SEPTEMBER 2017
95
ISSUE
THE COVER
Relationship: Love One Another
Jesus prayed for all believers in the garden of Gethsemane, "that all of them may be one." (John 17:21) One of the most powerful keys of the Kingdom is godly and holy relationships amongst the believers. We are called to love the members of Christ's Body. We need to learn to love one another despite all our differences, and exhibit Christlikeness in our relationships so that the world will know—we are His disciples. Until we love one another within, there is no message of grace to those without.
FLOODGATES is a newsletter of DUMC, seeking to report the happenings of the church and the blessings of God upon His people in DUMC. May the articles in Floodgates which seek to encourage and edify the soul, contribute towards building God’s community and making known His glory. If you have an encouraging story to share please send your article of about 600 words to bit.ly/dumcstories or call Monica Lee at 03 7958 7388 if you need a reporter to cover your story. All articles may be edited or rewritten for purposes of clarity and space.
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MESSAGE FROM SENIOR PASTOR 4-5 Listening to God EVENTS 6-7 Kingdom Leadership (LEAD2017) 8-9 Submit or Not 10 TWENTY35 FEATURES 11-12 New Frontiers for Medical Camp 13-14 PJOT Children’s Fellowship 15-16 Mission Trip : Journey Cambodia 17-18 Boundaries & Expectations in Relationships 19 Empathy - The Missing Link between Pain and Hope MESSAGE FROM FOUNDING SENIOR PASTOR 20 The Gospel - The Only Hope for Our Nation & Nations FAMILY 21-22 Running for Marriage DUMC STORIES 23-25 My Life My Story 26 The Prodigal Daughter GETTING TO KNOW 27-28 Our Story Become HIStory 29-30 DUMC Ministries 31 Events Calendar Back Cover : FORWARD2018
CELEBRATIONS ENGLISH
CHINESE
BAHASA MALAYSIA
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NEXTGEN Teens CRAVE (for ages 13-17) NextGen Space Saturdays: 2.00 pm
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Dream Centre, 2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia T : +603.7958 7388 F : +603.7958 3787 E : general@dumc.my : dumcMY W : dumc.my The church office is closed on Mondays.
My greatest adventure 14 September 2017
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Listening to
OD by Chris Kam, Senior Pastor
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have taken the church through a series on “Listen” (to the Voice of God.) It is an amazing series. It is on something so fundamental that we have taken it for granted, and is often not practised. We hear but we don’t listen. Hearing can be simply defined as a physical act of perceiving sound via the auditory sense. Listening on the other hand is paying close attention to the sound that is perceived. In a deeper sense, listening is taking careful note of what we are hearing and acting on what is heard.
I remember in the earlier years of our marriage, in our many car rides home after fetching my wife from work, we would be having conversations about the work day. With me being the typical single-tasking guy, my wife realised one day I was giving her a token hearing of what she was sharing. She exposed that by asking me, “What did I say in the last ten minutes?” I could repeat back to her some things she said, but she knew I wasn’t really listening. I suppose the fact that I am a guy doesn’t help much as I would prefer things summed up in 3 lines or less, rather than describing every detail of the day with its nuances and juicy details. And so often, we are like that to God. “Holy Spirit, give it to me in three lines. Better still, one. Okay, got it.” And off we go to conquer the day.
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We rush through our devotional time with God and His Word. We spend time reading the Bible, perceiving the words through our visual sense, and hence “hearing” the words in our mind. We place a tick on our checklist of daily to-do things within the shortest possible time in the name of efficiency to appease our guilty conscience. But we never really give much time for the words to sink deep into our hearts by careful meditation. Reading without understanding is like hearing. Meditation with reflection is like listening. This is also likened to moving the words from the head, or mind, to the heart. This is where the words take root and begin to transform us from the inside out. The Word of God has the power to do that:
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.“ Hebrews 4:12 The greatest miracle in a person’s life is often not what happens physically, like in a supernatural healing. The body will continue to age, deteriorate and eventually die. The greatest miracle, in my opinion, is how a man or woman is transformed from the inside out, a total makeover of one’s life in attitude and outlook, from a carnal earthly nature to a godly spiritual man. (Col 3:1-17) Apostle Paul defines it as the renewal of the mind and moving on towards maturity in Christ. (Col 1:28) This can only happen when there’s an even greater miracle that has taken place, and that is to be born again, which literally means “born from above.” (John 3:3-7) This was a phrase used in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a seeker of God and he had trouble understanding how a person could be born again “when he is old.” Jesus was not talking about a physical birth, but a spiritual one. Nicodemus, like all of us, needed a change of heart – a spiritual transformation, a regeneration and
renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) who makes His residence in us, an act of God to impart eternal life to the person who believes and trusts in the Name of Jesus Christ. (John 1:12-23; 2 Cor 5:17; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 4:7) The renewal of the mind can only happen when we are born again because “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (1 Cor 2:14) Hence the context of Romans 12:2 is presumed upon a born-again experience.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 To listen to God therefore requires three things. The first is to make time to read and understand the Word of God. The voice of the Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word. Hence it is an absolute necessity to know the Bible well to discern well. Secondly, as you read, ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding (John 14:26; 1 Cor 2:10-11). And thirdly, slow down the process by journaling down your thoughts so that you have time to process, meditate and reflect on what you are reading. I believe this is a powerful process of learning to listen to God. When that becomes second nature, we can recognize and discern His voice in the midst of the noisy world we are living in (voices of our flesh, the world, the devil or God). Our lives then become centered on God’s will, “His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Jesus’ call to discipleship has never been towards a sentimental and religious experience. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book “The Cost of Discipleship”, wrote “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” The call of discipleship is a call to obedience. It is premised upon our ability to listen to the voice of God on what that clarion call is. Just as Jesus walked on this earth in perfect obedience to His Father, as we grow to be more like Christ, we are to learn to do likewise. Jesus completed the task he was sent for in a short 33 years because He walked in the perfect will of God. I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to do likewise, both personally and corporately as a church. We can become a prophetic people as the voice to the nations when that happens. Let me come back to the story that I started with in the car. My simple deal with my wife since then is this. When I am unable to listen, I will say to her I can’t and will let her know when I can. In this way, I honour my wife in what she’s trying to tell me. In the same light, we honour God when we set aside a time intentionally to listen to Him. The Chinese character for listen (see the attached diagram) carries a powerful understanding of this. In a nutshell, listening is simply using my ear to listen, and using my eyes to look at you to convey interest. By attending to you with one heart without other distractions, I regard you like a King in my time with you. That’s how we should listen to God.
When we know what the will of God is, what we ought to do, the next step will be a life-changing process and that is summed up in one word: “OBEDIENCE.”
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Kingdom Leadership by Stella Lau PJN6
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eadership is a commonly-used word nowadays. It is given a high significance in society and ministry. However, to many of us personally, leadership is a foreign word. We tend to shy away from any association with the word ‘leadership.’ It is a big word. We cannot imagine how the ordinary “us” with our mundane lives, can ever be compared to household names like John Wesley, Martin Luther King, John Maxwell etc. In fact, we can hardly even see ourselves serving like those prominent faces we see in church! For those who attended LEAD2017, it was a platform to experience a paradigm shift on what leadership is biblically, how it is applicable to everyone and why it must be applied into our lives. It was a life-changing three days, listening to messages from conference speakers Pastor Randy Pope (Senior Pastor of Perimeter Church, USA), Pastor Jose Carol (Associate Pastor of JPCC, Indonesia) and the Reverend CB Samuel (Advisor of Micah Global and former CEO of EFICOR). Leadership is a personal affair as much as it is a relational mandate from God. Leadership starts with personal maturity and being with God. Understanding God reveals that Jesus displayed a counter-trend in His journey of leadership. He showed this when He chose His followers not based on worldly credentials nor past experiences. Jesus did this again in His publicity strategy, choosing
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to do spectacular miracles before limited witnesses. Jesus was counter-trend in His public relations, choosing to dine with a former tax-collector. Finally, Jesus was counter-trend in welcoming children into the midst of His workplace, not finding them a nuisance. Therefore, the heart of
leadership is not to benchmark success against the world, but to be with Him and to be like Him.
Pr Jose Carol had us reflecting on the type of image we were portraying to the world. If Christianity is a brand and we are brand ambassadors, are we the right portrayal of how the founder (God) had envisioned His company to be? Do we reflect our innovative God, or are we an imitative lot, often falling behind the world when trying to catch up? Do our churches represent the magnificence of God or do we represent something ‘unimpressible’? Do we have authority in where we are placed, or is our existence negligible? Leadership at a personal
level should reflect the mighty God we serve wherever we are placed in our society.
The growth of personally maturity can be seen in the seven traits recorded in 2 Peter 1:5-7. It is essential that we add to our faith, goodness (actions); to goodness, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, Godliness; to Godliness, mutual affection and to mutual affection, love. Unlike the lust
displayed by the immature, which is a desire to benefit self at the expense of others, love is the desire to benefit others at the expense of self. A personal maturity will result
in the desire to serve (and lead) others.
Pastor Randy Pope started his session with a well-put life principle. He challenged us to dream kingdom dreams. Modelling exactly how Jesus did discipleship, we should attempt something so great for God that it is doomed for failure unless God is in it. He introduced us to a Life-on-Life 3-Fold Focus, from making disciples (believers) to training disciples and eventually developing leaders. Stressing the importance of training and developing leaders, he said that it was crucial that leaders do not compromise on the spiritual nutrition of our people, and recognise the priority of influence (impact on people’s lives) over success (size of church buildings and congregations). ‘People-centeredness’ should be the modus operandi in the church, providing avenues to build and equip disciples into becoming leaders. A major essence of church is the volunteer culture. We need the right perspective towards volunteering. Volunteering is not the church’s cost-saving program, it is the believer’s growth program. We don’t use people to build ministry, we use ministry to build people. The volunteer rate of a church reflects the overall health of the church.
dreams, attempting something so big that it is doomed to fail unless God is in it. God raises leaders to respond to the cries that have come to God’s ears. Oftentimes, we think we hear the cries first. However, it is God who hears and puts the kingdom dream in our hearts, commissioning us to do kingdom deeds beyond church walls.
A volunteering church is a church with invested members. A volunteering church is a houseful of believers, disciples and leaders who feel belonging and are secure in their identity in Christ. Maturing beyond the walls of the church building is a wider leadership mandate in the context of serving the world. The church is not a club we come to in order to feel good. Echoing the purpose of a volunteer culture, the church is a place to which we come to be equipped. If we as a church live for ourselves within the church walls, we need to be shaken up. We need to dream kingdom
The devil is at his unhappiest when we dream kingdom dreams and do kingdom deeds. He will put on his charm, suited up with deceits, and tempt us in ways that we are most vulnerable to. Rev CB Samuel warned us of the 3 major temptations of leadership. As Jesus was tempted to turn rock into bread after a 40-day fast, the devil comes to us when we are weak and there are needs to be met. We will be faced with the temptation to trust in material solutions to the problems in the world, the temptation to be relevant. Yet we must stand fast and believe it is by the Word of God that the world runs. Also, as Jesus came to establish and announce the Kingdom of God on Earth, the devil offered him a shortcut to acquire the kingdom of earth through bowing down to him. Like Jesus we must discern the truth
MAKE DISCIPLE
from the re-arranged almost-truth. There must be no contradiction between the mission and the method. The devil will tempt leaders with offers of demonic alternatives towards divine purposes. The cross is not the consequence of mission; it is the method of mission. Christians who avoid the Cross do not have the right to talk about the power of the Cross. And thirdly, as we dream kingdom dreams and do kingdom deeds, we will be tempted by the need to be significant and to do the spectacular, just as Jesus was tempted to jump off the cliff that angels might save Him. Concurring with the importance of health over size, so the purpose of our participation beyond church walls is more about changing people and less about doing something spectacular. The sole purpose is to act as God’s brand ambassadors and mirror to them a God Who cares. Leadership is important and applicable at every level. Put simply, leadership is about the choices you make personally, in your ministry and beyond church walls to achieve God’s purpose through God’s ways, even (and especially) when it is counter-trend.
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Submit or Not:
A Question of Submitting to Governing Authorities r
by Alex Tung PJN1 Dream Centre hosted the above Seminar on Saturday 17 June 2017, based on the much debated scripture in Romans 13:1-5 which reads: et everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. Romans 13:1-5 (NIV) In the light of the upcoming general elections, the question of whether to “Submit or Not” is becoming increasingly pertinent in deciding how we are to conduct ourselves as Christian citizens of this nation. While the Bible clearly instructs us to obey the government and ruling authorities, such obedience must never be contrary to God’s other commandments. Our obedience to the state therefore needs to be balanced against our Christian conscience; we are, after all, called to be in the world but not of the world. As Christians, how do we then determine the tipping point and when should we (or should we at all) oppose the government and state in upholding our Christian values? Whilst the jurisprudence to address this dilemma may run into volumes of literature, four esteemed individuals volunteered their views and came to share their personal views on this matter from the standpoint of their respective professions. Our seminar moderator, Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, introduced the four speakers for the morning: (i) Rev. Dr Tan Jin Huat (Plenary 1), who would flesh out a biblical view of government and citizen – and what happens when things are less than ideal. (ii) Lim Heng Seng (Plenary 2), a senior and highly experienced lawyer (the counsel for Jill Ireland and other high profile cases) who would show us how the Malaysian legal scenario was spelt out, highlighting the National Constitution and its checks and balances.
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(iii) Ivy Josiah (Workshop), an active and well known activist who pioneered the establishment of the Women’s Aid Organisation providing help and refuge for women fleeing domestic violence, and who would be walking participants through what they could do as citizens through citizens’ actions and civil society participation and (iv) YB Charles Santiago (Workshop), Member of Parliament for the Klang constituency and member of the Democratic Action Party, who would expound on the challenges opposition parliamentarians faced, as well as share his views and concerns on the general trends of our government. Plenary 1 – Unpacking Romans Being no stranger to discussing controversial matters such as these, Rev. Tan reminded us that we must first examine the scripture at hand, as all correct understanding stems from a scriptural base. According to Rev. Tan, we needed to understand that Romans 13:1-2 provided that God had appointed and allowed governing authorities to rule, there was no other authority other than that of God’s, and such governing authorities were established by God. This appointment of a governing authority was extended as a mandate that God had bestowed upon such governing authority, and this mandate could be classified under two broad headings: promoting good rather than evil (1 Peter 2:13-14) and being God’s servant to effect justice (Romans 13:4). That said, what should our Christian response be when the governing authorities go beyond their God-given mandate, and promote evil
rather than good - e.g. what if these authorities became hostile to Christians and demanded absolute allegiance? Historically, Christians of the early church had never been engaged in active rebellion against the state but were rather involved in an active defence. Drawing from 1 Peter, Rev Tan explained that Christians should be prepared to suffer in a more totalitarian context following the example of Christ (1 Peter 2:21), enduring and doing what was right and good, because God’s favour rests with us (1 Peter 2:20) and His Spirit rests upon us (1 Peter 4:14), as doing good glorifies God (1 Peter 4:16) and that we are to entrust our lives to Him (1 Peter 4:19). Nonetheless, even though the early church had taken a generally passive posture, merely being passive (rather than aggressive) did not preclude Christians then from taking a firm stand on matters concerning the welfare of society (refer to Acts 4:19-20 as well as Acts 16:35-39). In conclusion, Rev Tan, in addressing how these translated into our modern world of democracy and our daily lives, suggested that we should continue to give our due to the state as loyal citizens and be as Jesus exhorts, i.e. to “let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify the Father in heaven.” Plenary 2 – Law, Government and Politics Heng Seng started his session by expounding, with the clarity of a seasoned legal practitioner, on the legal context from which every Malaysian citizen draws his/her rights – the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. He explained that the Federal Constitution was the foundational building block for all laws made, so that any law made that contradicted this supreme law of the land was ultimately void and unenforceable. It was therefore the responsibility of all three branches of the government – legislative (the parliament), executive (the cabinet) and judiciary (the court system) – to defend, protect and preserve the Federal Constitution. As such, even the authorities, whose responsibility was to implement the law, were required to uphold the sanctity of the Federal Constitution and were themselves not more supreme than the Federal Constitution. Unfortunately, the reality was that the state of our nation was far from this ideal. Heng Seng pointed out that among the fundamental issues in the Federal Constitution that were under threat nowadays were whether Malaysia was a secular state or an Islamic one, whether the nation’s legal order and system was based on civil or religious rights and whether the Federal Constitution and the rule of law, or Shariah law and the rule of religious edicts reigned supreme. Confusion over these fundamental pillars of the nation would inevitably lead to an erosion of the sovereignty of the Federal Constitution. In our response to such trespass of our constitutional rights, Heng Seng reminded us to echo the statement of Paul and John to “judge for yourself whether it is right in God’s sight…” In answering the grim question of when and how we ought to stand up against such oppression of our constitutional rights, Heng Seng provided a number of pointers. First, he referred to Jeremiah 29:7 as a model of our approach – i.e. that we were to actively seek and pray for peace and prosperity for our nation. Also, we were to use the talents, skills and resources God had bestowed upon us to live out our Christian values and calling, but to do so firmly while maintaining
MAKE DISCIPLE
respectfulness and humility. Lastly, we were to be ready to do whatever was good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility to all men (Titus 3:1-3). Workshops by Ivy Josiah and YB Charles Santiago At Ivy’s workshop, she opened the floor to discuss questions posed in the sphere of the NGOs’ role vis-à-vis the government. Being one of the most senior activists in Malaysia who had successfully fused NGO work with the corporate world’s corporate social responsibility, she shared her struggles and challenges faced as an outspoken activist. She drew from her experience in organising several BERSIH rallies, and various advocacy outreaches promoting women’s rights, to encourage us to be steadfast in effecting change and creating awareness. According to Ivy, in our efforts to support these NGOs, we needed to invest more than mere time and money. We needed to firstly understand the role of NGOs in their efforts to address the inequities they saw in society and to try to make things better. Ivy shared that both we, as well as the NGOs, could benefit from our understanding of the NGOs’ role as monitors and as checks and balances to the government. When asked how we could avoid being tempted to give up in today’s bleak circumstances surrounding activism, she simply said, “Exactly because the situation is bleak, that is the reason why we shouldn’t give up!” To Charles, the concept of government from the developmental standpoint was for the government to bring development to the people, especially to the poor, and to ensure that everyone had the necessary amenities to thrive. The government was then responsible to facilitate an environment for its citizens that was enabling and empowering. Unfortunately, today he found that the government’s role had changed to being more of a regulator, with much of its original role transferred to the business community through the process of privatisation. While it was undeniable that effective change in society needed the support of the private sector and could not be fully reliant on the government, Charles shared that the equilibrium had been tipped to a dangerous imbalance. To make matters worse, Charles shared that the government was nowadays also becoming more and more custodians of the rich in its promotion of the interests of wealthy individuals rather than of the poor as evidenced by how the development process was often skewed in favour of a select few. Against this background, Charles shared about the various challenges he faced as a Member of Parliament for the Klang constituency and the uphill task he faced in addressing the plight of citizens in his community. From education to healthcare, every spectrum of daily life in Klang for the average and low income earners was marred by inequities through corrupt practices. CNBM represents Citizen’s Network for a Better Malaysia.
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by Stella Lau, PJN6
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s we approach the end of 2017, we praise God for the success of three TWENTY35 Porch events, which are events planned to connect individuals, provide community and build inter-community relationships.
It has been an intentional year for the TWENTY35 core team. Commissioned with DUMC’s vision for the young adults to be more present in the church, the team works to draw people on to common platforms and create belonging especially for ones drifting in and out of the church. Two interactive game events and one chill interest group event later, it is safe to say that there are more pleasantry exchanges in church these days amongst the TWENTY35. While many would accurately claim to experience only brief bonding at the individual events, some chemistry still remains from these connecting opportunities. Although perhaps not as wildly successful as hoped, it is our joy to share that other unexpected fruits resulted from organizing this series of events, such as an increasing pool of consistent volunteers amongst both the organizing and execution teams. We boast of God’s grace and providence, that He stirred the hearts of many to serve His people through His plans. Every event called for 50 – 80 volunteers. We saw repeating faces that serve cheerfully alongside one another, each with his or her own talents. TWENTY35 is not a group of young adults wanting to just organize events. We are executing the church’s inter-generational vision, an extension of the church family and an expansion of the church’s volunteer community. It is exciting to see God raising leaders and shaping the volunteer culture in DUMC. God has placed the hunger to serve within the hearts of many. Going forward, it is necessary for all of us to work as an integrated team, as one church. We need to challenge ourselves to look together in humility to God, and discern in partnership what role He would like each and every one of us to play and how He would want us to change in aligning ourselves to His purpose for this church.
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Exciting times ahead! God will shake this church, break and build up again for His purpose. Let’s anticipate in prayer. Till then, join us at the next and last TWENTY35 chill event of the year on 18th November, 2017. Syok Saturday. See you there.
New Frontiers for Medical Camp 2017
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by Debbie YM Loh
ommunity Excel Services’ (CES) seventh annual Medical Camp reached out to five new communities this year that lacked access to basic healthcare services. Partnering once again with medical missions organisation Word of Life Malaysian Fellowship, the five-day mobile clinic brought 72 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and general helpers to three Orang Asli villages in Carey Island, a Falam refugee community in Sungai Besi and a Pakistani community in Sentul. Malaysia’s Orang Asli communities live on the margins of society, and are often the last to be impacted by modernisation. Refugees from Myanmar are vulnerable to extortion and to being trafficked and bullied while awaiting their transfer from Malaysia to countries which will provide them with a livelihood and a second chance. Christian refugees from the Pakistani community are fleeing persecution in their own country. All these communities lack access to affordable health services for even the most basic needs, due to geographical remoteness (such as the Orang Asli) or their status as foreigners, documented or otherwise (Falam and Pakistani).
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“This is the first time we conducted home visits at our yearly medical camp. It was a humbling experience. The medical team always receives the biggest pats on the back but the real heroes are our community partners who have served the same communities for years, such as Paul and Helena who serve the Orang Asli communities,” recounted Dr. Felicia Chang, medical advisor cum Consultant - Coordinator for the medical camp. “The Orang Asli (Mah Meri tribe) are reserved, shy and superstitious people. Although there are medical facilities available in the towns, they usually shun going for medical aid, preferring the services of the local bomoh. The act of the medical volunteers going out to their homes and engaging them in a warm and friendly manner, has resulted in trust and relationships being established, and they are learning to set aside old superstitions. It is an on-going process but the foundations are being laid. I also see the medical camp as an educational effort for the Mah Meri: for them to learn and develop a healthier lifestyle and be accountable to caregivers. Someday they will become caregivers too. It is a form of practical discipleship,” expressed Paul and Helena Lee, who connected CES to the Orang Asli communities they serve in Carey Island, Klang. “I got to learn that the Orang Asli in Carey Island need a lot of medical attention. Some of them had very bad sores on their skin yet they don’t see a doctor! I think God wants me to help the people in Carey Island and offering to teach them English on Saturdays is a way I can help,” said Jonathan Cheong, a young volunteer who aspires to be a doctor himself. “Through this medical camp, we hope to build bridges between us, even though they are Orang Asli and comprise the urban poor. It is a good experience to share the diversity and our different cultures,” said Marianne Tsen, Coordinator of the medical camp. Dr Felicia adds, “I met people who were selfless and would give it all to make sure that they spread Jesus' love to those they served. But in the end, it was all about God using us as His instrument of love and peace. All glory to Him alone!” For more information enquire at the church information counter or visit www.ces.org.my, our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ CESMalaysia or by email general@ces.org.my Debbie YM Loh is the Advocacy and Communications Executive of Community Excel Services
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PJOT Children’s Fellowship by Foong Mun Gune, KL
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In 2008, the Petaling Jaya Old Town (PJOT) Children’s Fellowship began at the request of some parents from the lower income group in PJ Old Town. There was a need for English language tuition for their children who were doing poorly in school. Initially the program was run like a Sunday school with songs and stories. The class started at 2pm and ended at 4pm. Members from a cell group in PJOT provided support as teachers. The initial premise was at the Baptist Convention Centre at PJOT, with the front of the building being used by the Street Ministry for their outreach to the poor community there. Hence, the PJOT Children’s Fellowship comes under the Street Ministry but also works with other CES ministries, for example the Excel Tuition Club. At the end of 2009, a more structured program began as we started to use the English Syllabus books from the Excel Tuition Club. We had a bible story time, Christian song time, art and craft for special occasions like Fathers’ and Mothers’ Day and Christmas, and games. We also started home visits to get to know the families and their needs better so that we could link them with the Street Ministry staff for further assistance, for example to get monthly food aid from the FoodBank, medical care, etc. Since about 2010, we have been organising yearly outings to places like the Zoo, Bird Park, Animal Farm, picnics and treasure hunts at parks for the children. These were educational and yet fun, and some parents of these children do not have the resources to take them there. Sometimes we get members of the teachers’ cell groups to organise the events so that church members get to know the community in need around us.
In 2010, we also started the monthly Best Student reward system. During their growing years with us, children are rewarded if they exhibit improvement in some key areas of behaviour which we hope to cultivate. These areas include good manners, helpfulness, responsiveness, responsibility, punctuality and the like.
For more information please contact Jerry Teo, Street Ministry Coordinator, CES or by email jerry.teo@ces.org.my or visit www.ces.org.my, our Facebook page www.facebook.com/CESmalaysia. Tel:603-79857388
Whenever possible and suitable, we have linked with other ministries in DUMC to participate in events like the Children’s Church Christmas event and the Street Ministry’s Chinese New Year. The children and their families are invited to attend. In January 2015, due to space constraints at the Baptist Convention Centre, we moved the tuition class to the PJOT Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (GSLC). We have worked with them to organise Christmas and Parents’ Day events. Some of the older children are linked with Christian centres like the YWCA and Montfort Boys Town to give them opportunities to receive some skills training to enable them to be more equipped for future employment. Many of the children have grown up to be young men and women and moved on to employment and some are even contributing to their families. Although we do hear of some who have fallen into wrong company, the Street Ministry staff and teachers’ team still try to help these families in whatever way possible. We thank God for the opportunity to be used by Him to serve and be that channel of His love in the PJOT community. All glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.
We recently had a movie outing to watch ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ on 27 May 2017. Before the movie started, we took the children for early lunch at Kenny Rogers. This was partly organised by the cell group of some of our teachers.
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Journey
Mission Trip
Cambodia
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wo years ago, before my husband and I got married, God impressed upon our hearts to participate in a Mission Trip. Whenever mission teams shared about their trips, the stories touched our hearts and we would be moved to tears. We knew it was the Holy Spirit calling. My husband and I agreed that we would go on at least one mission trip before we began building our family. Subsequently, God impressed upon my husband's heart to join this particular mission trip to Cambodia. He was in the midst of making a major decision for a career transition and it was one of the most challenging seasons for us. Despite knowing that a resignation might mean having to wait for a new job posting without the assurance of a job offer, my husband decided to trust God and we signed up for this mission trip. But God worked in ways that we couldn't see. He blessed my husband with a job sooner than we could imagine and there was practically no gap in his transition from one company to another. Most miraculously, although the new company wanted my husband to start employment early, they still allowed him to take time off for the mission trip. It was
by Amy Ang PJN3
a perfect plan. We still marvel at how God has blessed our family. I considered myself an infant in my Christian faith. My bible knowledge was limited and I was not comfortable in sharing the word of God. I felt that I would never be ready for that. But God says, "For when I am weak then I am strong". When I admitted my shortcomings, and allowed the Holy Spirit to work in me, I received great confidence and assurance in Him. This was something I had never experienced before. Twice God revealed to me that everything was made possible through Jesus Christ. During our mission trip, every one of us was posted to different churches to share our testimonies and a short message. As I recall, on the night before our Sunday Church Service, our Team Leader, Brother Khew suggested I expound and expand on the message that I was expected to deliver the next morning. Those who know me know the phrase “last minute changes” does not exist in my vocabulary. I was and still am a very structured person and I always plan my work ahead of schedule. I panic if I have to speak without knowing the subject matter well or if things don’t turn out according to
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plan. What’s more, I was to speak in public about the Word of God with little preparation. However, in the Holy Spirit, I had such great confidence that everything would be taken care of. The next morning, God impressed upon my heart to share two more verses in addition to my message prepared "last minute". I give thanks to God for his powerful message. I cannot quite explain the assurance and confidence that God gave me in public speaking. To this day, I still marvel at the power of the Holy Spirit!
creation and how sin came into the world. It was also about the battle between good and evil, life with God and without God, and a life that is full of sin. Throughout the skit, our team felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit manifested in tears and cries to the Lord. The evangelistic outreach skit conveyed a strong message to the crowd regarding the lies and deceitfulness of Satan and how only Jesus had the power to defeat Satan. The skit with Pastor Samreth’s narration had a great impact on the audience.
Two days after the church service, some of us were challenged by our team Leader to share during the Church Leader Training Session. Again, this was last-minute as originally only two of us were required to speak and I was not one of them! As everyone else had agreed to speak, I too took the courage to share. Again, I experienced the same confidence and assurance.
Praise the Lord, I have experienced God's grace and mercy powerfully through this mission trip. Our sharing of testimonies, evangelistic outreach and leadership teaching sessions were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The following morning, as I was looking through my notes, God impressed upon my heart to share two more verses, one for each topic. The sharing session flowed naturally. One of my team members approached me and told me that the session was very good and that the participants were very attentive and engaged in the questions I raised. I was very encouraged by her observations. "For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthian 12:10). In this instance I was strong not because of my own capability, not because of my knowledge nor the ability to speak in public. It was all because of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It was God who spoke through me. I was merely a vessel for His Glory. God was so real throughout the mission trip. God's spirit poured out on us throughout our journey. It was especially evident when our team acted in an evangelistic outreach skit that illustrated the story of
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Somehow I have always had this impression that mission trips were all about blessing the people and in this instance, the Khmer people. We brought along donations, gifts and daily necessities. We were definitely on a mission to help the poor, the widows, the children and the needy; to share the great news of Jesus Christ and of our beloved Father, God the Creator. It is still the core of any mission trip. However, this trip made me ponder and change my perspective on missions. I am now very convinced that WE are definitely the ones who are the ultimate beneficiaries of any mission trip. We sought to bless but in return we were also blessed. I was naive to have thought that they needed us more. I am extremely thankful that He has granted me such great peace, assurance and confidence to just trust in Him and to be His vessel, a part of His great commission. It was an unforgettable experience for us. All glory to God Almighty. Hallelujah!
Boundaries and Expectations in Relationships by Alex Tung PJN1
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hether we consider ourselves extroverts or introverts, we human beings are all social creatures. This is evident from the creation account in Genesis where God says that it is not good for man to be alone. Such being the case, social interactions are part of our lives and are as inevitable as life, death and taxes. Whilst such relationships are meant to be building-up and enriching experiences, some relationships unfortunately tend to have the opposite effect. These negative relationships instead drain and exhaust, leaving us unfulfilled and frustrated. The difference between a healthy enriching relationship and a damaging one depends to a large extent on how we handle that relationship, and one of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy relationship is in the setting of healthy boundaries in the relationship. Regardless of the nature of a relationship, whether it is in a family context (e.g. husband and wife, parent and child), within the church (e.g. pastor and congregation, cell group members) or at work (e.g. superior and subordinate, between colleagues), all relationships can and will thrive from a framework of healthy boundaries set in them.
Jesus’ Boundaries Notwithstanding that Jesus was fully God, He was also fully human – and He too needed nourishment and rest from His time in ministry. Undoubtedly, Jesus’ ministry is the epitome of evangelical effectiveness. In His short years on earth, Jesus was able to minister effectively and He touched the lives of multitudes. How was He able to accomplish so much without wearing out prematurely? A study of scripture reveals a simple truth – Jesus had set healthy boundaries in His ministry that afforded Him sufficient time to rest and recuperate so that He did not burn out and ensured that in every ministry encounter, He was refreshed and always full of grace. He had personal needs such as rest and personal time with His Father which He did not compromise. Whilst being the most ambitious minister in Christendom, Jesus did not try to accomplish 25 hours of activity in His 24 hours each day. Consider this: in Jesus’ life, He always ensured that He had enough rest and even made time for naps. Jesus made time for meals and would withdraw from people (even from His followers) when he needed solitude with His Father. His focus was consistently clear and He always kept the main thing as the main thing (i.e. when ministering to a person or specific group of
people, He was never distracted). Also, scripture records that Jesus maintained a fairly relaxed pace of life and He was seldom in a hurry – He allowed sufficient time for travel, for rest and for work. Now consider our lives today in the post-modern 21st century where the pace of life is generally at a dizzying rate. We are an obsessed society trying to do things quicker and faster, often at the expense of quality and depth. How misaligned we are in living our lives today compared to Jesus’ model.
Managing Expectations with Boundaries Whether expressly communicated or not, every relationship contains an intrinsic element of expectation. Each person in every relationship has an expectation of what he/she wants from the relationship and would do all that is necessary to have those expectations met. When such expectations are unfulfilled, the result may be frustration. Relationships without set boundaries may lead to an unwelcome stretch in the other person’s expectations of us, perhaps into our personal domain, to the extent that we feel suffocated and/or feel we are “giving too much” to a relationship. How often have
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“no”. This group of people will often seem pushy and aggressive, insisting on their way, with a tendency to manipulate and violate the boundaries others have set up for their own gain. That said, controllers are not necessarily a hostile or malicious lot as their need to insist and push for an agenda may be birthed from a pure heart, pursuing that which they believe is best for everyone. From those who can’t say or hear “no”, the next group are those who can’t say “yes” – these are the unresponsive. Those who are categorised as being unresponsive may also be considered insensitive given their lack of attention to the responsibilities of love. Whilst Proverbs 3:27 calls for us to not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is within your power to do it, the unresponsive would typically respond in self-centredness – he/she would be unwilling to extend love and concern even if he/she is able to.
we felt certain relationships in our lives tax us beyond our limited resources, be it time, money or emotions? Have we ever felt obliged to say “yes” to a favour requested even when we knew we could not really afford to, for fear that it would lead to our being portrayed as being unhelpful and unGodly? Have we been put in a position where more had been expected of us than we had been prepared to give or had bargained for? All these happen because we had failed to set proper boundaries and to manage expectations in these relationships. There are generally four categories of persons who face problems with setting expectations and respecting boundaries. Firstly there are those who are the ‘yes people.’ These individuals are typically people-pleasers who find it difficult to say “no”. Out of their generous hearts of genuinely wanting to be helpful and Christ-like, they feel guilty when they are not able to extend assistance and are generally fearful of disappointing others. As a result, they tend to overcommit their time and find themselves constantly stretched and tired. Secondly are are the controllers. As opposed to the ‘yes people’ who can’t say “no”, controllers are those who can’t hear
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Lastly are the avoidants who cannot hear “yes”. The avoidant typically has set their personal boundaries too high to the extent that they are not able to ask for help or let others in. Perhaps as a result of past hurt, these individuals have developed a survival mechanism of keeping a very high wall or guard against others, often to their own detriment, as their high wall also keeps out the good from entering their lives. If you can relate to any of these, then it is a clear indication of unmanaged/unmet expectations in your life and it is a strong signal that healthy boundaries need to be implemented into your relationships. As with the Jesus model, we should be clear in what we are able to commit and invest wholeheartedly, even if that translates into the exclusion of other commitments. What use is it if energies are poured out a mile wide but invested merely an inch deep?
Drawing our Lines Without consciously-set boundaries, we would not know how far we can be stretched and would risk doing too much in one avenue to the compromise of another. Likewise, without communicated boundaries, others would not know how much they can reasonably expect from us. One common myth about setting boundaries and managing the expectations of others is the belief that this equates to us
being selfish. Indeed, one of the cornerstones of the Christian faith is its willingness to sacrifice and be hospitable. As having boundaries in place may mean that we would not be able to meet the expectations of everyone around us, we need to be clear in our distinction between being selfish and being a steward – a selfish person is one who cares and is concerned only for his personal agenda while a steward is one who is responsible in managing his/her time and resources so that his/her basic needs are met and he/she is able to attend effectively to the needs of others. The belief that Christians are to give their all and be completely sacrificial in their ministry to others to the unwholesome detriment of themselves is thoroughly unbiblical. As Christians, while we are called to be sacrificial in our love and service of others, we are also called to do so responsibly.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality In today’s fast-paced environment, setting and maintaining healthy boundaries and expectations is more crucial than ever. With everything around us needing and demanding our attention, our limited resources are being strained and tugged in a myriad of different directions. It is no wonder that more and more people are experiencing burn-outs and a cocktail of stress-related health issues at a younger age. The need to guard our “me-time” and to be selective about where, how and with whom we invest our time has become crucial to thriving in today’s world. The author’s inspiration and a large portion of his foundation in this article is cultivated from the book “Boundaries – when to say yes, how to say no, to take control of your life” by psychologists Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend. Succeeding this pioneering book, they have together authored numerous others under the series “Boundaries”, each focusing on specific areas such as “Beyond Boundaries”, “Boundaries in Marriage”, “Boundaries with Kids” and “Boundaries for Leaders”. A comprehensive collection of these literature can be seen at http://www.boundaries books.com/. Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend’s website (http://www.cloud townsend.com/) also provides a wealth of information and accompanying materials to their books.
EMPATHY
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the missing link between pain and hope
When we acknowledge people’s pain in their weakest moment, we give them strength and hope — because someone understands. by Melinda Yeoh PJN5
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e usually celebrate those who rise above the storm, winners who thrive in spite of terrible situations in their lives. I do too. I love champions like that. However, there are some among us who find it difficult to accept that there are people who, while they love God dearly and do not blame Him for their terrible situations in life, can still be sad, or even depressed in such circumstances. One thing I feel uncomfortable and confused about concerns the quick downplay of a person’s emotions and situations in trying circumstances. Sometimes, such messages, from well-meaning Christians or sermons or articles, are just unhelpful. The key words here are: quick downplay. We know that He is in control. We know about changing our perspectives. We know about choosing our responses. We know all that, but the knowledge does not take away
the emotions and pain, and certainly not the situation. We still have to go through our circumstance. For me, at low points in my life, being "preached at" that I should focus on God (while this is true), makes me struggle even more. It makes me struggle with my struggles, that the sadness must be taken away. It makes me feel guilty that I am feeling sad when I have so many things to be joyful for. It makes me feel less of a Christian. In our zealousness to guide people back on track, do we move too fast to point people to the bigger picture and unconsciously downplay the complexity of emotions, and therefore devalue and disrespect their pain? Is it any wonder that people are lonely in their pain in a world of "fixer-uppers"?
When we acknowledge people’s pain in their weakest moments, we give them strength and hope — because someone understands. Do that often enough and chances are the person will have enough strength to rise again, one step at a time. We may not be able to offer solutions to people’s situations, but we can be a comforting presence in the midst of their pain. We don’t need to be a counsellor; we can be a friend, lend a listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on. We can be the one to give an encouraging smile, send an encouraging note, deliver a bouquet of flowers or chocolates maybe, or just offer help. God is giving us the opportunity to be His vessel. Can we learn to be empathetic to a hurting person in need? If you think this article can be useful to someone, please share.
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The Gospel –
The Only Hope for Our Nation & Nations “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Romans 1:16 Dato’ Dr Daniel Ho, Founding Senior Pastor
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n the midst of increasing challenges and wrongful charges regarding our faith in our society today, there is a great need to live out the demands of the Christian gospel. This begins with our partnership in the gospel of Jesus Christ with our brothers and sisters in the Kingdom. So Apostle Paul writes, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:4-6). Partnership we know brings unity and builds strength. Partnership multiplies our resources and enhances our outreach. But partnership may produce difficulties and result in heartaches. But it is through these difficulties and heartaches that we must learn to work together and they result in growth and maturity in each one of our characters. The output from partnership or teamwork is often beyond comprehension. That is what the word “TEAM” does: Together Everyone Achieves More. But, further as Christian partners we produce “STEAM” which is even more effective: Spiritually Together Everyone Achieves More.
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In our climate today where even an innocuous, wonderful and inspiring autobiography of YB Hannah Yeoh –
“Becoming Hannah” – could be so wrongfully distorted and given all kinds of evil insinuations, there is a great need for Christians to rise up in the defence and confirmation of the gospel as Paul exhorts: “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart, for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me” (Philippians. 1:7). We need to spring to the defence of the gospel when it is unfairly attacked. Everyone has the right to publicly profess what he or she believes in. This includes using the print media and whatever other platforms that are available as this is a fundamental liberty of every person as long as this is not done to malign other peoples or faith(s). Many are fired by noble causes and no less YB Yeoh when she sensed God’s call to return to Malaysia to serve God through the training and gifts that God has given to her. Such noble aspiration should be highly commended rather than maligned and, worse still, given a twist where sinister motives are insinuated. Here is not only a challenge to affirm the gospel unashamedly and fearlessly but also to stand up for our rights as did Apostle Paul as a Roman citizen (cf. Acts 22:25-29). Here in our nation, we are not talking about privileges but our rights as citizens of our nation. Finally and supremely, we must be imbued with the passion for gospel advance
because this is the only hope for our nation and, for that matter, any nation. So Apostle Paul enjoins, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (Philippians 1:12-14). In a climate today that is trying to stifle or to put fear in the advance of the gospel, it is imperative that Christians must know that this is not a struggle with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers (cf. Ephesians 6:12). Satan is trying to come up with every means possible to hinder the advance of the gospel but the people of God must continue to press on courageously and fearlessly. Only the gospel of Christ can save and transform people and nations (Romans 1:16). Many ruthless lions have become tame lambs and have today not only become useful for the Master’s purpose but have also contributed towards nation-building. If Malaysia is going to be changed and transformed, only the gospel of Christ can fulfil that mandate. Such should be our passion, action and prayers.
by Susan Ong PJN2
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unning a full marathon was one of the things on my bucket list. This year after much encouragement from my husband, Adrian, and friends, I ran and completed a full marathon in May.
A few months prior to the marathon, during one of our chats and in the midst of my training, my husband challenged me to run the marathon for a cause, for our marriage. At that point, I was not even sure I could finish the run, let alone run for a cause. As I shared my fears with him he asked me to think about it.
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Why Marriage? Both Adrian and I serve in The Marriage Course and we can attest to marriages being under attack. With that cause in mind, training never felt the same again. During all my runs, "Running for Marriage" was my motivator. Marriage is a struggle and for some, it is not easy to stay married. It is like a marathon. There are a few lessons I learnt from training for a marathon and actually finishing it which can also be applied to working towards a healthy marriage.
1. Be your spouse's greatest fan and supporter. The moment Adrian signed up both of us for the run, he was very supportive all the way. There were days that I had doubts but he kept cheering me on. The best moment was seeing him cheering for me at the finishing line. In any marriage, be your spouse's cheerleader. Things can get tough at times but knowing that you have a spouse who is supportive and cheering you on makes the journey much easier.
2. Have a support group and friends who are like-minded. I am super blessed to have a group of friends who trained with me consistently. When I first started training, I was often tired out whenever I reached the hills. Through constant encouragement from my running friends and with them pacing me, I can proudly say now that I can do the hills!. On good days, I can even run 15km without walking! It is important in marriages to have role models and mentors from whom we can learn. Peers who will hold us accountable for our actions are another group of people that is helpful to marriages. Adrian and I learnt so much from friends and more mature couples who constantly invest in our marriage. You need to have friends who can ask you the honest questions about your marriage and with whom you are not afraid to share. These friends encourage us by lending a listening ear. They do not have perfect marriages but they have very good marriages. They share the same struggles but because they have walked through those struggles and overcome them, they are able to encourage us to work on our struggles.
3. Have the right tool. Initially during training, I was often out of breath, even after running just 5km, or running up a hill. Often in my mind I had this thought...the hills took my breath away. Early this year, Adrian decided to get me a running watch to enable me to monitor my pace. I was reluctant initially because I am not a tech-savvy individual. I thought the watch would just be a gadget and would be of no help to me. I was wrong, the watch helped me tremendously. I realized I started out too fast most of the time and hence my heart rate shot up too fast which caused the breathlessness and tiredness. With the help of the watch, I found my pace. Couples are encouraged to attend The Marriage Course notwithstanding the perception of their marriage: a very good marriage, normal marriage or a troubled marriage. Why? Because this course gives couples the tools to go the distance and ride out
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the storms they are encountering or will encounter in their marriage. Couples are recommended books as additional tools. When we were married, there was no manual on how to have a good marriage. One of the most valuable tools we picked up from The Marriage Course when we attended it 11 years ago was Marriage Time. Marriage Time aka dating time has kept our communication and marriage strong.
4. Train, train and train and prioritize it. I believe my training really helped me, be it the short or long runs or the gym sessions. There were days when I felt that I did not want to run or even go to the gym, but I went anyway. There were days when I had so many things to do, I ran anyway. The long runs were the hardest but on race-day, I was so thankful that I had done some long runs before the race. Those long runs gave me the confidence that I needed to finish the race. In any marriage, there are bound to be times when you don't feel like trying anymore. Don't give up. Show grace, forgive, be patient and love anyway. It is important to prioritize time with your spouse. In life, many things need our attention but give priority to time with your spouse.
5. Put on music and enjoy the run. When I first started training, I just ran. Later, Adrian and my running friends encouraged me to run with music. That changed everything. The distances did not seem so long and the hills...with music the hills were not too bad. Have fun as a couple in your marriage. Do something you enjoy together as a couple. Think back to all the fun things you used to do before kids came along. It will create many good memories to tide you over hard times.
6. Pace yourself When I first started training, I was not running at my own pace. I was trying to follow my friends' pace which was much faster than mine. I also made the mistake of starting too fast and ended up tired towards the end. I have learnt to slow down and pace myself. I am so glad I did not hit the wall during the race. I told myself my aim was only to finish the race and not get picked up by the sweeper bus, and I achieved that. Don't compare your marriage with others. Each marriage will blossom with effort and time invested in it.
7. Be in a community Approximately two months before the actual race, Jason, one of our friends from church, introduced us to the Pacesetters peer support group. Adrian and I started running long runs over the weekends with them. We met many seasoned runners and also some who were like me, running their first marathon. I have learnt so much from them in terms of pacing and training. Be in a community as a couple. It is important. Adrian and I are so blessed by our cell group members as well as ministry friends. We have learnt so much from them about marriage, from parenting, and cooking, to keeping fit. Stay the course on your marriage. Find a community that you can hang out with and do life together.
M y Life My Stor y Wong Wai Lam PJN4
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My name is Wai Lam. I am a 39-year-old Product Designer. Life two years ago was very different. If I could use one word to describe it, it would be negativity. When problems occured in my life, it was common for me to panic, worry and get depressed for long periods of time. The solution was always to pretend everything was going fine. A friend talked to me about DUMC, and I had no idea what Christianity was all about then. She worshipped at DUMC and she had told me that DUMC live-streamed their sermons online. I tuned into my first online sermon from my own home in early 2016. I listened to the Pastor’s message and could relate it to the issues I faced in my life. I continued with the online sermon the next Saturday, then the next, and the next and soon it became a weekly habit. It was eye- and heart-opening. I discovered that when you believe in the right things with an honest, obedient and sincere heart, good things happen in your life. And in this case, it was the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings. During one online sermon, the Pastor’s altar call moved me, and I willingly recited the Sinner’s Prayer and invited Jesus into my life, in my own home on a Saturday evening, through the internet. My first step into DUMC was the first night event at LEAD2016. Being physically present in the house of God was a much more powerful experience compared to tuning in online. Since then, I have been attending Saturday celebrations every weekend. A few weeks later, I joined my first cell group in PJN4, and now they are like a family to me. With Christ at the centre of everything I do and every decision I make, I know He is always there by my side. He has changed my life and He is always changing me through the trials and tests He sets for me. Christ has re-introduced joy into my life. There is positivity everywhere. There is forgiveness and acceptance when people don't treat me the way I expect them to. Even when things go bad, Jesus always loves and gives hope in all circumstances as long I persevere. I want to be the man God wants me to be - that is my purpose in my new life. And I will be forever grateful to a very close friend who has been with me every step of the way in my walk with Jesus.
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Daughter The Prodigal
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by Amy Yeoh PJN6
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have been in DUMC all my life. My parents were among the pioneers who started the church in 1980. From young, I told myself that I needed to be a perfect example of a good Christian or people would disapprove of me. That need to be perfect stayed with me for years. I was always afraid to show my flaws and my failures. I went through years of low self-esteem, extreme insecurity and that constant desire to mask who I really was, driven by the fear that people would not like the real me. I had identity issues even past my 30s. The advent of social media made it even worse for me as I felt so pressured to be loved even on social media. The likes, nice comments and praise was where I would find my identity. I could not see that my identity in Christ was more than enough for me. Everything began to unravel last year when I made several disastrous mistakes in my career. I looked at the global music industry and asked myself what it would take for me to succeed as a singer. I started to dictate what I felt was my calling for my life. I decided that I needed to do what all the successful female artistes were doing. Be more sexual. Show more skin. Produce risqué music videos. Write songs about failed relationships, anger, bitterness and other negative things which would sell because they were relatable. But at what expense?
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I knew something was wrong. I could feel it in my spirit. There was a discomfort in me that I chose to shrug off because I just wanted to be successful in the world’s eyes.
Loved ones and people of spiritual authority tried to advise me but I would reject their advice, convinced that they were all just old-fashioned and were not understanding of my career. I was adamant that today’s listeners were social media-focused and were extremely visual beings who wanted to see the next Selena Gomez or Beyonce. I put so much importance on what was my exterior. And I became so disillusioned. When I began to receive even more criticism for my career choices, I started getting angry with everyone who I thought was against me. I began to rebel and started to generalise that people in church were unsupportive and judgemental. I stopped going to church and started to spend time with people who were supportive of my career and life choices. Some of these people would bring me further into sin against God. Eventually, I even convinced myself that this was who I really was. My husband was at a loss because he was slowly losing grip of his wife who had become so deceived and disillusioned. I was spiralling downwards. However, there would be a few times when I would suddenly hear my Heavenly Father say “I’m still here”. In those moments, I would break down and cry a lot because I knew that I was not at peace with who I had become. One day in November, I looked at myself in the mirror and started crying uncontrollably. I literally saw evil. I knew I had gone so deep into the darkness and so far from God and His people that I could see Satan taking hold of my life. I immediately called my
husband and told him that I needed to leave everything - my career, social media and all that was taking me away from God. Fast-forward to 10 months later, I am so thankful to God for giving me a new self. God has made my marriage and family life so much stronger and most importantly, we walk daily with Him. As unworthy as I thought I was, God has been giving us blessing after blessing. God has also slowly brought me back into doing music again, reminding me that His gift of music to me is still very much there to glorify His name. He has been birthing in me new songs. And even though God may lead me to do something considered unpopular in today’s culture, I will still obey Him and know that He will bless the work of my hands. I also thank God for the many, many people who had been praying so hard for me during those months, especially my parents who fasted and prayed for me. I thank God for Pastor Gilbert, Pastor Daniel and all the church elders who cared for me when I went astray. I thank Him especially for our marriage counsellors, Pastor Chris & Stella and Uncle Fan Ngian & Auntie Sian Li. It is funny how an incident like this could make me finally realise that my identity in Christ was all I really needed. It might have taken almost 33 years but I am just so relieved that I am now better than ever and Christ is truly enough for me. Hallelujah!!
Getting to know…
History Our
story became
‘his story ’
About me I was born in a Christian family; going to church and attending Sunday school was part of my growing-up process, and I was baptised when I was a teenager. My mom taught me to pray and asked me to pray; I knew prayer was a good tool for asking for help during tough times. My parents sent me abroad for tertiary studies, and that's when I stopped going to church. Life was fun, and drinking and clubbing was a norm during the weekends. In 2008 when I returned to Malaysia, I got a job offer. My boss then was the person who led me back to Christ. After wrestling with God for some time, I finally joined the company’s prayer group, and I was soon asked to join a local church, DUMC. However, the real journey started when I joined my cell group three years later. I began serving, attending prayer meetings, and going on mission trips, and step by step, God led me in an amazing manner. Broken Three years ago, I broke up with my then girlfriend, after an eight-year relationship. It was a tough time. I told God, "If I am to get into a relationship again, it has to be someone I would marry, and she has to love You more than me. She would also have to be beautiful, tall and appreciate my humour". I met Alice In 2014, I was assigned to serve during Holy Communion. I was invited by an old friend of mine to sit together with his cell, little knowing that I would be sitting beside my future wife Alice. Was it a divine appointment? During the period towards the end of last year, I made a commitment to join the three-day church morning fast and pray. On the second day, I met Alice again. I was alone and so was Alice, and we ended up
by HuongYew Yi and Alice Hoo PJN4
sitting beside each other. During the prayer meeting, the pastor asked us to pray for one another, and Alice asked if I would mind praying with her. I know the BBGG ‘boy boy girl girl’ rule but I could not reject her, so I agreed. At that time, she gave me a word of knowledge, which was in relation to something that I did for some people, but in my mind I thought it quite insignificant and hence had never mentioned it to anyone. The word released was "God sees your heart and He is glad", and right then I knew it was from God. I also realised then that Alice had a good relationship with God, which warmed my heart. Later, I asked God, “Is she the one?” God’s answer was “Take good care of her”. Things moved according to God’s timing. We didn’t intentionally try to meet up but somehow God had a way of using one of our mutual friends to bring us together and that was how our relationship grew. We went on a mission trip to Thailand. During that mission trip we got to know each other more deeply and yes, all our team members sensed something brewing between us. After the trip, I dated her for the first time, and confessed my feelings for her a couple of months later. We enjoyed each other's company, attending prayer and cell together. I once made a commitment to God: when I find the one that He has given me, I would give myself two years of dating and then marriage. I never realised two years could pass that fast. Within the next six months, we signed up for PMC, we prayed for a counsellor sent by God and we got Pastor Janan. After an exciting 12-month journey, we got married. Came to work in DUMC I started my job in DUMC two months prior to our marriage. We both knew finance would be a struggle. Alice supported me and encouraged me in all my decisions, and we decided to put our trust in the Lord. As a husband, my concern was whether I could provide financial
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security and stability for my wife. However, true to His faithfulness, God constantly showed us that He is the real Provider. Even now, as we are looking forward to going to New Zealand on our honeymoon, we know it is only by God's grace and provision that we are able to do so. He is so real We have been married for more than four months now, and I give all glory to Him for my marriage. With each passing year, I would say that I experience Him more each year than the year before. I believe in the years to come, that there will be more exciting stories to share.
‘her story ’
I was saved by God When I was young, I was a clairvoyant and I could easily see spirits in my surroundings. I grew up with the ability to foresee things or events in the future. Friends always teased me about this “sixth sense”. Still, this special ability left me with many doubts and fears. I was timid and had low self-esteem. When I turned 27, I faced storms in my life and those circumstances hit me emotionally and mentally until I reached rock bottom. Due to my "special ability", I went through a series of demonic oppressions and was unable to sleep, eat or think like a normal person. Horrific nightmares and visions would creep into my mind day and night. I was very depressed and was unable to work due to my physical condition. My parents were helpless although they took me to different kinds of healing and exorcism sessions. None of these were helpful and my situation became worse. My then husband witnessed my condition and our relationship fell apart. He started dating another woman and petitioned for a divorce. Within a year, I lost my career, health and marriage. I was totally without hope and lost the will to live. Once, I attempted suicide in my bedroom. At that critical moment, I heard a voice in my heart saying, “This time only God can help you.” I cried and knelt down to pray, “If there is a God in this world, please come and rescue me.” Just then, I saw a vision of a huge cross, which radiated light in the darker space. I was amazed by that vision. I remembered a bible that had been given to me by my aunty, placed on my study table. I opened it and came to Psalm 91, which is a prayer for deliverance. After that night, I walked into a local church and decided to accept Jesus as my personal Saviour. After that, my life went through a major change. Psalm 91 became my usual prayer before I went to sleep every night. After going through a year of healing, I was baptised during Easter in 2012. Slowly, I recovered from depression by reading the Bible every day. I met Yew Yi I was deeply and emotionally wounded after my divorce and though I healed with God's Word, I never wanted to think about marriage again. However, God had a better plan. About a year later, I was invited to a friend’s wedding. The message for her wedding ceremony was God’s purpose in marriage and family. My heart was moved, but I was afraid of getting married again. I began to seek God about His plan for my future and I asked for confirmation. After 6 months of praying, the Lord
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gave me a verse in Jeremiah 29:11, “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” He directed me to be single for three years without going into any relationship, but solely to seek Him wholeheartedly. I obeyed God’s guidance and left all my doubts in His hands. In the three years of my singlehood, I prayed that God would protect my heart from any man but only allow me to be struck by the one He prepared for me. In 2014, I started attending DUMC Saturday celebrations. One day, I came alone for a church morning prayer. There, I met this tall guy, Yew Yi through a mutual friend. That morning, we sat together and prayed for each other. But I didn’t know his heart was moved by my prayer. Our friendship grew smoothly and naturally. We share the same passion in Christ and continued to pray for each other. Later, we went to Thailand on a mission trip. One night during my prayer time, the Lord spoke to me to open my heart to this young man. I was thrilled by the confirmation from the Lord. After praying together with my cell leader, we started our courtship in 2015. Came to work in DUMC In 2015, I started praying for new direction in my career, after having worked a few years in a certain company. However, each time I browsed for a new job opportunity, my heart was reminded about the calling to serve the Lord. I started to pray and asked for guidance from my leaders. They encouraged me to look for opportunities to work in church. I was faced with the crisis of making a decision to tender my resignation. I was concerned about finances and the future. One morning during my devotion, the Lord pointed me to the oil painting in my bedroom. It was a painting of birds and flowers; and the verse in Matthew 6:25-30 came into my heart. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them... See how the flowers of the field grow… if that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you...” I took heed of the prompting from the Holy Spirit. I knew that God would provide all my needs when I obeyed His guidance. In January 2016, I joined the staff team of DUMC. Shattered Dream Comes Alive We enjoyed two years of courtship and went through pre-marriage counselling before Yew Yi asked me to be his wife in August 2016 during our cell retreat. I am so glad we are journeying together by sharing the same passion and faith to serve the Lord. We later found out that the Lord gave both of us the same verse in Jeremiah 29:11 before we met each other. When I look back to the trials in the past, I see the promises of God come to pass in my life. On 25 March 2017, we became husband and wife in DUMC. Truly and indeed, God is the one who saved me during the toughest times. He restored each and every part of my life and I could see my shattered dreams come alive through His grace and love. I married my dream guy and am in a blessed marriage. Praise God Almighty!
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