Rev. Peter Chin's Update

He can smile!
Yes, he did. I was talking to him, when my mom came in and asked Pastor not to entertain me and my nonsense! (I know, what a mom I have huh?) And Pastor actually smiled! He did, it was no imagination of ours. Well, we both saw it, and since we're not deluded, we can conclude that he did smile.
Pastor's looking pretty much like his normal self, with the exception of some tubes and wires stuck randomly about his body. His eyes are as big as ever. At one point during the visit, I think he "jeling" at one of the nurses. He looks a bit fierce then.
I think he recognizes most of the people who visits him, and I'm telling you there's like a never ending stream of people during the visitation hours.
I'm in awe actually of the many, many lives that he has touched. There was even a lady who has only spoken to him twice on the phone and yet, she is one of those who visits most frequently and brings lunch for Mrs. Chin. I've also met a lady who has only heard Pastor speaking in her church a few times, and yet, she hears about him in Gleneagles and makes the visit with her current pastor.
The dcotor is a little worried that he does not respond quite well to basic commands like open your mouth and closing it. (Why does this make me think of dog training?!) I digress. In my humble opinion and obervation, (spoken without medical knowledge), Pastor seems to have a little difficulty opening his mouth because of the Tracheotomy attached to his throat. He seems to be in pain when he swallows and even when he coughs, his mouth is close. (My mom says it's good manners, well...)
However, I believe (once again, speaking without medical knowledge) that because he underwent brain surgery on his left side of the brain, this part would need time to time to heal. The right side of the body has minimal movement, but his right hand did show some movements when we prayed for him.
Personally putting myself in his shoes, the battle that needs to be fought is actually in his brain, his thoughts. It is normal I think, to feel frustration and negative feelings. From an active person to suddenly having minimal movement, lying there to recuperate, it IS a drastic change. The rest of it, speech, walking, writing can be picked up again, but first we must start this battle with his thoughts, by encouraging him, dispelling his fears and negativity. We need to pray for his spirits to be lifted up by the Holy Spirit, and for hope and faith to constantly fill his mind.
We also need to pray for financial support to come in as the hospital bills are not small amounts, but I believed that even as I write this, GPM churches from all over Malaysia are actively raising funds, and I see God's hands moving, sending the funds.
Please, continue to uphold Pastor in your prayers. And if you want to contribute to Pastor's medical fees, please contact any of the numbers listed in the side panel, Sis.Melissa or Brother Jacob.

After the church meeting

John Piper encourages his church to come "on the lookout for God and leave on the lookout for people". Our faith and love for God is always expressed in our love for others. So try to find people who are new in your church or who don't appear to know others. A new Christian named Lynn dropped me a note:" I don't think people who have grown up going to church know how hard it is to walk into a new setting and feel comfortable," she said. She had visited several churches but left feeling lonely every time because no one took the time to greet her or get to know her.

My family loves to use Sundays whenever we can to invite people to our home. It's the perfect day for fellowship with others and a time when you can reflect together on what God spoke through the message. Sunday should be a day we enjoy to the fullest for God's glory. It's a chance to take a breather from all the hectic pursuits of the week and reinvigorate ourselves spiritually. It's a way to prepare our hearts for all the challenges and temptations we'll face as the rest of the week unfolds.

The puritans called the Lord's Day the "market day for the soul". By that they meant that Sunday was a day for stocking up spiritually for the week ahead. Ask what you could do to "stock up" more successfully. Because no matter how you spend Sunday, Monday always shows up before you know it.

For a lot of us the weekly schedule of school, work and the hectic pace of life seems to all but erase what we experienced at church. But this doesn't have to be the case ! Sunday should not only be something we look forward to and anticipate, but also something we draw from as the week unfolds. To get the most benefit from Sunday's worship and message, I encourage you to seek to review and apply what you learned throughout your week. Check out James 1:22-25

Weekly Announcement

Rev. Peter Chin will be undergoing a scan tomorrow mid-morning. The doctors will take away the ventilator that is helping him to breathe.

The doctors will perform Tracheotomy, a surgical procedure on the neck to open a direct airway through an incision in the trachea.

They will also insert a brain shunt for pastor. A shunt is a tube that is put in, starting inside one of your brain ventricles. The function is to drain away extra fluid in the brain.

Therefore, we covet all your prayers. Do pray that the procedures will go smoothly, pray against the enemy's plans and that pastor will recover his alertness and arise!

Prayer warriors, let's pray.

Weekly Announcement

Pray for Rev. Peter Chin

Please pray for pastor as he is currently warded in the ICU. Pray that there will NOT be any bleeding in the brain, or else, it would be extremely critical. Also pray for stability in all of his body functions, especially his blood pressure, and for God's healing to be with him.

Rescuing Sunday Part 2

During the meeting
When you walk into church, remember the eternal significance of what you're joining. You are gathering with the people of God. You've come to worship God, and He will be present by His Holy Spirit.

As the meeting starts, remember that you're not here to be entertained. You're not part of an audience but part of a congregation. What matters isn't whether you have a good voice or whether you like the style of music being played. What matters isn't even what you feel.

Worshiping with song is a chance to sing truth and express praise and gratefulness to God. So don't live by your feelings in this moment. Instead, focus your mind on the truth of what you sing and the Person to whom you're singing. God is observing and receiving your worship.
Be careful how you hear
The sermon is the most important part of the meeting. It has everything to do with the authority and power of the Word of God. When God's Word is preached to us, in a very real sense God is speaking. God Himself is addressing you through His Word. This is why the way we listen to preaching is so important. We shouldn't be passive observers as how we listen and apply what we hear either honours or dishonours God.

Listening to preaching is an act of worship when you listen with an eager mind and responsive heart. It's an act of worship because you listen to God speaks through His Word. Because God is speaking, we need to realize our responsibility as we listen. Hearing the truth obligates us to respond to it. Jesus told us, "Therefore consider carefully how you listen" (Luke 8:18 NIV)

Therefore, I encourage you to express your commitment to listen carefully by bringing your Bible and whatever will allow you to record key points from a sermon. Think of your notes as memory joggers to help you leave church with the big ideas firmly in mind.

(Source:Stop dating the church, fall in love with the family of God by Joshua Harris)

Weekly Announcement

Rescuing Sunday

On Sundays, Christians go to church. Everybody knows that. It's a habit like sleeping, breathing...and all the other things we do without thinking. And I suppose that's the problem. We could do it in our sleep. Some of us do. We have lived through hundreds and thousands of Sunday meetings. On far too many of those Sundays, we have...
- woken up late
- walked into church groggy
- worshiped distractedly (thinking where to go and what to eat later)
- listened occasionally
- left early
- and remembered very little

Is this the kind of worship service God wants us to have? How much more you could have gained if your Sundays had been prepared for in advance, fully enjoyed and engaged in with vigor and purpose? Because the truth is, Sunday for a child of God is the best day of the week. For us, those few hours have a strategic and irreplaceable value. They're meant to be packed with promise, full of surprises and pulsing with life ! Every Sunday is meant to be a great day, and we should approach it expectantly and in full awareness.

BEFORE THE MEETING
So, do we really need to prepare for the service? If we have something to wear and our hair combed, what's the big deal? But getting ready for the service is more than putting on clean clothes and making a quick run past the mirror. We need to get our hearts ready. We shouldn't expect a rich spiritual experience in the service if we're not willing to prepare our hears and minds. Think about other parts of life: Before we play sports, we warm up. Before a big presentation at work, we review our notes. Before we take exams, we study. Why should we assume that we can show up on Sunday with no spiritual preparation?

1. A great Sunday starts Saturday night. One of the wisest decisions you can make is to get to bed early so that you're rested and ready for the next morning.
2. On Sunday morning, wake up early enough to give yourself time to get ready for church and spend some unhurried moments in God's Word and in prayer. Psalm 19 is a good passage to meditate on.
3. Take time to thank God for His Word and for His goodness in saving you. Recount His many blessings in your life.
4. Avoid intrusions and distractions such as news, work around the house, video games, anything that could hinder yourself to be fully prepared to come before a holy and transcendent God.

Do whatever it takes to protect the 'Great Day' ahead and help your family and friends arrive at church with ready, expectant hearts.

So what should you do during the meeting? Stay tuned for next update =)

Source: Stop dating the church, fall in love with the family of God by Joshua Harris

Weekly Announcement