Gerald Horton Bath (and Norman Vincent Peale) tells a story about a young African boy who listened carefully as a missionary teacher was trying to explain to him why Christians give presents to each other on Christmas day. " The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and of our friendship with each other," she said.

So when Christmas day came, the boy brought the teacher a seashell of lustrous beauty. "Where did you ever find such a beautiful shell?" she exclaimed as she fingered it and looked at it from every side. The youth told her that there was only one spot where such extraordinary shells could be found. When he named the place, she realized that it was a certain bay that was quite a few miles away from where they were, and she was stunned. "Why, it’s gorgeous, and it’s wonderful, but you shouldn’t have gone all that way to get a gift for me."

The young boy’s eyes brightened, and he answered, "Long walk part of gift." The angels left their realms of glory to proclaim amazing news to us of the Messiah’s birth. God himself had journeyed from heaven’s throne to a manger’s straw for us. He came to demonstrate his love; "long walk part of gift."

"A gift is a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth." – Proverbs 17:8

Speaker: Rev. Steven

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Children’s Christmas Party

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Pray For…..

Sis. Chang Lee Soo fr. Yong Peng will be joining Berean as a part-time ministerial staff

effective 1/12/2002. She will be in the office on Thursdays and Fridays.

Mandarin: Sunday – 9 am Worship Service

Tuesday -8 pm Prayer Meeting

Wed. –8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs - 8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil : Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

Each of us has a place of obedience. For some, it requires only a nudge of pressure to gently lead us toward God. For others, a lightning bolt is necessary to get our undivided attention. Many who are hard-hearted rebel against the living God. Yet God’s love for these individuals is so great that He takes extreme measures to gain their attention-and their hearts. When you come in contact with people like this, do not fear their arrogance. Instead, see them as God sees them-as people who need the Saviour and who could be a powerful force in the Kingdom if God saved them. It is a sign to begin praying for them.

Has God placed such an individual in your path? Perhaps God desires to use you to be an "Ananias" in the life of one of His wayward children. To do so requires a willingness to come alongside that one who needs your help. Who knows, that person could be the next apostle Paul.

(fr. TGIF Today God is First, Os Hillman)

Time: 5.00 pm

Venue: 2km, Jln Minyak Beku Swimming pool

(Come and congratulate those who will be getting baptised and fellowship together)

Dates: 23-25 Nov

Speaker: Rev. Joanne Lee

(Have a gala time, Youths!)

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Calling all Christians to pray for fellow Christians who are being persecuted daily for their faith in Christ.

After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, He appeared to the disciples. His first words to them were, "Peace be with you!" The word grace means "unmerited favour." When someone loves you unconditionally, without regard to your behaviour in return, it becomes a powerful force in your life. Such was the case for the disciples when Jesus appeared to them. They could have expected reprimand. Instead, they received unconditional love and acceptance. He was overjoyed to see them. They were equally overjoyed to see Him. Jesus understood that the disciples needed to fail Him as part of their training. It would be this failure that became their greatest motivation for service. Failure allowed them to experience incredible grace for the very first time. Grace would transform them as human beings.

Have you experienced this grace in your life? Have you extended grace to those who have hurt you? Can you let go of any wrongs that have come through friends or associates? The grace you extend may change their lives – and yours.

11/10 Friday 8.00 pm (Bi-lingual)

12/10 Sat 7.30 pm (English)

13/10 Sun 9.00 am (Mandarin)

Date: 20/10 at 3.00 pm

Venue: Church

 Dates: 23-25 Nov

Speaker: Rev. Joanne Lee

Dates: 19 –20 Dec

Venue: Awana, Genting

Chinese Evangelistic Dinner

Meeting in Perdana Ocean

Hosted by FGBMF (JB).

Date: 6^th Sept ’02 (Friday)

Time: 7.30 pm

Cost: RM150-00 per table

(Get your tickets from Ps. Ruth/Jasmine)

Leaders’ Retreat in Awana Genting Dates: 12-14 Sept

Pray that the church leaders will be refreshed and recharged in the retreat.

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• Henry Drummond -

AUGUST 2002

(Bi-lingual service)

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Berean plans to full-settle the church building loan with the bank by December 2002.

on 31^st August 2002 from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm. Pray for our nation, town and loved ones.

We share our grief and sorrow with Rita, Aunty Henry and family on the recent demise of dear Charles. Let us look to God to as the comforter of our souls.

Cost: RM 150.00 per table

AUGUST 2002

W.L. Douglas, the now wealthy shoe manufacturer, was once unemployed for so long that he was down to his last dollar. Nevertheless, he put half of that dollar – 50 cents – in the collection basket of the church.

The next morning Douglas heard of a job in a neighbouring town. The railroad fare to that town was one dollar. To all appearances it would have been wiser if he had kept that 50 cents. However with the half-dollar remaining he bought a ticket and rode halfway to the desired place. He stepped down from the train and began to walk to the town.

Before he had gone one block, Douglas heard of a factory right in that town where they were hiring men. Within 30 minutes he had a job at a salary of five dollars more per week than he would have received had he gone on to the other town.

The point is that if we put God first, He’ll take care of the rest. But if we give Him little or no place in our lives, we make Him powerless to help us. Remember, you can never outgive God!

20^th July(Saturday) 7.30 pm

& 21^st July (Sunday) 9.00 am

Speaker: Ps. Janice Fr. CLA, M’cca

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26^th July (Friday) 8.00 pm

& 27^th July (Saturday) 7.30 pm

Speaker: Ps. Benedict Rajen

Please pray for Bro. Charles Henry who is suffering from brain tumour. He is in critical condition. Pray for Rita (Charles’ wife) too for strength.

someone who will be willing to fetch the Youth on Sundays 3.00 pm to church for YA meetings. Take this opportunity to be of service to God!

Priscilla Raman has tendered her resignation. Her last day with the church is on 31/7/02. The church is very grateful to her for her willing and faithful services to Berean and will miss her dearly.

There will be hold a farewell reception for her after church service on 27/7.

Mission pledge will end in July ’02. Please fulfill your pledge asap.

Building pledge will commence from August-December 02.

The church is contemplating starting the International School of Ministry (ISOM) to raise godly, effective leaders.

The founder of ISOM, Berin Gilfillan has designed the course in 5 targetted areas with the aim of mobilizing the church globally for multiplication growth:

• Multiplication of the Word
• Multiplication of Disciples and the Principle of 12
• Multiplication of Leadership
• Multiplication of Anointing
• Multiplication of Churches

VCD teachings by international speakers, namely Jack Hayford, A.L. Gills, La Mar Boschman, to name a few will be used for the teaching sessions. Completion of the whole course (5 trimesters) will take about 2 years for a diploma. Each trimester costs about RM60. Registration will be opened in July. Contact your cell-leader for further details.

Dr. Bob’s Reply: This question did not come from one particular dad. Rather, it came from hundreds of dads when asked what is the toughest obstacle they face in being a Great Dad.

It is strangely ironic that this is the toughest obstacle cited by dads since it is the very thing that kids most wanted from their dads. This is because children spell love T-I-M-E. It’s as simple as that – and as profound as that.

So time’s the issue. If you spend one hour per week in one-on-one time with your child from the time he or she is born to age 18, the total amount of time you will spend is 39 days.

If you really want to give the children more of your time, the guiding principle is "seize the moment".

So much of the joy of fathering comes in the little moments tucked into each and every day, not necessarily the big planned events or annual family vacations.

Grab little pockets of time – 5 minutes here, 1 minute there. If you really want to "seize the moment", then practice the 5 second drill (for those of you with young kids). When your child comes up to you excited and says, "dad, listen to this, or "come here", before you answer no (because you’re tired, reading the newspaper, or both), just look into their eyes for 5 seconds and then answer. It’s a drill that works wonders.

Other tips for fun activities with children are developing a good number of traditions that kids love and family reading time. Kids love these activities and they strengthen the ties that bind a family close together.

Singer: Teoh Kim Fang

Our deepest sympathy to Bro. Gilbert Khoo and family on the recent demise of his beloved father.

Bereanites, please pray that God will comfort Gilbert & family during this time of bereavement.

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Praise God for an overwhelming response for this church camp. The number of participants exceeded 65 (adults & children), the original target.

JUNE 2002

This story is dedicated to all mothers …

Congratulations to a newly saved Youth in Youth Alive during one of their meetings. Welcome to God’s family!

May Highlights……….

To Edward Yeo and family, we share your grief on the recent demise of your beloved grandmother.

Sis. Lydia went for an operation recently. Pray for a speedy recovery.

- LOSING IT ALL & FINDING YOURSELF

For those who have not handed in their registration form, please do so immediately and submit your camp fees by 5/5/2002.

Discipleship involves not only devotion but also service. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is to "love your neighbour as yourself." Lordship involves your relationship to God. Service involves your relationship to others around you. A disciple must be a people person, one who is constantly involved in ministering God’s grace to others (1 Pet. 4:10).

No other illustration in Scripture depicts more graphically the importance God places upon ministry to the needs of people than the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). The essence of our love to God, Jesus said, is our willingness to respond to any need that we encounter. The priest was a religious man, but he did not know the love of God. The scribe was also a religious man, but he was too involved with his own schedule to stop and give a helping hand. It was only the Good Samaritan who became the living extension of the compassion of Jesus Christ to the dying man.

Eph. 4:12 indicates that it is God’s desire to equip every believer for the work of ministry. Submission to Christ’s lordship means submission to this equipping process which prepares the disciple for service. As you seek to make Christ lord of your life, He moulds you and equips you to serve others in His name.

Rom. 12:3-8 says that God has given you a measure of faith to function in a certain area of ministry. The fulfillment of your goal as a disciple entails discovering, developing, and deploying your spiritual gift or gifts in the service of others for the glory of God. The gift of each member of Christ’s body is essential to its overall health and effectiveness. Only when each member is functioning properly can the ministry of Christ on earth be fully accomplished.

Date: 4/4 & 5/4 (Thurs. & Fri.) 8.00 pm

6/4 (Sat) - 7.30 pm

All cell members are required to attend.

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There will be a cooking demo by Sis. Siew Lee.

See Daphne for tickets.

Ps. Ann will give an evangelistic message. Take this opportunity to bring your unsaved friends.

Response for the camp has been encouraging.

Looking for a job without fear of being retrenched?

The church has positions for a church administrator and general clerk.

Ring the church and make an appointment with Ps. Ruth.

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March 2002

As Easter approaches we cannot help but celebrate that Jesus’ resurrection proved that God had accepted the payment Jesus made for the sins of humanity. In and through Jesus’ dying, we receive forgiveness for our sins.

We live in a time when few know much about forgiveness because more and more people are making excuses for their wrongdoing, refusing even to admit that they sin. If they do something wrong, it’s blamed on someone else or on the situation. Christian, more than ever, need to share and demonstrate God’s word about forgiveness.

What forgiveness is:

• Forgiveness does not tolerate wrongdoing. If we truly care about people and their salvation, we need to care about whether they’re living according to God’s word. This attitude should make you helpful, not judgmental.

• Forgiveness and forgetting don’t necessarily happen together. Forgetting should never be a test of whether a person has forgiven. The miracle of forgiveness is that, with God’s help, you can forgive even while you still remember.

• Forgiveness is not conditional. God’s forgiveness is not conditional on whether we forgive others. His forgiveness is acceptance – without any exception.

• Forgiveness costs. The forgiveness we received was costly – it cost Jesus His life. Forgiveness means giving up the hatred and resentment that sometimes, sadly, one may even enjoy harbouring.
• Forgiveness includes actions. Jesus not only pronounced forgiveness on His people, He actually won forgiveness by going to the cross.

• Forgiveness is a present event. Don’t delay in forgiving someone. For Christians, forgiveness is a lifestyle. It is actually something that is here and now – not for tomorrow, but for today.

• Forgiveness is freedom. There is nothing more free that when God says to you Your sins are forgiven. Equally freeing is when you can forgive others immediately. Forgiveness is an act of the will. If you will supply the desire to forgive others, Christ will supply the emotional freedom.

Date: 30 March (7.30 pm-Combined)

31 March (9.00 am-Mandarin)

Speaker: Sandra Ee

Check out these video tapes:

Benny Hinn - This is Your Day with Tommy Tenny

(Author of "The God's Chaser".)

Story Keepers - Children's cartoon

21-day Prayer & Fasting

Dates: 4-24 March

February 2002

Time: 7.00 pm

Ang Pow Offering (For church building)

Speaker: Rev. Phillip Lee

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Venue: Dr. Tai’s residence

3, Jln Perdana 2/11

Taman Bukit Perdana

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Uncle Ng Lai Siah has not been feeling well and has not been able to attend church services. Members are encouraged to visit him and pray for him.

Hallelujah Hallelujah

The church family camp will be held on

26^th – 28^th May 2002 in Tanjung Puteri Golf Resort, Pasir Gudang, JB. The cost will be less than RM180/- (adult). Details of camp will be announced in our next bulletin.

Plan your leave early. Budget wisely. Do whatever you can to join the church camp and have a time of fun, fellowship, spiritual food, sumptuous meals etc, etc, with brothers and sisters in Berean. An exciting camp is waiting for us!

Hallelujah Hallelujah

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Gal. 6:9 -

January 2002

 From the Pastor’s desk…

We thank God for His great faithfulness for the past year. Let us enter into year 2002 with great challenge by the power of the Holy Spirit as it is said in His word, "Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit," says the Lord Almighty (Zech 4:6). Also we know that the day of His returning is drawing near. Therefore we got to determine to arise and build a strong and healthy church in our town. Matt. 16:17 "…the power of hell will not conquer it"(New Living Bible).

• By living a life of Christ-centered relationship i.e. a willingness to allow God’s divine love to deal with differences and relate to one another in love.
• By serving the Lord with humility and complement one another through our spiritual gifts.
• By having a consuming passion for Jesus’ Great Commission in our lives. "For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost" ( Luke 19:10). "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 (Matt 28:19).

Let us reach our town with Friendship Evangelism, for the people need the Lord. Give your best to Him. Have a blessed New Year

- Pastor Ruth -

Pastor Ruth (Pastor-in-charge); Neo Soon Siak (Treasurer); Raymond Chua (Secretary);

Teoh Choon Ann (Committee).

Tamil: Aunty Saro

Prayer: Neo Soon Siak

Music: Teoh Choon Ann

Cell Group: Raymond Chua

Sunday School: Jasmine Tan

Youth: Chua Chee Kheong

Grounds: Yau Sam

Social: Melissa Ma Hong Ping

Transport: Priscilla Raman

Congratulations to Melinda Tay. She has given birth to a baby girl on Sunday, 16/12/2001.

Best wishes and congratulations to Dr. Tay on her new clinic, Tay Child Specialist Clinic.

12/1 Revival Meeting

Speaker: Ricky Cheng

Come prepared and expect God to move in power and might. Pray that hearts will be touched.

10/1 Mission Sharing

Speaker: Bro. Jeb Lim

I can do everything through him who gives me strength - Phil 4:13

There are various needs in the all the departments, e.g.

Transport dept. – drivers

Grounds dept. – handyman, cleaners

Music dept – guitarist, drummers, pianist

S/School dept. – s/s teachers, musicians

Social dept. – cooks….

Etc., etc…..

If you wish to help out in the various departments as mentioned above, or if you think that there are other areas that you would like to help out, please contact the pastor or the departmental leaders.