Why you must keep journalling ......

Well done, those of you who have been journalling faithfully. Our definition of 'faithful' is when you journal at least 4 times a week. Just a heads-up to encourage you faithful readers of this blog.

If you have finished using up a Growth Journal since January 2009, you will receive a brand new journal. Make sure you inform your Cell Leader, but don't ask him yet until he bring this up to the group! This is your privilege information. This should happen in the next two or three weeks.

If you have been journalling faithfully (according to the definition above), you will receive something from Senior Pastor! (Secret .... won't tell you what it is) :) This will happen by early August.

If you keep this on until end of the year, you will receive a BIG incentive at the end of the year. Again, secret ..... :) Won't tell you what that is.

Of course, we keep journalling not because of the reward. Let me remind everyone again, from my very first post in this blog:

The heart of journalling is to encourage YOU to go to the Word of God daily to feed YOURSELF on His Wisdom and Truth. It is to allow the Word of God to study us and to transform us more and more into His Likeness!

But a little incentive and reward helps of course. After all, we are only HUMAN! :)

Disclaimer: Sorry, this is only for DUMC members. Membership has its privilege.

Apostle Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey & the Fourth to Rome

The third journey (Acts 18:23-21:17) took about 6 years (A.D. 53-58).

The fourth journey to Rome (Acts 27-28) was due his appeal to Festus to see Caesar (AD 60/61).

(Acts 25:12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!")

Interestingly, if he had not appealed, he would have been set free. (Acts 26:32 Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.")

In our human interpretation, we heave a sigh of frustration as we follow the story that Apostle Paul could have been set free there and then. But God has a different purpose than ours. He (Paul) needs to go to Rome!

Third Missionary Journey

Fourth Journey to Rome

Another interesting point to note it that Paul always had travelling companions with him.

First journey: Barnabas, John, Mark

Second journey: Silas, Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila, Luke

Third Journey: Timothy, Luke, and other disciples

Fourth journey to Rome: Luke, Roman guards and others

It shows the necessity of us not walking alone in our journey of faith. In other words, we need each other for encouragement.

Do you have any idea the distance Apostle Paul travelled? Here's an approximation:

First journey 1,400 miles (2,250 km)

Second journey 2,800 miles (4,500 km)

Third journey 2,700 miles (4,340 km)

Fourth journey to Rome 2,250 (3,620 km)

Approximately with a total of 9,150 miles (14,700 km)

Our North-South Expressway (NSE) is about 1000 km in distance. So Apostle Paul would have traverse from Johor Baru to Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah, back and forth about fifteen times! By then, the Roman Empire had such good road system that it facilitated the evangelism of the Gospel throughout the Empire. As the saying goes "All roads lead to Rome" played an important part in the spreading of the Gospel. There was also a common language of Greek that can be used throughout the travels. God knew this and He timed it such!

By the way, this does not include his other journeys:

OTHER TRAVELS - YEAR OF TRAVEL UNKNOWN:

Macedonia to Illyricum: 1 Timothy 1:3

Troas and Miletus: 2 Timothy 4:13, 20

Crete: Titus 1:5

Mission to Spain: circa AD 63-66: Romans 15:28

Nicopolis: Titus 3:12

MARTYRDOM:

Back to Rome and martyrdom: 2 Timothy 1; death June 29, AD 67

As we come to the end of Acts, we see God's hands in the evangelism of the known world then. This is our rich Christian heritage, that from the lives of faithful men and women, we are where we are today: Our names are written in the Book of Life!

Hebrews 12:1-3

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

We are surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, which includes those walking in the times of Acts. They are watching us. Let's run with the same perseverance!

My apology for the silence

Sorry about the long silence. Will be back on very soon with my thoughts on journalling. Not that I was not reading my bible and journalling, which thankfully I have been consistent so far. Was on a week-long break after the 13th Malaysia Cell Church Conference. Being the conference chairman, I ran on "adrenalin mode" leading up to, and during the conference, and usually a day after that, my body will start to wind down and often reacting to the lack of that adrenaline rush. They call it post-conference "depression" :)

Had a great conference with many delegates blessed! As many as 200 non-DUMC delegates have signed up for the 14th MCCC, taking advantage of the Early Bird Conference Special Fees of RM 150, or RM 130 for 5 or more people (Normal fee RM 220). I think two things are notable here:

1. They had such a spiritual experience last week that they are spiritually and mentally prepared for what God has to offer next year. I know of pastors and leaders who have signed up for their members en bloc and they do not want their them to miss out.

2. Everyone loves a good discount!

This personal note to Pr Daniel from Pr Ken Harris of the Clayton Church of Christ Fellowship (CCOCF) in Melbourne sums up the delegates' experience:

I praise God that DUMC under your leadership makes the time to invest in equipping and strengthening God’s leaders for service.

We stayed at a 5 star hotel, but attended a 6 star Conference. We were blessed two fold, first by the conference and secondly by your people.

Pass on my sincere thanks to all your people.

He came with his wife Jeanette. Incidentally, CCOCF was the church I attended when I was a student in Monash University from 1979 - 1985. That's a long time ago. Here's a photo of me and Stella having a great lunch fellowship with them at Marmalade in Bangsar Village (one of our favourite restaurants. You must try their Havana Salad!)

Pr Ken Harris and Jeanette

I was personally very refreshed by Pr Chris Hodges (Church of the Highlands) and I had some time to chat with him. One of the ways I seized these moments is to offer to take the speaker out for a meal, or be their driver from KLIA. These moments have always been great because you get to hear what's behind the scene in their lives and church, and from their hearts as well. It was so interesting and refreshing to interact with his son Jonathan. He is such a polite boy. I though he was only polite to me with his "Yes, sir" or "Yes, Ma'am" to my wife, he did exactly the same to his dad. Quite refreshing to see their father-son interactions.

Apostle Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey

The first journey (Acts 13:4 - 14:28) took about 3 years (A.D. 46-48).

The second journey (Acts 15:39-18:22) took about 4 years (A.D. 49-52)

The map of the second journey is posted at the end.

What was interesting is the intense dispute between Apostle Paul and Barnabas. Both spirit-filled man, with a deep love for God, disagreed over Mark. Acts 16:37-28 "Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work."

Disagreements can be a common fare among Christians as we are made so differently, and therefore the way we see and judge things and people is different. In the rainbow tapestry of human relationships, our lives become "interesting" as we learn to live and work with one another. No single person sees things perfectly, but in collective or community effort, we sought the Lord together as a Body, each part functioning for the whole.

Here was a person of Mark, maybe a rash irresponsible still marturing young man who deserted Paul and Barnabas in the midst of ministry. Barnabas (whose name means "Son of Encouragement" Acts 4:36) in his reconciliatory, encouraging and edifying nature, was prepared to give Mark a second chance. But Paul "think it not wise" to take him on. What did they disagreed upon that split up that vital partnership? Mark must be quite a character. In the later years of course Mark was exonerated as Paul himself requested for him in his final days (2 Timothy 4:11).

Was Paul a good judge of character? Maybe Barnabas was a better judge of potential. Maybe Paul was too quick to dismiss Mark but I am sure he had his reasons.  Would the church then would be very different if they had been more agreeable with each other? Interesting thought here!

Thank God for the Barnabas of our days. They see the potential that others can't see. There should be more 'Barnabas' in all of us!