| Title: | Prayer Alert Concerning the "Allah" Issue |
| Description: | On 31 Dec 2009, the High Court decided on the case brought by the Catholic weekly, The Herald against the Home Ministry in respect to the ban on the use of the word "Allah". The substance of the decision by the High Court is as follows:- That the ban by the Home Ministry against the Herald for using the word "Allah" in their publication is unconstitutional and therefore invalid; The use of the word "Allah" is not exclusive to Muslims only but non-Muslims religious groups such as Christians have the right to use the word "Allah" as this is their constitutional right. The decision was hailed as a landmark decision by all parties but has brought significant implication for Christians in Malaysia. |
| Author: | NECF |
On 31 Dec 2009, the High Court decided on the case brought by the Catholic weekly, The Herald against the Home Ministry in respect to the ban on the use of the word "Allah". The substance of the decision by the High Court is as follows:-
The decision was hailed as a landmark decision by all parties but has brought significant implication for Christians in Malaysia. In the after math of the decision and as expected, the Home Ministry filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal over the decision. The Muslims NGOs are also not pleased with the decisions and have organised demonstrations in two cities. More is expected to come. They have also organised an outline signature campaign to pressure the judiciary to reverse the decision. There is also a police report over the decision. All political parties are experiencing division within their ranks over this issue. As a reaction, some are asserting and questioning why are Christians now only using the word whereas they have not done so in the past (this is a misguided and erroneous notion deliberately spread to fan the sentiments of the Islamists and t he masses). In the midst of this tension, the PM has called for calm within all cultural communities. NECF together with other Christian bodies are keeping a low profile and avoiding unnecessary statement but at the same time making effort to educate the masses on the facts and truth as well as appealing for mutual respect, acceptance and diversity. In light of this recent development, we appeal to the Christian community to stand together in one heart and mind to intercede for God's will to prevail that peace and order will be preserved in our nation. Pray that:
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| Title: | NECF Malaysia Statement on Fire-Bomb at Churches |
8th January 2010 NECF MALAYSIA STATEMENT ON FIRE-BOMB AT CHURCHES The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) of Malaysia is saddened by the events of the last 24 hours affecting our churches. We regret the irresponsible actions of certain extremist elements for the recent spate of fire-bombs thrown into church premises. These actions display their immaturity and intolerance towards others within a multi-racial society. Though to date, no casualties have been reported, we want to commend the swift actions taken by both the Police and Fire Department. We hope that with adequate investigations they will be able to probe into the blaze and speedily bring those responsible to justice. We call on our government to take the necessary steps to educate those who lack understanding and are "easily confused" to be mature minded in a progressive democratic society. With the Prime Minister’s national agenda of 1Malaysia, we regret to note that these irresponsible actions will bring much setback to the desired goals and derail the country’s effort to move out of recession. As Christians and responsible citizens of this country, it is our desire to see all quarters promote peace and harmony. We therefore appeal to all communities to exercise practical rationality and to listen to the “voice of reason” and strive to make all efforts to foster a sense of greater unity and harmony within all races and religious community groups. NECF calls on all parties to learn to respect each other’s basic constitutional and human rights to practise one’s faith and religion, recognising the fundamental boundaries in not interfering with the Scriptures of other faiths. NECF further calls all Christians to pray for the peace and well-being of the nation. Released by: Administrator's Note: CT exist as a channel of disseminating information regarding issues pertaining to Calvary Church, Kuala Lumpur's present saga. We however, felt that the recent issue of churches being torched because of the legal battle over the use of "Allah" by Christians, is an issue worthy of attention and should be supported by all Christians. CT's special post here is to encourage all our readers to join hands with NECF and other churches to pray for this current issue. It is not our intention to debate, to speculate or to garner for suggestions on how to solve this national problem. CT is not catered for that as we are not affiliated with any Christian Organization and therefore have no means to be a channel of help to them. CT is not a registered body with any Christian organization. As such, CT cannot act as a "collection center" for any contribution that our readers may feel led to give to help the affected churches. If you wish to contribute to help rebuild the affected churches, please contact them personally or NECF for details on how you can help them. | |
21 comments:
We just heard of news that churches are being attacked. Let us at times like this pray that the Church of Jesus Christ will stand firm.
January 9, 2010 8:44 AM
Yes, we should not condemn. "Forgive them Father that they do not know what they are doing"
Bless instead bcos we have a great God and Father who has blessed us. We should help out our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord, regardless of denomination. Can TTG facilitate collection to give to al the 3 churches involved. Set a target like the campaign fundraising for Jeff Ooi.
We should that this as an opportunity to witness. "By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if u have love for one another"
January 9, 2010 10:32 AM
Lets forgive those fire setter, coz Jesus told us to forgive our enemy. I just read an article saying NECF was condemning them who set the fire. But why condemn them, Rom12:19-21 says feed our enemy. Vengeful only brings more hatred and revenge will never ends. So lets forgive them who naive and pray them wisdom n hope nothing like 8/1/10 happens again in the future.
Anonymous N who wrote at January 5, 2010 7:25 PM
January 9, 2010 8:49 AM
Please read carefully. NECF did not condemn anyone - they spoke up against their ACTIONS. Their statement was that they were "saddened by the events" and "regret the irresponsible actions". This is the right thing to do - to speak and stand up against evil and extremities; the precise call of God for Christians.
Please read carefully.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/48950-christians-others-condemn-church-attacks
I read it wrong and it was my mistake by saying so, apologize on tat statement.
And let us pray for everything.
Anonymous N....Thank you for your words of wisdom i.e. "Lets forgive those fire setter, coz Jesus told us to forgive our enemy...Vengeful only brings more hatred and revenge will never ends.
So, now TTG leaders, please also forgive Senior Pastor and all the Calvary Church leaders. Let us not condemn them.
To Forgiveness is for all,
Very quick of you to come to defend PG using any circumstance available so that PG gets away with all the wrong he has done.
Hey, we all forgive PG and the Calvary Church leaders BUT since we are not God, we don't forget - Simple truth right?
BTW someone told me that day when we were talking about CC. He said that the people don't condemn PG, it is his actions ie SIN against God that condemn him. I was wondering what that was about, now I begin to see what he means. Oh my friend is not TTG people.
We calvarites forgave n i believe TTG did too,but my question was, 'are there any changes?'..wat TTG was seeking was purely truth n fact, aren't them? What u're saying here is:'let forgive the church torcher, it's ok if they continue doing it again and again.'/ 'lets forgive pg(which obviously we did), but let him keep practice what he has been doing all this while'..rang any bell?
Besides,pg is not even close to enemy to us.He is our brother,our friend,our companion for years, n our pastor.now there's something we want to tell and reach our hand to help before pg goes deeper into the portal. We want changes, he was aware of it, like the fire setter aware of it. We need changes. Agreed?
To Calvary Church leadership,
I believe this is also God's call to be prudent with the finances and not plunge into the extravagant spending of bricks and fancy architecture which the devil can come to kill, steal and destroy. Imagine a multi-million dollar building, the sweat of every Calvarite being burnt down in just a matter of minutes!
God has also spoken very clearly throughout this experience that churches in Malaysia should stop drawing denominational lines and be united in one voice to pray.
I plead with the pastors and deacons of Calvary Church to please wake up and not be drowned in your self-glorifying waywardness. Step out into the real world and be a faith-giving, miracle-living church. The millions you have blown into the building project could have drawn miracles into the lives of many needy people.
To all Calvarites who still attending CC faithfully every week.
Please ask Tan Sri Prince Guneratnam what is he going to say to the churches and Christians in Malaysia regarding this "Allah" issue. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have not read any statement from our Tan Sri Prince Guneratnam since the beginning of this whole "Allah" issue.
When he got the Tan Sri title, he proudly declared that it was for the Christian testimony and to declare the presence of Christians in this country. What is doing now that the church in Malaysia is attacked.
We all know he is a Big time, Big shot, superintendant emeritus (whatever that means) of AOG, the Advisor of NECF and the list goes on and on, so what does this Big shot Christian leader has to say to all Christian and our government?
Or is he going to stay silent when there is big time problem now.
Please ask all our pastors and deacons the question. I will be checking the church website for his statement on the "Allah" and church torched issue.
Thank you very much.
I'm just a "simple" Christian without any titles infront or behind my name. Kindly correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember any passage in the bible that says forgive and FORGET. There are many verses that say forgive. BUT FORGET??? Anyway, I don't think anyone would be able to forget an event especially the ones that impacted them the most (positively & negatively).
Besides, I don't think the "message" or "spirit" of the word forgive means the perpetrator should be let off the hook without any consequence or punishment. He/She should be held responsible for his/her actions. Likewise, the people whom have torched the churches should be brought to book and punished for their actions. So, what makes PG different from the rest "Anonymous N" and "Forgiveness is for ALL"?
I hope my sharing make sense coz I'm just a "simple" Christian without any titles infront or behind my name.
I was touched when i read the news that some government leaders have joined the Sunday mass/services of the churches who were attacked.
It made it clear to me that God is going to touch the nation of Malaysia, including the government and authorities.
What seemed to us as tragedy on Friday, has now become a channel for Christians to touch the national leaders.
Pray that God's will be done in Malaysia!
'Simple christian' was right, are u saying that:'i forgive 'church torcher', things they had done? Nah..forget about it, if they do it again? Nah..never mind, coz i forgotten about it..if they burn Ur house?' how do u feel? It's a house of God..so as CC n the people..experience what u're thinking.
Praise the Lord..let His name be glorified and lifted high, it is a good news indeed, Amen!
I would like to praise God for the equation below-
A+B=C+D+E+F+G
A-church torching
B-attacks of other churches
C-unveiling ugly faces of the possible party who torched it.
D-passionate of Christ and His church against other is now nationwide known.
E-generousity of Christian who forgive is now nationwide known.
D-public recognition of Christ love instead of hatred.
E-Metro tabenacle approval of CF.(not announced, because involved bribery for few years)
F-public (non-christian) defame of possible 'torch doer', and God's name is praised.
G-some politician attended/gather church last sunday.
Isn't God amazing?Amen!
As far as forgiving PG/BOD/AP is concerned, many here have maintained that we hate the sin but love the sinner. There is no repentant from SP/BOD as they has continued to act with impunity the money placed in their hands. Case in point ...no update from SP/BOD on CCC work stoppage...Pray that our fellow brothers and sisters will wake up from their blind loyalty and begin to understand their authority in Christ to call SP/BOD to accountability and good governance.
I think Churches should welcome all Fire Bombers to burn their Church down. No need to have close door conference to decide on raction and how to deal with an issues that cannot be dealt with logic, words, explanation. Just encourage them to bomb but you forgive.
Perhaps Churches should pray for WISDOM rather than for forgiveness. You see forgiveness can never stop evil from continuing their evil acts. Wisdom in the form of how to handle the issues is better. The wisdom I ask ALL churches to do now, is to review their INSURANCE and see if ALL GAPS are covered!! Then Kick a STINK if the insurance wants to charge a higher premium and let the message go to the international community. Name and shame all those Insurance Crooks. There is no need to name and shame the government anymore.......it has already done what many have failed to achieve........ Ruin Malaysian Reputation Internationally, destroy the economy and bring about Change. God does works in Mysterious Ways and I see a lot of goodnes out of all these burnings....no harm done. Only stupid Churches without insurance hope for the best. Never too late to review everything in a church administration!!....hint hint nudge nudge!!
APPRECIATION FROM NECF
I appreciate Calvary Today for publishing NECF's call for Christians to pray regarding recent sad events in Malaysia. Let us continue to practise 'Throne Life' principles and continue in faith.
I want to share with you an important principle that Norman Grubb shared. As a missionary, he had witnessed the power of God during the Congo civil war.
Adventure in Adversity
One such person whom he mentored was Dr. Helen Roseveare who was an English Christian missionary to the Congo from 1953 to 1973. The Lord saved her from those who tried to kill her and destroy the hospitals she had build in Congo. She was raped, poisoned and beaten but the Lord preserved her.
Norman Grubb wrote:
"But there is no other power - only ONE POWER - I AM! Nothing else has power over us as He had destroyed it in Christ's Cross. Do not be deceived into believing a lie that something else has power over us.
Amongst the great principles of victorious Christian service which God has been teaching us in our morning missionary meetings has been the true method of facing, handling and using for good all forms of adversity, all experiences of what we call evil--shocks, suffering, difficulty, disasters, unjust treatment.
The first key, put in a sentence, has been this: that "evils" are never the happenings in themselves, but the effect we allow them to have upon us. No matter whether objectively an experience is apparently good or evil, subjectively, to the one who fears and doubts, all is evil; to the one who trusts and puts his/her faith in God - all is good.
To all appearances Calvary was Satan-engineered ("Satan entered into Judas"); but Peter later confirmed his Master's attitude by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, when he declared, "Christ was delivered to Satan by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." (God had planned it to happen)
But the adventure of adversity goes even far deeper than this. When seen in its true perspective, it is found to be the doorway into God's most transcendent secret--that adversities and sufferings, which in their origin are the effects of sin and instruments of the devil, in the grasp of faith become REDEMPTIVE - i.e. for OTHERS - even those who burn hospitals and churches.
Those who trust God are transfigured from the realm of merely something to be endured as an opposition of Satan, to something to be used to conquer Satan and redeem his victims. Faith in times of adversity makes the serpent swallow itself! Once again the supreme proof of this is that when Satan made his fiercest attack in history on the person of Christ, God used that attack through the faith and endurance of the Sufferer, to bring about the world's salvation. God uses evil to bring about good.
Bibliography
1. Roseveare, Helen. Give Me This Mountain. InterVarsity Press, 1995.
2. Norman Grubb - Knight of Faith
Vijay
www.normangrubb.com
To "Concerned law lecturer" who posted a Comment on the 3/7/11 with this opening address :
“SOME QUESTIONS FOR PASTOR EU HONG SENG ON THE ALLAH ISSUE
Pastor Hu-I am a law lecturer and teach administrative law( covers many areas-ISA detentions,conversion in and out of Islam- mostly case law.)...”
Since your Comment seek answers from Pastor Eu, we suggest that you write personally to him as Calvary Today is not the right channel to have your views read by him. We are not sure if Pastor Eu is aware of the existence of Calvary Today and as such, you will not be able to get a response from him through this blog.
Alternatively, you may write an e-mail to calvarytoday@gmail.com and we will try to forward your letter to him. Please enclose your e-mail address so that Pastor Eu may reply to you directly.
God bless.
Since your Comment seek answers from Pastor Eu, we suggest that you write personally to him as Calvary Today is not the right channel to have your views read by him. We are not sure if Pastor Eu is aware of the existence of Calvary Today and as such, you will not be able to get a response from him through this blog.
...................................................
A RESPONSE---- THIS BLOG IS BIASED.
If that is your position, then why did you post his long article on this blog.? But my queries are just swept into the dust.
I was rather amused that NECF believes that our Lord only spoke Aramaic and He cried out to Allah from the Cross. Is that so Mr, Intellectual?
Here is a question for the apologists in NECF. When the scroll of Isaiah was handed to our Lord in the synagogue, what language was the OT written? He read it in Aramic? If a body like NECF i is capable of such interpretation, then satan already has got a foothold not just in CC but in NECF as well.
I dont think this disease is going to be healed anytime soon.And NECF is working silently with SP and has the same spirit.
Can the Rev show one Bible verse which clearly states the name "Allah". He has not given 1 Bible verse to support his views. All his arguments are extraneous material. A non Christian would have given the same arguments.
Law Lecturer. Amused & Disgusted.
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