LOGO Ministry 8th Youth Camp

Kumar is demonstrating a character building game to the participants.

LIFE will never be the same for all 43 youngsters who attended a fun filled, motivational and life transforming youth camp in Tanjung Bungah, Penang recently.

The participants including nine from Sunshine Cottage Welfare Society, Kulim were joyful, enthusiastic and seemingly ready to face the future challenges.

The smiling faces of the Tamil speaking participants, age between 13 and 30 from Penang, Kedah, Perak and Kuala Lumpur were bright and their eyes shining with hope for a greater future.

“I am confident that the whole camp especially the Character Building Programme by KJ Generation Resources (KJGR) has helped to mold and readjust the behavior patterns of the youths especially towards their parents and those in authority.

“This three days camp is definitely a success. I received a lot of encouraging feedbacks from the participants about what they have benefited from the whole programme,” said Pastor Michal Thomas who is the organizer of LOGO Ministry Youth Camp.

He who is also the chairman of LOGO Ministries said that he has been organizing youth camps for the past eight years and this will be an annual event to help educate and motivate the younger generation to be a better society that will be a blessing to the nation.

“I would like to thank the camp speakers, Pastor Santhanam, Pastor Ezra Ramesh and Kumarathevan for making this camp a success,” said Thomas adding that next year he desires to instill leadership skills into the youths and focus on other relevant issues.

A participant, K.Prabakaran, 23, said that the camp was very useful for all youths and he personally has learned how important it is to fear God and shun evil.

His friend, Jeremiah Soloman, 17, said that he too learned more about how to obey parents and those in authority and give due respect to one another.

“Give respect and take respect that’s what I learn from the Character Building programme,” added Sam, 14.

His brother Elisha, 23, said that everyone need to be righteous in all their undertakings because it is godly and help one to be more successful in their life.

Joanne Deva, 24, wants to put into practice everything she learned from the camp especially in the area of attitude and character.

“The old has gone and the new has begun!” proclaimed an excited wheelchair bound youngster, S.Tamilarasan, 22, who also added that the youth camp has helped build his confidence.

Deborah, 20, said, first of all she wants to ask forgiveness from her parents and as well as others whom she have hurt and want to be courageous to face the future.

D.Danies, 17, said: “after this camp, I want to be more attentive because it is very important. We can miss great opportunities if we are not paying attention to our parents, teachers and trainers or to the things that’s happening around about us”.

“I use to lie but now after learning about the importance of being truthful, I will make sure to speak nothing but the truth. I was also touched by the teachings on ‘The 10 Commandments to be an Excellent Child’,” said another camper, Shamma.

R.Vinsun, 16, said that the camp was fantastic and he has learned about the virtues of humbleness and how to apply it in daily life. “If we are rude, we’ll loose our testimony.”

Priscilla Michal Solomon, 19, who is also a musician said that in this camp she has learned how to make declarations and be enthusiastic which in turn will help her to encourage others who are down hearted.

“I am so blessed to be part of this training that taught me how to be thankful and appreciative. Now I know that if we don’t have good character, we will miss out a lot of good things that God have for us,’’ said A.Deborah Pathmani, 27.

The end.

Qualities of a good FATHER

“To be a father is a privilege and to have children are a heritage”.

• Ps.127:3 (Behold children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.)

Fathers are like a tree that should bear fruit.

• Mt. 7:17,18 NKJV (Even so, every good tree bears good
fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear
bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.)


Qualities of a good FATHER

Faithful to God and family
• Col 4: 2 • Eph 5 : 2
Able to manage his household well
• 1 Tim 3 : 4
Train his children to have good conduct
• Is 54 : 13 • Pro 22 : 6
Honest and truthful in all his ways
• Pro 12 : 17 • Pro 20 : 7
Exemplary man of excellent character
• 1 Tim 4 : 2 • Titus 2 : 7 • Pro 11 : 3
Rebuke his children with love but not provoke them
• Eph 6 : 4 • Col 3 : 21 • Pro 29 : 15 ; 23 : 13, 14 ; 13 : 24

BLESSED FATHER’S DAY !

~ B.Kumarathevan ~

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

FATHER’S HEART

Eph 6:1-4 MKJV

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),

so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

And fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

On the 7^th day of the new millennium, for a very first time I stepped into a new category of life, living behind my childhood, teenage and youth mind set and began to enter into the world called ‘fatherhood’. I was 30 years old then and was very glad to be called as ‘appa’ (daddy in Tamil).

My wife Josephine, bore a beautiful, chubby, cute little baby girl - Judith Kavitra - (Judith: which means She Who Praises & Kavithra: A Poet). My heart just melts when I gaze upon her pretty face and songs of joy bubbles up within me when I carry, hug and played with her.

Day by day, my heart just longs to be with her, talk, play and admire her beauty but I realize something… Judith did not only arouse the excitement of a father figure within me but began to teach me to carry new responsibilities as a father.

It’s true that no man is perfect, so are the fathers on this planet earth. We think we can love our kids to the point of death but sometimes we even fail them. We think we are caring enough but many times lost in the world of ‘busyness’ until we got no time even to say ‘hi!’ to them. We think we know every heart beat of our child yet quite often they go unheard of their inner feelings and desires that may eventually lead them to wrong structure of life.

On the other side, we as parents will surely have the feeling that we should get the honor, praise, thanksgiving and exaltation for raising up our children whether in good times or bad moments but in many occasion the parents get hurt and downcast just because these requirements are simply not met. Who are to be blamed?

Looking at all these, we may go frustrated and say to ourselves – “What in the world we need to do? Aaahhh!! I just care less...and why should I love and in return what I gain?” (Yes! Let me tell you that you’ve just sounded very human). Now is the time for us to think beyond our human understanding...not just dwelling in the natural but in the supernatural.

Earlier I draw the picture of an earthly father figure in your hearts and also the children's so called ‘misbehavior's’ that could cause the parents to be broken hearted .... but now I’m turning the table upside down for you to see, think and understand the other side of the picture. (If you don’t mind, would you please continue to follow me?)

Just as we are so concern for our little ones, the Father in Heaven is even more caring towards us and always seeking to love us and to be loved by us but often times He is heart broken because we don't respond to His call. He longs to communicate and be with us, to cuddle or embrace, play and even joke with us but we walk away from His presence because we got something much more important to settle.

You may ask: "When did I ever walk away from God's presence or neglected Him? Hey! Do you know that I don't miss any of the church services or programs?"

You sound quite right by saying that but at times we forgot to remember the uncountable days where we just rushed away to work without realizing that our Father in Heaven has been waiting to chat with us since the early morning. How do you think He would have felt? Only ‘God knows!’

How about the promises we made with God periodically that we would study and meditate on His Word (The Bible) everyday but couldn't really fulfill it because running short of time. Don't you think this reason also could have broken His sensitive heart?

Friends, He longs to speak unto our life through His powerful Word but we neglected Him, thinking that ‘He understands’ and it's okay if we don't keep our word, simply because He is GOD who Forgives and Forgets.

When our own children and loved ones turn away from us, disobey, misbehave or even neglect us, we feel down and out (sometimes, shed tears of hurt or even go without meal for days).

Just a moment, now put our Father God in that situation and think for a while how we could have hurt His feelings when we did the same to Him.

Dear people of God, now is the right time for us to turn our hearts to the Everlasting Father and give Him the opportunity and the privilege to commune with us daily. Yes! Daily. By doing this I believe the heart of the Father God will surely turn to us in a very special way to make us a holy generation.

• Prayer: "Father in Heaven, please forgive me for neglecting You and breaking Your tender heart. Make me a child that will fulfill Your desires. I love You dear God Almighty, in Jesus name…Amen."

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

The End.

> B.Kumarathevan

RUN WITH JC (Part 2)

Earlier in Part 1, I started the article with the story of Jesus at the age of twelve. Now, since we have run so fast, we are almost at the end of JC’s ministry.

Jesus began His powerful teaching and preaching ministry followed by signs, wonders, miracles and healings at the age of 30.
(Luke 3:23 ASV And Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years of age...)

In three and a half years, JC ran with such a speed to fulfill His divine assignment on earth.
The success of Jesus’ ministry on earth was not ‘how big His church was’, or ‘how many followers or supporters He obtained’ or even ‘how many souls He saved’ etc but His success was in OBEYING the voice of the FATHER and being led by the HOLY SPIRIT.

Beloved, the beauty about this race is we are not running against our adversary the devil and his foes by our own strength or effort but God our rock and strength runs together with us.

Though, I know this truth for many years but it came to me like a revelation and confirmed my believe after I watched a glimpse of the remarkable father-son bond of Dick and Rick Hoyt, and their inspirational journey together in a triathlon and life itself on U-tube.

More than twenty years ago, Rick Hoyt ran a 5 kilometer while pushing his disabled son in a wheelchair. After the race his son told him that while racing he did not feel disabled. They have since competed in over a hundred triathlons and marathons together. This video clip is truly remarkable and highly inspirational.

In the first place, why do we need to run?
1Co 9:24-27 MKJV Do you not know that those running in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. (25) And everyone who strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Then those truly that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. (26) So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air. (27) But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest proclaiming to others I myself might be rejected.

Friends, can you see the passion that Paul the apostle had to be part of the great race. He proclaims that he treat his body severely and make it his slave (not to sin but to obedience to God) in order to win the challenge.

I believe, you can agree with me that we are not trained just to ‘run for fun’. However, we ought to run the race to achieve something valuable and to receive an incorruptible crown. Run in such a way to win. I mean, we got to be focused and not run with uncertainty.

In the recent reality TV show ‘The Biggest Loser Asia’, one man called ‘king David’ became the winner after he managed to lose a substantial amount of weight and out beating many of his contenders. At his victory, he said that he definitely couldn’t have won this challenge without a proper training and motivation by his coach.

Just imagine, if a man and his contenders can put so much effort with the help of their coaches to win a particular challenge, how much more we should trust our Great Coach who runs with us to win the spiritual race set before us.

1Jn 4:4 MKJV You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1Jn 5:4-5 MKJV For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. (5) Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1Co 15:57 MKJV But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.


July last year (2009) the LORD challenged me to run with JC and to expect great and glorious results in three and a half years. I am taking this challenge and want to challenge you as well:
“How many of you wanted to make history in your own ways with the help of God in 3 ½ years from now? You got to make the choice.”


Conclusion:
Isa 40:3-5 MKJV The voice of him who cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah, make straight a highway in the desert for our God. (4) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked places shall be made level, and the rough places smooth; (5) and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken.
29-31 He gives power to the weary; and to him with no vigor; He increases strength. (30) Even the young shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; (31) but those who wait on Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Saints of God, if we choose to run along with Jesus on the track that has been prepared for us, God will empower us and increase our strength so that we can run and not grow weary or faint but be able not just to run with such a speed but to soar on wings like eagles to fly high.

We ought to be victors!

The end.

RUN WITH JC

Part 1

A couple of months ago, I was invited to two different youth gatherings to share on a topic called ‘Run with Jesus Christ’.

It was an interesting theme that caught my mind and spirit. When I started to work on it, I found something that stirred my enthusiasm, build my charisma and felt like someone just grabbed me and put me back on track…

I would like to share this message as well as my experience with you.

Luke 2:40-52 MKJV And the Child (Jesus) grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was on Him.

(41) And His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. (42) And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the Feast… (46) And it happened that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them. (47) And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. (48) And seeing Him, they were amazed. And His mother said to Him, Child, why have you done so to us? Behold, your father and I have looked for you, greatly distressed. (49) And He said to them, Why did you look for Me? Do you not know that I must be about My Father's business? (50) And they did not understand the word which He spoke to them. (51) And He went with them and came to Nazareth, and He was subject to them. But His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. (52) And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

The first thing that caught my attention was that Jesus when he turned 12 years of age – He was not childish but mature in His way of thinking, speech and action. Just as Jesus’ youth began at 12 and He increased in wisdom and stature, so we can train our young people to stop being childish and grow up to have favor with God and man.

As I was meditating upon chapter 2 of Luke and thinking deeply about the number 12, which speaks about apostleship and the Kingdom of God etc; the Holy Spirit brought to my attention chapter 12 in various scriptures that points to this topic.

In Jeremiah 12 we will see that the prophet in his frustration will ask God, why does the wicked prosper:

(Jer 12:1-5 MKJV Righteous are You, O Jehovah, that I might contend with You; yet let me speak with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all those happy who deal treacherously? (2) You have planted them; yea, they take root. They grow, yea, they make fruit. You are near in their mouth and far from their reins. (3) But You, O Jehovah, know me. You have seen me and tried my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and devote them for the day of slaughter. (4) How long shall the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither from the evil of those who dwell in it? The beasts and the birds have been destroyed, because they said, He shall not see our last end.)

Doesn’t this sound a little bit like us when we are frustrated?

God answered him:

(5) If you have run with footmen, and they wore you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if you feel secure in the land of peace, then how will you do in the swelling of the Jordan?

Friends, as you see the scripture, God is not training us to compete with men but with horses. (Can you perceive God’s intention to train us and His desire to make us victors?) Horses, speaks about a greater force that without a shadow of doubt is unbeatable when compared with man’s strength.

Remember, we are in God’s gym and training camp that prepares us to face and face-out our greatest contender – the beast! Now, look at: Heb 12:1 MKJV Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God...(12) Because of this, straighten up the hands which hang down and the enfeebled knees. (13) And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.

The only way to win this race is to get away from sinful life and run with endurance by looking at the Princely Leader and Perfecter of our belief, Jesus. (Taken from the literal translation – The Scriptures)

Beloved, let us strengthen the hands that hang down for so long and get up quickly. STOP looking down on your selves and staying put in the place of your defeat. Be healed and rise up on your feet with such a power and put your confidence in the LORD. May the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead, raise you up once again to finish the race that has been set before all of us.

As apostle Paul advised us in Romans 12, we are rather trained by God not just to flap our muscles and win a mere race but to be a holy generation that has been transformed by the renewing of our mind to fulfill the perfect will of God.

(Rom 12:1-21 MKJV I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.)

Lastly, don’t just remember the training and forget about the trainer. Just look at this reminder from: Ecc 12:1 MKJV Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days do not come, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

(12-14) And further, by these, my son, be warned: The making of many books has no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (13) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man. (14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether evil.

Dear friends, may God stir your spirit as well and put you on the right tract to finish the race in style. Let’s run with JC!!

2 b continued…

B.Kumarathevan.

United Malaysian Kids

Young Malaysians of different races are reading a book together at our mini

library in Gua Musang, Kelantan.

(Part of our effort is to encourage greater unity among different races because we believe unity need to be built from the very young.)

Don't give up!

Life is full of challenges. People we trust may fail us; our health may deteriorate; our vehicle can breakdown; our family can face hard times; we may run out of funds and finances; work or even education can be pressuring. The list can go on and on....

Nevertheless, "DON'T GIVE UP; JUST GIVE IT UP TO GOD"... because He who created us has also created in us the strength and wisdom to face those challenges.

God will make away, where there is no other way. He will guide us and supernaturally lead us.

1Co 10:13 No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it. (MKJV) Isa 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall sprout; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. Isa 42:16 And I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. I will do these things to them, and not forsake them.

Amen!!