For The Good Of All

Dangerous place for Christians

2009-09-23T07:54:00.001+08:00

With at least 43 incidents of anti-Christian violence, Karnataka saw more attacks on Christians in the first eight months of this year than any other state in India, according to advocacy organizations.

The figure compares with 35 attacks on churches, worship services and Christians during the same period last year in the state, which has become the center of violence against Christians. The states with the next highest incidents of anti-Christian violence from January through August this year were Andhra Pradesh with 14 and Madhya Pradesh with 11, according to figures from the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) and the All India Christian Council.

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sept. 11 called on Gov. H.R. Bhardwaj to rein in abuses by the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to ensure that law and order is maintained, reported the GCIC. In several districts of Karnataka during the first eight months of the year, local authorities allowed Hindu extremists to beat pastors, disrupt prayer meetings and worship services, and burn, vandalize, demolish or shut down prayer halls.

After August last year the number of violent incidents against Christians in Karnataka raced up, with a total of 112 attacks on Christians in 2008, and the Christian community fears a repeat of hostilities.

Kumaraswamy noted that a Sept. 10 attack on St. Francis De Sales Church at Hebbagudi, on the outskirts of Bangalore, came just days after Gov. Bhardwaj voiced concern over the security of minorities in the state. Armed attackers broke into the church, damaged statues and other items, smashed windows and destroyed a house behind the building, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India. Church damages were estimated at 200,000 rupee, or $4,173.

"It is unfortunate that the government did not take any action to curb communal menace even after your caution," Kumaraswamy wrote in a memorandum to the governor, adding that Gov. Bhardwaj was constitutionally bound to stop state security personnel from violating the law.

The former chief minister said he felt that the attack on the church, located close to the Hebbagudi police station on a busy road, reflected growing religious intolerance and tension in the state, and he criticized Home Minister V.S. Acharya for terming the attack a "minor incident."

Archbishop of Bangalore Bernard Moras told Compass that past experience leaves him little hope for future justice.

"The state government has promised to make an immediate inquiry into the recent church attack in Hebbagudi, but nothing has been done so far, and we have no results whatsoever from the Justice B.K. Somashekar Commission of Inquiry made into church attacks last year," he said. "Sad as it is, we feel that justice delayed is justice denied."

Former chief minister Kumaraswamy has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into attacks on prayer halls in the state. The leader of the opposition in the state Legislative Assembly, Siddaramaiah (who goes by a single name), has also demanded a CBI inquiry into all attacks on minorities and places of worship. The Hindu reported that he had asked state Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to stop blaming others for the mistakes of his government.

Siddaramaiah told media on Sept. 13 that members of the Hindu extremist Sangh Parivar were involved in the attacks on churches.

"The BJP government led by B.S. Yeddyurappa has failed to take action against those involved in these incidents that created unrest in society, and now the chief minister is blaming others for the mistakes committed by his government, which has resulted in a law-and-order problem in the state," he said.

The Hindu reported Siddaramaiah as saying that in an effort to cover up their mistakes, the chief minister and his cabinet dismissed the accusations as efforts to topple his government.

"If the chief minister has any proof to support his statements, let him hand over the issue to the CBI," Siddaramaiah added. "The truth will be out."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also recently remarked that Karnataka has witnessed a number of incidents of communal violence this year.

"What is more worrisome is that the incidents were not limited to one or two districts," Singh said in comments that Chief Minister Yedduyurappa brushed off as untrue; the chief minister referred to the violence as a "few stray incidents" that were "blown out of proportion."

Tensions are high in the districts of Davangere, Mangalore, Bangalore, and also potentially volatile are the districts of Chickmagalur, Chitradurga, Belgaum, Tumkur, Udupi, Shimago, Bagalkot, Dharwad and Kodagu, reported the GCIC.

Chief Minister Yeddyurappa reportedly has instructed police to provide security at all religious venues and directed them to take steps to take preventative measures. City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari has reportedly said the chief minister ordered security officers to deal sternly with those involved in incidents of religious violence.

The Bangalore Rural police on Sept. 12 reportedly handed over the investigation of the attack on St. Francis De Sales to the Criminal Investigation Department.

Attempted Anti-Conversion Law

Foremost among priorities of the Hindu nationalist BJP when it came to power in Karnataka last year was to introduce the kind of "anti-conversion" law that has provided the pretext for anti- Christian violence in other states.

Alarmed by what they said was an increase in conversions to Christianity, six prominent Hindu leaders on June 25 said that they had urged Chief Minister Yedduyurappa to introduce "anti-conversion" laws similar to those of Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, reported The Hindu. Passage of an anti-conversion bill has been left hanging, however, with negative publicity over communal violence and Christian protests against such a bill.

Such laws are designed to thwart forcible or fraudulent conversion, but they are popularly misunderstood as criminalizing conversion in general. The laws seek to curb religious conversions made by "force, fraud or allurement," but human rights groups say they obstruct conversion generally as Hindu nationalists invoke them to harass Christians with spurious arrests and incarcerations

Anti-conversion laws are in force in five states - Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat - and its implementation is awaited in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Several cases against Christians have been filed under various anti-conversion laws in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Orissa, but no one has been convicted in more than four decades since such laws were enacted.

Naveen Kumar of the Federation of Christian Churches and Organizations told Compass that Christians from different districts in Karnataka have come out in protest against such a bill since August of 2008. The Christians believe that the passing of an anti-conversion bill in the state would heighten atrocities against them.

Of the 52.8 million people in Karnataka, Christians number slightly more than 1 million.

NECF upset with National Service

2009-06-17T14:18:00.002+08:00

Evangelical Christians are upset with doctrinal errors in the National Service. This was highlighted by the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Malaysia (NECF) in its current newsletter to members.
NECF said it has notified the Christian Federation of Malaysia –the umbrella body - about this matter which will be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities.
“Christians, especially Christian parents whose children are attending the National Service programme, need to be aware of the grave doctrinal errors on Christianity contained in the workbook used by the NS integration programme on religion, “ the NECF pointed out in an article entitled ‘NS doctrinal errors.’
It said the workbook is entitled “Buku Kerja Program Integrasi’ on ‘Keagamaan’, 4th edition, 2009 with the chapters on Christianity on pages 12 and 13 contain the following errors:
- On page 12, under the heading “Agama Kristian”, bullet 2 states: “Pengikut Christ menganggap beliau sebagai penyelamat yang diutus untuk membela Bani Israel daripada penindasan bangsa-bangsa lain seperti bangsa Rom yang pernah memerintah Palestin.”
(Translated: Christ’s followers regard him as the saviour sent to deliver the Israeli race from the oppression by other races, such as the Romans, who once occupied Palestine.)
This is erroneous as Christians do not regard Christ as the saviour for Israel’s political and territorial oppression. Instead, the Bible clearly states He came to deliver the human race from the bondage of sin, the article said as no where in the Bible does it say that Christ came to deliver the Israelites from human oppression.

On page 13, bullet 6 states: “Jesus mengajar konsep tuhan yang esa, pengasih, penyayang, pemurah dan pengampun. Bagi orang yang mengamalkan ajaran ini, mereka akan menikmati kesempurnaan hidup di akhirat.”

(Translated: Jesus taught the concept of God as loving, merciful, forgiving and compassionate. For those who follow this teaching, they will enjoy eternal life in the hereafter.”)
Again NECF said this is erroneous as Christians have always maintained that salvation in the hereafter is not based on merely knowing God as a loving, merciful and compassionate God, but believing, confessing and accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
It also pointed out that Protestant Christians also do not subscribe to the description written under the heading “Agama Kristian”, bullet 3 which says that Christ “menghidupkan burung yang dibuat daripada tanah liat dan sebagainya.” (Translated: brought clay birds to life.)

strange lightning, looks like jellyfish

2009-06-12T16:24:00.002+08:00

An eerie red figure flashed across the sky above a thunderstorm near the south coast of France, and then it was gone in the blink of an eye.
Atmospheric scientist Oscar van der Velde, standing on his balcony in Sant Vicenç de Castellet, in Barcelona, Spain, captured the sprite, as it is called, in spectacular detail on the night of June 5. He was more than 150 miles (250 km) away from the storm.
"It was the sixth sprite that night that I could capture, and the second one at this zoom level," said van der Velde, of the Technical University of Catalonia. "This type of sprite is often called a 'carrot.'"
Lasting just three milliseconds to 10 milliseconds, sprites are flashes of light that occur high above the tops of powerful thunderstorms and can travel up to 50 miles (80 km) high in the atmosphere, emitting deep red to near-infrared light.
"The exciting thing about this one is the level of detail revealed in the sprite by zooming in on the sky above storms," van der Velde told LiveScience. "You have to consider that I obtained the image from my own balcony within a small town with very basic equipment: a security camera fitted with a zoom lens, attached to a laptop with detection software."(He used UFOCapture, motion capture software that starts recording when luminous phenomena are detected.)
Their brevity and somewhat erratic nature have made sprites elusive study subjects.
In fact, scientists are still trying to figure out just what causes sprites, with some attributing the electrical bursts to lightning and others to meteoric dust, gravity waves or something else completely. The flashes also have been linked with UFO sightings.
"Sprites are very difficult to observe with the naked eye, because they last no longer than the blink of an eye," van der Velde said. "And the light of the lightning flash from the distant storm top underneath is usually catching the attention instead."
He added, "This is also the reason why sprites were discovered only in 1989, which is even later than the discovery of Pluto! Many people, including pilots, have seen these phenomena for decennia [decades], but without proof, scientists remained skeptical."
(In 1989, cameras onboard the STS-34 space shuttle mission recorded sprites as the spacecraft passed over a thunderstorm in northern Australia.)
By studying the structure of sprites, van der Velde said, scientists hope to learn more about lightning, such as cloud-to-ground flashes and so-called spider lightning, among other atmospheric topics.

About TV and sleep

2009-06-09T08:22:00.001+08:00

Many generations ago, a dark night sky and fatigue probably signaled it was time to go to sleep.
Today, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart and the Desperate Housewives are more influential in determining bedtimes -- and it may be contributing to many Americans' chronic sleep deprivation, a new study says. In the study, researchers looked at data about the sleep habits and bedtime rituals of 21,475 participants aged 15 or older who completed the American Time Use Survey between 2003 and 2006.
In the two hours around bedtime, TV viewing was the most common activity, accounting for almost 50 percent of the activities undertaken in the time before bed, according to the study to be presented Monday at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting, in Seattle.
The finding means that TV -- rather than hours past sunset or biological signs -- has become the most important signal for sleep.
And staying up to catch the end of a favorite show may make people stay up later than they otherwise would. In the morning, their alarm clocks may jar them awake earlier than they would naturally awaken.
These facets of modern life are potentially reducing sleep time below what is physiologically required, the researchers noted in a news release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
"Given the relationship of short sleep duration to health risks, there is concern that many Americans are chronically under-sleeping due to lifestyle choices," study co-author David Dinges, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, said in the news release.
Americans should watch less late-night TV and go to work later in the morning, the researchers suggested.
"While the timing of work may not be flexible, giving up some TV viewing in the evening should be possible to promote adequate sleep," said study co-author Dr. Mathias Basner.
Getting less than seven to eight hours of sleep daily can lead to impaired alertness and has been linked to higher rates of obesity, illness and death. Even so, up to 40 percent of Americans are not getting the recommended amount of sleep at night, according to the news release.

A gun loving pastor

2009-06-05T10:08:00.003+08:00

A Kentucky pastor is inviting his flock to bring guns to church to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Second Amendment.New Bethel Church is welcoming "responsible handgun owners" to wear their firearms inside the church June 27, a Saturday. An ad says there will be a handgun raffle, patriotic music and information on gun safety."We're just going to celebrate the upcoming theme of the birth of our nation," said pastor Ken Pagano. "And we're not ashamed to say that there was a strong belief in God and firearms — without that this country wouldn't be here."
The guns must be unloaded and private security will check visitors at the door, Pagano said.
He said recent church shootings, including the killing Sunday of a late-term abortion provider in Kansas, which he condemned, highlight the need to promote safe gun ownership. The New Bethel Church event was planned months before Dr. George Tiller was shot to death in a Wichita church.
Kentucky allows residents to openly carry guns in public with some restrictions. Gun owners carrying concealed weapons must have state-issued permits and can't take them to schools, jails or bars, among other exceptions.
Pagano's Protestant church, which attracts up to 150 people to Sunday services, is a member of the Assemblies of God. The former Marine and handgun instructor said he expected some backlash, but has heard only a "little bit" of criticism of the gun event.
John Phillips, an Arkansas pastor who was shot twice while leading a service at his former church in 1986, said a house of worship is no place for firearms. "A church is designated as a safe haven, it's a place of worship," said Phillips, who was shot by a church member's relative for an unknown reason and still has a bullet lodged in his spine. "It is unconscionable to me to think that a church would be a place that you would even want to bring a weapon."
Phillips spoke out against a bill before the Arkansas General Assembly that would have permitted the carrying of guns in that state's churches. The bill failed in February.
Pagano, 50, said some members of his church were concerned that President Obama's administration could restrict gun ownership, and they supported the plan for the event when Pagano asked their opinion.
Marian McClure Taylor, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, an umbrella organization for 11 Christian denominations in Kentucky, said Christian churches are promoters of peace, but "most allow for arms to be taken up under certain conditions."
Taylor said Pagano assured her the event would focus on promoting responsible gun ownership and any proceeds would go to charity.
"Those two commitments are consistent with the high value the Assemblies of God churches place on human life," she said in an e-mail message.
Pagano is encouraging church members to bring a canned good and a friend to the event. He said guns must be unloaded for insurance purposes and safety reasons.
He said the point was not to mix worship with guns, though he may reference some passages from the Bible.
"Firearms can be evil and they can be useful," he said. "We're just trying to promote responsible gun ownership and gun safety."

D-Day - 21 Dec 2012?

2009-05-18T16:52:00.003+08:00

This is what is know as the Mayan Prophecy. Just for you reading pleasure. The Lord is pleased with those who know the "times".
(From the internet; used without permission because I don't know who the owners are)

Known as Time's Special Witness, 7th century Mayan prophet Pacal Votan left a universal message for future generations of an evolving Earth.

Proclaiming,"If Humanity Wishes To Save Itself From Biospheric Destruction It Must Return To Living in Natural Time," he foretold of our accelerated technological society, and the resulting damage of our collective divergence from Natural Law in exchange for materialist values.

Pacal Votan's prophetic call is alerting present-day humanity that our biological process is transforming, approaching the culmination of a 26,000 year evolutionary program. Bringing the return of universal telepathy, heightened sense capacity, and self-reflective consciousness, this is a return to the sacred domain of our inner technology.

This grand cycle of evolution will culminate
winter solstice, December 21, 2012 AD.

This time we are now in has been called "The Time of Trial on Earth," "Judgement Day," "The Time of Great Purification," "The End of this Creation," "The Quickening," "The End of Time as We Know It," "The Shift of the Ages." It is foretold that the completion of the Precession brings regeneration of Earth, offering awakening to all open, willing hearts. Many peoples spoke of these last days of the Great Cycle, including the: Maya, Hopi, Egyptians, Kabbalists, Essenes, Qero elders of Peru, Navajo, Cherokee, Apache, Iroquois confederacy, Dogon Tribe, and Aborigines.

As avid stargazers, the ancient Maya were keen to an astrological cycle we call the Precession of the Equinoxes. This is close to a 26,000 year cycle in which Earth transits through each of the 12 signs of the zodiac for about 2152 years each. Each of these astrological ages represents one month of the grand, Cosmic Year. Sumerians, Tibetans, Egyptians, Cherokees, Hopi, and Mayans refer to this same 26,000 year cycle in their mystical belief systems and each have developed calendars based on this great cycle.

The Maya messengers, reknowned for their architectural, artistic, mathematical and scientific achievements, left a calling card as a series of super-human sized stone monuments and pyramids with precise calendrical computations. Planted with great intention, these dates were left to ensure that future generations would be alerted to the coming end point of this great 26,000 year cycle. A cycle which corresponds also to a 26,000 year relationship of our Sun orbiting Alcyone, the central star of the 7 Sisters Pleiades constellation. According to the Maya, the "future" which lies beyond this end date is literally "a new world age" - "a new creation."

The 26,000 year cycle of the Homo Sapien's evolution and development is mirrored by the 260-day cycle of human gestation. Collective humanity is right now maturing into the being we have long been encoded to be. As with any labor, it is not the mother, or the baby, who is in charge - it is the primal process of Birth itself unfolding its own destiny.

Thus the December 21, 2012 AD is not the day where all of the sudden a light switch will flip on and everything will change, rather, we are NOW in the process of this transition from one World Age to the next. The changes are underway and will continue steadily accelerating as we head towards the culminating date!

The ancient Maya understood this 26,000 year cycle to be specifically composed of 5 lesser cycles, each 5,125 years each. Each of these 5 cycles was considered its own World Age or Creation Cycle. As depicted on the familiar, circular MesoAmerican Sun Stone, (often called the Aztec Calendar) each Creation Cycle is said to have been ruled and destroyed by one of 5 elements. Specifically, 4 Jaguar, 4 Wind, 4 Rain, 4 Water.

Our present great cycle (3113 B.C. - 2012 A.D.) is called the Age of the Fifth Sun. This time period is ruled by 4 Earth. This fifth age is the synthesis of the previous four. 4 Earth (called Caban in the Maya language and Ollin in Aztec) has several meanings, including: movement, shift, evolution, earthquake, navigation, synchronicity, clue tracking, turtle. In the Maya language, the word "ol" of ollin means consciousness.

In Mayan calendrics, the initial date that Earth entered the Fifth World was August 13, 3113 BC, written in Mayan long count notation as 13.0.0.0.0. Every day from that point was reckoned by the number of days passed since the event of this cosmic beginning point.

As Dr. Jose Arguelles writes in "Time and The Technosphere" -
"August 13, 3113 BC is as precise and accurate as one can get for a beginning of history: the first Egyptian dynasty is dated to ca 3100 BC; the first 'city,' Uruk, in Mesopotamia, also ca 3100 BC; the Hindu Kali Yuga, 3102 BC; and most interestingly, the division of time into 24 hours of 60 minutes each and each minute into 60 seconds [and the division of the circle into 360 degrees], also around 3100 BC, in Sumeria. If the beginning of history was so accurately placed, then must not the end of history, December 21, 2012 also be as accurate?"

(Sidenote: Regarding the World Age cycle we are closing in 2012 and the new World Age cycle to dawn, there are varying cosmologies as to whether we are closing the Fifth World and entering the Sixth, or closing the Fourth World and entering the Fifth. For example, In the perspective of the living Maya Timekeepers of Guatemala, calendrically speaking, each element has a 5,125 year cycle. They teach that we have been through fire, earth, air and water already. The next cycle (beginning Dec 21, 2012) will be ether - the Fifth Age - the Age of Center. Likewise, the Hopi teach we are closing the Fourth World of Destruction, and preparing to begin the Fifth World of Peace. Regardless of the title given, what is clear is that we are on poised on the brink of a World Age Rebirth!)

Within the 5,125 year cycle lies 13 smaller cycles, known as the "13 Baktun Count," or the "long count." Each baktun cycle is 394 years long, or 144,000 days. Each baktun was its own historical epoch or Age within the Great Creation Cycle, carrying a specific destiny for the evolution of those who incarnated in each baktun. For example, almost all of the Mayan inscriptions were seeded precisely during Baktun 9 (435-830 AD). This era is known as the time of the Classic Maya. After this point, around 830 A.D., the great Mayan centers were abandoned and their thriving culture mysteriously disappeared. To this day, no one can verify or prove why they left or where they went.

The Classic Maya of Baktun 9 were of a specific destiny, distinct from Maya of other times. As Dr. Jose Arguelles writes, "In 830 A.D. the engineering team departed back to space, back to the other dimensions from which the Maya keep their watch on things. Slowly the terrestrial Maya melted back into the jungles. The time of darkness was setting in. Sure enough the conquerors came. By 830 A.D. Warrior tribes who took the ancient name of Toltec, which means Master Builder, entered the Yucatan. War and human sacrifice were introduced."

Earth and her inhabitants are currently travelling through the 13th baktun cycle - the final period of 1618-2012 AD. This cycle is known both as "the triumph of materialism" and "the transformation of matter." The Maya predicted this final baktun would be a time of great forgetting in which we drift very far from our sense of Oneness with Nature and experience a kind of collective amnesia. Like a memory virus in which we begin to believe the limited reality of appearances and grow dense to the spiritual essence which fuels this world, so humanity's sense of ego and domination has grown.

We entered this baktun cycle right after establishing the world wide coordination of Pope Gregory XIII's 12 month calendar system (1582) as well as the perfection of 12 hour 60-minute mechanical clock (1600), which had been evolving for centuries. These are no small matters. According to Valum Votan, these 2 instruments are what manifested humanity's "error in time" which is the following of artificial instruments of time that served to separate man apart from the rest of nature, operating by our own false timing frequency, to the detriment of the natural world.

The Gregorian calendar is not based on logic, science, or nature. It denies and covers up the true annual human biological cycle conserved in the body of woman. It is the current world standard because of the forceful issuance of this system upon conquered (indigenous) peoples who lost their land as well as their religious freedoms. The Gregorian calendar is a product of its predecessors - Julius Caesar's calendar and the earlier Roman Empire calendar.

The clock was the first existing machine - going on to become the heart of all machine technology to come.

The presence of the clock gave birth to the notion that time lies outside our bodies - that it can be tracked by a machine, and that we can sit and watch it "fly" by tick-tock as though it is something linear, containable, and separate from the organic, flowing process of life. The adherence to the clock for our sense of time and timing is noted as the greatest obstacle to allowing the full telepathic abilities of the human to flower.

Next came the Cartesian Coordinate Rectilinear Grid System (1637) which went on to establish the foundational platform of all modern math and science. Thanks to Rene Descartes (the man infamous for his quote "I think therefore I am,") the ceiling of perception validated only the reality of the 3 dimensions of physical space. The coordinates of X,Y, and Z rendered the fourth dimension obsolete from our worldview.

At that moment, time became reduced from its qualitative essence to that of a quantity. The mind who adopted the lens of the linear grid also adopted the limited perception of time as a 3rd dimensional linear progression of pure duration.

Our societal paradigms have continued to operate with these limitations in place. Thus if something can not be seen, touched, or proven with measurements, it does not, in effect, exist.

Through the Cartesian lens, Nature has become reduced to pure quantifiable resources - no longer a living qualitative aspect of ourselves, but now something outside of ourselves which we observe, analyze and ultimately come to replicate, manipulate, dominate, toxify, and even destroy or extinguish. As Rene Descartes stated plainly,"I perceived it to be possible to arrive at knowledge highly useful in life...and thus render ourselves the lords and possessors of nature."

It seems the modern world wants nothing more than to improve upon Nature, or at least extract her wisdoms and magical properties in order to make a buck by fulfilling increasing consumer demand.

And so, here we are - currently living the last 7 years of both a 5,125 year Creation Cycle, and the last 8 years of a 26,000 Grand Cycle, the Precession of the Equinoxes.

The coming end date of December 21, 2012 is also written as 13.0.0.0.0. in Mayan long count notation; just like the beginning date.

Scholar and author John Major Jenkins reports,"On 13.0.0.0.0, the December solstice sun will be found in the band of the Milky Way. We can call this an alignment between the galactic plane and the solstice meridian. This is an event that has slowly converged over a period of thousands of years, and is caused by the precession of the equinoxes. The place where the December solstice sun crosses the Milky Way is precisely the location of the "dark-rift in the Milky Way...'xibalba be' - the road to the underworld."

On the winter solstice of 2012, the noonday Sun exactly conjuncts the crossing point of the sun's ecliptic with the galactic plane, while also closely conjuncting the exact the center of the galaxy.

Jenkins further proposes that this grand cross in time is symbolized by the Mayan Tree of Life, found at the core of Mayan cosmology.

We are being invited to realize that we are Time. We are the Living Prophecy. The Synchronic Order of Natural Time governs the unfolding of our lives. Time's cycles are found within our bodies and within Nature's daily rhythms and cyclic seasons. We have forgotten this, thinking that time is money or that time is the clock, or the relentless progression of work weeks and weekends. Time is the ever-changing, unfolding Now as it synchronistically coordinates the Whole living Universe.

From his studies into ancient Mayan Time-Science, Dr. Jose Arguelles decoded the mathematical nature of the Synchronic Order,
The Law of Time:
There is only one timing frequency which unifies the whole galactic order from its largest constituent to its smallest. This timing frequency is the 13:20 ratio, found within the harmonic structure of the 13 moon calendar as well as our human bodies - our 13 main joints and 20 fingers and toes.

Knowing that we are the prophecy, what does it mean to be nearing this return, and what can we expect - personally as well as planetarily?

These times are so accelerated that no answer could encompass the vast implications of the phase we are in. A range of responses are available to us. Depending on who you talk to and what area you research, one can find all kinds of claims as to what can be expected. From cataclysm to enlightenment, world war to world peace, massive earth changes and physical destruction, to massive spiritual awakening to our inherent oneness, there are many views of the implications of the approaching year 2012, 2013, and beyond. One thing is clear - we are right in the thick of this critical, transformative period! As this date approaches, we are collectively in a transition phase of the old world dying and a new world being born.

This moment on Earth, with all of its heightened energies, has never existed before. The opportunities and challenges of today's world are the climax of all that has preceded us. Never before has the population of this planet increased by 216,000 people a day! Never before has the Earth's biosphere been in such a precarious state. That which seems like normal lifestyle decisions and behaviors are but precedents set by our modern standards - not necessarily reflecting the most balanced, healthy, or sane way to operate. It is for us to decipher how to live our lives with integrity; to determine what truths empower us to model our lives according to our greatest harmonious potential.

All that is manifesting on the inner and outer planes reflects the sacred intensity of these prophetic times. More than ever, the polarities and imbalances within us and around us are becoming clearer. Love, beauty, exuberance, and compassion permeate this world - multi-faceted victories of art, co-creation, community support, healing and evolution shine all around us, illumating the spirited grace of our true nature. Meanwhile, this world is steeped in fear, brutality, pain, and disease - endless anguish of anxiety, separation, disconnection, confusion, isolation - alongside the toxic realities of egoic, callous greed and corruption, materialism, addiction, and dangerous ignorance. This is now the time to embrace all that has been dishonored or denied, for it is emerging to be purified and sanctified. Accountability is required on all levels of our existence. The cosmic climate is changing at rapid rates, allowing us to now transduce and shed egoic programs of fear and limitation easier than in the past.

Science reveals that Earth's base resonant frequency is increasing (Earth's heart-beat), and that the magnetic fields of the planet are dropping - reflected in the shifting migration patterns of animals. These shiftings of the Earth's body allow us to release unwanted baggage - mental, physical and emotional patterns, conditioning, beliefs, attitudes, and programming. Simultaneously, that which we think or desire is becoming actualized more and more swiftly.

A peak point in this time on Earth is what's called the "transition of the biosphere into the no-osphere." According to Russian scientist V.I.Vernadsky,"This is the result of a climax of human self-reflective thought and industry upon the environment, resulting in an exponential change in consciousness in which all becomes revealed and known."

As many of us are well aware, much of the genetic potential we are born with is lying dormant within us, waiting to be turned on. This is definitely an important aspect of this time of Quickening. We can only imagine what the full activation of our DNA will allow us to accomplish and manifest for Planetary healing and restoration. It has been foretold that we will be able to transmute the problems of our 3rd dimensional physical reality by utilizing our own stored, internal technology. More and more this is happening.

Now in action is the worldwide grassroots movement which utilizes sound vibrations to clear pollution and (geopathic) earth stresses, producing amazing results. www.earthtransitions.com. Using the ancient sciences of focused prayer and intention, channeled through post-Tesla energy technology, toxic matter is being transformed.

The time has never been so ripe to realize eachother as "one planetary organism in contact with itself anywhere on the planet." The Emergence of our Empowered Potential, Our Divinity is presenting itself to be claimed. How to experience this reality consciously? Where-ever one looks, the universal answer points to one's own body, one's own mental attitude, the energy of one's own heart, one's own living breath as the beginning place of orientation to feel one's unique connection to and expression of the functioning of Totality.

As the frequencies continue to raise, our connection to the fourth dimension continues to rapidly increase. This allows for maximum transformation and mutation of who we are and how we live life, or how life lives us! Doors of opportunity ever-presenting themselves, any limit we might place upon what's possible in these next 7 years is not recommended. Let us instead Dream the Exaltation of Humanity and all of Life on Earth.

Is a "new generation church" emerging?

2009-05-07T10:05:00.003+08:00

For some time now, I have asking the Lord about His Church. Is this how He wants His Church to be or is this just a part of something else before He comes back for us? Then I cam across an article written by J. Lee Grady of the Charisma Magazine. Here is what he says:

"I visit two or three churches every month in this country (USA). Those that are healthy and growing have developed new paradigms. Though they embrace the power of the Holy Spirit, they also place high value on evangelism, small-group discipleship, social justice and world missions. They are extravagant in giving to outreach. They are relational, not event-driven. And they demand character from leaders rather than simply celebrating a man or woman's spiritual anointing.
"No one has coined a term for this movement yet, but it is growing—and it represents the future of Christianity in our country. These new generation churches embrace healthy leadership and don't tolerate the kind of ministry monkey business that has embarrassed us in recent years. These churches love sinners and preach grace, but they draw the lines necessary to enforce biblical standards.
"New generation churches are also connected in a healthy, relational way to other churches, yet they are not denominational in a restrictive sense. They refuse labels. Rather than wearing the cumbersome armor of a religious structure, they are free to pray, dream and be creative about how they should reach the children, high school students, business leaders, drug addicts, immigrants, homeless people, twenty-somethings and church dropouts in their communities."

I believe that a paradigm shift is taking place in the spiritual realm and soon we are going to see the changes. Let's be prepared for it. This "new generation" Church may bring about the greatest evangelistic effort ever on earth. God Bless You All.

Happy mothers day

2009-05-06T11:27:00.003+08:00

Puisi yang menarik, dipimjam tanpa izin kerana saya tidak kenal pengubalnya.
......
Mama, kau bukanlah petir,

sebaliknya kau adalah musim panas

kau selalu ramah

seperti di kaki dan di tempat tidur

selalu menyenangkan memandangimu

seolah angin musim semi menerpa mata

aku sayang sekali padamu,

Engkaulah ibuku dan akan terus menjadi ibuku
tanpamu, aku akan kehilangan dan hanya merumput

SELAMAT HARI IBU. JANGAN LUPA SAMPAIKAN UCAPAN INI KEPADA IBU MU DIMANA PUN DIA BERADA.

Quincy and Angela

2009-04-24T07:55:00.002+08:00

Congratulations to Quincy Kandoh and his Angela Angilina Paul Tinos. God Bless You as the both of you are united in Holy Matrimony on Saturday, 9th May 2009 at the St. Thomas Cathedral in Kuching, Sarawak. Quincy is among those hundreds on students who studied in Shah Alam and served the almighty at Grace Church Shah Alam.
He is now a successful businessman and has a bright future ahead of him. My only advise to Quincy and Angela is, don't compromise on God's word. I believe that the Lord will bless the both of you tremendously. My family and I wish you a blessed life together.

Snatch thieves

2009-04-18T10:17:00.002+08:00

According to published news reports, the snatch thieves are becoming braver - there has been an 100 percent increase in reported activities of those thieves. I was attracted to this piece of information because an incident took place near me. But, thank God, the girl held on to her hand-bag and the people nearby came to help her.
People are losing jobs and need money to survive. There are those who have been used to high living from dirty money, but now that also I believe is less, or maybe no more.
Whatever it is, please be careful. If possible don't walk alone, walk with Jesus. And, use the greatest weapon that the Lord gave us - His precious blood, can protect us.

Going barefoot for a cause

2009-04-17T07:59:00.002+08:00

Hundreds of people are going barefoot today as part of a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the global need for shoes.

Organized by TOMS Shoes, a company founded by Christian businessman Blake Mycoskie, the One Day Without Shoes event has drawn participants from around the world. The Assemblies of God-affiliated Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., is serving as a pilot school for what they hope becomes a growing annual initiative.

"The idea for One Day Without Shoes was to kind of raise awareness of what life is like without shoes, to kind of think about the people in the world who are living without shoes and what they are susceptible to as a result of that," said Allison Dominguez, a public relations representative for TOMS Shoes, which gives away a pair of shoes for every pair sold.

Reporting that 40 percent of people worldwide lack shoes, the Los Angeles-based company has donated 200,000 shoes to needy children worldwide since 2006. In rural areas where people walk through volcanic soil, such as in Ethiopia, going barefoot can lead to podoconiosis, a disfiguring illness that causes swelling and ulcers in the feet and lower legs.
"[One Day Without Shoes] really fits who we are," said James L. Davis, vice president of development at Southeastern, which presented Mycoskie with its Servant Leader Award last month. "We believe servant leaders are world changers, so the whole premise of giving something away and serving the community and serving the world really fit for us. It was perfect in every way."
Southeastern hoped to have 100 percent participation today, with students filing shoeless everywhere except to the school's dining facilities, where bare feet would violate health codes. The Southeastern students are also participating in a documentary that will be used to encourage other colleges to get involved in future One Day Without Shoes campaigns.
"They're doing exactly what we want to do-spreading the awareness and getting everyone involved in what we're trying to do," Dominguez said.
Mycoskie, who won third place in The Amazing Race II in 2002, said the idea for TOMS came after he befriended the children of an Argentine village and found that they lacked shoes. He thought his tech company would help pay for the shoe venture, but a newspaper article generated so much business he decided to sell the tech company and focus exclusively on TOMS, which refers to "creating a better tomorrow."
Nearly 200 One Day Without Shoes events are being held nationwide, with attorneys at an Ohio law firm putting aside their wingtips to go barefoot for the day. Five events are being held internationally.
In addition to going without shoes today, Southeastern students purchased TOMS' canvas slip-ons to sponsor shoes for needy children in the U.S. and abroad. Davis said a team of students also will accompany TOMS representatives on a "shoe drop" later this year.

Spotted - a penguin?

2009-04-10T07:59:00.003+08:00

My dear friend Rev Julian Balu forwarded this image to me recently. It's a picture of a little child dressed with over sized outfit that made him (or her?) look like a penguin. The person who spotted this immediately snapped a photo and send to his friends with the title " Spotted, a penguin in Kedah".
May of us often try to put on things that don't match us, example we put on egos and try to portray an attitude of " I know all things" and worse "I can do all things on my own". And, we end up looking strange.
Let's all learn to live a humble life, respecting one another, loving and caring for others - the way Jesus wants us to live.
Have a Good Day and Happy Easter.

Faith like potatoes

2009-04-08T10:21:00.002+08:00

The dramatization of an unlikely South African evangelist's remarkable ministry, which became a hit general release movie in his homeland, released on DVD today.

Faith Like Potatoes tells the story of farmer Angus Buchan--described by South African media as "a folksy version of Billy Graham"--who overcame major losses to see a physical and spiritual harvest, spreading a message of racial reconciliation and hope in Christ.
Rated PG, the 113-minute drama is based on the similarly titled book published by Monarch Books. Released in theaters in South Africa in 2006, the film became one of the top five grossing domestic movies of all time there and won several film festival awards.
On becoming Christians, Buchan and his wife founded a ministry to care for widows and orphans and also manage a primary school with almost 200 students. The Buchans named their farm Shalom, and he now speaks to crowds of tens of thousands at evangelistic meetings.
To help North American viewers comprehend the sometimes-strong South African accents, the DVD includes subtitles. In addition, it features a 54-minute documentary on the real-life Buchan, God's Farmer, due to be aired on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Although the film is not being released to theaters in the U.S., it is being made available to churches for licensed screenings. The Sony Pictures Home Entertainment release is distributed by Provident-Integrity Distribution.

Image of a hand in space

2009-04-07T10:54:00.001+08:00

Image of a hand in space. Is it a sign from heaven?Tiny and dying but still-powerful stars called pulsars spin like crazy and light up their surroundings, often with ghostly glows. So it is with PSR B1509-58, which long ago collapsed into a sphere just 12 miles in diameter after running out of fuel.

And what a strange scene this one has created.In a new image from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, high-energy X-rays emanating from the nebula around PSR B1509-58 have been colored blue to reveal a structure resembling a hand reaching for some eternal red cosmic light.

The star now spins around at the dizzying pace of seven times every second -- as pulsars do -- spewing energy into space that creates the scene.
Strong magnetic fields, 15 trillion times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field, are thought to be involved, too. The combination drives an energetic wind of electrons and ions away from the dying star. As the electrons move through the magnetized nebula, they radiate away their energy as X-rays.

The red light actually a neighboring gas cloud, RCW 89, energized into glowing by the fingers of the PSR B1509-58 nebula, astronomers believe.
The scene, which spans 150 light-years, is about 17,000 light years away, so what we see now is how it actually looked 17,000 years ago, and that light is just arriving here.
A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).

An award for me

2009-04-01T10:47:00.001+08:00

A nice award from a wonderful person. Thank You.

Your strength will equal your days

2009-03-21T11:42:00.004+08:00

The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days. —Deuteronomy 33:25 God never promotes us to the level of our incompetence. What He truly calls us to do, we can do. As St. Augustine prayed, “Command what Thou wilt; give what Thou commandest.” God always provides grace for what He has called us to do. “Your strength will equal your days” (Deut. 33:25). If you or I are operating at a level that brings fatigue and leads to what we now call “burnout,” then something has gone wrong; we moved outside our anointing at some stage. It should never happen.

This is not to deny that God may hide His face from us. It is not uncommon to experience the “dark night of the soul.” But this is not necessarily the same thing as burnout. God may leave us to test us, as He did Hezekiah, “to know everything that was in his heart” (2 Chron. 32:31). But burnout is what we bring on ourselves by taking on what God did not command.

The apostle Paul came to terms with his limitations and strengths. When his enemies scoffed, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing” (2 Cor. 10:10), it stung. It hurt. But he spoke with disarming frankness when he implicitly acknowledged nonetheless that his public speaking probably did not flow with the eloquence of a trained orator. “I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge” (1 Cor. 11:6).

“But I do have knowledge,” he could say. He may not have been a trained speaker, but he knew what he was talking about. And as it happened, his expertise touched on the very issue that had become the focus at the time. So his anointing came through where it counted. It turned out he had training that mattered. To Paul’s opponents, the issue was how you said it; to Paul, the issue was what you said. In other words, Paul’s anointing of knowledge more than compensated for his deficiency in public speaking.

There are some lessons here for you and me. First, as I said already, nobody has everything. That is enough to keep all of us humble. But there is another lesson: For every limit there is a compensation. You may not have the gift you envy in another, but God has given you an anointing that person probably does not have.

My birthday "bash"

2009-03-14T13:02:00.003+08:00

The many happy and hungry faces at my birthday "bash" on Friday. Thank you brothers and sisters, for your effort and time taken to celebrate my birthday. I am 47 years young and you can let the devil know that I am just beginning to destroy the works of hell in our midst. I will serve Jesus with all I have. I have decided to follow Jesus...and there is no turning back.
Thanks for the cake, the food and the fellowship and the gifts. The Lord also spoke to me personally and also through Prophet Ezekiel Panier Selvam.

Birthday blues

2009-03-10T19:31:00.004+08:00

People say that life is a struggle. Then, there are others who say birthdays are a struggle. Well, maybe there is a new disease call "birthday blues" in town. Is it contagious? I have no idea. For my 47th birthday, I have laid down my desires and "wishes" at the Lord's feet. I don't know whose cake is this but whom ever it belonged to sure had a good birthday.

A smart donkey

2009-03-04T09:41:00.003+08:00

I read something interesting recently. It's about a donkey and its owner. One day the donkey fell into a hole. The owner saw that the donkey was trapped inside and he could not do anything about it. Finally he decided to close the hole, thus burying the donkey in it. He called some friends and they started shoveling sand into the hole. At first the donkey struggled, later it realized that what looked like a life threatening thing, is actually a a way out for it. The donkey dusted off the sand from its body each time they shoveled sand into the hole and inch by inchthe smart donkey moved up and finally managed to set itself free.
The moral of the story is, don't give up no matter what happens. There is always a way out, if we hold on to our faith in Christ Jesus. He will give us wisdom to handle all situations. I pray that the Lord will bless you tremendously as you live your life for Him and Him only.

Tsunami-like flood in Shah Alam

2009-03-04T07:45:00.006+08:00

A few days ago, I had a vision which caused me to cry out to the Lord. In that vision, I saw a tsunami-like flood, waters that were black and dirty all around our church in Shah Alam. I saw some of us trying to pull some others out from the waters. The waters kept rising but it never touched the church area. I had this vision a least twice and then I asked the Lord what was the meaning of the vision.
Yesterday I received the answer. The flood of dirty and black water is about major problems that's going to take place around us. Many people will be suffering from all kinds of stuffs - among them disease, hunger, mental and marital problems . But those who are faithful and preserve their faith, will not be touched by these problems.
I feel that we should be more focussed on pray and on the things above and less on the things of the world from now on.

Teenagers fast for world hunger

2009-02-27T10:51:00.003+08:00

Countering perceptions that today's youth are selfish and lazy, hundreds of thousands of teens from 7,000 youth groups will fast, pray, fundraise and serve neighbors in need this weekend to raise awareness about world hunger.
The 30-Hour Famine, an initiative of World Vision, comes days after the results of a new study show that more teens volunteer for charitable causes than their parents do. "The stereotype that teens are selfish and lazy is not an uncommon perception, but I'd say it's probably not true," said Pat Rhoads, national director of the 30-Hour Famine.
"Nearly half a million teenagers will participate in the 30-Hour Famine this year," he said. "That goes a long way towards showing how, as a whole, teenagers may not be all that selfish and unmotivated."
How about it? How about the Youths of Grace Church? Come on you can do it...if you want. We have to agents for change. No more spectators.

The Father's love

2009-02-10T08:09:00.004+08:00

This morning I felt burdened by many things around me and it was at that time that I sensed the loving presence of our dear Father in heaven. True to His promise, He did not leave me alone in my time of need. For those of your reading this entry today, let me tell you something - our Father in heaven loves all of you tremendously and He will never let your hearts be troubled nor burdened. His wounded hands are always ready to lift us up. Truly, God is love.

Supernatural Breakthrough Network

2009-02-05T18:49:00.003+08:00

The Supernatural Breakthrough International Network, a Prophetic and Apostolic Ministry, has touched many lives and brought transformation to many ministries in and around Asia. Led by Founder and President, Rev Ezekiel Panier Selvam, this ministry has had many meetings in Indonesia and India as well as in certain parts of Malaysia.
Here in the picture is Rev Ezekiel who is praying for my daughter, Janelle Lahung Joseph at an event in my apartment recently. Also present was the Secretary of SBINTL, Pastor Richard Pany (left).
I feel honored to be part of this network. This involvement has helped me tremendously in my ministry as Pastor of the BM Congregation at Grace Church in Shah Alam.
For more details of SBINTL, do visit our website: www.sbintl.org.

Visitors from Ambon

2009-02-03T14:12:00.005+08:00

I had a wonderful time with a Pastor and his family from Ambon, Indonesia last night (Feb 2, 2009) at the Bangsar Seafood Restaurant. Pdt Chris Manusema came to KL with his wife, Yoti to see their son, Yehuda (left) who is studying at INSOM, a music school in Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur. I was with Rev Ezekiel Panier Selvam and Pastor Richard Pany.
The next time they come, Pdt Chris will minister at Grace Shah Alam.

Introducing Paul Agung Wibowo

2009-02-03T10:33:00.005+08:00

This is Pdt Paul Agung Wibowo from GBI Keluarga Allah in Solo, Indonesia. I had the opportunity to meet him during a Pastors' Conference in Penang last year. He is a powerful worship leader and he leads God's people into HIS presence with astounding ease . He is 61 years old and is often called to lead worship in national Christian events in Indonesia. He will be ministering in Grace Church, Shah Alam from 20-22 February 2009. For more information please visit or church website: www.graceserve.org. See you in Shah Alam.

Chinese New Year in Penang

2009-01-31T17:44:00.004+08:00

My family and I spend the Chinese New Year Holidays in Penang together with our family friend from Indonesia, Pastor Kurnia Ginat (extreme left) and his wife Ibu Yeni (right) and their daughters, Vieren (in front of Pak Kurnia) and Faviola (the little girl in pink). This photograph, with my wife and daughter was taken at Batu Ferringhi on Feb 26. Those not in the picture are me, Dr. Mulyadi (Ibu Yeni's brother) and Nathan (their son).
It was a good trip but tiring. While we were in Penang, my good friends Rev Ezekiel Panier Selvam, Pastor Richard Pany and Pastor Asong were holidaying in Bandung, Indonesia.

Renewal Conference

2009-01-29T11:23:00.005+08:00

Noel Robinson is passionate about the power of worship, but not only a worship of words, music and song. Rather, Noel is seeking the kind of worship that comes from a place not seen with the ordinary eye, but rather deep within the spirit.

That’s why he is pulling together top worship leaders for Renewal, the first of what he hopes will become a regular conference at different locations across the UK to take worship to the next level – in whatever shape or form that might be!

“I just felt like God wants to use the power of worship in us, not just the songs, not just the music, but the power of worship in us,” said Noel, founder of Kingdom Worship Movement.

“I love that song that says ‘when the music fades and all is stripped away’. I think that is such a prophetic song for our time because the music has faded for a lot of people and they are looking for something more real.”

Hence the Renewal Conference aims not only to give people the skills they need to make worship a lifestyle, but it also wants to serve as a platform for God to ignite people’s hearts and help them realise their God-given purpose.

“When God spoke to me about Renewal he said: What happens to the people in the pews on the Sunday morning? Are they empowered? Or when Monday morning comes are they just back to an ordinary week? Do they just go to the church for a top-up and then by Friday they are needing to get back to church? God is saying I want people to bring their worship to the marketplace. I want people to be able to bring their worship so that the Kingdom of God is a vehicle.”

He urged Christians not to see worship as something done in addition to their daily jobs, pointing to the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman by the well, that the Father is seeking those who will worship in Spirit and in truth.

Source: Christian Today

Setialah kepada Yesus sampai mati

2009-01-28T22:24:00.005+08:00

Ini hanya sekadar suatu peringatan kepada kita supaya sentiasa bersedia untuk "setia sampai mati".
"Dan ia menyebabkan, sehingga kepada semua orang, kecil dan besar, kaya atau miskin, merdeka atau hamba, diberi tanda pada tangan kanannya atau pada dahinya dan tidak seorangpun dapat membeli atau menjual selain dari pada mereka yang memakai tanda itu, yaitu nama binatang itu atau bilangan namanya.
Yang penting di sini adalah hikmat: barangsiapa yang bijaksana, baiklah ia menghitung bilangan binatang itu, kerana bilangan itu adalah bilangan seorang manusia, dan bilangannya ialah enam ratus enam puluh enam." - Wahyu 13: 16-18.

Thinking modern or modern thinking?

2009-01-28T12:46:00.005+08:00

Tired of being the butt of local jokes about being ulu (backward), some Dayak Orang Ulu (interior people) in Sarawak are looking for a name that will do the community proud.
‘Lun Daya’ has been suggested by Federation of Orang Ulu Association Malaysia (Forum) president Lihan Jok, who is also the state assemblyperson for Telang Usan.
“Orang Ulu seems not to reflect, and does not befit, the community in the modern context,” said Lihan who plans to hold a symposium in April on the name change and forward the idea to the Sarawak cabinet for its consideration and incorporation in the state constitution.
“Many Orang Ulu have migrated to urban areas where some have found success in various endeavours. Some have become professionals, not only in the country, but internationally as well.”
“Most of the community’s professionals, intellectuals and leaders have agreed in principle to the name change,” said Lihan.
The Orang Ulu will remain within the Dayak grouping which includes the Iban (formerly Sea Dayaks), the Bidayuh (formerly Land Dayaks) and the Melanau whose Muslim third often identify themselves with the Sarawak Malays. The word ‘Dayak’ comes from the Melanau word dayeh (land).
Apparently, the term Orang Ulu was chosen to ‘differentiate’ the community from others as they live mostly in the ulu or upper reaches of the great rivers of northern Sarawak. However, many have come to associate the name with ‘backwardness’ in all aspects of modern life.
Others feel that there is no harm in taking pride in the current name, which covers over 30 sub-groups in Sarawak. It was coined in 1969 by the now defunct Orang Ulu National Association which preceded Forum.
In neighbouring Sabah, a decision by some Dusuns to call themselves Kadazan, a new umbrella term, resulted in a split with the emergence of two groups.Attempts to merge the two terms, Kadazan and Dusun, into the more unified KadazanDusun about a decade ago was not enough to heal the split, resulting in the emergence of three groups and three separate cultural associations.
So, what do you all think?

Let's pray for our nation

2009-01-20T14:32:00.003+08:00

Some 45,000 workers in the manufacturing sector may temporarily be out of job soon with most factories in the country to cease operations for the Chinese New Year celebration. According to the Human Resources Minister, Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam, this would happen because the factories would shut down operations for two or three weeks and the workers were asked to take leave, either on paid or unpaid leave, depending on their respective employers.
He said that as of Jan 12, 14,000 workers from various sectors lost their jobs because of the world economic slowdown, but that there were some 15,000 job vacancies in various sectors registered at the ministry.

Joe Marcose P.J.K

2009-01-20T14:11:00.009+08:00

On of the great moments in my career as a newsman was when I was awarded the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (PJK) by His Royal Highness the Sultan of Pahang in 1987. Tuanku gave this award as he recognized our contribution towards the development of sport in our country.
At that time Tuanku was the President of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
The picture show His Royal Highness the Tengku Makhota of Pahang, Tengku Abddullah Sultan Ahmad Shah presenting me with the PJK in Pekan, Pahang.
I have a lot of respect for the Sultan and TM. They are good people with good hearts.
Today Tuanku Sultan is still the President of FAM, but TM has moved into hockey and is now the President of Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF).
As for me, I am now serving the most high. Journalism prepared me for the hard life. It also prepared to me accept people as they are.

The FAITH Generation

2009-01-20T09:01:00.002+08:00

Last week the Lord impressed upon me that HE is raising up a new generation and this generation is The FAITH Generation. This is the generation, called by HIM, unto HIM and for HIM will be believers who will receive HIS Word and HIS promises (through the Bible). This are the people who will position themselves to receive and see the fulfillment of Prophecies upon their lives, their families, ministries and vocations.
In Joshua 6: 1 and 2, Jericho was described as " securely shut up....none went out and none came in.." In other words, something that is difficult and impossible.
In verse two we read: "And the Lord said to Joshua: "See ! I have given Jericho into your hand, its kingdom and the mighty men of valor"
Joshua received those words and it came to pass. He did not contemplate on the difficulties. The Lord is raising up people who will received and hold on to HIS promises. In Luke 18:8, Jesus said" ..when the Son of God comes will He really find faith on the earth?" Yes, the faith of many will vanish, but HE is raising up a Generation of FAITH that will be with HIM when HE comes.
My dear friends, without Faith, it is impossible to please God. Let's be part of this Generation. Walk by FAITH and not by Sight. Are you fearful of something? Are there "Jericho's" in your life? Read HIS promises, hear HIS voice and hold on to HIS promises..
Amen.

Memories (1)

2009-01-13T07:48:00.004+08:00

In 1986, I was assigned to cover the Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea. It was a memorable games as far as the journalists were concerned. The organization was good and efficient and the people on duty were very friendly.
After the games we were taken on a tour to Pamunjom which is the DMZ or Demilitarized Zon between South and North Korea.
We were shown the war like atmosphere with both side ready to attack at anytime and in the middle of them there is an DMZ area. We were brought there.
The picture shows me with my fellow journalists standing next to an Military Police at the "negotiation table" in Pamunjom. The other two are Datuk Fauzi Omar from NST (2nd from left) dan Johnny Yew from Malay Mail.
Seoul was good. After Seoul, I was also assigned to cover the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.
The Lord has always been good to me. He has always been with me and I will remain in Him. I hope Maranatha comes soon.
Have a blessed day.
(Sorry about the blurred picture)

Expect a visitation

2009-01-13T06:18:00.003+08:00

One of the most interesting day's in Joshua's live could would surely be the day the Lord appeared to him, just before the destruction of Jericho. I believe until that time there was still some worry in Joshua about the upcoming battle. But the visitation by "the commander of the army of God" - God himself - changed things. And, I believe it also impacted Joshua a great deal.
Friends, in times like this let us expect a visitation from God. When His presence is with us there is new hope in an seemingly hopeless situation.
Let's us renew our commitment to seek Him and yearn for His continues presence in our lives, every day.
(Read Joshua 5: 13-15)

Goodbye, Johari

2009-01-08T23:18:00.003+08:00

This morning (8 Jan) I lost a good friend. Johari Shawal, who was in my team when I headed the Sports Desk at Utusan Malaysia, died in Muar, Johor. He was 41 years old and he died of TB.

He leaves behind a wife (Suhana Mohd Mottasir) and four children between the ages of 4 and 13. He was be buried in Muar later in the day. Johari was a happy-go-lucky guy. A good friend.

Goodbye Johari.

A safari experience

2009-01-06T15:03:00.008+08:00

I have been to many places in the world but one that really impressed me was a place called Taman Safari in Puncak, Indonesia.

The animals are well managed and controlled and visitors just sit in the car and move from one group of animals to another.
Here is one of them, peeking into our vehicle. I think it's a Llama.
Last August, my family and I went there with our dear friend in Jakarta.
The animals were well behaved and the safari well managed and clean.
One thing I discovered in life is that when you see things, you learn better. I encourage you all to plan and travel to the many interesting places in the world and I assure you that you will really give glory to Jehovah, for His creation is marvelous.

SAVE IJN

2009-01-06T10:23:00.005+08:00

Time to fast

2009-01-02T08:30:00.000+08:00

My friends, there are many challenges waiting for us this year. Many of us are not ready for it. We need to set aside time for evaluation, reflection and course correction. We must root out sinful habits, adjust bad attitudes, repent of unforgiveness and destroy idols that have stolen our affections.

Let's do this is with fasting. Let's do a "Daniel fast" from 5th to 9th January. A "Daniel fast" consists of fruits, vegetables and juices only. How about it?

Extra one second for 2008

2008-12-30T14:07:00.000+08:00

Those eager to put 2008 behind them will have to hold their good-byes for just a moment this New Year's Eve.

The world's official timekeepers have added a "leap second" to the last day of the year on Wednesday, to help match clocks to the Earth's slowing spin on its axis, which takes place at ever-changing rates affected by tides and other factors.

The U.S. Naval Observatory, keeper of the Pentagon's master clock, said it would add the extra second on Wednesday in coordination with the world's atomic clocks at 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC.

That corresponds to 6:59:59 p.m. EST (23:59:59 GMT), when an extra second will tick by -- the 24th to be added to UTC since 1972, when the practice began.

UTC is the time scale kept by highly precise atomic clocks around the world, accurate to about a billionth of a second per day, the Naval Observatory says. For those with a need for precision timing, it has replaced Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT.

The decision to add or remove a second is the responsibility of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, based on its monitoring of the Earth's rotation.

The goal is to make sure clocks vary from the Earth's rotational time by no more than 0.9 seconds before an adjustment. That keeps UTC in sync with the position of the sun above the Earth.

Mechanisms such as the Internet-based Network Time Protocol and the satellite-based Global Positioning System depend on precision timing.

The first leap second was introduced into UTC on June 30, 1972. The last was added on December 31, 2005.

Among the reasons for Earth's slowing whirl on its axis are the braking action of tides, snow or the lack of it at the polar ice caps, solar wind, space dust and magnetic storms, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, another timekeeper.

By contrast, a leap day, February 29, occurs once every four years because a complete turn around the sun -- our year with all its seasons -- takes about 365 days and six hours.

In 1970, an international agreement established two time scales: one based on the Earth's rotation and another on highly accurate atomic clocks.

The U.S. Naval Observatory's master clock is based on a system that now includes 50 atomic clocks, 36 based on the element cesium and 14 known as hydrogen masers.

With the Earth's rotation gradually slowing, the periodic insertion of a leap second into the atomic time scale is needed to keep the two systems within a second of each other.

Happy New Year.

My lovely family

2008-12-28T19:41:00.002+08:00

This is my wonderful family - my daughter Janelle who is 11 years old and my dear wife, Josephine. Our mission is to give our best to our Creator. Do keep us in prayer as we go through what is know as the "difficult year" in 2009.

Thank You.

A Song for thanksgiving

2008-12-27T15:42:00.000+08:00

Attended a thanksgiving service in memory of Mrs Felix Miller on 27 Dec 2008. Was deeply touched by the atmosphere and would like to share with you an English Hymn. You may want to sing as you read.

To God Be The Glory
To God be the glory, Great Things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in

Chorus:
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!,
O come to the Father thro' Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory;
Great things He hath done

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To ev'ry believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives

Great things He hath taught us, greater things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing thro' Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be,
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Amen.

The reason for this.....

2008-12-24T11:04:00.000+08:00

Life is a journey. We are pilgrims on a short journey. Upon completion, we move to our permanent home, the location depends on the decisions we make during the pilgrimage. This blog is entitled "for the good of all" and it shall contain things that will help us to make good decisions in our lives. This is done out of love and respect for everyone.