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Is Christmas Worth Celebrating
Is Christmas Worth Celebrating? by Jason Fam It’s that time of the year again when we see Christmas trees being decorated and put up everywhere we look. Christmas lights would light up the night sky. Carols are heard in shopping malls. That could only mean one thing – Christmas is coming. Being celebrated on the 25th of December every year, Christmas is a day commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ celebrated among billions of people around the world. However, what is the true meaning of Christmas? What is the reason we can celebrate Christmas today? Growing up, every Christmas we would put up a Christmas tree in our home, spend…
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True Shalom
Shalom (שלום). As a Christian, we may have been greeted with this word at least once. There is something unique and heartwarming about being greeted with this Hebrew word. But what is it about this word that comforts the heart of every believer in Christ? Simply put, shalom is the Hebrew word for “peace”, and it is commonly used among Israelis and occasionally used among Christians as a greeting and a farewell. And in both modern and Biblical days, shalom is also used to ask about one’s wellbeing. Most of us think of peace as a state of quietness or tranquility. It can also be thought of as the absence…
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Be a Butterfly
After many weeks of staying at home, I finally decided to go to my usual barber to have a haircut. He is from India and his family is still there, so he lives alone here. When I arrived, there were no other customers but he was his usual pleasant and cheerful self. We chatted a bit and I asked him whether the business was better since Penang is now in phase 3. He replied that it has picked up a little but it was still far from what it used to be. He was resigned to the “new norm” of lesser income and I noted a tinge of disappointment in…
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Fancy going against 400 prophets?
Micaiah, son of Imlah. Remember the name. 1 Kings 22:1-38 tells the story of this solitary prophet contradicting 400 other ‘prophets’ in King Ahab’s court. What happens next carries important life lessons for us all.
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Creation: from Groaning to Glory
We are in the second half of 2021. When the pandemic started early last year, I thought that it would be a small matter and that the situation would get better by 2021. How naïve I was! The pandemic has not resolved as I expected. Cases are soaring in our country and in other parts of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the examples of evil in the world. On other fronts, most of us have loved ones or friends who are terminally ill. Maybe some of us are experiencing severe illness. The list goes on and on. Countless examples can be given about natural disasters, hardships, diseases,…
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The Dark Side Behind Christmas
It is 5 months to Christmas but with the bleakness surrounding us now, surely, we can all do with the peace, hope and cheer that Christmas usually brings, can’t we? But I wonder, have you ever thought about the dark side of the Christmas story? Quest from the East Matthew 2 tells us that the Magi from the east noticed a peculiar star which heralded the birth of the king of the Jews. These Magi were most likely Gentiles and they might have been astrologers or ‘wise men’ of some kind. They then traveled to Jerusalem and to King Herod to seek out this royal child. After all, where else…
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Why I joined Befrienders
Last October, I decided to sign up as a volunteer with the Befrienders Penang. As a believer in mental health and a psychology graduate, it is something that I have wanted to do a few years ago. Despite the COVID pandemic, the Befrienders continued running their recruitment drive in order to raise more volunteers. The opportunity arose and I quickly signed up. Most of us are stuck at home anyways and what better way to make good use of time. The Befrienders is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide emotional support via telephone call. They are non-religious, non-judgemental and non-political in nature. Every call is handled with care and…
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The Church and Mental Health
Recently, the suicide rate in Malaysia has been climbing. There were 631 suicide cases recorded in year 2020. The Bukit Aman CID director said in a statement on 1 July 2021 that there were 468 suicide cases between January and May 2021. For the same period, the Penang police commissioner reported that 19 suicide attempts were recorded in Penang, on top of 53 deaths from suicide.
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Don’t hold back, let us spark Joy!
In a world that has been ‘silenced’, all of us have been thrown into a state of apartness during the FMCO. The lyrics from the Christmas carol “Joy to the World” plays a silent tune in my mind. In Psalm 19, the psalmist describes the heavens and the skies- no speech, no words, no sound yet their voice go out into all the earth. All this reminds me that Heaven and nature sings, yes Heaven and Nature sings!
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Why I am a Christian
Once in a while, I feel the burden of existential crisis upon my shoulders. Thoughts concerning my existence and my worldview circle around my head. Well, these thoughts do not roost permanently on my mind and build nests, metaphorically speaking. But they fly around my mind. Thoughts like:
Our Team
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Pastor Ng Kok Aun is Georgetown’s very own “homegrown” pastor. Giving up his promising career as an architect, Pastor Ng Kok Aun served as Youth Pastor and Assistant Pastor, before leading the church as Senior Pastor in 2007. A multi-talented man with a drive for excellence, he will lead the church to another level for God’s glory. Pastor Ng Kok Aun |
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Pastor Liew Yean Huat joined the pastoral team after 29 years in the Financial Services sector. He served as a Deacon & Vice-Chairman for a number of years. Pastor Yean Huat is heading the Marketplace and Prayer ministries besides preaching, teaching and training. Together with other city pastors, he is also involved in the state’s prayer & city transformation ministries Pastor Liew Yean Huat |
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Pastor Daniel Loh was a Student Affairs Officer at a local college and was one of the squash coaches for the Penang Junior State team. Equipped with these experiences and fuelled by his passion for young people, he currently leads GBC’s youths, 412 Unlimited on their journey with the Lord. Pastor Daniel Loh |
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Pastor Jessica Ong Mei Chen worked in the property and services industries for more than 35 years before she stepped out in faith and joined GBC in 2010. In 2015, she was appointed as a Pastor, and she currently heads the Hokkien congregation. Pastor Jessica Ong graduated with a Bachelor of Theology from MBTS. She is married with 3 sons. Pastor Jessica Ong |
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Pastor Yip Sew Kie joined the pastoral team after 23 years in the semiconductor industry. He is married to a beautiful wife and they have 2 daughters. He is currently leading the Mandarin congregation. Pastor Yip Sew Kie |
