DECEMBER 2003

"The great question for us is this: Is our Christmas still only a story about a baby, or is it more, a . . . story about a Person into whom the baby grew, who can redeem the world from its sins, and who calls us into partnership with His great and mighty purposes?"

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he said, "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Mt. 1:21). It is only as we see the birth of Jesus in light of His crucifixion and resurrection that we are able to grasp the full meaning of Christ's coming.

With your eyes wide open this Christmas, respond to God with love and commitment for the gift of His Son. Focus your thoughts and actions and motivations toward honoring the Baby who grew up and died for all our sins.

Christ the Savior is born! –DCM

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Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. – 8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil :

Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday- 8 pm Cell Group

NOVEMBER 2003

--Deuteronomy 32:46

A popular pizza restaurant that caters to children advertises itself as "a place where a kid can be a kid." Actually, a child should be able to be a child anywhere.

But creating a child's world goes beyond letting a kid be a kid. Parents must understand their responsibilities in guiding that child. And for that we need to look at what the Bible says about parenting:

• Parents must teach God's truth (Dt. 4:9; 32:46).
• Parents must lovingly discipline children because they are immature and need guidance (Prov. 22:15; 29:15).
• Parents should not exasperate their children (Eph. 6:4).
• Parents' wise decisions bring blessing to their children (Dt. 30:19-20).
• Parents who are godly teach their children to obey (Eph. 6:1; 1 Tim. 3:4).
• Parents who faithfully train their children can be confident that their efforts are not in vain (Prov. 22:6).

Above all, to create a child's world, your home needs to be a place where you serve one another through God's love (Gal. 5:13). And it doesn't hurt to have some pizza now and then too! --JDB

Calling all parents out there. Remember to get your questions ready for the pastor.

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Halleluyah! Come and join in this celebration of baptism with the following brothers and sisters in CHRIST: Richard Ho, Ho Kee Luan, Susie Teo, Christopher Yong, Alvin Ter, Bryan Boo, Eileen Boo, Evania Neo, Charis Ong and 5 more from the Chinese congregation. Amen!

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School holidays is coming soon. Well, bring your children aged 10yrs-12yrs for this fun holiday camp in Berean AOG. For more information, please contact sister Jasmine.

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Let us thank sister Nirmala for availing herself to serve as a church clerk in Berean AOG from Oct 03 – Dec 03. She will be assisting Pastor Ruth to answer phone calls.

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Bereanites would like to thank brother Raymond and sister Daphne for their time, service and dedication in Berean AOG. Joy, Reuben and Joseph will bring blessings to other in kids in KL. Pray that the Lord’s hand will be upon them and this family will greatly bless and greatly use by GOD wherever they go.

Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. – 8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil :

Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

OCTOBER 2003

Cleanse me from my sin. . . . Then I will teach transgressors Your ways. --Psalm 51:2,13

If Christians were more honest about their own sinfulness, they would be more effective in reaching nonbelievers for Christ.

Philip Yancey told of a prostitute, sick and without food, who asked an inner-city Christian worker for help. When he suggested that she should go to a church, she replied, "Church! Why would I go there? They'd make me feel worse than I already do!"

We who go to church regularly tend to put on a happy face or look pious on Sunday morning. This may give the impression that we never struggle with temptation or fall short of the high standard we profess. No wonder many street people or down-and-outers who visit church get the feeling that they are the only bad ones there.

from ODB January 2, 1994

Do invite your friends, relatives to this meeting. It is an evangelistic and revival meeting that will have an impact in your life. The meetings will encourage YOU and discover a BREAKTHROUGH in your LIFE.

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2. The change of new PM, Datuk Ahmad Badawi in Oct 03, smooth transition in leadership.
3. Evangelistic / Revival meeting on 9-11^th Oct. Pray for the speaker, Rev. Benedict Rajan that there will be strong anointing. Many will turn up and will be blessed, souls will be saved.
4. PMR and SPM exam candidates – that God will bless them in their studies and that they will learn to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide them and give them confidence in their exams.
5. Pray for the upcoming Parenting Seminar on 31/10 & 1/11. Many will turn up and learn what GOD has in store for them through the speaker, Pastor Yee Tham Wan.

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Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. – 8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil : Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

SEPTEMBER 2003

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. --Mark 12:30

Several years ago, a Harvard Business School professor wrote an open letter to the nation's graduates. He told them that in one sense they needed to forget what they had learned in school. He said that schools tend to put too much emphasis on the idea that success comes as a result of passing tests and is based on individual performance rather than on group effort and cooperation. The professor pointed out, though, that in the workplace doing well depends largely on learning to succeed in what he called a "web of relationships."

This truth also applies to living the Christian life. We often think that spiritual maturity and success result from how much we know about biblical facts and principles. Christ showed us, however, that it comes from something else--from loving one another in the same way He loved us. He made it clear that we can do this only if we "abide" in Him (Jn. 15:7). This means we must stay close to Him through prayer, and that we will obey His commands (v.10). Our web of relationships must extend to God and then to others.

The secret of spiritual success is not just in acquiring individual knowledge--it's in coupling that knowledge with love in all our relationships. --MRDII

Do invite your friends, relatives to this rally. It is an evangelistic and the programmes are very lively. The meetings will especially appeal to the youth and the young at heart.

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2. Best Friend Rally 2 on 20/9. That many will turn up and souls will be saved.

Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. – 8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil : Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

AUGUST 2003

Saint Francis was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1182. After an early indulgent life as a soldier, he reformed his ways dramatically, at the age of twenty-five, and determined to serve God by imitating the selfless life of Christ in all that he did. Although his family were people of considerable means, Francis scorned the possession of material goods, denounced his inherited wealth, denied himself everything but the most meager necessities, and devoted himself completely to moving about his area as Christ's representative. At the age of twenty-eight Francis founded the influential Franciscan Order of Friars, which developed into a large movement of young men and some women who adopted his religious beliefs and ascetic style of life

Saint Francis came to preach--with smiles he met the friendless, fed the poor, freed a trapped bird, led home a child; Although he spoke no word--his text, God's love, the town did not forget.

A familiar verse that has become especially popular in recent years is the thoughtful prayer written by this medieval monk during the early years of his life:

DATE: 22^ND Aug

TIME: 8.00 PM

(Bi-Lingual)

All members are encouraged to attend to pray for Batu Pahat and the churches. All leaders and departmental leaders are expected to attend.

Thank you, to those who have registered early. We hope that all campers will pay the fees by 31/7 to make it easier for the organisers to plan. All who have paid in full will receive a free camp T-shirt. Please wear the T-shirt for photo-shoot during camp.

Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. –8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil : Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

JULY 2003

(How best selling author turned pain and desperation into a passion for prayer-

Stormie Omartian’s books, The Power of a Praying Wife, The power of Praying Woman and Praying God’s will for Your Life dominate the Christian best-seller list.

Prayer and total surrender to God healed Omartian’s brokenness, helped her forgive her mother for verbally and physically abusing her and turned around her once troubled marriage. Her faith also carried Omartian through a yearlong recovery after she nearly died from a burst appendix. Through it all, she has learned much about the central role of prayer in every Christian’s life.

A: It was because I was desperate for God – for his help in overcoming the scars of my past. Every time I read something in the Bible about prayer, I did what it said.

A: The Bible is filled with references to prayer and fasting as the way to receive God’s wisdom and power. It is not about works or manipulating God into responding; it’s about putting God first.

A: I challenge people to think, What could I accomplish today if I allowed God to work through me? What would I like to see? Think of something that you want to do beyond what you can do, and pray for that.

Too often we underestimate prayer’s power. When you realise that power, you realize you can’t afford not to pray. The more you have to do, the more time you should spend praying. And that, in turn, blesses what you’re doing.

Date: 6^th July (Sunday)

Time: 2.30 pm

Venue: Carnival Hotel

Speaker: Ps. Maggie Krishnan

Ticket: RM14-00 per ticket

In conjunction with the National Prayer and Fasting chain organised by NECF, Rev. Bradley Stuart from Africa will be in our church to conduct this combined churches’ seminar on prayer and fasting for the nation.

The Prayer and Fasting chain will start on 21/7 and ends on 29/8.

Stormie Omartian’s books are highly recommended for anyone who would like to change the way you pray and expect God’s answers to prayer. Read and be blessed!

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Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. –8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil : Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

JUNE 2003

Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice – Prov. 29:3

A hard-working single dad named William Jackson Smart was the inspiration for the creation of Father’s Day. His wife died in 1898 while giving birth to their sixth child, and the Civil war veteran was left to raise the children alone in rural Washington.

In May 1909, Smart’s daughter, by then a married woman named Sonora Dodd, heard a sermon enumerating the virtues of motherhood. It was Mother’s Day, a new American holiday that had begun the previous year. Sonora decided to honour her dad’s dedication to his children by seeking to have a Father’s Day designated on the calendar. The day caught on, but it wasn’t permanently established as an annual holiday in the US until 1972.

What a vital role fathers can play in the home as they train their children to follow God’s ways! Proverbs 4 gives these nuggets of wisdom that dads can pass on to their children: "Do not enter the path of the wicked" (v.14). "Keep your heart with all diligence" (v.23). "Put away from you a deceitful mouth" (v.24). And finally, "Remove your foot from evil" (v.27).

The church has embarked on a community project, aimed at reaching out to the public. These remedial classes are specially tailored to benefit those forms 1 and 2 students who are weak in English, Maths and Science subjects.

Sis. Phyllis Low : 012-7279600 or

Church : 07-4312152

Subject Teacher Time

Maths & Science Mr. Lee K Hwa Mon 7.45 pm

English Sis. Lilian Sheng Tues 8.00 pm

Both teachers have vast teaching experiences and are well known and respected in their schools.

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Last date of registration: 30^th June 2003

Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. –8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil : Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

MAY 2003

What is a mother’s idea of a dream home? A one-storey, ranch-style house on a half-acre lot with a fenced-in yard for the children? Three bedrooms, two large bathrooms, a big family room, a modern kitchen, and a two-car garage? Or maybe her dream home would have a beautiful garden and a view overlooking a quiet lake.

As good as these features may be, most mothers know it takes more to make a house a home. The most important characteristics of a home are the spiritual qualities and the love between father, mother and children.

In Proverbs 15, Solomon said that it is better to live in poverty while fearing the Lord than to possess great treasure and have trouble because of it (v. 16). It is better to eat a dinner of herbs where there is love than to sit around a meal or steak dinner in the presence of strife (v. 17). And a dream home is a place where children obey their father and honour their mother (v.20). A loving, spiritual atmosphere is the feature most desired in a home, and that can be found in a simple one-room house or in a spacious mansion.

Mothers, this is your special day. Come and be blessed and know what God has in store for you!

The safest place to be in is to be with God’s family, gathering in God’s presence, ……

Watch out for further announcements on church camp during service and news bulletins.

APRIL 2003

"It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (1 Cor 15:43)

Outside my study window a beautiful monarch butterfly rested on a flower blossom. It fanned its wings slowly with exquisite grace. That stately monarch was once a repulsive green worm, feeding on milkweed leaves. Then it built a coffin for itself and hung from a twig. In time it emerged, transformed into a beautiful creature - that butterfly outside my study window.

The life cycle of the butterfly occurs in four stages: the egg, the larva, the chrysalis, and the adult. It begins with an egg – the seed of the butterfly, which hatches into an ugly worm. But that is not its destiny. The worm must "die" to give birth to the butterfly.

I see in the caterpillar a picture of sinful human beings who need the transformation of a spiritual new birth (John 3:3). The butterfly, released from its tomb in the chrysalis, illustrates the transformation that will occur when Jesus returns and changes our earthly bodies into glorious bodies fit for life in heaven (1 Cor 15:42-44).

Our Mission Statement No. 1 is to bring people to Jesus Christ as members of God’s community. Let us take this opportunity to bring as many people as possible to Jesus Christ, those who are sick and needy. People need the Lord.

Sister Margaret Lowe has a powerful prophetic, teaching and deliverance ministry and she has ministered in many countries with signs and wonders following. Christians and non-Christians alike, come and expect a life transforming touch from the Lord!

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Committee leaders, cell leaders, Sunday school teachers and departmental leaders are expected to attend this training.

Mandarin: Sunday – 9 am Worship Service

Sunday - 11.30 am Prayer Meeting

(Alternate)Wed. –8 pm Sr. Citizen’s Meet

Thurs -8 pm Cell Groups

Tamil : Thurs - 8 pm Prayer Meeting

Friday – 8 pm Cell Group

MARCH 2003

Bible Text: Mark 12:41-44

This poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury. – Mark 12:43

It was front-page news in the local paper. The article told of two wealthy businessmen who had given $149 million to charitable causes over a period of 8 years. That’s a sum worthy of headlines.

But let’s keep this in perspective. These men and their foundations are doing much good for the community and for the cause of Christ around the world. And we are grateful that God blesses some people with wealth to benefit others. But giving of this magnitude doesn’t necessarily involve much personal sacrifice. If someone is a billionaire, the giving of millions represents only a fraction of what he is worth.

The bible records another account of big giving that would be worthy of today’s front page. Jesus evaluated a poor widow as she dropped two mites into the temple treasury. It was a gift of astronomical proportions. Jesus said, "This poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury" (Mk 12"43). The wealthy gave "out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had" (v.44). The amount a person gives isn’t as important as the sacrifice behind the gift.

If Jesus evaluated my giving by the principle of sacrifice, would I make the headlines? Would you?

We are targeting RM60,000 pledge for 10 months i.e. March to December 2003. The mission pledge will go towards the various missions organizations and needs around us. Let us give generously as unto the Lord.

Thank God for those who have given generously. The building belongs to Berean now! All bank loans have been settled. Thank you for your pledges towards the building.

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The church has started the International School of Ministry (ISOM) teachings in Berean on 25/2/2003 with a batch of 9 participants, both from the English and Chinese sections. Lessons will be held every Tuesday evenings at 8.00 pm.

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Speaker: Margaret Lowe. Dates: 18/4 – 20/4.

FEBRUARY 2003

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"Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is Love. - 1 Jn 4:7,8 -

(Offerings collected will go towards purchasing a LCD projector)

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Dates: 14/2 & 15/2

(Meeting is open to all cell and non-cell members.

Come on and join this seminar to understand more about the importance of cell groups).

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Youth Alive !

Speaker:

Rev. Joanne Lee on 16/2/03 at 3 pm

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We want to thank you for your faithful giving. Your investment into God’s kingdom will surely be rewarded.

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God is doing a great work in our midst! Souls are being brought into His kingdom almost daily through Pastor and members.

We welcome new souls saved for the past 2-3 weeks, namely Peter Ong, Frankie Yeap,

Siew Yan, Mrs. Kee, Sze Seen, Loong and others.

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JANUARY 2003

What makes a man great? Be a VISIONARY! The following key ingredients will help you to become all that God has destined you to be.

We rejoice together with the angels in heaven for new souls saved in Youth Alive as well as during the Christmas Service. Welcome aboard, Kek Khai Hong and others.

Check the library for the latest collection of books, video/audio tapes and VCDs.

Introducing Berean committee leaders and departmental

Committee Leaders

Departmental Co-ordinators

1. Tamil Cell - Aunty Saro

2. Prayer - Neo Soon Siak

3. Music - Teoh Choon Ann

4. Cell Group - Raymond Chua

5. Sunday School - Jasmine Tan

6. Youth Alive - Elberd Boo

7. Grounds - Yau Sam

8. Social - Phyllis Low

Berean wish to thank those who have served faithfully for the year 2002.

Pray for the Pastor, the leaders and departmental co-ordinators

that they will work together with unity and with renewed zeal for the glory of God.

"You get the best out of others when you

Thank you to Melissa Boo and her team of helpers during the Christmas Celebration buffet. The lunch was great!

We also thank God for the many non-Christian friends and family members that turned up on Christmas day. We pray that the gospel planted in their hearts will grow.

JANUARY 2003

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