IGNYTE I will ignite the kingdom life within you,a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out -Matthew 3:11-

Hi! we are at the end of the month of November today. And soon the year will be over. Tomorrow will be December and soon the year will be over.

I was in a Foursquare church, El Shaddai in Permatang Pauh yesterday. It was exciting to be worshipping with a whole group of Sabahans. Except for the pastor and wife, and Ps Henry and I, the rest were all from Sabah.

I have invited myself and our youths to go on a mission trip to this church on 31st January, 2010. Instead of flying to Sabah, we have Sabah just one and half hours journey away.

Will discuss with you all more about this. But just to get you all excited about what is in store next year.

Back to our Bible study on the book of Acts.

FAST FOOD - What is this got to do with the Holy Spirit?

READ

Acts 13: 1-5

Oops, sorry!

It is not Fast Food but it is NOT FOOD = FAST

We read in verse that the Christians in Antioch were "serving the Lord and fasting".

Fasting doesn't just mean skipping a meal or not bothering to eat. It means giving over the time that you would have spent preparing and eating a meal to spend more time with God - praying, listening to God and reading the Bible.

If you have not fast before, take it slowly. Fast one meal at a time. Then extend to one day. You can have a Daniel's Fast which is meatless, or just water fast, or juice fast.

There may be other things that you can give up in order to concentrate on spending more time with God. Jot down here what they might be.

________________________________________________

PRAY

Ask the Holy Spirit to direct and guide you as you spend more time with God.

Hey guys!

Fourteen more days to Camp! Are you excited?

Sorry that we were not able to finish watching the film due to some technical problem. We will finish watching the film next week.

But I am sure you have been blessed by the film so far.

For some reflections:

At the beginning of the show, Coach Grant Taylor is faced with a series of defeats and humiliations that affected his sense of self-worth and leave him wondering what God is doing. At one point, he refers to his seemingly insurmountable problems as "giants of fear and failure."

Let me ask you:

What are the "giants" in your world?

How does their presence affect your sense of self-worth?

How do they affect your vision of who God is and how He is working in your life?

THE HOLY SPIRIT

FACTFILE

Name: BARNABAS
Birthplace: CYPRUS
Job: MISSIONARY
Religion: JEWISH CHRISTIAN

To find out a little bit more about Barnabas . . .

READ

Acts 11: 19-30; 12: 25

• The name Barnabas means "son of encouragement."

• Barnabas encouraged the new Christians in ________________(vs. 22, 23) and later gave up a whole year to teach them with _____________(vs. 25, 26).

• He was full of the ____________ and _______________ (v. 24) and many people were _________________ through him (v. 24).

For more information on Barnabas, check out Acts 4: 36; 9:27; 15:12.

PRAY

In what ways could you be more like Barnabas? Talk to God about it.

As far as a Jew was concerned, Gentiles were the scum of the earth. Jews wouldn't even eat with them. Gentiles didn't observe the food laws that God had given the Jews, and so were considered "unclean" by the Jews.

So what were the Jewish Christians to do when they heard that Gentiles were also becoming Christians?!

READ

Acts 11:1-18

It was an amazing vision that Peter described to his fellow Christians. The animals described in the white sheet are all "unclean" - not to be eaten - according to Old Testament laws. But here is the voice of God telling Peter to eat them (v. 7)! What can God be getting at?

After three goes at telling him, the vision ends. And Peter wakes up to find three men down at the door waiting to take him to their master, Cornelius, who is - wait - for it - a Gentile . . .

Peter goes with them, meets Cornelius, tells him about Jesus, and Cornelius, tells him about Jesus, and Cornelius becomes a Christian on the spot (and all his family, too!). Wonderful!

But what's God telling Peter through all this? God's message of salvation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, is for everyone - Jews or Gentiles. So there can be no barriers between Jewish and Gentile Christians.

THINK

The Holy Spirit's hard at work in these verses. Can you spot what he's been doing? Pray that you'll see him working in your life today.

Hi!

We continue our Bible discussion on the Book of Acts. A window. A rope. A laundry basket. Some friends. What do all these remind you of?

READ

Acts 9: 20-31

Can you imagine a grown man escaping over a wall, in the middle of the night, in a laundry basket? Funny, eh?!

I guess Saul wasn't in any mood for laughing. He'd discovered that being a Christian certainly wasn't the easy option - it brought him enemies who wanted to kill him (v. 23). But it also brought him power to speak the truth boldly (v. 20, 22, 28), and it brought him a new bunch of friends who kept him safe when things got difficult (v. 25, 30).

PRAY

. . . for the Christians who are always telling the truth about Jesus, even if it doesn't always make them popular. Pray, too, that the Holy Spirit will keep you safe when the going gets tough.

Hi guys! today we have Bro Yit Ti to lead the discussion. This is our last lesson on Discipleship II. Next year we start Discipleship III.

Bro Yit Ti emphasized that we need to grow in Christlikeness - this is Christian maturity.

One thing that strikes me is that he said we can only be obedient and submit to authority if we learn to be humble. And a humble person leads an active prayer life. For the more he prays, the more he is dependent on God and not on himself. An arrogant person does not know how to submit to authority and does not know how to be obedient. How true!

Very interesting in the home cell on Friday, we watched Reinhard Bonkke's Full Flame series. Reinhard also talked about the importance of humility. When we want to share the gospel, we need to have an attitude of humility. People may never open the Bible but Christians are an open book to them.

Our Lord Jesus is an excellent model of true humility. "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross." Philippians 2: 6-8

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2: 9-11

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Remember pride goes before a fall. Always keep our hearts tender before the Lord. Be careful that pride does not rear its ugly head.

Who in you school would you hate to have to go and talk to about Jesus? Jot down the names of one or two people you are really scared of.

_______________________

________________________

READ

Acts 9:10-19

Just about the last thing in the world Ananias wanted to do was to go and talk to Saul. Everyone knew that Saul wanted to wipe out all Christians (v13). But God doesn't make mistakes. So Ananias did as he was asked (v17). And he found out that God had in fact changed Saul from a persecutor of Christians into a Christian friend.

God can change the "unchangeable" people in your life, too.

PRAY

. . . for someone you know who you think would never become a Christian in a million years. (Maybe one of those people you wrote down above). Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you to break down some of the barriers between you and them.

FACTFILE

Name: SAUL
Birthplace: TARSUS
Job: PERSECUTING CHRISTIANS
Religion: JEW, PHARISEE
Nationality: ROMAN CITIZEN

READ

Acts 9:1-9

Saul hates, curses and tries to destroy Christians (v. 1). A strong and powerful man, a real mean dude -then - BANG! FLASH! - his whole world is turned upside down by one encounter with Jesus. Saul becomes Paul. He's converted (v. 5).

For some people, conversion is Whizz Bang Flash quick change! For other people it takes days, weeks, years, to think it all out - they take small steps towards Jesus rather than one giant leap. Others seem to have known Jesus all their lives.

PRAY

Thank God that, through the Holy Spirit, people can have a complete change of heart. Thank God for the way the Holy Spirit has worked in your own life, to help you know Jesus better.

IMAGINE

An angel suddenly appears in front of you and says, "Go to . . . and tell . . . about Jesus." How would you react?

READ

Acts 8: 26-40

Angel: Philip, go south (v. 26)

. . . and Philip did as he was told (v. 27)

Angel: Go over to that carriage (v. 29)

. . . and Philip did as he was told (v. 30)

Because of Philip's obedience, a top government official became a Christian. Have you ever told God that you're willing to obey him, to go where he wants and do what he wants? Yes . . . well . . . but . . .

How do I know it's God telling me to do something special or unusual?

• It doesn't happen all the time. Just be ready
• God won't tell you things he wants someone else to do . . So don't say to a friend "God has told me you should . . ."
• Check it out with an older Christian.
• God won't ask you to do things that will hurt other people, cause trouble or go against anything he says in the Bible.

PRAY

Lord, help me to be willing to go where you want and to do what you want.

READ

Acts 8:14-25

Peter and John placed their hands on believers and the Holy Spirit came into their lives (v.17). Sometimes the believers would start speaking in strange languages (Acts 2:4). It wasn't magic, but Simon thought it was (v. 18, 19) and tried to buy some to impress people with (v. 19). He just wanted power.

The power of the Holy Spirit isn't for impressing people. You can't earn it, buy it or just get it by being in the right place at the right time. You see . . .

• God gives the Holy Spirit to every Christian
• The Holy Spirit gives you a gift or gifts according to what he thinks is best for you and your church.

PRAY

Lord, if I ask for power to make me a better Christian, let it be because I want to please you and help other people, not because I want to be a show-off.

QUESTION & ANSWER

Q. Are there such things as witches, black magic, and all that?

A. Yes.

Q. But what about horoscopes and Tarot cards and ouija boards and spirit of the coin? They're just a bit of fun, aren't they?

A. Umm - check out these verses for some biblical advice . . .

• Leviticus 19:26 (second half of verse)
• Deuteronomy 18: 10-12

Now check out which is stronger - the power of evil or the power of the Holy Spirit?

READ

Acts 8: 4-13

If God's power is stronger than the devil's, who is going to win in the end? So get off the losing side quick if you're on it or helping it!

Here are two pieces of advice. . .

• If you've ever been involved in ouija boards, astrology, hypnosis or mind reading, etc., PRAY to Jesus, say you're sorry, and ask him to throw out anything harmful in your life. Ask an older Christian to pray with you.

• If you've never been involved in these things, DON'T start!

Dear Ignyte members,

Sue Jane and Mun Teng will start their STPM exam in 30 November below will be their schedule. Please pray

for them at the exact time for the subject they are going trough to support them on the exam!!

23 Nov – 8am till 11am MunTeng and Sue Jane - Pengajian am 2

24 Nov – 8am till 10.30am MunTeng - chemistry 2

25 Nov- 8am till 11am Sue Jane – Mathematics S1 and  Mun Teng  Matematics T1

26 Nov- 2pm till 5pm Sue Jane- Business Study 1

30 Nov – 8am till 1030am Mun Teng – Physics 2; 2pm till 5pm Sue Jane – Economy 1

1 Dec – 2pm till 5pm Sue Jane -  Mathematics S2, Mun Teng - Mathematics T2

2 Dec- 2pm till 5pm Sue Jane - economy 2

3 Dec – 8am till 11am Sue Jane - Business Study 2

9 Dec – 8am till 945am Mun Teng – Physics 1; 2pm till 4pm Sue Jane and Mun Teng – pengajian am

10 Dec – 8am till 9.45am Mun Teng – Chemistry 1

Pls pray for them to have an excellent result that able to get them into any course of the university that they want.

Eunice,

Pls post your brother SPM exam schedule! So we could pray for him!!!

ALL exam candidates!! Ganbate!!!!!!

God Bless You all!!

Hi everybody!

Melanie should be the one to post this since she shared this topic at the Ignyte today.

Just share my thoughts here. Romans 12:2 tells us not to be conformed to this world. The Phillips translation has it as " do not allow the world to squeeze you into its mould." We live in this world and it is so easy for us to be conform to the patterns of this world especially in our thinking. That is why Paul goes on to say that "we need to be transformed by the renewal of our minds."

Our thoughts are so important, for "as the man thinketh, so he is." Our thoughts can affect our emotions, our will and our actions. So we need to think God's thoughts, for the Bible says, we have the mind of Christ. Renew your minds by reading the Word, memorizing the Word and meditating on the Word.

In order to be transformers, we ourselves must first be transformed. Transformation is not an outward change, like people who do cosmetic surgery or do an extreme makeover. But it is an inward change. Not just change in our behaviour, but change in our thinking which will bring about a change in our behaviour and every other aspects of our lives. There will be living streams of living water overflowing out of our lives into the lives of others and into the environment that we are in.

So Ignytes be change agents, not copy cats. You are the light of the world, the salt of this earth!

What happens when we die?

We all need constant reminder of God's promises in our lives for us to continue being faithful and grow deeper into relationship with Him. The video shows some of the many promises that can be found in the Bible. They are a gem. A must see.



Jesus loves us. ♥♥♥

Will God keep me safe and happy if I trust him and obey him?

READ

Acts 6:8

Stephen was one of the seven who were appointed to look after the needs of the poor. But he didn't stop at that. Stephen was a great preacher. He worked miracles. He was "full of faith and the Holy Spirit." He trusted and obeyed God. Surely he had a great future ahead of him!

READ

Acts 6:9-15

But Stephen's preaching brought opposition. Stephen was arrested and - as we'll see tomorrow - was put to death. God didn't keep him safe and happy.

Don't panic! Not everyone who lives for Jesus and talks about Jesus is going to be put to death! But God hasn't promised that following him will be easy. You may have found this already at school. Perhaps you've been picked on by other kids. David Lawrence in his book The Chocolate Teapot has got some good advice for people being bullied:

• don't give in
• pray for whoever is picking on you
• don't repay wrong with wrong.

Stephen didn't give in, he didn't repay wrong with wrong, and he prayed for those who attacked him.

THANK

. . . God that his Holy Spirit helps us to cope with difficult times.

Who is the most important person in the church?

Pastor? Treasurer? Youth Leader? Organist? Cleaner?

READ

Acts 6: 1-7

One of the ways in which the early church cared for one another was by giving practical help to widows (women whose husbands had died and so had no one to support them) and others in need. A few people went around collecting money and goods each week, and then they distributed it to those in need.

Would we think this was a very important job? But look at the sort of people the apostles chose to be responsible for it: people "full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom" (v. 3). The apostles needed the Holy Spirit to help them preach the gospel. But those who did the ordinary everyday jobs in the church needed the Holy Spirit's help, too.

THANK

. . . God for all the people in your church who do the "behind-the-scenes" jobs. Thank God that the Holy Spirit can help them do their jobs just as much as he helps those who do the more "upfront" jobs like preaching and teaching.

Today we watched a dvd from Reinhard Bonkke's "Full Flame Series." The titles are Who Jesus calls and equips and The Art of the Impossible.

We learnt that Jesus spent the whole night praying before he chose the 12 disciples. He did not go the best universities in Jerusalem to choose his disciples. But instead he chose ordinary fishermen, people whom the world considered to be nobodies.

Jesus does not choose us because of what we are, but because of what He makes from us.

We may see ourselves as Zero but when we make Christ number one in our lives, He adds value to us. We are valuable in His sight, we are precious.

We did an exercise, where we asked one person to represent Jesus. He is number one. And all of us lined up next to him. We are all zeroes, but when we stand next to Jesus, our zeroes have values, and we numbered ourselves until we reached trillion . . . until infinity (cannot count anymore).

Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Hey guys! (gals included) if you are struggling and worrying about your exams now, believe that with Christ all things are possible. With Jesus, he can move the immovable, cure the incurable, and make the impossible possible.

Ephesians 3: 20-21: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

Why are churches always asking for money?

I hesitated to put this question in print. It is a complicated question and also a question that would be easily misunderstood. But the simple answer is that Christians don't always allow the Holy Spirit to guide them as they ought to.

READ

Acts 4: 32-37

Why were these Christians willing to be so generous? Because they allowed the Holy Spirit to fill and guide them (look at v. 31). They gave and shared because they wanted to, not because they were made to. We don't always think like that.

If we allowed the Holy Spirit to guide us like these early Christians did, the church would never need to ask for money. We would give because we wanted to, not because we were asked.

THANK

. . . God for all the people in your church who are generous with their money, their homes, their possessions and their time. Ask God to help you to learn how to give without being asked. For it is more blessed to give than to receive.

We continue our reading on the book of Acts.

What is an evangelist?

Has an evangelist ever come to your town or church? Billy Graham is probably the most famous evangelist in the world.

An evangelist is someone who preaches the good news (gospel) about Jesus and invites people to become Christians - like Peter on the day of Pentecost.

READ

Acts 2: 37-47

Peter's sermon had a big effect on people and they wanted to know what to do about it. So Peter prompted by the Holy Spirit told them. Look at verse 38 to see if you can remember what he said.

1. Turn ........................................

2. Be b .........................................

3. Your sins ......................................

4. You will r ..............................................

If somebody asks "How do I become a Christian?" Peter's four points would be a good summary to remember.

We're not all evangelists. But we can all take opportunities when people ask us about Jesus.

PRAY

. . . for friends you would like to lead to Christ. Invite them for the Ignyte camp 13-15th December. Don't miss this opportunity!

READ

Acts 2: 25-28

Problem

David wrote "You will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave" (v. 27). But David died and his grave was there in Jerusalem at the time Peter preached.

Answer

David wasn't writing about himself.

READ

Acts 2: 29-36

Although David was a king, not a prophet like Joel, the Holy Spirit enabled David to prophesy that one of his descendants would be the "Messiah" - God's chosen one, Jesus. And it was Jesus, not David, who was raised from the dead.

Peter didn't have time to sit down and read what the experts said about the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit helped him to understand how the words written hundreds of years before had been fulfilled in Jesus.

THINK

Peter used the Old Testament because it was the sort of evidence that would convince his listeners. What sort of evidence will convince your friends that Jesus is really God?

What is preaching all about?

When I have to preach a sermon, I sit down with my Bible and other books and prepare what I want to say.

Peter didn't have time to sit down and prepare. The Holy Spirit had come, and suddenly Peter was on his feet and preaching. (Remember, he was a fisherman - not a minister!). He told them about the message of the prophet Joel. But then what should he say?

READ

Acts 2:22-24

The Holy Spirit prompted Peter to tell the people about Jesus. What does Peter say about him?

• Jesus is the Son of God (v. 22)
• Jesus was crucified according to God's plan (v. 23)
• God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 24).

Years later Paul was preaching that same message. Two thousand years later it's still being preached.

THINK

Do you ever wonder what to say to your friends about what you believe? Try to remember the three things Peter said.

What is Prophecy?

A prophecy is a message from God. Sometimes it speaks about events that will happen in the future. Way back in the Old Testament the prophet Joel gave a message from God. Part of it was all about the day of Pentecost around 500 years later.

READ

Acts 2: 14-21

The crowd are amazed. But some decide to take the mickey, making out that the disciples are drunk (at 9 o'clock in the morning!). So Peter stands up to explain what is happening. And the Holy Spirit reminds Peter of the words Joel spoke.

The coming of the Holy Spirit was no accident. His coming wasn't a last-minute idea on God's part. He had been part of the plan all along. All through the Old Testament the Holy Spirit filled people so that God could use them in a special way. But from now on he was coming for all Christians everywhere.

THANK

. . . God that we don't have to be extra special people for the Holy Spirit to live in us. We just have to be part of God's family.