you can love anyone else. If you do not love yourself, it is impossible to love others. You cannot give away love if you do not have love in the first place because you cannot give away what you don’t have. To love others, you must learn to love yourself first. This is not about selfish thinking. It is about being aware of the emotion that drives your pattern of thinking and your relational habits.

When you don’t love yourself. Whether you love yourself or not will soon surface in the ways you relate to others. If you feel inadequate you will get critical about others. If you don’t like yourself you will find things wrong with others. If you feel that you are a failure, you will tend to think that others look down on you. If you have a low self-esteem you will want to act superior to disguise your inferior feelings by controlling others. So, generally, if you feel bad about yourself, all your loved ones and your friends will suffer. To get out from this emotional trap, it is important to learn to ‘love yourself.’ Here are two important truths from the Bible.

Don’t compare with others. There will always be people who are more talented, smarter, richer, wittier or more popular than you are. There is no need to compare with them. God created each one of us in his image (Gen 1:26-27). It is not just about the good look. Each of us is endowed by God with something good and unique that resemble his image. “For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus...” Ephesians 2:10a (NLT). You are a unique individual and you do not have to be a carbon copy of any body. If you want to compare with others, let them be your inspiration.

Self acceptance. Loving yourself is a matter of self acceptance, of accepting your strengths and shortcomings. When you look at yourself in the mirror, do you feel good about yourself? Can you fully accept who you are? God loves us and have forgiven the dark side of our lives. He has called us to be his children (See John 1:12). The more you know how much God loves you, the more you will learn to love yourself. The more you can love yourself, the more you can love others. You have to choose to be your own best friend.

The Holy Spirit Helps Our Weakness

2012-02-12T17:15:00.001-08:00

Romans 8: 22-27

Rev. Johnny Wong

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. ²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. ~Romans 8: 22-27

1) Spiritual weakness.

¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs— heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. ~Romans 8: 16-17

2) Mental weakness

²⁵ All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ~John 14: 25-26

3) Physical weakness

¹⁶ So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷ For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. ~Galatians 5: 16-18

What the Bible Says About Friendship (2)

2012-02-12T17:13:00.001-08:00

10 Ways To Love Your Man Better

2012-02-12T17:12:00.001-08:00

PRAYERS FOR ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

2012-02-12T17:09:00.002-08:00

Young Adult Chinese New Year Oikos

2012-02-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

Church Concerns

2012-02-12T17:07:00.001-08:00

CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK

2012-02-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

A Friend of Others

2012-02-06T20:20:00.001-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

Two weeks ago I ended my sharing by saying that as a church member we can all be proactive and spend some time connecting with the not so familiar friends or new friends who are with us on Sunday. Since they are here let us make them feel very welcome. Put on a smile and extend your hands of friendship. Everyone loves a friendly church.

I wish to reiterate that according to a US survey of 15,000 people done by Pete Gilbert 80% of Christians come to know Christ through friendship. The reason is very simple. A friend listens to a friend. A friend will trust a friend.

Was Jesus a good friend? Jesus was known as “a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!” (Matthew 11:19). When he made a decision to stay in the house of Zacchaeus, all the people who saw the incident commented that ‘he has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’” (Lk 19:15). What can we learn from these verses?

1. Mix with people. To be a friend we need to make ourselves available as a friend to others. The tax collectors and ‘sinners’ were people rejected and shunned by the general public. A tax collector was not allowed to be a witness in the court. Sinners refers to people who were thieves, robbers, extortionists, selling sex for money, corrupt officials, non-religious, conmen and etc. Jesus was known as their friends because he mixed around with them. Society avoided these types of people but Jesus made himself their friends. Don’t prejudge people but think well of others.

2. Christians without friends. The common problem of many church people today is that when they become Christians they have very few non-Christian friends. They only spend time with their church friends to the exclusion of other non-Christian friends. To live like Jesus did is to be connected to our friends outside the church. They are the ones that God loves and cares for and God uses you and me to reach them with His love. Usually it is because we are not willing to move out of our comfort zone or our couldn’t care less attitude that we have very few friends outside the church.

3. Who to mix with? Connect with our acquaintances outside the church, yes, those outside the church circle. They could be our relatives, neighbors, business associates, colleagues, customers, suppliers, subordinates, schoolmates, people in need of help, those who are going through suffering, the lonely, the poor, the under privilege and etc. The purpose is to share the love of Christ in a concrete way by being more caring, kind and loving towards them. In management, it is important to think outside the box. In the church, we need to think beyond the four walls of the church. In our personal life, we need to think beyond our circle of friends. Be a true friend to those outside the circle of the ‘holy’ like Jesus did. Be a friend of others.

The Importance of Friendship

2012-02-06T20:19:00.001-08:00

Luke 19: 1-10

Rev. Johnny Wong

1) People are looking for friends.

² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. ~Luke 19: 2-4

2) Let’s make intentional efforts to reach out and be a friend to others.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. ~Luke 19: 5-6

⁹ Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. ~Luke 19: 9-10

What the Bible Says About Friendship (1)

2012-02-06T20:18:00.001-08:00

HOW TO LOVE A WOMAN—10 WAYS TO LOVE

2012-02-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

PRAYERS FOR ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

2012-02-06T20:14:00.001-08:00

Surprise Visit and Birthday Celebration

2012-02-06T20:13:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2012-02-06T20:12:00.001-08:00

CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK

2012-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

Why Members Don't Invite Friends to Church?

2012-01-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

Go for 10 … are you one? This is the theme for all our EGC churches in Sabah. We are striving to move our churches from the maintenance mode to a growing mode; from inward looking to become more outward looking.

The number of people attending our worship services tells a lot about the condition of our church. When a church has stagnated in its attendance, it is a sign that the church is in the maintenance mode. Church activities are church members centered rather than people outside the church. The stagnation also means that members are not bringing their friends to church.

Boring Services. Over the years many members told me they are ashamed to bring their friends to church because the sermon is boring and the worship service is boring. Is this serious? Absolutely! According to an Australian Community Survey (ACS) on Why People Don’t Go To Church, with responses from some 85,000 people across eight community types, the top-ranked answer was “it’s boring.” Although we may bear with a boring service because we grew up in the church, generally people do not want to waste time on something that is boring or meaningless.

Common Sense. To grow our church requires a paradigm shift of mindset; moving from boring traditional conditioning to common sense. Jesus says, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). Those who follow Christ must be able to win others to Christ. But, all fishermen must fish on the terms of the fish. On one of my fishing trips I was unable to get a single fish but the guy beside me got so many fishes. The reason was simple. I was using KFC chicken meat, (which was my lunch that day) as my bait whereas the guy was using worms as his bait. Fish does not like KFC chicken meat but worms. We need more common sense.

The style of our worship service on Sunday is not set on stone. It must be subject to constant change for improvement. A worship service must be inspiring and not a repetition of a meaningless liturgical order. Teaching can be done in classes, life group discussion, seminars training and special teaching sessions. However, Sunday must be designed to be more ‘seeker sensitive’ if we want to help non Christians to come to know Christ. We need to be more sensitive to the needs of visitors, friends and seekers.

Friendship Issue. What can you do as a member of this church? Be proactive and spend some time connecting with the not so familiar friends or new friends who are with us on Sunday. Since they are here, why not make them feel very welcome. Put on a smile and extend your hands of friendship. Everyone loves a friendly church.

The Power of Friendship

2012-01-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 4: 8-12

Rev. Johnny Wong

I) Friendship makes life fulfilling

⁸There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. For whom am I toiling, he asked, and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment? This too is meaningless— a miserable business! ⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: ~Ecclesiastes 4: 8-9

II) Friendship provides warmth in a cold world

¹⁰ If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no-one to help him up! ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? ~Ecclesiastes 4: 10-11

III) Friendship provides protection

¹² Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. ~Ecclesiastes 4: 12

The Friendship Issue

2012-01-29T20:08:00.000-08:00

Ten Ways To Love

2012-01-29T18:58:00.001-08:00

The Smell of Rain

2012-01-29T18:57:00.001-08:00

PRAYERS FOR ABUNDANT BLESSINGS

2012-01-29T18:56:00.001-08:00

Brigade Chinese New Year Celebration

2012-01-29T18:55:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2012-01-29T18:54:00.001-08:00

CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK

2012-01-29T18:53:00.001-08:00

Go for 10 ... are you one? (Part 2)

2012-01-29T18:50:00.000-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

Happy Chinese New Year to all my dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

Continue from last week, Go for 10 … are you one? is our corporate vision for all the eight EGC churches. “Go for 10 …” refers to 10% growth in membership and 10% growth in offerings. “are you one” is a challenge to every church member to be involved in achieving this vision of growth.

This week I will share with you on the importance of 10% growth in offerings for our church. To be blessed we need to give. Here are a few important truths to remember when we talk about Christian giving.

1. Giving generates abundance

God will always give to us more than what we have given away. Jesus says, “Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands — all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.” (Luke 6:38 TEV). This is a spiritual principle of living a blessed life. It is like sowing. The more seeds we sow the greater is the harvest. This is not a bargain. It is a spiritual principle. God bless us through our giving. God promises us abundance when we give.

2. Giving helps us to honor God

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” (Prov 3:9-10 NIV). First fruits refers to “tithing’. Tithing means taking the first 10 percent of our income and give it back to God. Why do we need to do this? It is to recognize that everything that we have achieved up to this point, all belongs to God and we want to give 10 percent back to God to honor him. According to our church record, only 13.88% of our church income comes from tithing. Let us practice tithing this year and see how the Lord would bless us.

3. Giving helps us to put God first

Deuteronomy 14:23 says, “The purpose of tithing is to teach you to put God first (TLB). Tithing is a reminder that God is really first in our life and it helps us to set our priorities right. Many of us made the mistake of honoring God with our leftovers. We pay all our bills and if there is anything left we will give something to God. Many financially successful people uses the 10-10-80 principle; 10% for God, 10% for saving and 80% for others. When we keep our financial priorities right, we will be careful with the wealth that God has entrusted to us. Let us increase our giving, thus, increase God’s blessings upon our life. May the Lord grant us peace of mind, cordial relationships and material prosperity as we celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Reaching Out Through Friendship

2012-01-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

Matthew 9:9-12, Luke 5:27-31

Rev. James Wong

One survey done among 15,000 people in the US shows that 80% of them believe in Jesus through friendship. The percentage will be higher among Chinese because of the importance of relationship in our culture.

1. Reach Out And Be A FRIEND

Be pro-active of being a friend to others. Jesus reached out to Matthew who lacked no money but friendship due to his profession.

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

~Matt 9:9 (NIV)

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” ~John 15:15 (NIV)

2. Connect and CARE For Friends

Matthew invited his friends to his house for dinner so that they too have an opportunity to meet Jesus. People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. ~Matt 9:10-11; Luke 5:29 (NIV)

12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.” ~John 15:12-15 (NIV)

3. SHARE the Blessings of the Good News

Jesus mixed around with Matthew’s friends. Sharing the blessings of the Good News is to let others know that God loves them and cares for them.

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

~Matt 9:11-13 (NIV)

Only one life ‘Twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

2012-01-29T18:42:00.001-08:00

QUOTES ON “COMMUNICATION TOOLS”

2012-01-29T18:08:00.000-08:00

Ministry Handbook 2012

2012-01-29T18:06:00.001-08:00

BB and GB Games Day

2012-01-29T18:05:00.001-08:00

Official Visit to BCCM Agape Centre by YABhg Toh Puan Datin Seri Panglima Hajah Norlidah Datuk R.M. Jasni

2012-01-29T18:04:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2012-01-29T18:03:00.001-08:00

CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK

2012-01-29T18:01:00.001-08:00

Go for 10 ... are you one? (Part 1)

2012-01-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

By Rev. James Wong

Go for 10 … are you one? is our corporate vision for all the eight EGC churches. “Go for 10 …” refers to 10% growth in membership and 10% growth in offerings. “are you one” is a challenge to every church member to be involved in achieving this vision of growth.

Go for 10 … are you one? is a shift of focus on moving our church from maintenance mode to growing mode. Such paradigm shift of emphasis demands us to think beyond our traditional methods of running our church. It calls for new strategies, new emphasis and new concentration of effort and resources to achieve our vision of a growing church through caring and loving and inviting friends to church.

1. Growth in membership by 10%.

Why must our church grow in numbers? We see a clear pattern of growth in the early church. The church grew tremendously after the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and three thousand new members were added to the church (Acts 2:24). The church continued to grow in great numbers (Acts 2:47, 4:4, 5:14, 6:1). Anything that is healthy will grow. A healthy church will grow in numbers as well.

2. Growth is the central heart beat of God

It is the central heart beat of God “who wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” concerning salvation that is found in his son Jesus Christ. (1 Tim 2:3-4). In the parable of the lost sheep Jesus said: “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:3-7). To Go for 10… is to, perhaps, leave the ninety-nine who are already saved for a while and search for that lost sheep out there. Heaven will rejoice more, as Jesus put it.

3. Growth in our local church. Few people are being added to the church today. According to the statistics of last year Jan—Jun 2011, All the EGC churches combined, every week we only had an average of 1,072 adults and 239 children in our Sunday services all over Sabah. The number is extremely small. We have big church buildings but small congregations. If we have a consistent growth of 10% per year, we will need 7.2 years to double the numbers. Even if the weekly attendance is doubled, it is still very small compared to the long history of each congregation. This gives us a general perspective of the future situation of our church.

Healthy churches average around 10% growth each year. Hospice churches, by definition, bring no one to faith in Christ. The time has come for us to focus on outreach—inviting our friends to all our services. Most importantly, being a loving and caring friend to them when they do come. People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. Let us bear fruit of salvation this year.

4 Steps To Reaching Your Goals

2012-01-17T17:01:00.001-08:00

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Rev. James Wong

1. ATTITUDE: Have The Right Attitude Towards Your Goal

Setting your goals is important but the attitude that you hold towards your goals is even more important. Are they important or frivolous goals to you? Do you run to win or just simply run?

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~Phil 3:14 (NIV)

"Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win." ~1 Cor 9:24 (NLT)

2. DISCIPLINE: Discipline Your Life-style To Reach Your Goal

Let your goals detect your lifestyle. You must be disciplined to live your life with activities that are intentionally directed to the accomplishment of your goals. Your daily life is a microcosm of your larger life. Your tomorrow is what you do today.

"All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize." ~1 Cor 9:25 (NLT)

3. FOCUS: Fix Your Eyes On Your Goals

There are many distractions that will hinder you towards reaching your goals. All failures to reaching one’s goal is often caused by a broken focus. Writing down your goals and keep them visible will keep you focus.

"So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches." ~1 Cor 9:26 (NLT)

4. DETERMINATION: Be Determined To Reach Your Goals

“The spirit is willing but the body is weak” can be a lame excuse. Your decisions are the primary determining factor of reaching your goals. You must exercise your determination otherwise you will give up.

"I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." ~1 Cor 9:26 (NLT)

Five Pennies or One Quarter?

2012-01-17T17:00:00.001-08:00

SETTING CLEAR GOALS FOR 2012

2012-01-17T16:59:00.000-08:00

Installation of 2012-2013 Sandakan Parish Council

2012-01-17T16:57:00.001-08:00

Welcome Back G412 McD Fellowship

2012-01-17T16:56:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2012-01-17T16:55:00.001-08:00

CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK

2012-01-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

First Things First

2012-01-08T18:11:00.001-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

Putting First Things First is the essence of good time management! Most people are driven by things that are urgent. Putting First Things First will help us to identify what really matters in life . The Bible talks about the firsts things as follows:

1. Give God the first part of the Day

David began his day with this prayer, “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord . Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” (Ps 5:3 NLT).

Jesus told us to “seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Some doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast because it determines our energy level and even our moods for the day. Likewise, we need a "spiritual breakfast" to start our day right. Begin the day with God.

2. Give God the first day of the week

God spent six days creating the world and after that he rested from all his work (Gen 2:2-3). He later commanded that his people keep the Sabbath holy, to rest and to worship him. We give God the first day of the week by attending Sunday worship service to honor and worship him. We get involved in ministry and serve him passionately by serving other people. The first sign of backsliding in our spiritual life is our absence from worship service. Giving God the first day of the week keeps us on track with our walk with God.

3. Give God the first portion of your income.

Tithing is giving the first 10% of our income to God. God is our supplier and our work is just a channel through which He supplies our needs. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” If you have not practiced tithing yet, you can increase your giving this year. Test him with your tithing. This is God’s invitation to you to prove his faithfulness.

4. Give relationships your priority

Relationship is among the First Things First in the Bible. Jesus says, "... if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt 5:23-24). Having a good relationship with others takes precedence over worship! Broken relationship breaks our witness for Christ. It is the peacemakers that are known as the children of God (Matt 5:9). To achieve our corporate vision of 10% growth in membership this year, foremost, we need to learn to be a peacemaker in and outside the church. This will be the focus of Rev. Johnny’s sermon for this Sunday. Stay tune.

Blessed Are The Peace Makers

2012-01-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Rev. Johnny Wong

Matthew 5:1-12

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. ~Matthew 5:9

3 roles of a peacemaker

1. Bridge Builder

¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ~2 Corinthians 5:18-19

2. Healer

3. Motivator

⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ~2 Corinthians 1:4

MY GOD INSPIRED DREAMS FOR 2012

2012-01-08T18:08:00.001-08:00

Ten Lies that Lead to Divorce

2012-01-08T18:07:00.001-08:00

The Importance of Serving Others

2012-01-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Mom’s Last Laugh

2012-01-08T18:05:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2012-01-08T18:04:00.001-08:00

CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK

2012-01-08T18:02:00.001-08:00

Becoming a better you

2012-01-03T16:54:00.001-08:00

By Rev. James Wong

A New Year resolution is generally a goal that a person sets out to accomplish during the year. Goals give us focus and direction. What about making a few New Year resolutions to become a better you? Here are the top five you can think about.

1. Love Your Family and Friends. Love is spelled time. Take time to appreciate your loved ones and spend more time with them. Work on improving family relationships. “Those who bring trouble on their families inherit only the wind” (Prov 11:29 NLT). The most important thing in life is loving relationships. I have not seen a dying man wanting to see his bank account or land title. He only wishes to see his loved ones before he departs. Also, reach out beyond your family circle and be a friend to others. Join a cell group and live like Jesus did; love God wholeheartedly , give and serve others fervently.

2. Get Healthy. Health is the greatest wealth. Albrecht Powell says, “Studies show that exercise reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.” “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, ... Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor 7 NIV). Let the Holy Spirit live in a healthy body.

3. Enjoy Life More. Jesus says his purpose is to “give life in all its fullness” (John 10:10 NLT). Our life is wrapped up in our thinking. Wrong thinking leads to wrong living and all kinds of unhappiness. “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Prov 4:23 GNB). Very often God cannot speak to us because of our stubborn preconceived ideas. “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom 12:2 NLT). Think more of what God says rather than what you think. What you think could be wrong. Feed your mind with God’s Word every day.

4. Financial Health. You will be stressed if you do not have enough money to live by. But money will not make you rich, only financial education will. Beware of consumer debts and cheap airfares. Jesus talked more about money than heaven and hell combined. Why do you think he did that? Because money is a heart issue. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Tithing, giving, saving, investing and wise spending are part and puzzle of financial health. Work with a budget or else you will be driving a car without a steering. Learn God’s way of managing your finance.

5. Learn Something New. Perhaps you are stuck with a low paying job. Don’t mourn about it but consider a career change and learn all that is necessary for the new career. Learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer. Take a course, read a book or sing a new song to the Lord. Jesus talks about the new wineskins and the old wineskins (Mt 9:17). The old wineskins are useless. What you know yesterday may not be relevant today anymore. Don’t stay the same and be humble to learn. Let all the criticism of others be the motivation for you to be a better you. Offer a better you to Christ.

5 Things You Must Do To Grow

2012-01-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

Rev. James Wong

1. Cultivate an Intimate RELATIONSHIP with God.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” ~Mark 1:35 (NIV)

45 “Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” ~Mark 6:45-46 (NIV)

What I will do: _______________________________________________________

2. Develop A Servant’s HEART

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” ~1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." ~Matt 20:26-28 (NIV)

14 “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” ~John 13:14-15 (NIV)

What I will do: _______________________________________________________

3. CARE And LOVE Others

2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3 Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. 4 And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” ~1 Peter 5:2-4 (NLT)

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. … The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep.” ~John 10:11, 13 (NLT)

What I will do: _______________________________________________________

4. Live with CHARACTER and INTEGRITY

8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. 9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. ... 11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. 12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. 13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus. ~1 Tim 3:8-13 (NLT)

What I will do: _______________________________________________________

5. REACH Others & Make DISCIPLES

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." ~Matt 28:19-20 (NIV)

What I will do: ________________________________________________________

Better Marriage in 2012

2012-01-03T16:49:00.001-08:00

The Parable of the Two Servants

2012-01-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

Why Does the Church Give Me So Many Envelopes?

2012-01-03T16:46:00.000-08:00

Church Concerns

2012-01-03T16:44:00.001-08:00

CHURCH ACTIVITIES FOR THIS WEEK

2012-01-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

Colourful Christmas

2011-12-26T20:16:00.001-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

Colors have powerful effect on our emotion. Sometimes we get an uneasy feeling in a certain room or very relaxed in another—we call this ‘color mood’. Color psychologists working in the decorating field suggest that orange is to be used in restaurants because orange increases the appetite. The combination of pale blue or turquoise and orange creates a relaxed and big appetite atmosphere for a restaurant.

Colors could be used to describe life. Like a teacher, who ask her young students to use color to describe their lives, was surprised to see their drawings. One child uses blue all over because she says her parents bring her to the sea side very often and she falls in love with the deep blue sea and the big blue sky. Another child only uses grey to draw because he says nothing is interesting at home. There is no TV, no internet to go on the web, no Facebook to meet friends, no mobile phone to sms, and mum and dad do not talk to each other.

Another quiet girl uses black all over; black sky. Black house, black people, black mountain, black car. She says her life is a total black because there is nothing good in her world. She is living with her mum and her father has left them for another woman. Life was very hopeless. King Solomon, the wisest and riches king of his time summarized a hopeless life with these words:“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).

The colors that we see around us during the Christmas season gives us an atmosphere of happiness and celebrations. There is an anticipation of something great and good. Everyone is enjoying the festive holiday, though for different reasons.

Christians celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. When Jesus was born, the angel said to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

The news of Christ’s birth is meant for all people of the world. Why? Because the child that was born is the Savior of the world. This is how Jesus, the Savior, put it, “The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10). A life without long term hope cannot be described as rich and satisfying. This is what God has for us. “For sin pays its wage — death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23 TEV). A life with eternal hope in Christ is a colorful life. Receive it.

The High Cost of Christmas

2011-12-26T20:15:00.003-08:00

Philippians 2:5-11

Rev. Johnny Wong

1. Jesus became a man like us

⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! ~Philippians 2:7-8

2. Jesus came to die

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ~Romans 5:8

²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ~1 Peter 2:24

3. Jesus is Lord

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~Philippians 2:9-11

⁹ That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ~ Romans 10:9

White envelope Christmas

2011-12-26T20:15:00.001-08:00

2011 Bishop's Christmas Greetings to BCCM Congregations

2011-12-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

There Is a Cost

2011-12-26T20:12:00.001-08:00

Colorful Christmas Children Party

2011-12-26T20:11:00.001-08:00

Generation 412 Light the Fire Christmas Party

2011-12-26T20:10:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2011-12-26T20:09:00.001-08:00

Church Activities For This Week

2011-12-26T20:08:00.001-08:00

Spread the word ... sms, facebook, twitter ...

2011-12-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

Christmas season is the best time to invite friends to church because it is the season that most people are ready to respond to an invitation. When the season is over, so is the opportunity to invite a friend.

Almost everyone is inviting someone to a Christmas event, not necessary to an event organized by the church. Hotels and cafeterias are well known for having exciting programs to pull in the crowd. Karaoke lounges and club houses pack their dancing floors with people, accompany by loud music blasting through their speakers. Young people would gather around dimly lighted café to spend time in each other’s company, perhaps, having fun talks through the night or just fiddling with their mobile phones. There is a pull in the atmosphere. Everyone must be a part of it, though the real reason for Christmas would often be buried by the commercial hype. But this remains true; most hearts are opened for an invitation.

When Jesus was born, the angels appeared to the shepherds and said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christa the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:10-12). When the shepherd had seen Jesus, “they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (vss.16-19). Yes, the shepherds spread the word of Christ’s birth to others.

We have at our disposal today the most potent technology of communication known to men. Apart from sending out an invitation to friends, why not spread the word of Christ’s birth to others so that the whole world knows the real reason for celebrating Christmas.

Most people has a facebook account and the average user has 130 friends. iPhone with iMessage or Viber software can send messages around the world free. Whatapps makes it possible for mobile phone users using different operating systems to communicate with each other for free. Best of all, all emails are free of charge. The technology at our disposable is mind boggling.

To spread the word of Christ’s birth, why not send the following message to all your friends through Facebook, MSN, SMS, Twitters, Email or craft a better message?

“Christmas is here again and I think of you and your family. Christmas reminds us that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, Jesus, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Spread The Word

2011-12-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:8-20

Rev James Wong

10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ~Luke 2:10-11

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ~Luke 2:16-19

Learning from the 4 friends who brought a paralytic to Jesus

1. THEY SAW THE NEED

Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. ~Luke 5:18

2. THEY WERE CREATIVE

When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. ~Luke 5:19

3. THEY HAD FAITH

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

~Luke 5:20

What you can do?

The good news of great joy that was announced to the shepherds was meant for every tribe, every nation and every people groups for the world. When they shepherds had seen Jesus, the went and spread the word about Jesus being the savior of the world. What can you do today to spread the word?

Who would you invite to Christmas?

The best time to send out an invitation is now because it is the best time of the year when most people are ready to respond to an invitation.

Rising with your People

2011-12-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

THE ELEMENTS OF FAITH FACTS, FAITH, APPROPRIATION, and maybe (FEELING)

2011-12-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

Make a Group Effort

2011-12-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

Becoming as little children

2011-12-26T16:27:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2011-12-26T16:24:00.001-08:00

Church Activities For This Week

2011-12-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

I remembered him

2011-12-11T19:04:00.001-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

I was in Melacca attending the Malaysia National Prayer Network convocation from the 1-3 Dec 2011 when I received a call informing me that Elder Thomas had returned to the Lord. I felt a great sense of loss of a dear friend and a fine leader in the church.

Elder Thomas left behind his beloved wife, Jessie Fung who is my administrator in the EGC office, and two lovely daughters, Joane and Rachael. Let us continue to keep them in prayer so that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will bring them comfort.

Looking at the number of people who attended the Wake service on the evening of 5 Dec and the funeral the next day, Elder Thomas was a friend and brother to many. Through the many touching sharing and testimonies, I realize that his life had impacted many people. I have some fine thoughts about Elder Thomas.

1. He was always available. Availability is more important than talent as far as church ministry is concerned. Elder Thomas made himself available serving the Lord in many ministries. He was one of the willing persons who would travel to Labuan to share the Sunday message to bring encouragement to the church there. He also helped to preach in other ECG churches since we were facing a shortage of pastors. With his eloquence in English and Chinese, he was one of the beloved translators in the BCCM Likas service.

2. He was a fine leader. Leaders are fine diamonds in the church today. To grow big we need to lead followers but to multiply we need to train leaders. Elder Thomas became a Christian for only 15 years but his knowledge of the Bible far exceeded that of many others. He held many positions of leadership in the church. In the international arena, he was also one of the resident coordinators of the Haggai Institute in Maui, a Christian institution well known for her leadership training programs. He was not just a leader but a trainer for leadership. It was an inspiration for me to work with Elder Thomas.

3. He finished well. It has always been said, ‘it is not how you start, but how you finish.’ The Christian life is often akin to a race. During the funeral service, a portion of Elder Thomas’s preaching came through the speakers. We were able to hear him speak on finishing well and he challenged all the church members to emulate Paul who said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7). He ended his sermon by asking, “would the Lord say you are a good and faithful servant when each of us meet him one day?” Elder Thomas had finished well. We have started. Will we finish well?

Christmas Is A Time For Celebration

2011-12-11T19:02:00.001-08:00

Luke 2:1-14

Rev. Johnny Wong

1) God loves us.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

2) God is always with us.

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. ~ Isaiah 43:2

3) God is for us.

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ~ Romans 8:31

Committing to the Commitment

2011-12-11T19:01:00.001-08:00

You Need a Plan

2011-12-11T19:00:00.001-08:00

Eulogy by bro. Joseph Wong, BCCM KK (E)

2011-12-11T18:56:00.001-08:00

Church Concerns

2011-12-11T18:51:00.001-08:00

Church Activities For This Week

2011-12-11T18:49:00.001-08:00

The Language of Appreciation

2011-12-06T01:07:00.001-08:00

by Rev. James Wong

Everyone is encouraged by a good word or a word of appreciation in the work place, at home, in church or anywhere. A word of encouragement and appreciation can boost the moral and enthusiasm of a person to work harder and accomplish more.

The bible talks about the power of our word. In fact it is so powerful that it has a life and death effect. “What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words” (Prov 18:21 TEV). How can we have a good word often? We must begin to learn a new language, that is, the language of appreciation. Here are some good examples that we can put into good use.

1. Encouraging word. Proverbs 12:25 says, “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” (NLT). Words that give courage, confidence and hope are known as encouraging words. A simple appreciation such as, “thank you for your good work” will boost the moral of the person doing the work. Some people are fearful for not being able to perform well and a word of encouragement will release their potential.

An encouraging word often brings healing to a relationship. To the church that had hurt him greatly, Paul wrote, “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge” (1 Cor 1:4-5 NLT). These were words that brought healing to a relationship that was already messed up with a number of unresolved issues.

2. Right word for the right occasion. “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” (Proverbs 15:23 NLT). We cannot be too generous or too stingy with our words. Both extreme will get us into trouble. Keeping a balance between the two is the wisdom of the tongue. Everyone will avoid people talking too much and there is no fun with someone who does not open their mouth. “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11 NIV). Avoid ‘verbal diarrhoea’ but ‘quick to listen and slow to speak’ (James 1:19) so that we can judge wisely and have the right word for the right occasion.

3. Avoid insulting words or cynicism. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph 4:29 NIV). Negative words create a negative impression most of the time. We need to watch our words. It is not our intention that counts but the effect of the hearers that counts. How would others feel if I were to say this? Such question will put us on a safe tract in our comments or conversation. Some people just don’t care how people feel and that is the reason why they are under the ‘avoid list’ of many people and disdained as such. Just like any language, the language of appreciation is a learned language. Let us learn to speak a good word about everything and about everyone.