The U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section invites student leaders and adult educators to apply for the 2010 Youth Leadership Program.  Five student leaders (age 15-17) and one adult educator from Malaysia will be selected to join other participants from ASEAN countries for a 25-day program (October 27 – November 20, 2010) hosted by Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.   All costs will be covered by the U.S. Embassy. 

 This program is designed to promote high-quality leadership, civic responsibility, and community engagement among Southeast Asian future leaders.  It will offer a practical examination of the principles of democracy and civil society as practiced in the United States and provide participants with training that allows them to develop their leadership skills.  Participants will visit several communities in the United States, including DeKalb and Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, DC.

 The experience will be intensive, academic, and highly interactive. The program sponsors seek energetic applicants who are ready to develop their skills in order to be effective leaders in their schools and communities.

 Student applicants must…..

–be a Malaysian citizen

–be at least 15 years old and not more than 17 years old by the start of the exchange program (born after October 28, 1992 and before October 27, 1995)
–be students in Form Three, Form Four or Form Five

–have good English-language skills

–have permission from parents (and schools, if missing any classes) to participate in the entire program.

 Adult applicants must…..
–be a Malaysian citizen

–be at least 30 years old and not more than 45 years old by the start of the exchange

–be active in working with youth in either a school or community setting

–be willing and able to meet periodically with selected students (SEAYLP participants) from all schools in their city during 2010-2011 to support their follow-up work

–have good English skills

 The U.S. Embassy, in conjunction with its partner Northern Illinois University, will cover all participant costs.

 Program details and electronic application forms may be viewed and downloaded from http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/ylp.html

 To request more program details, all interested candidates are asked to contact Helena Bridget, Public Affairs, American Embassy, 376 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: (03) 2168-5106; fax: (03) 2148-9192 e-mail: publicaffairskl@gmail.com

The deadline for receipt of applications is September 8, 2010.

Joel 3:12………..Let the nations be awakened!
Isa 1:2…………..Let the earth hear the voice of the Lord!
Ps 9:20………..Judge the nations in Your sight, Father, and put them to fear,
Ps 9:20………….that they might know themselves to be but men.
Rom 8:22……….Father, the whole creation groans and labors
Rom 8:21……….to be delivered from the bondage of corruption,
Rom 8:21……….into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Jn 15:26………..Send forth Your Spirit of Truth to bear witness of You,
Jn 16:8….and to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.
Eze 14:6……….Cause them to repent and to turn from their idols.
Hag 2:7…………Shake the nations, so they will come to the Desire of All Nations(Jesus).
Num 23:24……..Father, cause Your people to rise up.
Joel 3:11……….Gather Your mighty ones to prepare for war.
Joel 3:14……….Bring the multitudes into the valley of decision.
Jer 49:14……….Send Your ambassadors into all the nations.
Col. 4:3…..Open to them a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ,
Mt 24:14…..that the gospel of the kingdom may be preached in all the world.
Ps 111:6……….You have declared to Your people the power of Your works,
Ps 111:6………..in giving them the heritage of the nations.
Phil 2:10….Let every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord!
Isa 61:11………..Cause righteousness and praise to spring forth.
Hab 2:14………..Let the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory
Hab 2:14………..of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Isa 43:9………….Father, gather the nations together,
Ps 22:27…………that they may worship Thee,
Ps 46:10…………and exult Thee in all the earth.
Gal 3:8……………Let all the nations be blessed through Your people,
Zech 14:14………and let the wealth of the heathen be gathered together
2Kin 22:5….and be delivered into the hands of Your people for the work of the Lord.
Isa. 49:6…………Send forth Your salvation to the ends of the earth,
Mk 12:36………..and make Your enemies to be Your footstool.

The first speaker, Rev. Dennis Raj took got the ball rolling for the first two sessions by talking about commitment towards ministry and having a heart for ministry. He was followed by Rev. James Ravindran & Mr. Rajah who both represented MMM and spoke on missions based ministry. After a good rest and dinner, the participants were gathered for a session on the Nature & Scope of the pastoral ministry, by Rev. Devadass Ratnam.

Participants where then assigned to 6 different small groups and given various scenarios & dilemma common to pastoral and mission based ministry. They were asked to discuss and justify their reaction in such scenarios. The teams were then critiqued by senior minister present during their presentation. The purpose of this exercise was to help the participants understand the dynamics of ministry work and the qualities needed by a minister to handle such situations.

The second day saw Rev. Vincent Jayaraj preaching during the communion worship service on the topic on Discerning & Affirming God’s Call. After a short break, Rev. Jonathan took the stage to brief participants on procedures to register themselves for ministerial training and how best to chart their future. At the conclusion of the 2-day program, six participants committed themselves for fulltime ministry beginning 2011 and another 5 stated their interest to start immediately after their SPM examinations.

The organizers we pleasantly touched by God’s outpouring of anointing the unwavering commitment displayed by the participants towards His call. This will continue to encourage the TAC MYF Board to continue its many initiatives aimed at training and developing youth disciplines to do God’s work.

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

“I’ve been married for 30 years now.. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

When you are DOWN to nothing…. God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

Excerpts from: Our Daily Bread, http://odb.org/2010/06/17/why-suffer/

Jesus taught that the world seen from God’s viewpoint is tilted in favor of the oppressed. This teaching emerges in the Sermon on the Mount and other statements of Jesus: the first will be last (Matt. 19:30; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30), and he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11; 18:14). But why would God single out the oppressed for special attention?

1. Suffering helps us realize our urgent need for redemption.

2. Suffering helps us experience our dependence on God and our interdependence with one another.

3. Suffering helps us distinguish between necessities and luxuries.

4. Suffering helps us respond to the call of the gospel because we may have become so desperate that we cry out to God.

The poor, the hungry, the mourners, and those who suffer are blessed (Matt. 5:3-6) because their lack of self-sufficiency is obvious to them every day. They must turn somewhere for strength. People who are rich, successful, and beautiful may go through life relying on their natural gifts. But people who are needy, dependent, and dissatisfied with life are more likely to welcome God’s free gift of love.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Why? Because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).

The hardships we experience,
The trials that we face,
Will teach us that we’re strongest when
We’re trusting in God’s grace. —Sper

The weaker we feel, the harder we lean on God.
Read: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A1-12

By Kelli Mahoney, About.com Guide.
http://christianteens.about.com/od/whatthebiblesaysabout/a/WBSASmoking.htm

Studies show that over 3,000 teens start smoking every day, and the dangers of smoking are no secret. Yet, what does the Bible have to say to Christian teens on the subject? Well, there really isn’t a specific Bible verse telling us not to smoke. However, there are Bible verses that tell us to take care of our bodies. Yet, does that mean smoking is a sin?

Why Do People Smoke?
There are a lot of reasons people smoke. For some, it helps them maintain a lower weight. For others it makes them feel “cool.” Some people find it relaxing, and others only smoke to relieve stress in social situations. The list of reasons is endless, but the habit often starts at a young age and becomes difficult to break.

What are the Effects of Smoking?
Smoking has a number of effects on the body and mind. The chemicals in cigarettes are both physiologically and psychologically addictive (meaning the body and mind both become addicted) and have negative effects on the lungs, mouth, brain, and more. The most common result of smoking is lung cancer, but there are other diseases associated with smoking like asthma, emphysema, and birth defects.

What Does the Bible Say?
Christian teens should not just look at smoking from the effects it can have psychologically or physically, but should also look at the spiritual component of the habit. Would God want you to do something that harms the body? Would God want you to do something that becomes an uncontrollable habit? While God does not directly say, “Don’t Smoke!”, He does say some things about what you do to your body and how you use your time.

Continue reading here: http://christianteens.about.com/od/whatthebiblesaysabout/a/WBSASmoking.htm

Yesterday, a profound but simple message challenged my way of thinking beyond any other. Since Sunday school the message of “putting God first in your life” had been the cornerstone for the Christian faith, and that is true. However, we can put it in another perspective. In a life filled with desires, passions and goals, prioritising our heart’s true desires is almost a fall-short.

It almost feels as if one could not ever really rank in order the importance of direction in our life. A great way to look at this could really challenge the way we live our lives. Maybe it is not about putting God “first” in our life. In fact, what God truly wants, is that God is ONLY our lives.

The statement is simple but challenges our life-thinking beyond imagination. Every decision, every word, every action, every thought – is God’s. It goes beyond saying that God is placed first. No, it says that God encompasses all aspects of life, He becomes the first to the last of every desire in your life. He is “only”.

The greatest commandment, as we all know it, is much more challenging than it is in words. God did not say, “Love the Lord your God with the first of your heart’s desires, the greatest part of your soul, and the highest echelons of your mind.” He said, “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your mind and ALL your soul.” Imagine a life where every single ounce of purpose, every single waking thought was dedicated, portioned and lived for God. Yes, that is a great commandment.

Is God first in my life, or is He ALL of my life?

Sourced from ChangedForLife.net
Written by Aaron
Wednesday, 16 July 2008 13:25
Click here: http://tiny.cc/s2iju

We are inviting youths who have attended BREAK FREE 2010 to submit to us a mini testimony (not exceeding 80 words) via email to youths@ tacmethodist.org. Please include your name and local church. We look forward to hearing how this convention has changed your life or what you are now doing in your personal life to BREAK FREE.

Two weeks ago we witnessed more than 600 TAC youths gathering for what can potentially become the start of a new wave of revival in our churches. God has been faithfully preparing the Church, the MYFs and every youth for his special purpose. Over the past 2 years we have received many prophecies predicting that TAC youths will be making a difference in Malaysia.

Now is the time for us to pray earnestly and to claim that prophesy for ourselves. We hope each of you have spent the last 2 weeks pondering deeply on what was shared at the convention and praying about the personal bondages in your lives. Only when we have been set free can we seek to free Malaysia!

Soli Deo Gloria

- the MYF Team