Friday, April 10, 2009

Good Friday service - Four Men Who Bore Crosses

We had Sister Juwita Suwito as our guest of the night during our Good Friday service whom she has brought entertaining vocal abilities with her experiences with the Lord and written songs about him.

When come Pastor's message, it is his gentle reminder to all of us who are the men that bore the cross. There are 4 of them.

1) Simon of Cyrene
Matthew 27:32

The question we always ask - "WHY ME?"

"...until and unless you know God, you may have no idea what hit you and why are those crosses are on your shoulder?

2) The Rebellious Thief
Luke 23:39

"Always blame everyone except themselves."

"We must own up to our failures. We must acknowledge our need for a Saviour; and that we need help.

3) The Penitent Thief
Luke 23:40-43

"...we are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

4) The Cross on Jesus

"The crucifixion was as a result of sin, but He turned it into redemption from sin. The crucifixion was the result of hate, but He turned it into a revelation of LOVE."

"The crucifixion was the most eveil act of man, but God used it to vanquish the Evil One."

Saturday, April 04, 2009

The Three Wishes - An Easter Story

Today my brother has told me about this story and it was beautiful. I would like treasure this story and whoever reads it, they will be blessed. Enjoy!!

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure.I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones.I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean."I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings.I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"

The third little tree looked down into the valley below wherebusy men and women worked in a busy town."I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

Years passed- The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said,"This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me."With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way.She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop.But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even river; instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God... "

Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box."I wish I could make a cradle for him.", her husband whispered.The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood."This manger is beautiful." She said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat.The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beam was yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

So next time you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you...........

Passion Week (Palm Sunday) - From Acceptance to Rejection

Pastor remind us that it is the week before the cruxification of the Lord Jesus and also said that claimed that it is called "Palm Sunday" or "Passion Week" which leads him to entitled his message titled "Acceptance to Rejection" - Luke 19:28-44

1) The People did not understand who Jesus was.

Luke 23:13-14 ; 18-23

The people during that time misunderstood who Jesus was. (Luke 19:39-40)

What are the reasons christian backslide?
a) Offended by fellow Christians?
b) Offended by God?

Question thrown to us is when we are taken back to Luke 9:19-20.

Eventually:-

i) We need to know Jesus is indeed God. (Philippians 2:5-7)
ii) We need to know that He and the Heavenly Father is One. (John 12:21)
iii) We need to know that whoever He loves, He also disciplines them. (Hebrews 12:5)

In conclusion: "KNOWING HIM AS HE IS AND NOT WHAT YOU WANT HIM TO BE!!!"


2) The People did not recognise HIS PURPOSE

Luke 19:44 (NIV) & Luke 19:44 (KJV)

Remember that Jesus came to deliver us from Sin which is the bigger problem rather than just the issue of taking over ther earthly Kingdom.


3) The People did not accept HIS TERMS

Luke 19:42 & Luke 13:34

Jerusalem means Founded Peaceful

Pastor end with the book he had read which titled "The Man in the Mirror" by Patrick M. Morley.

"Cultural Christianity means to pursue the God we want instead of the God who is. It is the tendency to be shallow in our understanding of God, wanting Him to be more of a gentle grandfather type who spoils us and lets us have our own way. It is sensing a need for God, but on our own terms. It is wanting the God we have underlined in our Bibles without wanting the rest of Him, too. It is God relative instead of God absolute." - Patrick M. Morley, The Man in the Mirror, ch. 3, p. 49