“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” John 18:36

When Lord Balian, the baron of Ibelin, fought against the army of the renowned Muslim king Saladin at Jersusalem, he did so not with the intention of preserving the stones of Jersusalem’s walls, but with the sole purpose of protecting the lives of the women and children who lived in Jerusalem. It was a grim story of Lord Balian pitting his wits against Saladin’s ruthless hordes. Towers were torn down, trebuchets fired flaming missiles, and soldiers were even burnt alive. Finally, Saladin decided to call for terms with Balian. He agreed to give Jerusalem’s citizens safe passage to Christian lands if Balian would surrender the city. And so Balian surrendered the holy land. But he had fulfilled the knight’s oath of safeguarding the helpless by winning the battle for their lives to be spared from the sword. To Balian, it did not matter if Jerusalem fell into Saladin’s hands, because the kingdom truly lies in the heart of its people.

That was what Jesus meant when he spoke to Pilate in the Praetorium saying, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

The strength of the kingdom of God lies not in human soldiers, tanks, rockets, and fighter jets. But it lies in God who is the Lord of all. His kingdom is populated by angels of all sorts (archangels, cherubim, seraphim) and the people who worship Him both in Heaven and Earth. All its people are part of a royal priesthood, an army that does not struggle against flesh and blood but against the unseen powers of fallen angels (Ephesians 6:12). The beauty of God’s kingdom is not found in the architecture of different church buildings – not in stone carvings, stained glass windows, or ornamented crucifixes – but in the hearts of the people who dedicate their lives to Him by daily prayer, bible-reading and the way they care for others who are both inside and outside the Christian community.

The kingdom of heaven lives in your heart today. Do you now realize how significant Jesus has made you to be? One cannot deny the goodness that he is made capable of when the name of Jesus has been imprinted in his heart. The kingdom of God lives on earth because you are here in partnership with Him.  

1. IMAGEBEARERS "MY COLOURFUL WORLD" PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
 Enjoy nature? Love taking photographs? Join us!
Take a snapshot of Mother Nature and stand to win a prize.
Date                 :  28th November 2009, Saturday
Time                :  9.00am - 12.00pm
Venue              :  HortPark
Fees                :  $2
*All handphone and digital camera users are welcome to join us!
* Bus pickup will leave Oriental Plaza at 9am sharp.

2. PRAYER MEETING ON FRIDAY NIGHTS
Dates                :  4th December
Time                 :  7:30pm to 9:30pm
Venue               :  Sanctuary (Level 4)

3. FILIPINO FELLOWSHIP EVERY SECOND & THIRD WEEK OF EVERY MONTH
Dates                :  20th December 2009, Sunday
We wont be meeting on the first week (13th Dec) as we will be going for Church Camp.
Time                  :  1.30pm to 2.30pm
Venue                :  Church Training Room  

4. MANDARIN SERVICE ON FIRST & THIRD WEEK OF EVERY MONTH
Dates                 :  6th & 20th December 2009, Sunday
Time                  :  10.00am to 11.00am
Venue                :  Church Office, Tweenies Room.

5. MELAKA CHURCH CAMP 2009
It is that time of year again! Church camp is coming soon (about twenty more days in fact) and we all are looking forward to be rejuvenated in the LORD. As we are getting closer to the date, the team is in the midst of finalizing who is going for the church camp.

For those who have NOT signed up for church camp:

The deadline for signups is this coming Thursday (26/11/09), so if you can make it at the last hour, please contact me at 8288 9076 immediately for the booking of the rooms.

For those who have signed up for church camp:

****Please check the details below to confirm that they are correct:

Holiday Inn Hotel

Going one day earlier (12/12/09 Saturday)

The amount refers to the amount payable. Please book your transportation if you have not yet done so. 

Going  on 13/12/09 (Sunday)

For twin sharing rooms charges are as follows: $205 per pax + $35 (if applicable)

For triple sharing rooms, we suggest that the three persons split the payment evenly

($205 + $205 + $150) / 3 ~ $187

***The column with the values “35” denotes whether you have booked our church coach. Please check to see if they are accurate!***

Twin-sharing

Triple-sharing

Makota Hotel

Charges for Mahkota are: $130 + $35 (if applicable)

More details of the church camp itself will be announced during Church Service as well as via emails in time to come. If you have any queries or comments, do drop me a call at 82889076 or at tuharrick@hotmail.com

Payment collection is in progress, the next payment collection is during this Sunday’s service. Kindly place it into the Church Camp payment envelope.

On behalf of Jason, Clarence, Choon Leong and Siew Choon, I want to say thank you for the prompt and enthusiastic responses!

Blessings,

Harrick

Church Camp ‘09 Vice-Chairman

8288 9076

1. IMAGEBEARERS “MY COLOURFUL WORLD” PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Enjoy nature? Love taking photographs? Join us!
Take a snapshot of Mother Nature and stand to win a prize.
Date            : 28th November 2009, Saturday
Time           : 9.00am – 12.00pm
Venue        : HortPark
Fees          : $2
*All handphone and digital camera users are welcome to join us!
* Bus pickup will leave Oriental Plaza at 9am sharp.

2. PRAYER MEETINGS ON FRIDAY NIGHT
Dates               : 13th, 20th, 26th of November & 4th December
All prayer meetings will be on Friday except on the 26th which is Thursday.
Time                : 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Venue              : Sanctuary (level 4)

3. FILIPINO FELLOWSHIP EVERY SECOND & THIRD WEEK IF EVERY MONTH
Dates              : 15th November, Sunday
Time               : 1.30pm to 2.30pm
Venue             : Church Training Room 

4. MANDARIN SERVICE ON FIRST & THIRD WEEK OF EVERY MONTH
Dates                : 15th November 2009, Sunday
Time                 :  10.00am to 11.00am
Venue               :  Church Office, Tweenies Room.

5. ALIVE COMMUNITY NETWORK ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
We hope to give you notice for Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Alive Community Network.
Date                  : 22nd November 2009, Sunday
Time                 : 130pm after the morning service
Place                : Alive Community Auditorium at 291, New Bridge Road, Oriental Plaza, #03-03, Singapore 088756.

6. MELAKA CHURCH CAMP 2009
Dates                                     : 13th December, Sunday to 16th December, Wednesday
Church Service Venue        : Mahkota Hotel Function Room; Jasmine 2 & 3
Accommodation                   : There are 2 accommodation options.
Holiday Inn                            : $205 per pax for Twin Sharing
Mahkota Hotel                      : $165 per pax for 2 bed rooms apartment with 1 Common area
2-Way Coach from/to Church : $35 per pax (Adult) & $17 (Children Under 12 year-old) 
Camp Speakers                        : Rev Doug & Sis Patricia Klinedinst –
http://www.dougklinedinst.net/
Contact persons:
Jason (Camp Commandant)  -  jiayinn_85@yahoo.com.sg or call at 9456 4451
Harrick (Vice Camp Commandant)  -  tuharrick@hotmail.com or call at 8288 9076

7. PHILIPPINES PRAYER REQUEST & RELIEF SUPPORT
Please pray for the situation in the Philippines. If you would like to give towards relief efforts there through the church, do drop your offerings into the weekly collections in envelopes with the mention of Philippines relief efforts. The last date of collection will be at 15th November 2009.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love…

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7,8,11

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12

I was reading a Silver Surfer comic book when I encountered a story about two warring nations. They were in an arms race that pitted one’s weapons technology against the other. Needless to say, countless lives were lost as both nations saw their own battleships being ripped into scrap metal. The only places that were spared from bloodshed were the sacred places of both nations. Then, the Silver Surfer said, “If sacred places are spared the ravages of war, then make all places sacred. And if the holy people are to be kept harmless from war, then make all peoples holy.” (Marvel Comics, Silver Surfer Requiem).

That statement led me to think about how relationship conflicts can be prevented or solved. If holy, sacred things can be treated with reverence and care so that they do not get destroyed, perhaps we can treat relationships in like manner so that they will not be destroyed by any conflict no matter how big or small. Picture these: Terrorism will be brought to an end if the extremists would forsake their ideals and respect the sanctity of human lives, both that of their brethren and their potential victims. Divorce rates will fall if married couples would prioritise mutual love before their own desires. Parent-child relationships will be more nurturing if both would honour one another rather than impose demands on each other.

All in all, our relationships with people will improve and even last for as long as we are breathing if we would actively love them. But we would not be able to do that unless we adopt the mentality of putting others before self and perceiving our relationships as precious gifts. Too many conflicts happen unnecessarily because our desires are not being satisfied or because our own expectations are not being met. If we profess to be Christians, then we must love others (our friends and family members) just as we love Jesus. The apostle John wrote, “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:21). The second commandment that Jesus spoke about loving our neighbours just as we love ourselves is really no less important than the first commandment of loving God with all our heart, soul and strength.

When we love Jesus, we continually put away our own ideals, needs, and wants so that we can be attentive to Him. We honour Him by putting Him before ourselves. We understand Him by reading the bible and praying regularly. We adore Him by seeing Him as a precious friend. Just as we do these, will we also behold our friends and family members as precious as Jesus? Will we put them before ourselves to honour them and talk with them to know and understand them? They are just as precious as Jesus; they deserve to be loved just as we love Jesus.

Relationships that are continually under attack with vicious cycles of conflicts do not last. What can last are sisters recognizing the brothers they come to love as victors no matter what happens, and brothers and sisters honouring each other because of their shared experiences of victory and defeat.

1. BLESSED BIRTHDAY TO NOVEMBER-BORN SAINTS!
1. Victor Chew
2. Chee Keong Toh
3. Tiru Zeal
4. Hwee Huan Tan
5. Nimpha B. Coruno
6. Dilyis Lai
7. Isaac Chan
8. Leonard Oh
9. Augustine Lee
10. Rowena Ho
11. Josiah Tan
12. Lee Choon Nga
13. Analyn G. Duarte F
14. Julian Weng Yue Kuan
15. Emily Lai
16. Marie Lee
17. Daniel Lee
18. Elson Ho
19. Colin Tung
20. Joash Chee
21. Hsiao Lin Kho
22. Seth Weng Keong Tham
23. Thet Htun Lynn
24. Crystal Teoh
 
2. IMAGEBEARERS’ MINI BADMINTON TOURNAMENT
Game to show off your badminton skills? Now is the time!!!
Date           : 8th November 2009, Sunday
Time          : 3.00pm – 5.30pm
Venue        : Kreta Ayer Community Centre

3. IMAGEBEARERS “MY COLOURFUL WORLD” PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Enjoy nature? Love taking photographs? Join us!
Take a snapshot of Mother Nature and stand to win a prize.
Date           : 28th November 2009, Saturday
Time          : 9.00am – 12.00pm
Venue        : HortPark
Fees          : $2
*All handphone and digital camera users are welcome to join us!
* Bus pickup will leave Oriental Plaza at 9am sharp.

4. PRAYER MEETINGS ON FRIDAY NIGHT
Dates               : 6th, 13th, 20th, 26th of November & 4th December
All prayer meetings will be on Friday except on the 26th which is Thursday.
Time                : 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Venue              : Sanctuary (level 4)

5. FILIPINO FELLOWSHIP EVERY SECOND & THIRD WEEK IF EVERY MONTH
Dates              : 8th & 15th November, Sunday
Time               : 1.30pm to 2.30pm
Venue             : Church Training Room 

6. MANDARIN SERVICE ON FIRST & THIRD WEEK OF EVERY MONTH
Dates                : 15th November 2009, Sunday
Time                  :  10.00am to 11.00am
Venue               :  Church Office, Tweenies Room.

7. ALIVE COMMUNITY NETWORK ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
We hope to give you notice for Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Alive Community Network.
Date               : 22nd November 2009, Sunday
Time              : 1.30pm after the morning service
Place             : Alive Community Auditorium at 291, New Bridge Road, Oriental Plaza, #03-03,    Singapore 088756.

8. MELAKA CHURCH CAMP 2009
Dates                                  : 13 December, Sunday to 16 December, Wednesday
Church Service Venue    : Mahkota Hotel Function Room; Jasmine 2 & 3
Camp Speakers              : Rev Doug & Sis Patricia Klinedinst - http://www.dougklinedinst.net/

Accommodation               : There are 2 accommodation options.
Holiday Inn                        : $205 per pax for Twin Sharing
Mahkota Hotel                  : $165 per pax for 2 bed rooms apartment with 1 Common area
2-Way Coach from/to Church: $35 per pax (Adult) & $17 (Children Under 12 year-old) 
Contact persons:
Jason (Camp Commandant) - jiayinn_85@yahoo.com.sg or call at 9456 4451
Harrick (Vice Camp Commandant) - tuharrick@hotmail.com or call at 8288 9076

9. PHILIPPINES PRAYER REQUEST & RELIEF SUPPORT
Please pray for the situation in the Philippines. If you would like to give towards relief efforts there through the church, do drop your offerings into the weekly collections in envelopes with the mention of Philippines relief efforts. The last date of collection will be at 15th November 2009.