Floodgates 096 February 2018 by DUMC Malaysia

ISSUE 096 QUARTER 1, 2018

floodgates

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Following Jesus with our all

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Message from Senior Pastor

floodgates Jan to Mar 2018

From the Editorial Team:

Dear Church Family,

Message from Senior Pastor 1-3

Making Most of Every Opportunity

Events 4-6

Year End Watch Night & Forward

Syok BBQ

8-9

Women’s Encounter Weekend

Message from Founding Senior Pastor 10-12

How To Live Well in 2018

Features 13-14

Learn & Serve in Chiang Mai

15-17

Living Waters

18-19

Isaiah & Your Calling

20-21

Bible Reading Plan

22-23

Leading Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

24-26

PRIDE The Genesis Of Sin

Family 27-29

New Mummies

30-31

Mighty Movers

DUMC Stories 32-33

My Transformed Life

34-35

Learning the Way of the Cross

Serving is a Privilege

38-39

DUMC Ministries

Floodgates was created to be a vessel, a platform where we can publish articles and testimonies to bless and inspire God’s people towards that Godly renewal of the mind mentioned by the apostle Paul, and which will stand out from the daily bombardment of confusing and possibly unhelpful “information”. In Floodgates we, as a Church body of Christ, can share stories and bear witness to God’s amazing grace and give Him the glory. Also, we can remind ourselves that we are nothing without Jesus, that we would just be part of a dying world and hopeless. On the cover, “G” is at the centre of the title, Floodgates, just as we need to place God at the centre of our all. Our name Floodgates originates from Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Father God, may we all, children of God, be blessed when the “floodgates of heaven pour out…” and be reminded that the presence of God in our lives is the blessed life.

MAKING

THE MOST

of every opportunity by Chris Kam, Senior Pastor

Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 15

Ephesians 5:15-17

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Message from Senior Pastor

he call to be very careful suggests that it is very easy to be careless! How are we careless? By not paying attention to the consequences of what we are doing. We often only live for the present rather than live out a vision for the future. We do not understand that what we do today influences future generations. Hence the exhortation to “be very careful”. In what ways are we to be careful? I am reminded of two passages of scripture from the Old Testament that were translated with the same phrase. Joshua 22:5 “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” and Joshua 23:911 ”9The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11 So be very careful to love the LORD your God.”

There are at least three areas where we are often not careful. Firstly, Christians can be too wounded to serve. They lack the inner resolve to go to the cross to completely leave their past hurts there. Hence the cycle of being easily offended by people continues and this can mess every area of their relationships with other people. Secondly, Christians can become too complacent to serve. The Christian faith is just another self-centred religion for them. They are unconcerned about the affairs of God and His heart for the world. As long as they are personally blessed, they go on living without a care for the community around them. Thirdly, Christians are too preoccupied to serve. They are distracted by the demands of life and are not able to integrate every aspect of life well. We are also to be careful because the days are evil. “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) We are to remain vigilant and not be caught while napping. We are already in a state of spiritual warfare by default. Either the devil will do his work undetected or, if discovered, he will come on a frontal attack to put fear into us. The number one mission of the devil and his cohorts is to keep people from the salvation of God.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 Both were reminders to the The apostle Paul went on to nation of Israel of their love remind us that foolishness is the absence relationship with God and their obedience of God in our lives. Therefore, understand to His commandments. Love and obedience what the will of God is. How do we come hand in hand. John 14:15 says “If you understand the will of God? There are love me, you will obey what I command.” three aspects of God’s will: His sovereign We cannot say we love God and yet not will, His will as revealed in Scripture and do what He tells us. The Great Commission His individual will for our lives. Where His of Matthew 28:18-20 reminds us to sovereign will is concerned, He does not disciple others to “obey everything I have need to ask our permission for what will commanded you.” Discipleship demands happen. He is God! He is omniscient (has a response of obedience. It is incongruent infinite knowledge). He is timeless, the to say we are a Christian yet live a life Alpha and the Omega, no beginning and totally unChristlike.

And this can only be done when we are careful with our lives, understand what the will of God is and be filled with the Spirit of God.

no end. His revealed will is entirely found in Scripture: a basic manual on how to live life on earth. His individual will for us would need to come from the first two as we work out that precious thought, that He had us in mind even before we were created, to do His good works. (Ephesians 2:10) What are these good works we are to do? It is everything we do that will point others to God or to Christ. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) So in the state of spiritual vigilance, we are to take up every opportunity that presents itself to sow into people’s lives, that they may see and hear about the God in our lives. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” (Colossians 4:5) And this can only be done when we are careful with our lives, understand what the will of God is and be filled with the Spirit of God. (Ephesians 5:18-20) The opportunities presented to us in Malaysia are amazing, in spite of all the challenges restricting the advancement of the Gospel. 90% of Malaysians have yet to come to know Jesus. The opportunities present themselves wherever we are and

whatever we do every day, and we just need to see people with the eyes of our loving God. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, we see this phenomenon of unprecedented numbers of people on the move. Malaysia is no exception to this. The news agency Al Jazeera reported recently that, in their estimation, there are as many as four million undocumented and two million documented foreigners in our land. Fulfilling the Great Commission among the diaspora (movement of the population from its original homeland) of people scattered throughout the globe demands that we think afresh how to do local mission at our doorstep. Just in DUMC itself we see now four distinct groups of such foreigners. On top of that, there are more than 100,000 international students seeking to come to Malaysia, considered a hub for higher education, citing cultural comfort, cost, value for money, language of instruction and quality of life as their reasons for selection. These are unprecedented opportunities for the Gospel. Many come from lands where the Gospel is not easily accessed. God has brought them to our land. Are we making the most of every opportunity?

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Events

when we started. Now as a child of God, can we finish better than when we started? Thirdly, have we kept the faith? I feel that we need to continuously remind ourselves of the death of Christ on the cross, and that the cross is the symbol of sacrifice, grace, mercy and forgiveness. We have experienced God, so will we be able to be unwavering in our faith like Jesus was till his death on the cross? As the preaching came to an end, a huge cross was brought out in front of the sanctuary. We were asked to write on pieces of paper our “idols” or desires

STEPping Into 2018… By Vera Tay, PJS2

here was another 30 minutes to go but the seats were filling up fast. Excitement was in the air! It was PROCLAIM2017 and the people were gathering to usher in the New Year. We began with worship and praising God. We had fun, as we recalled the memorable bits of 2017 – funny, meaningful, challenging, something distinctive for each one to recall. As the clock was counting down to midnight, we soon settled into our seats to hear a message from our Senior Pastor’s heart… “We are no longer our own but God’s” as he shared 3 points from 2 Timothy 4:7. Firstly, “I have fought the good fight” – Paul stated that life was a fight and we needed to fight the good fight. We should not fight over the wrong things nor get into

unwarranted fights. As long as the fight is not to make a stand for Christian principles and to glorify God, we should take a step back. Neither should we get into conflict with one another, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are part of the same family and we have the same Heavenly Father. Secondly, we are all mortals. Are we ready to cross the finishing line and into heaven? God’s values should be our foundation and second nature to us. No matter which season of life we are in, are we able to put God first? Do we have the wisdom to adjust our priorities, time and energy to ensure that we live a life that pleases God. What then is a life that pleases God? The one thing to which God has called all of us, is to “Proclaim the Gospel of Salvation to All” – the Great Commandment. So have you put every effort to fulfil this? Have you shared the gospel? We didn’t know God

for God to deal with, or our dreams and requests that were so big that only God could bring them to pass. It was a solemn and meaningful moment as we individually walked up and laid our “desires” at the foot of the Cross. Soon it was time for the count-down. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and the whole church launched into a prayer dedicating ourselves to God. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and peace flooded the sanctuary. It was indeed a significant way to end 2017 and to usher in 2018. A week later… At FORWARD2018, we had two special events, a special midnight Celebration on Saturday led by the Myanmar congregation, and a Sunday Celebration where 6 congregations (English, Chinese, BM, Tamil, Nepali, Myanmar) gathered to

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Events

worship God. The Worship in different languages was just amazing! The atmosphere was warm and exciting, joy on everyone’s faces, it gave a glimpse of what Heaven would be like with people from different tribes and tongues, praising God in one voice. Pastor Ravi was just the right person to deliver the welcome in the 6 languages. He had a gift that puts the congregation at ease and bonded all of us. Senior Pastor Chris then shared with us the theme for 2018, for the Church to “Step In(to)” the lives of people and to be receptive when opportunity presented itself and to always ask the Holy Spirit to lead us. Senior Pastor Chris preached from Ephesians 5:15-20 that as we move forward into the New Year we need to be ‘very careful’ how to live as the Devil is prowling and wants to devour us. We are in a Spiritual War and we have to guard our hearts as the wounds of the heart are the hardest to heal. We must not allow ourselves to be hurt to the point that we are unable to serve God. We need to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. We need to think about other people without a selfish “Bless Me” attitude. We need to have an attitude that serves others too. We also need to guard our time and make sure that we spend time with God. Next, we should live our lives with Godly wisdom and to fulfil the purposes of God for our lives. Do you desire to know the will of God? For this to happen, we need

to recognise 3 things about God ’s will. Firstly, His Sovereign Will – this means to acknowledge that God is in control, even if we do not understand everything that is happening and even if things seem to be out of control. Secondly is God’s Revealed Will. God has revealed His will in the Bible. This is the reason why we need to spend time reading the Bible as it will reveal His will for our life and the things that are happening in the world. The Bible is also an acronym for “Basic Instruction before Leaving Earth”. Thirdly there is God’s Individual Will for our lives. We are his special handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. God has a unique plan for each of us. To find out God’s special plan for our lives, we must spend time reading the Bible. Finally, we need to be ready for every opportunity and to let our light shine before others. We should allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and to be sensitive to the call of the Holy Spirit. Just as we greet the Holy Spirit in the morning, we should also begin to say “Good Night” to the Holy Spirit. As the sermon came to a close we were asked if there was anything that we needed to sacrifice in order that God could use us in a mighty way. What a way to start the first Sunday of 2018! Yes we are indeed moving forward with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

SYOK BBQ “Time waits for no man”… Twenty35 Event by Natalia David, PJN 6

ow these words ring true as we find ourselves facing the impending close of 2017. In a blink of an eye, we find ourselves a few weeks before Christmas and then the New Year in the following week. The Twenty35 event on 18 November arrived with a group of young adults anticipating what every Malaysian loves best - food, an awesome double whammy of it being a BBQ. We were well taken care of by a team of dedicated comrades who spent the night facing a hot and stuffy fire pit as they diligently cooked food that reminded us of why we continued to stay in Malaysia, and dessert that compelled you to sing with the heavenly angels, it was that good. The theme for the night was one constantly overlooked in our busy, turbulent lives Thanksgiving. It was originally a curious American holiday that holds a meaningful air around it but it is not common within Asian society. Twenty35 did something different and taught people ranging from

their early twenties to their mid-thirties that despite the year we had to face, be it good or bad, amazing or downright ugly, joyful or just plain depressing, we still had so much to be thankful for. Most times we are in the habit of focusing on the darkness and storms around us that we forget to realise how God has always been there to take us through it all until we find clear blue skies and calm waters. Personally, I was reminded of the year I will soon be leaving behind - how far I have come, how far I will go, how much had changed and how thankful I was for every storm that taught me the best way to overcome it, every mountain that taught me how to climb higher, and every experience that became a meaningful memory. It was definitely a fun experience getting to know new faces that night and ‘being yourself’ with

familiar ones among those in the same age range. Good conversations and equally good food, not forgetting the amazing dessert, made it quite an affair. It was a chance for us to learn from one another and found that while we might be very different individuals on the outside, we, oddly enough, were not so different at the same time. One common thread that tied us all together was God’s love. Twenty35 has been an excellent platform for impacting those of us who are at this impressionable stage of our lives, with its ups and downs and its crossroads of important choices to be made. I, for one, am thankful to DUMC for the Twenty35 ministry which has been giving me life-changing experiences and I hope that there will be more to come so that others like me will be just as blessed by the new generation experience. 7

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Events

has changed in seeing God and seeing myself. I got to know God and understood Him better through this encounter.

Women’s Encounter Weekend

complied by Petulia Lun, PJN6

“Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:4

very year, in November, Women to Women (W2W) has an Encounter Weekend (EW) getaway. It’s a time to contemplate God and reflect upon God’s goodness in our lives. It is also an opportune time to take stock of our lives as well as to evaluate our spiritual walk. In short, the W2W EW is a spiritual retreat for sisters in Christ. Here are three testimonies from three ladies who attended the recent November 2017 EW.

During the nature walk, I didn’t expect an anxiety to stir up within me. I thought I was just there to spend quality time with God, to hear from God. But I got so angry with God, so angry that He had taken away my baby not once, not twice but three times. I was so angry with God and was asking why God had not been there to save my baby. It was through the connect group later that I learned I needed to go through a grieving period to acknowledge the loss of my child and it was ok that I questioned God. God revealed to me the why – it was because God is not just a Father to us but also a Mother. So, God can understand how

a mother’s love is, and he surely knows the mother’s pain at losing a child. He lost His one and only son, Jesus. I used to think, “He is God, He gives and takes away, He has every right to do what He wants. Even if I ask why, He can choose not to answer, so there’s no point to ask him, I have to accept what He has given me”. It is as though “bo bian” (Hokkien).” It was through the encounter that I learned that our God is not an authoritarian God but a gentle and loving God. With these sisters in Christ who did not judge me nor my views, but who instead pointed me back to God, my perspective

I was living a lonely life – all alone, with no one, no friend, to help me through any problem that I was facing. I was a believer for many years but left God for a while. At the beginning of 2017, I decided to attend church again. I also joined a cell group. Then, I signed up for the W2W Encounter Weekend (EW). At that EW, God affirmed that I was still His daughter and He loved me. He assured me that He would always protect me. Moreover, I now had a group of sisters in Christ to support me. This was when my life changed and God began to turn my life around, from evil to good. When I came back from the EW, I saw a radical change in myself. I was able to find joy again. I stepped out of my darkness. I became excited about life again and now my face reflects my joy. I am no longer fearful or in doubt, confused or angry. I no longer fear talking to people. I am now living a motivated life and I walk in confidence, trusting God. My sisters in Christ have supported and strengthened me through my journey of faith and now there is joy in my life.” I am now stronger because of what I had to go through. Perhaps, I am even smarter! I have found peace in

God. Only He can give me this kind of peace. He is the powerful Creator of the whole universe and only He is perfect. Most importantly, God is personal and He wants to know me. Hallelujah!

28 years ago, I attended a healing event at my previous church. I went forward for an altar call at the end of the sermon as it was the Friday before my water-baptism weekend. The pastor who prayed, released a prophetic word to me after seeing a vision of a flower bud. The message from God was that my life then was like the flower, not in full bloom as yet... but in time, God would nurture it and cause it to bloom beautifully. Out of the blossoming of my life, the sweet fragrance of Christ would be released to those around me, as stated in 2 Corinthians 2:15 “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” During the nature walk at the Women’s Encounter Weekend, I was drawn to this yellow flower with a bud attached from the same stem. What was impressed upon my heart was that the first half of my life had bloomed, just like the bright, opened flower but, God was still not done with me yet. The other half of my life was now like the

accompanying bud...yet to bloom. God assured me that I had always been a late bloomer but I would definitely blossom in His Time and once again, release the fragrance of Christ to bless people around me. He was working my life out for His Glory and He would make all things beautiful in His perfect timing. God is my Abba Father and has my best interest at Heart. In Him I trust.

For more information about W2W Moments / W2W Essential / W2W Encounter Weekend go to http://dumc. my/connect/adults/womenwomen/ or email to dumc. w2w@gmail.com

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Message from Founding Senior Pastor

W HOW TO

LIVE WELL

in 2018 & beyond? Dato’ Dr Daniel Ho, Founding Senior Pastor

“1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

hatever that has happened in 2017, the joys and blessings as well as the heartaches and pains, we give thanks to Almighty God! Through it all we should learn precious lessons about life. As we begin 2018 with a clean slate, what has the New Year in store for us? More importantly, how can we really live well in 2018 and beyond too? I would like to suggest four areas for us to anchor our thoughts on. The passage in Hebrews 12 provides us a good springboard for our reflections. Firstly, the encouragement we all need. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” What is this great cloud of witnesses we are surrounded by? Who are they and what are they doing there? They are, I believe, the people of old like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and many other prophets and saints of the past who are cheering us on in this race of life. They are saying to us, “Keep up and keep on running this race of life! Do not give up or give in.” They encourage us as we run this race. In our journey of faith, we need good friends and deep spiritual friends where we pray, help, support and inspire one another in both good and challenging times. We cannot have it better than in the body of Christ and in the cell group where God is at the centre of our lives and relationships. Secondly, the entanglements we need to watch out for. Hebrews 12:1 says to us again, “…let us throw off everything that hinders

and the sin that so easily entangles…” What are some of the entanglements that can trip us over and prevent us from running well in 2018 and beyond? One is being greedy for money or the lack of accountability and transparency in the handling of monies. With cryptocurrencies and all kinds of outrageous investments and get-rich-quick schemes being touted it is so easy for us to fall prey to these insanely tempting instruments. We need to keep a tight rein on our heart because the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. A second is not being wise or guarded in our relationships with the opposite sex. We get entangled in inappropriate, wrong or immoral relationships and are torn apart in our lives, relationships and Christian walk and witness for the Lord. A third is the misusing of power and position that the Lord has given to us. Instead of using power and position to serve people we use it to abuse and oppress people. What a tragedy when such entanglements prevent us from running this race of life well and finishing well!

Hebrews 12:2 says,

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Thirdly, the example to follow. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Our example is the Lord Jesus Christ whom we seek to follow and emulate. Jesus not

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Features

Message from Founding Senior Pastor

The Christian race is not a 100 metres sprint but a marathon race, an endurance race indeed.

LEARN & SERVE

in Chiang Mai by Low Mei Ling, PJN2

I only went through good and great times when He was on earth. He also experienced times of heartaches like betrayal and the excruciating pain of being crucified on the cross for no sin of His own. Yet Jesus was never bitter, angry, resentful or retaliatory. On the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus could have retaliated or taken revenge but instead He chose to forgive and to let go. So, whatever heartaches, burdens, grievances and pains we may have we must learn to forgive and let go too. Then we are delivered from the bondage to anger, resentment and bitterness. Then we can live in true freedom and with a real sense of inward peace, joy and abandonment in the Lord. What an example to follow and a wonderful life to live when we emulate the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

while on earth including the pain and the shame. So should we. The Christian race is not a 100 metres sprint but a marathon race, an endurance race indeed. When we endure like athletes it develops muscles and strength in us. And when our own strength is lacking and we feel really weak, like Apostle Paul we would be assuredly told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is in our weakness that we discover God’s strength and grace. Apostle James also writes, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Perseverance is the other word for endurance and the end result when we do so is maturity. What a remarkable outcome and that is what we all should desire to be as we live out 2018 and beyond: a maturity of life and faith!

Fourthly and finally, the endurance we need. Hebrews 12:3 says, “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Jesus endured everything

May these four areas of encouragements to offer, entanglements to guard, example to follow and endurance to garner mark our lives and our walk in 2018 and beyond.

magine nearly 170 Christian leaders from 38 countries speaking over 40 different languages, all gathered in Chiang Mai for a conference from 13 to 17 November 2017. Desiring to further equip themselves for the Great Commission, they travelled thousands of miles from as far as Africa, the Americas, Europe with a quarter of them from Russia and Central Asia to this conference organised by the Increase Association, also known as “Increase”.

BUT WHO IS INCREASE? When our team of seven DUMC members were invited as helpers to the conference, we also asked the same question, “Who is Increase?” Increase is an association which seeks to connect and strengthen church-based training movements across Asia and beyond. Its vision is to see “churches equipping all Christ’s followers in their contexts, so that many millions are discipled and empowered for mission, ministry and leadership”. Increase is also a recipient of DUMC’s Anniversary Gift Weekend.

Increase uses primarily TEE which stands for “Tools to Equip and Empower”. There are over 100 discipling courses catering to a whole spectrum of believers from semi-literate believers to leaders aspiring to be pastors. During the conference, participants shared how courses like “Abundant Life” and “Abundant Light” taught in their local languages have been powerfully used to disciple and transform lives. Anyone who has benefitted from the course can lead a small TEE group at home, in the field or anywhere else. For more information on Increase, please visit their website at increaseassociation.org. Rev Dr Tim Green, the General Secretary of Increase is also a member of DUMC. When Tim and his wife, Rachel moved to Malaysia in 2014, they made DUMC their home church and they opened their home for cell meetings.

THE CONFERENCE IN CHIANG MAI

TEE groups have thrived in the face of persecution. Practical training workshops on “How to write project proposals for Western donors”, “Understanding Communications” and “The Impact of Digital Technology” were organised to equip the participants. Worship time was incredible. With everyone singing and connecting with God in their own language, it was like a glimpse of heaven on earth. The conference closed on a high note with Holy Communion and a declaration of commitment to work together for the discipleship of diaspora believers worldwide. Diaspora is the movement of people away from their homeland. It is a rising global trend. Over the years, millions have moved - some as refugees while others relocated for economic reasons. In Malaysia, many have come as foreign workers and TEE resources have been used to disciple many Nepalese and other foreign workers.

At the conference, many shared great news of God at work across Asia and how 13

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THE DUMC TEAM

Danny Kong

Teresa Tiong

Our DUMC team led by Danny Kong, comprised Grace Kong, Janice Ling, Kong Kam Yong, Teresa Tiong, Melanie Lim and myself. We were known as the Learn & Serve team. In essence, we were the operations team. Everyone had different roles: registration, finance, slide projection, logistics, photography, story collection and anything else to ensure the smooth running of the conference. As we served, we learnt. Pastor Jolyon Trickey came from the UK to be our spiritual mentor. During our daily morning devotion, he prepared us for the unexpected challenges of the day. Having him greatly enhanced our learning.

Although the tasks for the team were not easy, I was overwhelmed by our team spirit and the willingness of our members to serve in the midst of tiredness and hiccups. I was also blessed by the many stories of how believers remain faithful and grow to be leaders amidst hardship using simple TEE resources for discipleship. From Pastor Jolyon, I learnt that prioritising prayer teaches us to be dependent on God.

I often hear God through images. One morning, I had the image of a man gasping for air. I asked God, “What has this to do with the conference?” Later that morning, I saw a pastor from Indonesia at my table struggling with English. I immediately realised that God had used the image to alert me. As I translated for him, I learnt that God can use us in ways we never would have imagined.

Grace Kong

Hearing from delegates about how God moves mightily in Central Asia and catching a glimpse of how the Great Commission is fulfilled through the work of Increase is exciting. Many of the participants face huge challenges and yet they remain committed and faithful to God’s calling.

Janice Ling

I was touched by the sharing of a Central Asian participant about how her life was transformed after she became a Christian and TEE resources were used to disciple her. Today, she leads small TEE groups. The TEE three-fold components of home study, weekly group meetings and practical application have proven to be very effective for discipleship.

Kong Kam Yong

As TEE resources are available in many places where people have settled, the diaspora movement could be God’s way of reaching out to people who would otherwise be in nations of limited access. Many people have also chosen to remain where they are, at high risk and cost, to strengthen the body of Christ. Participating in the Holy Communion with so many nationalities was a reminder of God’s love for the lost and the Great Commission that He has entrusted to the body of Christ.

Living Waters for the tired and thirsty

by Low Mei Ling, PJN2

hen one has travelled long hours by bus to bring a sick family member for treatment at the General Hospital in Chiang Mai, where can one go for the night if one has no money? Our DUMC social workers, KL Wong and his wife, Su found many in such a predicament around and under the staircases of the hospital. Driven by the need to meet a basic need, KL and Su set up Living Waters in 2009. Today, people with similar needs are directed to Living Waters by the hospital and social welfare officials. Living Waters is a shelter home for outpatients and

their caregivers. Guests can stay for one night or even months without any charge. They are free to use the facilities of the home including cooking their own meals. Those who do not have money are welcome to share simple meals of rice and eggs provided by Living Waters. Su runs the shelter home with the help of two female workers. Apart from meeting the guests’ essential needs, Su also spends time to get to know them. Many have come to Living Waters with bondages and are emotionally down. On Wednesday evenings, all the guests are encouraged to

join KL and Su for a time of worship and sharing. When our DUMC team of seven recently visited Living Waters, it was heartwarming to see KL and Su representing our church to serve wholeheartedly in this city. The home can comfortably accommodate 15 people but if the need arises, it can be stretched to 20 people. Many who stayed in Living Waters have heard the Good News and those who were more open have responded positively. KL and Su have been very encouraged by the many transformed lives over the years.

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A LIFETRANSFORMING STORY

Here are some thoughts of our team members after our visit.

DANNY I am touched by the commitment of KL and Su to their ministry and their hearts’ desire to honour God in all that they do. I am also humbled by how they faithfully work among the locals despite the many physical, health and financial challenges.

GRACE Apart from fending for the poor and sick, their ministry also looks after abused children and women. Seeing their sacrificial love for people reminds me of them being the light of the world for God. They are giving light to everyone who comes to Living Waters. In fact, many guests have found Living Waters to be a bright and comfortable place where they can sleep soundly.

KAM YONG Being on the front line of caring for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients, KL and Su are serving God in such selfless ways which can easily result in burnout. There is a great need to keep them in prayer.

We had the pleasure of meeting Martha. Two years ago, Martha’s daughter, Natalie met with a very bad motorcycle accident. Her leg had to be operated on and fitted with a metal cast which required a 30,000 baht deposit. Su had to help with the deposit required by the hospital. In her village, Martha was an enterprising food stall operator. So she tried to make some extra money by acting as a guarantor for loans. When one of the borrowers ran off with the money, she was caught with the liability. With no money to settle, she also fled for her life. Worried for the safety of Natalie, she parked her daughter at Living Waters. There, we met the pretty 16-year-old who has recently accepted the Lord and is still wearing her metal cast. Eventually, Martha became tired of running. In October 2016, she came to see Natalie and sought refuge in Living Waters. As she had time, she read the whole Bible in one month. She also had many questions which Su helped to answer. Martha was baptised in December 2016 and she stayed on to work in Living Waters. Having saved some money, Martha is now returning to her village to

settle some of her debts. We had the privilege of praying for Martha just before she made the trip.

THINK NAAM.ASIA Living Waters has also started a social enterprise called NAAM.asia which produces beautiful fabric products ranging from keychain pouches, cosmetic bags, aprons, pot holders to computer bags. NAAM was birthed out of a need to help girls and single mothers. A work area was created within Living Waters for these ladies to sew. The sewing process became a way for the ladies to heal from their past and showing other ladies the way to break away from abusive relationships. Guests at Living Waters also lend a helping hand whenever they can. The products are sold through friends, churches in Malaysia and through social media. They are also available in the concourse of Dream Centre during weekends. NAAM.asia welcomes bulk orders. Apart from providing a living for the ladies, 30% of the revenue goes back to the ministry of Living Waters.

outpatients. The good news is that Living Waters has been invited for preliminary discussions to consider operating the place which is targeting to have 100 beds. This is a clear acknowledgement of the work of Living Waters. Although the prospect is exciting, there are many challenges ahead. As God leads KL and Su to new territory, we as a church will need to journey and support them in whatever way the Lord calls us. Meanwhile, here are a few ways we can begin to support Living Waters.

How can we support KL and Su? 1. Prayer - pray for wisdom, health and provision. 2. Buy NAAM.asia products and “The Seed” authored by Su at their stall at the Dream Centre Concourse. 3. Help to direct bulk orders to NAAM.asia. For more information, visit http://naam.asia or email Su at sfchin67@yahoo.com. 4. Contact Living Waters when you next plan to visit Chiang Mai.

LATEST GOOD NEWS The General Hospital is planning to build a basic four-storey building of which two floors will be allocated for accommodation for poor

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ISAIAH & Your Calling by Pastor Mike Ngui

ing Uzziah was one of the better kings in the history of biblical Israel. 2 Chronicles 26:4 describes him as a king who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” Only 8 of the 20 kings of the southern kingdom of Israel received this commendation, never once given to the 19 northern kings. He, however, did not end so well, despite a good start to his 52-year reign.

IN A MOMENT OF PRIDE… In a moment of pride, he overstepped his kingly role by doing something only the priests were allowed to do (2 Chronicles 26:16-18). Consequently for the remainder of his life, he lived as a leper, banished from the temple, with his reign effectively passed on to his son. And when Uzziah died, Isaiah received a vision described in Isaiah 6:1-8. This passage is instructive, as it lays out the setting in which Isaiah received and responded to his call.

Firstly, he saw the Lord, the God of Israel as one enthroned in terrifying majesty. It was a scene that would have struck awe and fear into the heart of Isaiah. He dared not look up to take in the ‘full view’. He could only take in that “the train of his robe filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1

Isaiah glimpsed the utter holiness of the Lord in the seraphims’ posture. These magnificent angelic beings covered their eyes with two of their six wings, lest they gaze on the blinding glory of God. Two other wings covered their feet in instinctive lowly sense of unworthiness though glorious beings they were. Flying with their remaining two wings, they cried out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) The impression made on Isaiah is unmistakable. He became keenly conscious of his unworthiness, along with all of Judah’s people. He became aware of his own sinfulness, measured simply in sins of speech. And he saw himself as no more worthy than others. When Isaiah acknowledged his unworthiness, he received atonement for his sin from the altar of God.

WHEN ISAIAH ACKNOWLEDGED HIS UNWORTHINESS, HE RECEIVED ATONEMENT FOR HIS SIN… Then he heard the call of God. Only after his confession of sinful unworthiness and experience of grace did Isaiah hear God’s voice. And he heard God calling for someone who could be sent and would go on His behalf. And Isaiah responded to what he heard with, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

MANY OF US ASK THE QUESTION OF OUR CALLING FROM GOD… Many of us ask the question of our calling from God, whether it concerns a call to the mission field, full-time Christian vocation, marketplace or political engagement. This account beckons us to reflect on our

Here I am, Send Me.

approach to this question. This passage calls to us, to re-evaluate our relationship to the levers of power in the world that we as individuals inhabit. Who do we see as being on the ‘throne’ in our world? Uzziah was Isaiah’s king. Isaiah was reminded that the Lord God is the Sovereign King over all authority. We need to perceive beyond what our eyes see, as to who is truly in charge. Our answering the call of God will eventually bring us into conflict with the ‘powers’ of this world - whether power from wealth, position, influence or sheer violence.

WHEN WE ANSWER THE CALL OF GOD… When we answer the call of God, we step into the centre-ring of the conflict between two kingdoms (c.f. Colossians 1:12, 13; Ephesians 6:12). In that centre-ring, we must know who truly holds power in order to live out our call faithfully. In our wanting to ‘make a difference’ in this world, we need to recognise our sinfulness and our being disqualified from serving God actively if not for the grace of God in Christ. Our resumes of vast experience, accomplishments and degrees fail to qualify us to answer His call.

FOR GOD’S WORK, ONLY BROKEN PEOPLE NEED APPLY. For God’s work, only broken people need apply. Only sinners who have embraced the unparalleled magnanimity of God in Christ, can truly answer His call, to join His work to bring His kingdom on earth. God’s call can only be answered upon experiencing His grace of forgiveness for our sin. Not only are we saved by grace, but we also serve by grace.

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Leading Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

WHY the focus on LEADERSHIP? By Robbin Khoo, PJS1

Most people either take the subject of Leadership very lightly or they simply do not believe that learning how to be a better leader is for everyone. What can be further from the truth? Let us take a closer look at why leadership competence in life is a necessity and even more importantly, why the ongoing journey to study, grow and develop one’s leadership skills is not a mere preference but a necessary CHOICE in life.

were at a bookstore checking out some books. “Peter, what’s that you’re reading?” asked Thomas, the younger brother. “Aw…nothing much, just another selfdevelopment book”. “What’s the title?” Thomas persisted. “Leadership by CHOICE,” Peter answered. “Why are you always so interested in such books? Aren’t books like that meant for the senior people? Those in higher up positions?”

GENESIS 1:26 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” It is by God’s decree that ALL man (women included) may rule over the things of the world. In this, we must understand that it is expected of us to be leaders. Each of us, in the God-given areas of our lives, needs to stand up and honour the position that God has bestowed upon us to take up the role and responsibility of the leader. Each of us needs to take on the leadership role within the environment in which we have been so placed according to His Almighty plans. Therefore, if we are to serve the LORD to the best of our abilities, we must make a conscious effort to continually hone, mould and improve our skills, abilities and knowledge. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. A small town. It was a lovely day. Everyone was going about doing their own thing. The kids were running around at the park nearby, watched by their parents like the prey that never left the hawk’s eyes. Two brothers

Peter, who was a young working adult, continued turning the pages, ignoring Thomas who was still babbling in his own monologue. He was quite drawn to and captivated by this author, Eric Papp, who seemed to have found a wonderful perspective to explain this unique quality in the characters of some great leaders. In his book, he explained that all too often, we rush into making decisions over matters and circumstances, and end up putting a strain on our relationships with others. But the best of leaders often develop a system that allows them to reflect on their ideas and hold themselves accountable for every choice they make, before they make them. Though physically rooted to the spot, Peter was totally moved by what he was reading. “All this makes sense,” he thought to himself. He began to reflect on those moments and occasions when decisions had gone wrong, leaders had faltered, and disharmony was imminent. If only people were more aware of the techniques and systems that they could learn and develop. If only they knew that there were methods and models of approach where they could

lead better and make better decisions. And it was just a matter of CHOICE to be able to positively influence, manage and lead others. Peter was getting excited about the potential of this new-found inspiration. He felt he could perhaps take this learning in leadership development and raise his personal performance to another level. He envisioned how he could possibly make a difference in his interactions with others, back in his office as well as where he was faithfully serving in the local church he was attending. “This is great,” he thought to himself. “If I could consistently learn, develop and grow my leadership skills, I could then make a positive difference in the circle of people I deal with. If leadership is all about influencing others in a positive manner, then the more I learn about leadership, the more I would learn about how to deal with and influence others. I would be able to persuade and motivate people to do the things that need to be accomplished. I would be able to show them the process in action and not just via a hope. I would be able to not just steer the ship alone but to chart the direction in which I believe they need to go and navigate the paths through which they would be convinced to select”. Peter was so lost in his thoughts that he did not even notice Thomas tugging at his sleeve. “Hey! … let’s go man,” Thomas was anxiously motioning to Peter. “It’s getting late and we promised mom we wouldn’t be late for dinner this time. You can tell me all about this on the way home. Why are you suddenly so interested in that book? It’s as if you’ve found a new love or something.” “I’ve got to really come back here

tomorrow. I want to sleep on what I just digested today and map out my thoughts. I believe this book on Leadership is going to help me become a better person, a better leader, make better decisions, and get better results. I must get this book. I believe I have just stumbled upon the key to resolving many of the challenging circumstances or environment we face in life-given situations, in the areas of leadership. All it takes is for the leader to be able to positively influence the rest of the people in the group, and inspire them to put aside their differences, agree and maintain a clear vision leading towards a common direction or goal, to be able to work together and willingly help one another get there, and understand that it is the teamwork that makes the dream work. And this one person MUST have the relevant A.S.K. (Abilities, Skills, Knowledge), a good purpose-driven character with the drive to take the people from here to there and most importantly the right heart that puts God first.” “And Tom, come to think of it. I’m now totally convinced Dr John C Maxwell got it right in his quote – “Everything rises and falls upon Leadership.” And that’s why if we want to have a hope for a better future, we cannot continue to be flippant about the subject of Leadership. We need to seriously focus on continuous growth and development in our leadership performance”. “Wow…Peter!” Thomas exclaimed, “You sound like one of the Lord’s apostles. Such wisdom. Go preach it, man … and hey, I shall be the first amongst those who would gather at your feet. Hahaha… but for now, let’s get home for dinner!”

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PRIDE

The Genesis Of Sin The sin of pride has corrupted the heart of man so deeply that even the virtue of humility, the moral opposite of pride, risks being tarnished by our ego if we are not careful. Whilst we should all aspire to be humble, the moment we consider ourselves sufficiently humble, will bring that feeling of selfsatisfaction which triggers the undoing of all our efforts. The pursuit of humility, then, is akin to our pursuit of Godliness; regardless of how repentant we may be, we would never be as sinless as Christ was and is – in that same tangent, we would never achieve perfect humility.

by Alex Tung PJN1

hristians today stand witness to an epoch of humanity that prizes narcissism like never before. The image of someone oozing boundless egotistical self-confidence and an aura of superior self-assuredness, which in the past would categorically classify the person as being vain and obnoxious, is today considered attractive. Whilst there is nothing wrong with self-confidence per se, such confidence, if it were to remain a positive attribute, must pass the litmus test of recognition – do we acknowledge our abilities as God-given gifts and in turn praise Him for the confidence we have, or do we relish in our advantage over others while taking full credit for our abilities and bask in the compliments that follow our triumph? It is high time that humanity (including Christians, especially) takes stock of our egoistical competitive ways and re-evaluates how badly we have been corrupted by the sin of pride. So malignant is the sin of pride that C. S. Lewis devoted an entire chapter in his book Mere Christianity to expound

on it. Aptly entitled “The Great Sin”, Lewis says in this chapter that:

According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil. C. S. Lewis THE ROOT OF SIN The question is not whether we have been corrupted by the sin of pride – we all, undoubtedly, have. The correct question, rather, is how deeply we have allowed this sin to corrode our integrity. The unchecked perpetuating rust of pride on a man’s soul manifests as symptoms in the form of other sins as all other sins originate from the sin of pride. It is pride that fuels a man into an obsessive competition with his fellow man. This ungodly competitive nature (read: jealousy) reveals its visible sting in an array of immoral conduct that man stumbles into, all for the sake of having an advantage over others.

In his jealous pursuit to outdo another, mankind lies, bribes, lusts, and even murders.

Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man... It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone. C. S. Lewis

[As a senior devil writing to his apprentice, a junior devil] Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is especially true of humility. C. S. Lewis PRIDE – THE CORE OF SATANISM To fully comprehend the severity of the sin of pride, consider this statement – Satan would not exist if it were not for the sin of pride. If this seems an exaggeration of the devil’s origin, consider Isaiah 14:12-14 which recounts

how Lucifer, one of God’s angels, as a result of his pride-driven ambition to be as great as, if not greater than God, was ultimately cast out of heaven and condemned to the depths of hell. Before he became Satan, Lucifer was a perfect creation of God – he was beautiful, powerful, intelligent and gifted – and did remain so until he became absorbed in his own greatness that led to his conceit and eventual condemnation (Ezekiel 28:15).

The other, and less bad, vices come from the devil working on us through our animal nature. But [pride] does not come through our animal nature. It comes direct from Hell. It is purely spiritual: consequently it is far more subtle and deadly. C. S. Lewis THE EVE ACCOUNT Genesis 3 records man’s fall into sin, a curse which all humanity inherits to this 25

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day. In this account of sin’s pioneering entry into man, the devil, in the form of a serpent comes to Eve to confuse her. The serpent is magnificently subtle in his tugging and prodding of Eve’s heart away from God-centeredness to selfcenteredness. A reading of Genesis 3:1-4 reveals the crafty devil’s gentle and gradual tests to Eve’s confidence and integrity, until he finally succeeds to tantalise Eve’s desire to be God-like. This desire to “be like God” (Genesis 3:5) is mankind’s smug desire for autonomy from God; Eve’s eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil is then a premeditated and deliberate move away from God’s control. In the serpent’s temptation for Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, we see mankind’s envy of God’s position to dictate and determine good and evil. Whilst the pursuit of knowledge itself is a commendable endeavour, the post-modernistic worldview mankind adopts in his conceited craving to retain autonomy for determining that which is good and that which is evil has inevitable blurred the lines so that mankind today (and many Christians too) subscribe to the notion that there are no moral absolutes.

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Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts... C. S. Lewis

As Christians, look to live a Christ-like life, we would justifiably need to address a myriad of sins we fall guilty of and to repent from them. Nonetheless, unless we understand the ultimate cause of our sinful nature, our medicating these symptoms do not address the cancer of the matter. Pride remains stubbornly in the background of most of our repentance. Against the will of the devil, pride needs, for the sake of our spiritual walk, to be brought to the forefront and addressed unashamedly. So the next time you feel glad or proud over your accomplishment or when someone compliments you for a job well done, be sure to look heavenwards and give Him the credit for working the accomplishment through you.

My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways, caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life. Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made, oh, and it haunts me every time I close my eyes. Bruno Mars Singer, song writer

• •

This article quotes heavily from C. S. Lewis – in particular, from two of his books, Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. The final quote from Bruno Mars comes from his Grammy Award nominated composition When I Was Your Man.

“ENCOURAGE each other and build each other up…” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Staphanie Mun Chen, KL

ecoming a mother might be the most significant transformation in a woman’s life. One day we are women, knowing, and pretty certain about most decisions that we make —not least being a person who could take a shower or use the bathroom pretty much whenever she wanted. Then we become a mum, and it feels like the world we have known is over, and a new one, one we are not fully prepared for, has begun. That sounds dramatic, I know, but it is the way most new mums might feel during those first few weeks of motherhood. DUMC W2W New Mummies Ministry (NMM) was birthed to give support to this very special group of women, the new mums. Here, we interviewed eight special women who lead this new mothers support movement since 2016.

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WHAT IS NMM ABOUT? Wern Lu: It is a community of women, giving emotional support, sharing the joys and pains of motherhood and lending support in whatever way that is needed emotionally, spiritually or even physically.

WHO DO YOU LOOK OUT FOR, HOW DO YOU CONNECT WITH THEM? Jaime Solomon: Serving in NMM gives me many opportunities to connect with new mummies. Most of the new mummies are seated with their families at the ‘Stroller Section’ in the auditorium so a friendly smile and a simple introduction is not difficult. Because babies are just full of cuteness, so talking about them becomes a natural icebreaker. I also get to connect with the new mums and dads when serving at the ABC (Arrows and Bows Corner) counter over the weekend. It gives me the opportunity to meet old and new faces and remember parents’ and children’s names better and to do a bit of a follow-up with them. Our NMM activities like playdates and Family Day is also great ways to connect with young families - times when we are more relaxed and engaged in fun activities.

WHAT DOES A COMMUNITY OF YOUNG MOTHERS DO TOGETHER? WHAT IS THE AGENDA OF A TYPICAL GETTOGETHER?

I thank God and praise God for the wonderful opportunity to serve in the ABC ministry and the time spent with all these new mummies. It has been a wonderful experience for me and my family.

Anne Yeow: Sharing our good times and bad times, our experiences in bringing up our babies and children, just being our cheeky selves and being able to chat and connect. We also lend a listening ear, share, learn and pray for one another.

Joyce Khong: We share our stories and experiences with one another. We laugh and we cry together. We learn from one another and are encouraged to know that we are not alone in this season of life that is super demanding. We pray with one another and connect with one another to exercise whatever gifts and talents God has given us to bless others.

Debbie Yeow: Many times new mummies face loneliness and difficulties in managing their new season of life. It is harder to connect with friends, sometimes even family, or to share and seek help in all new aspects of motherhood. These are often the major reasons why new mummies may struggle with depression and lack of self-worth. NMM provides a great platform for new friendships and great resources to help new mummies cope with motherhood. It is also a great ministry that shows care and understanding, and prays together. We also share tips on nursing as well as overcoming difficulties with postnatal syndromes. I personally feel that this ministry helps our church to come together in bringing up our next generation. After all, it is true that it takes a whole village to raise a child, what more an entire generation.

HOW HAS GOD MOVED IN THIS MINISTRY? HOW HAS SERVING YOUNG FAMILIES IMPACTED YOUR OWN FAMILY? Anne Patricia: Over the last year or so, we have seen young moms step up and serve because they have had similar struggles and understand these struggles are real. We see God move their hearts to serve other mums. We see our children having a natural love to serve and it has given us an opportunity to demonstrate to them that serving God is not just something we do but a way of our Christian life.

Joyce Khong: God has shown me that when we are faithful in the little things, He will bless us with more. He has never failed to provide and show us that when we are willing to do His will, everything will work out for good. Serving in the Arrows and Bows Corner has changed my family routine for the better. Everyone is more cooperative and gets ready earlier in time for church vs always being late to church. I have the opportunity to serve with my 10-year-old daughter who always looks forward to being on duty. She feels important and is happy that she is contributing and using her talents. Everyone learns to be more patient too as they know that we can only leave after everything is locked up properly. So, my kids would have to endure their rumbling tummies until mummy is all done and ready to go for our meal.

WHAT SPURS YOU ON? Jaime Solomon: The need is the call; this is what spurs me on. New mummies have many needs – needs for physical, emotional and/or spiritual support, or marriage and parenting advice. Having gone a little bit ahead of the new mummy stage, I believe that I can pass on some life experiences, be it failures or triumphs, to others just starting out on their journey. To me, having someone come alongside you through your

journey is invaluable. Many times, strong friendships are forged and spiritual growth is fostered when there is honesty and vulnerability in a relationship. I am so blessed to be able to glean from others who have gone ahead of me for support and advice. Likewise, I strive to pass on life lessons to the younger generation Lyanne Sum: Three main things spur me on - God’s Word, my family and the people I meet. My young children have started being eager about serving at ABC and my husband has always been willing to support in every way. Sometimes, when things seem a bit dry and efforts seem futile, it is God’s Word that is able to bring life and to put things into perspective. His Word not only refreshes the soul but also challenges me in deciphering what His way is and what my own wants and desires are. The people I meet fill me with awe and amazement. They come from such different walks of life! The busiest of mummies somehow find time to help, whether personally or serving in the ministry. Even the daddies who are so involved in family life and the young adults who are brave enough to step into our world and share their lives with us. Joyce Khong: I want to be able to say the following when I return to be with Jesus : “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Stay tuned for more exciting activities and events planned for 2018. Come join this dynamic community of young families. Find us at W2W@new mummies on Facebook and send us a request to join, or email us at w2wfornewmummies@ gmail.com You can also get more information about us at the Arrows and Bows Corner in the Mother Infants Room during weekend celebrations.

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them a chance to learn how to worship the Lord. Matthew: I was inspired by the quote: “We are not dancers that worship, we are worshippers that use dance”. This means that everyone, including children, can dance for the glory of God. I am also serving in Children’s Church, and I would like to see children worship Jesus in every way they can.

MIGHTY MOVERS

WHAT WAS THE MOST FULFILLING MOMENT?

Staphanie Mun Chen, KL

Liam: During my second time serving, there were a few boys who came up to us and began dancing alongside us during worship.

dancing for the Lord

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,” Psalm 30:11 NLT

or the past 2 years, the New Mummies Ministry (NMM) have been collaborating with the Resonate dancers to teach young children dance movements to worship God. You might have witnessed the Mighty Movers dancing at our weekend celebrations. When Pastor Chris saw the Resonate dancers leading the children in Praise and Worship, he was touched

and said, “This is a perfect example of discipleship!” We got in touch with some of these Resonate dancers, mostly young adults, to find out more about Mighty Movers.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO INVEST YOUR TIME IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG CHILDREN VIA RESONATE DANCE & MIGHTY MOVERS? Erin: In 2016, when I was approached with the idea of dancing with young children during weekend celebrations, I was hesitant as I was not very fond of children then. So we decided that the Resonate dance team in collaboration with the W2W New Mummies’ Group would just organise a one-off children’s dance workshop to

teach both the parents and their children simple Praise and Worship movements. As I continued to pray and ask the Lord to search my heart and deal with my hesitations towards the initial idea, He began to soften my heart towards children. During the weekend leading up to the workshop, God showed me a vision of many young children together with their parents worshipping and dancing freely before Him and leading the entire congregation in worship. From that day onwards, I have held on to that picture in my mind. Terence: There is a need for a worship model for the young children. Young children may not be proficient in playing an instrument or singing in harmony, so dancing with simple movements will provide

Terence: When I see the talents/skills/knowledge that God has given me “multiplying” when they are being passed on to another person or to children.

of it, all the young children laid on the floor exhausted. And I thought kids were always full of energy! Ashley: During one of the children’s dance workshops, one of the children gave me a biscuit from his snack and said he saved it for me. Oh that heart of generosity and love at such a young age! Ping Yin: The relationships between mothers & their children touch me because I never had this with my own parents. It was most encouraging to see the mothers so willing to learn everything with the children. Matthew: One of the children that attended shared with their friends in Children’s Church what she had learnt from the workshop!

HOW HAS SERVING IMPACTED YOUR WALK WITH THE Evelyn: To see the joy on their LORD? faces when they are dancing. Some may have their interests and potential discovered through this and others learn to worship and encounter God

WHAT WAS THE FUNNIEST OR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT WHILE WORKING WITH THESE YOUNG CHILDREN? Erin: During the recent dance workshop in August 2017. The dance team taught both the young children and their parents a hip hop dance choreography and at the end

Lena: Many times we learn to just rely on His creativity and strength to choreograph a song. This encourages me to spend more time with the Lord in order to be more sensitive to Him, which is something I am still learning to improve on. Grace: Serving challenges spiritual growth. I was still young in my faith when I joined Resonate Dance. There were times that I was so busy I did not spend enough time with the Lord, and serving from the heart was difficult, until He refreshed me when

I sought after Him. It made me realise how gracious and merciful our God is. Our relationship with Him is not based on how much work we do but what is our heart condition. It taught me to be disciplined to seek God and to be connected to Him at all times. Ping Yin: I can feel His love for me through serving. This brings me closer to God.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO ASPIRES TO SERVE LIKEWISE? Grace: Be faithful in what you do, no matter how big or small it is. You’ll never know how God can use you. Lena: Know the purpose of why you do what you do and do your best, then God will do the rest. Evelyn: Don’t be held back by busy schedules. Have faith in Him, believe in Him. All things are possible according to His will and His plan. Just-do-it!

For more information about Mighty Movers timetable and upcoming children’s dance workshops, email us at w2wfornewmummies@gmail. com. You can also get more information at the Arrows and Bows Corner in the Mother Infants Room during weekend celebrations.

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DUMC Stories

I could not control myself, and my wife sensed that there could be some spiritual disturbance. She asked me to go to a church or see a Taoist Sifu to seek for help. I chose the church.

Transformed Life… by Jeffrey Lim, PJN 2

efore knowing Jesus, I was a devout follower of another religion. I always thought Christianity was only for rich people, and for obtaining business connections. In 2015, I lost my job and my income due to the oil price drop. I was also deep in debt. People owed me money but I could not collect the debt. I suffered from depression and a serious case of acid reflux causing me to spend a lot of time and money on medication. To me, losing my job felt like a surgeon losing his hand. I began to be really worried for my family’s future, feeling both helpless and hopeless. There was no peace in my heart. I had sleepless nights, no appetite, was always in a bad mood and was downcast. My wife, Mei Ling, and I were not communicating well with each other. I felt even more hurt and insecure when she sought advice from her friends because

I did not want others to know about my problem. I went to see a psychiatrist, but he was of little help. I kept changing medications, to help me sleep better and to control my mood swings. The medication was a strong tranquiliser that caused me to be very groggy. I could sleep for days at a time and would constantly argue with my wife. In order to manage my inner anger, I would just keep very quiet. I would park my car a distance away and walk back home. I felt that I could not manage my family anymore and had disappointed them. Our marital relationship grew worse, and I wanted to get a divorce. One day, during a heated argument over family matters, I lost control and slapped Mei Ling. I felt it was not me and did not know what came over me. In another

quarrel, in a fit of rage, I broke things in the house. I shook her shoulders and pushed her onto the sofa. Mei Ling and my son were both terrified! They left me alone in the house. I felt so alone, I wanted to end my life. Feeling broken and sick, I needed help, but I did not want people to know. Then, once again in a fit of rage, I hit my fist so hard against the wall that I fractured it. I could not control myself, and my wife sensed that there could be some spiritual disturbance. She asked me to go to a church or see a Taoist Sifu to seek for help. I chose the church. Our son had already started attending Children’s Church here at DUMC. My wife had also started attending church. I was uncomfortable seeing my son sing worship songs. I did not believe the words of the songs. At times, I would ask my wife not to go to church. In October 2015, I accepted Jesus after bumping into Pastor Moy How at the church cafe. At first, I accepted Jesus because I wanted to please my wife, but something special happened during the process of saying the sinner’s prayer. It was noisy that day in the cafe, but I could only hear the Pastor’s voice. I was sobbing with tears which was not the usual me. Not long after that, my family was assigned to a cell group. Initially, I avoided going. One day, I dreamt I needed to follow my cell Leader, Adrian Chen, who heads the Marriage Course, which we eventually attended. I knew God was directing me. At the same time, I joined the “To Be A Better Dad” course, led by Fan Ngian and Sian Li. I learned how to treat my son

better, and the importance of leaving a strong legacy. I started to open my heart to my cell group. Knowing that I was in financial need, my cell group helped by referring jobs to me. My family was in a much happier and healthier state in this loving environment. I love my cell group, and we have received much love from them. They are my ‘true’ family. During a family trip, I encountered God personally. Many miracles happened. We walked closely with the Holy Spirit, our prayers were answered and we learned to be at peace. God is so good. On returning home, I was healed of my sickness and freed from taking medication. Mei Ling and I were able to communicate better. When I could not sleep, she would pray for me and before she finished her prayer, I would fall asleep like a baby. We attended the Baptism and Membership Encounter Weekend (BMEW) and arranged for a home cleansing by Pastor Jin Leong. I remember clearly on the morning I was baptised, I felt a chain ‘break’ away, my ‘old-self died’ and I experienced such an overwhelming peace. Consecutively for three days, when I started my car, the same lyrics, ‘Be humble and kind’ played on a radio channel. God is with me even in my car! Now, I am not easily angered as I surrendered my all to God. In Him, everything happens for a reason. Today my life is completely changed and transformed. I serve in the Children’s Church and soon I will be going on my first mission trip to Myanmar. Even when things seemed difficult, we learned to fully trust God. Jesus loves me. He loves all of you too. Thank You Jesus! 33

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DUMC Stories

aggressive of all cancers. What is needed is to remove my thyroid gland, followed by a radioactive iodine treatment, and daily intake of thyroxin to make up for the loss of the hormones produced by the gland. There is no chemotherapy involved. It is highly curable.

Learning the way of the

CROSS By Debbie Loh, PJN 3

’m Debbie Loh and I’ve been in DUMC since 2001. I came on-board the staff team in 2012 running programmes for the Citizens’ Network for a Better Malaysia. I have moved to the Equip team in October 2017, where I am now Equipping Programme Administrator.

prayer, I saw the condition of my heart, and the falseness of it. I realised that I had a plan for my life, and it was to be some kind of hero or champion. In the face of a possible death sentence, I was more worried about my reputation, and being a “cancer survivor” would taint it.

When it dawned on me in March 2017 that cancer could be the reason for the slight swell on my neck, I had a few reactions. Among them was a prayer to God that I did not want to be known as a “cancer survivor”, who would be writing testimonies like this one. It was not that I did not want to write testimonies, I simply preferred to be known for my accomplishments, not for a sickness.

As the secret thoughts of my heart were made known to me, I realised the falseness of my desire, and I surrendered myself to the possibility of cancer. If that would help me realise that my life was not my own, and if it would push me closer to Christ, so be it.

Instantly I realised that this was one of my basest, unscripted thoughts, springing from a place within me. The moment I said the

The biopsy results came back, and I reproduce this message I texted to my closer friends and community in April 2017, before my surgery: “After a series of tests, it became clear that I have papillary thyroid cancer, the least

The outcome of the ultrasound has made the possibility of cancer enter into my personal world, and I have ruminated on its implications personally with the Lord. There was no better time than Good Friday, meditating and somehow sharing in the sufferings and death of our Lord. I am thankful I am allowed to share in the sufferings of the world too in a tiny way, yet realising that my privilege allows me to sail through with less stress. Compared with the poor with less privilege in my situation, what I will go through is less heavy. I’m thankful it wasn’t a death sentence after all and there are clear steps that I can take. I am unhappy to say goodbye to my thyroid gland, I will miss it. Thankfully I can look forward to the continuity of my relationships, work and ministry and most of all, the present life on this earth. I’m thankful to have good friends in the medical profession advising me, and church who looks out for me.” I dived whole-heartedly into the experience of learning about the sickness, surgery, recovery, numerous hospital visits and treatment. I also became fully immersed in the emotions and confusion that came with having a sickness. Examples of my struggles were the loneliness and uncertainty of entering the operating theatre and yielding myself to the wisdom of the medical team; catching up with a pregnant friend and realising we were going to the hospital for totally different reasons - new life for hers, and sickness and death for mine; and worst of all, the feeling of complete loss of control over my life. The surgery has left me without a thyroid gland, which means that I need lifelong

medication. Just as God has laid His hand of ownership on Israel through Jacob, so He has laid His hand of ownership in my life - “You are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1). Today, my trips to collect my medication are trips to remember my utter dependence on God. I remember my vulnerability, my weakness and my personal need to be in the presence of God. This experience has brought me closer to the Cross - the Cross is how life is given but first through a process of humiliation which Christ has borne. And thus, the Cross has opened up the cruciform way of life that in the humiliation of my broken plans, a certain firmer and more genuine way of life is forming. As I re-evaluated my life, I began to be able to see areas in my life that were false and shallow - things that I did for my own reputation, or a fear of missing out. I also began to see areas in my life that were genuine. I began the process of making changes, being brave to let go of parts of my life that were already dead, and choosing instead the things that had life. I reflected much on the love of God, and realised how far I was from truly loving Him and loving others. In the Bible class that I co-teach (Bible 101), I often point out that the biblical narrative shows God to be holy, present and active. At that point in my life, while I trusted Him as holy and present in my life, I struggled to see that He was active. In my moments of desolation, I felt He only stood at a distance, doing nothing to help me. Over time, God showed me that He was active, when things around me began to fall into place as He helped me piece my life together again. I saw, and I learned. I learned that God is able to take what is broken and sick, even dead, to breathe into it new life. That is the way of the Cross.

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DUMC Stories

SERVING is a privilege

by Wendy Tan Min Litt, PJS1

have been a Christian for over 30 years. I used to be very active in Christian fellowships at school and university, but I did things mostly out of mere obligation. If I was not approached, I would gladly let someone else do it. I was in and out of church, back-slided, smoked, tried marijuana, read a lot about astrology, numerology and even had a tarot card readings done by an exboyfriend. I was doing things that would later blanket my life with guilt and shame. I would treat God like my ATM machine when it came to prayer. Only praying when I needed Him and forgetting about Him when things were going well. When I prayed and asked for direction, He would answer sometimes with a “no”, which I would choose to ignore. My faith towards God would spike up and down. I even told Him once, “I believe you exist, but just leave me alone.” Then, in May 2016, my heart was shattered by a very painful break-up.

It impacted me deeply. This time, I surrendered to God completely: my hopelessness, despair, pain, grief – everything I had gone through in life. I was so tired of hiding and running from Him. It was not an overnight transformation, but as I attended conferences, Equip classes and Bible studies and began going regularly to church and attending cell group, I relearned many things, rebuilt my relationship with God and began to cut off a lot of baggage from my life. I have also learned to lean on God, to listen and obey His voice, and follow His guidance. With so much that God has done for me, I felt I should do something for Him in return. During last year’s Volunteers’ Preview, I signed up to serve at the Registration Counter and on the Writing Team. What have I have gained from serving? I will base my response on DUMC’s five Core Habits. Honour – As God is my #1 priority, I have learned to

honour Him and people, with my time and effort. Humility – Serving keeps me grounded. Ultimately, in all that I do, the glory goes to God and not me. Be Real – I can be my usual self and do not need to put up a front. I appreciate that people accept me just as I am. Pass It On – With the joy I have gained, I just want to share my stories with others, especially with those who may face similar situations. Fun – It has been great to be part of the DUMC family; getting to know and doing life with so many wonderful people here. My life is completely different these days. I always feel a tremendous sense of peace. I am assured and steady, knowing that God is with me, at all times. He is indeed my good, good Father. The year before, I stepped up. Last year, I stepped out. This year, I cannot wait to step in. If you have not already done so, I do hope that you will take the step as well, to start serving, be it at home, in your cell group or in church. 37

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DUMC Ministries

DUMC Ministries COMMUNITY YOUTH CHILDREN’S CHURCH Pr Jonathan Yeoh children@dumc.my

BREAKTHROUGH DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRE Pr Samuel Krishnan breakthrough.rehab@dumc.my

ENGLISH Pr Tan Moy How english@dumc.my

NEXTGEN Terry Yeow (Teen) nextgen.teens@dumc.my

CITIZENS NETWORK FOR A BETTER MALAYSIA cnbm@ces.org.my

BAHASA MALAYSIA Pr Eddy Marson bahasa.malaysia@dumc.my

COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA

Sara Leong (Campus) nextgen.campus@dumc.my

EXCEL TUITION CLUB Yuen Ting Ai excel.tuition@ces.org.my

CHINESE CHURCH Pr Dr Ling Shui Nyuk chinese@dumc.my

DEW CREW Tan Chee Meng dew.crew@dumc.my

NEPALESE Alvin Yeo nepalese@dumc.my

DEW DESIGN Melody Soh dew.design@dumc.my

MYANMAR Pr Sarah Aye myanmar@dumc.my

FLOODGATES (Church Magazine) Petulia Lun floodgates@dumc.my

MEN ALIVE! Fong Siew Keong men.alive@dumc.my

PHOTOGRAPHY Stanley Woo dew.photo@dumc.my

WOMEN2WOMEN Stella Hoh w2w@dumc.my

CONGREGATIONS

TAMIL Pr Ravindren Arumugam tamil@dumc.my

CREATIVE ARTS PUNCTUATION (Performing Arts and Drama ministry) Pr Gilbert Tan punctuation@dumc.my RESONATE (Worship ministry) Pr Gilbert Tan resonate@dumc.my

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MINISTRY Thomas & Cynthia Lim ism@dumc.my

GOLDEN CLUB Rupert Ling general@ces.org.my FOODBANK Tan Hong Looi foodbank@ces.org.my

ADULTS

MISSIONS CROSSFIELDS Pr Kelvin Yong missions@dumc.my

S.T.A.R YOUTH (Ministry for Intellectually Challenged Youth) Tracey Chan micy@ces.org.my STREET MINISTRY (Ministry to the Homeless) Jerry Teo street.ministry@ces.org.my

FIRST TOUCH FAMILY FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY T C and Jean Lau family.life@dumc.my PREMARITAL COUNSELLING Bob and Ruby Chee pmc@dumc.my MARRIAGE Adrian Chen & Susan marriage.course@dumc.my PARENTING (Children) Ronnie and Ivy Khoo Dennis Ngai and Joo Wei parenting.children@dumc.my PARENTING (Teens) Vincent and Lily Wong parenting.teens@dumc.my WEDDING PLANNING Elizabeth Lee weddings@dumc.my

CONNECTORS Pr Alex Tan connectors@dumc.my SECURITY Pr Adrian Chong security@dumc.my USHERING Dr Tham Kok Wah ushering@dumc.my

OTHERS FORERUNNERS (Intercessory Prayer Ministry) Pr Chris Manivannan forerunners@dumc.my LIBRARY Pr Michael Ngui library@dumc.my TADIKA JUARA CERDIK Yuen Ting Ai general@dreamacademy.edu.my

URBAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Sophy Lim urban.community@ces.org.my YOUTH EXCEL SERVICES (Football Coaching) Pr Samuel Krishnan yes@ces.org.my

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LIMITED COPIES OF THE TRAC LENT DEVOTIONAL ARE AVAILABLE AT THE INFO COUNTER.

31 MAY - 2 JUNE EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION: DUMC.MY/LEAD 41

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LOVE GOD. SERVE PEOPLE. MAKE DISCIPLES. We are DUMC. A church for all generations â&#x20AC;&#x201D;an exciting community of families, senior citizens, young adults, teenagers, and young children, doing life together. Our primary purpose is not to make nice religious Christians. Our purpose is to build passionate disciples of Jesus Christ.

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