Christmas Message from Ipoh Regional Committee of CCM

Dear brothers in Christ / relatives / friends,

I want to take this opportunity of the festive season and wish you all a Holy and Joyous Christmas 2006 and a Blessed and peaceful year 2007.

We have celebrated Christmas for 2005 years and yet only approximately 20% of the world’s population has accepted the “child” Christ as their Saviour. If only each one of the 20% takes a vow that, “I will bring to the Christmas service this year at least one who has not known Christ”, we will all be celebrating next Christmas with definitely more than 20% accepting our Lord.

The real challenge of Christmas is to let Jesus, who came in human likeness, lead us into a “humanness” like his. Are we remembering our poor relatives and friends and demonstrate humanness that Jesus so readily, willingly and freely offered us. I mean even forgiving your mortal enemy.

Becoming like Jesus is what Christian discipleship is all about. Paul says: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Let us open our hearts and minds to the love of God in Christ. Let us ask God for that love to fill us more and more in this season so that our human life will put flesh on the love of God for those around us. Let us ask Jesus to be our companion and guide us in this challenging task. Unless we try, we will not achieve it. The word achieve is misspelt deliberately. The actually word should be ACT-chieve. Be like a sprinkler head and let the water sprinkle through. Be like a fountain pen and let Christ, like beautiful ink, write His message through your life (Mathew 7:24 / Romans 10:17).

I am extremely sorry that I am not able to write to you individually for the simple reason that I am spending my Christmas in India with my family. I will keep you all in my prayers. Please pray for me and my family, for our safe journey to and from India. For my whereabouts in India , please contact Mr. Jothi Pandian, tel: 00-91-44-23742535, e-mail: t_jothipandian@yahoo.com.in

Also pray that the Lord be glorified in the Perak State Christmas Celebration to be held in the banquet hall of the state secretariat on 7th January 2007. Most of the ground work will be completed before I leave for India , which is an undertaking of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, Perak, in which I am involved. 700 people, both Christian and non-Christian will be invited. His Highness, the Sultan of Perak is the Chief Guest of Honour who will together with other royalties and state dignitaries be gracing the occasion.

With our prayers and thoughts of the season. Let the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all of us.

Yours in Christ,
Joseph and Mary Thambiah