Will Sharlinie come home today?

Toll-free Hotline: 1-800-88-Lini or 1-800-88-5464

I sure hope she does, and today will be a day of either much joy, or much disappointment for her family, and also many Malaysian’s who have been keeping their eyes peeled and trying to look for her.

6 days ago, on the 23rd of January 2008, 50 bomohs unanimously agreed that Sharlinie was alive and will return in a week. I mean, 50 bomohs cannot go wrong, can they?

The bomohs were unanimous in saying that Sharlinie, who was reported missing on Jan 9, was alive and would be found within a week - Paragraph 5, The Star, Jan 23

In the old testament, if a prophet makes a prophecy and it doesn’t come true, he is was to die. That is how seriously God takes ’speaking in His name’. (deut 18:20-22)

If sharlinie does not come home tomorrow, what becomes of the 50 bomohs’ predictions?
Will the government take action against them?
Will they refund their hefty fees to the family?
Most of all, what will they say that will comfort Sharlinie’s sorrowing family? I can’t imagine what they would say.

I’m sorry for being so negative, I don’t blame her family for calling the bomohs, even though I neither believe in bomohs nor the powers they summon for their ‘revelations’, but I’d feel very angry if these folks are taking this family for a ride.

If the bomohs claim that their revelation was indeed genuine and that they didn’t conjure it up on their own, may I humbly ask all to question the ‘powers’ that they consult, who has obviously lied to them? My bible says,

Ye are of the devil, as your father, and ye desire to the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him.When he speaks falsehood, he speaks of what is his own; for he is a liar and its father. - John 8:44

Whether the bomoh’s are right or not, I just hope Sharlinie comes home soon. No child or family should go through this.

Here’s what the newspapers have been reporting:

Wed, Jan 23, 2008

Sharlinie alive and will be found, predicts bomohs
The home of five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, who has been missing for two weeks, was abuzz with activity Tuesday with the family having invited about 50 bomohs and their followers to perform prayers and conduct rituals.

Thu, Jan 24, 2008

Sharlinie may look different now, say cops
This possibility was based on other missing children who were later found, Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamad told reporters.

Fri, Jan 25, 2008

Cops cautious about info from bomohs
While the police welcome the help of bomohs to search for missing girl Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, they are cautious about information obtained via supernatural ways

Sat, Jan 26, 2008

Public warned against SMS rumours
The public was once again reminded that action could be taken against those who spread false SMSes that could bring about adverse effects, such as the latest one involving missing girl Sharlinie Mohd Nashar.

Sun, Jan 27, 2008

House search for Sharlinie extends beyond 5km radius
Police have extended their house-to-house search for missing five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar beyond the 5km radius

Mon, Jan 28, 2008

Tighter security at entry and exit points
Johor police have tightened security at all 17 entry and exit points in the state in search of five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar

Tue, Jan 29, 2008

- No news -

Be A Kid Again

1. Do a cartwheel.
2. Sing into your hairbrush.
3. Walk barefoot in wet grass.
4. Play a song you like really loud, over and over.
5. Dot all your “i”’s with smiley faces.
6. Read the funnies. Throw the rest of the paper away.
7. Dunk your cookies.
8. Play a game where you make up the rules as you go along.
9. Step carefully over sidewalk cracks.
10. Change into some play clothes.
11. Try to get someone to trade you a better sandwich.
12. Eat ice cream for breakfast.
13. Kiss a frog, just in case.
14. Blow the wrapper off a straw.
15. Have someone read you a story.
16. Find some pretty stones and save them.
17. Wear your favorite shirt with you favorite pants even if they don’t match.
18. Take a running jump over a big puddle.
19. Get someone to buy you something you really don’t need.
20. Hide your vegetables under your napkin.
21. Stay up past your bedtime.
22. Eat dessert first.
23. Fuss a little, then take a nap.
24. Wear red gym shoes.
25. Put way too much sugar on your cereal.
26. Make cool screeching noises every time you turn a corner.
27. Giggle a lot for no reason.
28. Give yourself a gold star for everything you do today.

Taken from … well, i can’t remember. Kids don’t bother with these things.

Living and dying a virgin

I asked this question to a few of the women in church:

“Which would be worse, dying young as a virgin or living the rest of your days as a virgin?”

Most of the replies would be dying young as a virgin.

Then I changed the question a little,

“What would be a greater sacrifice for you, dying young as a virgin or living the rest of your days as a virgin?”

Most replied the latter, that to live a virgin, would be a greater sacrifice.

I’m not drawing any conclusions on this, I just get some insight, and seems that:

Virginity, the prized possesion, which few want to keep for the rest of their lives.

I really like what Sharon Raju said,

“The second (living a virgin) is sacrifice, the first (dying a virgin) is tragic”.

What about you, any thoughts?

Don’t tell people they are sinners!

Read this off one of the fastest growing churches website, which suggests that when gospel sharing, leave the sin issue out ‘kay? Its neither relevant nor important.

Most people are invited into a relationship with God by being told they are wrong, sinful, and in need of salvation. While this is certainly true, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, I certainly wouldn’t show up to a party where the basis of being invited was that I am a screw up. To have the first words of the Gospel of Christ be ones of condemnation present a false concept of the core of the gospel and of God’s love. I certainly don’t like being told that I am a bad person and I assume you don’t either. It’s no wonder people become defensive, cross their arms, and shut down before we get to our point in telling them they are sinners, being that God has forgiven them. Yet the topic sentence of the gospel is a guilty verdict and by the time we get to the good news of God’s undying love we have already put the world on its heels in a defensive position. God is the only Judge of sins I am not. I know what I have done and to condemn others of being sinners is not my place. I would rather have them know Jesus by his love. Remembering that Jesus came not to condemn the world but for its salvation is very important when we encounter the good news.  

What if the first thing that we thought of when we talked about the cross was the hope that it represents and the love of God not just the sin that held Christ there. Sin is only a part of the cross it is not the point. If we invited people into a relationship with a Loving, holy, and untamable God, I think people would be far more apt to listen to the good news and engage it. Then once the basis of their relationship with Jesus is love not sin they would realize the broken state of existence they are in. I believe God would show them that they need Christ and yet know that they are loved even as a broken person. 

How different would our lives as Christians be if at the core of our relationship with God was not the need of a savior but God’s love? That are the center of it all we knew that Jesus had hope in us and that God loved us. Our actions would not be driven by sin management, hiding our true selves, or fear; they would be actions of a free redeemed people. If the core of our relationship with God is mere redemption from sin we fall into so many traps. For instance what is there left to do once we realize that we are forgiven? Well, we could sit around and try to not sin anymore, but if we could have done that, then Christ died in vain. St. Paul writes pretty clearly that how Christ has redeemed us we are free from the law and from sin. Yet if at the center of our gospel is sin, there will be no way to get away from it. We would exist lives of guilt because we kept failing to be sinless. Yet most dangerous is that sin is not Godly and to have a gospel based on sin would be to create one that has something to do with God, but God would not be the foundation of it. To have a Gospel based on sin, is a gospel that is self focused and is no gospel at all.

If love is the center of our theology, then sin becomes a part of our live but we will be able to stop worrying about our own salvation and we will be able to act in freedom the freedom of faith. Our faith would not be measured in how little we sin, rather it will be seen in how we act in love. We would not be burdened with the guilt of a sinful life but we would be free to forgive and to love for we know that at the core of God is love. A gospel based on love is one that is based upon God. I would like to point something out that seems to go unnoticed in most Christian circles. Jesus walked around and taught before he was crucified. And when he arose from the dead he walked around and taught a little bit more. The cross was part of his ministry, It was not the whole deal. It is very important, but during those times of walking with us he also taught us about love. On the cross God shows us how love wins. I am not saying that sin is not an issue, sin is all around us and is very dangerous. As we love Christ more and more, we ought become more aware of our fallen state, yet we also become aware of grace more and more. Christ came for the salvation of the world from sin, but he came because of love. We need to put love first and then realize the effects of a life based on love

Pasted from <http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1928>

 

What makes the good news, good news? Is not the fact that God has loved the people of this world in spite of its sinfulness?

 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10) 

I mean c’mon, if the gospel was just, “hey, guess what, God loves ya! You wanna love him back?” what so good about that news? That kinda sounds like what I used to do in high school with the girls, thinking they’d be honoured that I’m interested in them (I learnt the hard way that that was rarely true). A cheesy pickup line.The basis of our relationship with God is not our accepting Christ, it’s based on what Christ has done on the cross. We are accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:6).If any suggest that we should cloak the sin problem, and focus only on the God’s love, they are preaching an incomplete gospel. Everybody hates a terrible sales pitch, especially one that emphasizes the desirable good of a product but only reveal the strings attached after they’ve bought in! Preaching an incomplete gospel does just that. No wonder we find so many ‘professing Christians’ in Christendom today. They are the offspring of an incomplete gospel, that doesn’t make known the need for repentance and confession of sin before God as part of their response to the glorious gospel of salvation offered to men through Christ.Paul warned the heretics in Galatia about a different gospel

But if even *we* or an angel out of heaven announce as glad tidings to you anything besides what we have announced as glad tidings to you, let him be accursed Gal 1:8   

what were the key elements of Paul’s gospel?

testifying to both Jews and Greeks repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21    

1. REPENTANCE towards God
2. FAITH towards Christ

  Both need to be explained with love, care and sincerity, not with a holier than thou attitude.