Setting aside time to patch up your armor of God

Hello TJC PJ Youths!

It has been a long while since I've greeted you all, and I hope that everyone is doing great under God's guidance.

Anyway, I've just returned from the one week National Working Youth Seminar held at Australia, and I just wanted to share my thoughts. I feel that it is very important to attend these sort of seminars regularly for spiritual nurture. It is not about being a counsellor or an administrator in bible camps or teolo, nor is it about youth fellowships, outings and bible studies, although I do not deny that those programmes also help in our spiritual growth.

When I was attending this one week seminar, I realized just how long have I not set aside time to focus on spiritual cultivation. When I say set aside time, it means to forget about work, uni and every other thing except to learn the words of God. It is not merely setting aside your Sabbath day every week to attend church service and other activities in church on Saturday. I realize that my armor of God has become very rusty and I thank God that I had this opportunity to attend NWYS.

I acknowledge that a lot of you are doing a lot better than me in terms of setting aside time for God, but to some others, when was the last time you set aside one week solely to receive God's words and to renew you faith?

Hope that everyone has the opportunity for this soon. May God continue to guide us all.

Emmanuel

Praying in the Holy Spirit

Jude 20 - "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."

During a recent youth service, we had a survey and found out that quite a number of youths pray less than 5 minutes a day.

Although we may have the Holy Spirit, but a lot of times we still find ourselves struggling to overcome our lusts and desires.

Rom 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses by interceding for us in our prayer.

It is through prayers that we use the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, to guide us and help us to submit to God's will. What good is a counselor if we don't spend time to seek for His advice? It is just like having a car but you rather leave the car at home and walk to your destination.

The Holy Spirit can help us, only if we have the heart to spend more time in prayers.

Try to improve in your prayer times gradually and give the Holy Spirit a chance to help you.

Life Goes Green (25-26 Oct)

Registration fee including transport and meal for working youth is RM 30. Non working youth RM 15. All youths are invited.

Most painful moment

1. Have you wonder, when we are painful, what is our reaction?


2. What if we are at the most painful moment, what are we screaming at?


3. Most of us, including me, I will shout, Oh no, why me? or we would start cursing this and that or blaming who and whatever.


4. What would you think of Jesus reaction, when Jesus was at his most painful moment?
5. Watch this tube, Can you tell me the answer?

Bandung Fever Hits PJ

3rd Oct Friday was the start of a memorable occasion. In the morning 18 youths from the Nafiri Choir in Bandung church arrived at PJ church...oh and along with 3 adorable children. They were greeted eagerly by youths in PJ who were still on Hari Raya holiday.

After an icebreaking session, prayer and brief introduction of our GA office next door, we set out to Times Square in 2 vans and 2 cars.

All of us had lunch at the food court, and then we split up, with each group having a few youths from pj to serve as guides.

Besides walking around Times Square, we also took a walk to Sungei Wang. Somehow our chocolates are very popular with the Bandung members. I feel so proud of Malaysian chocolates!

It started to rain when we were walking back to our transport, so we took them for a feel of malaysian rain as well. Luckily no one was sick, or none that I know of :)

Unfortunately I didn't tag along during the evening journey, but heard everyone had a very sumptious dinner courtesy of Gombak members. They also had night service at Gombak and took a tour of KLCC. Maybe others who went along got something to add??

Sumptious Dinner Courtesy of Gombak

4th Oct Sat morning, the Bandung members visited Subang and Cheras church. Too bad I wasn't there as well.

We had afternoon Sabbath service together at PJ church. There was also an impromptu fellowship session where we get to hear singing from the Nafiri choir and our ownselves.

On Saturday night, we have a choir fellowship with the Central region churches, together with Hosanna and Nafiri Choir at Klang church. It was really packed and we get to meet with our friends from other churches and share hymns of praise to God.

PJ and Nafiri Choir Group Photo

In Front of Klang Church

On 5th Oct Sun, we had breakfast at a member's restaurant. There we get to taste all kinds of food like curry laksa, pan mee, wan tan mee and bak kut teh mee.

Breakfast

Later on, we went to Petaling Street and Central Market for them to buy souvenirs and have a local "feel". Our last stop was to Kajang church where we had a short fellowship with the youths there.

The trip to the airport was rather hectic but memorable in a weird way. We actually reached there 20 mins before the flight departure. It was really a mad scramble not only for the Indonesians but for us as well who helped them with the luggage and check in. Thank God that through His guidance, the Bandung members were still allowed to board the plane!!

As we stood at the glass to wave goodbye to each Bandung member, I felt sad that we may never see our newfound friends for a long time, but glad that God's love has called us together even though we are from different countries.

Till we meet again...

Farewell....

Instrumental Christian Music available!

I have about 1.1 GB of instrumental Christian music which I would like to share with everyone, feel free to ask them from me anytime. A majority of them are quite soothing and relaxing (like angels playing the harp and streams of music), the others are more majestic, grand. Just like the pop songs we choose to suit our moods, these music can also be played according to our tastes =)

Malacca Outing

On 30-31 August 22 youths (11 bros and 11 sisters) went down to malacca for outing. Special thanks to Sis Lye Lin for her willingness to be our tour guide.

On arrival, we went for sabbath service and youth service at Malacca church.

At night, the malacca youths brought us to a food court for dinner. Then, our tour guide brought us around malacca town to view the old old buildings, it's just like entering into a different era. Then, we went walking around jonker street..where we get to find lots of people, taste delicious food, buy souvenirs and antique stuff or see and explore old old buildings. It's really amazing to see the existence of chinese associations teaching traditional dances or singing old hokkien tunes with its doors wide open to the streets, and you can just walk right in.

Right before the stroke of midnight, we managed to gather ourselves at Dataran Pahlawan for the supposedly countdown to national day. Unfortunately, there was lots of people but nothing happened and we could only see fireworks coming from a distant place. Nevertheless, it was fun just hanging around at the field, taking pics and celebrating one of the sister's bday, which happened to fall on national day as well.

Merdeka Countdown at Dataran Pahlawan

Thanks to the kind hospitality of malacca members, we managed to stay overnight in church.

On Sunday, we joined in the morning prayer with malacca members before proceeding to taste the famous chicken rice ball at jonker street. At the town square, we get to admire the buildings steep in history, explore the old Christ church, stadhuys town hall, and take a short hike up St Paul's hill to view the ruins of St Paul's church. Over there, we get to see old gravestones and enjoy a breathtaking view of malacca right up to the sea while enjoying the cool breeze.

At Merdeka Town Square

Near the A'Famosa entrance

There were many museums around malacca but we didnt have time to explore any. I can't help but feel a tiny interest in history after experiencing it by myself.

When the sun gets hotter, we went to the Mahkota Parade shopping centre - finally, a not so old looking place! There, we rested and enjoyed the baskin robbins ice cream at a discount price.

Before returning to PJ, we visited a centre which sold dodol kuihs and other products made from durian, honey etc. We also tasted the famous satay celup before returning home.

Thank God for a wonderful trip and i am sure all of us enjoyed it very much.

It was hot, but the trip was worth it