SSMC Ebenezer Dec 2011

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DECEMBER 2011

is the story of the outpourings of God’s Spirit in 1973 in a remote part of East Malaysia - an event which Dr Thomas Chung shared at the Family Camp.

Journey of Bahasa Speaking Christians... (page 8&9)

who form the majority of Malaysian Christians, now with an entire generation under severe threat.

After the Dust Settled... (page 10)

many annual pilgrimages to mpar, the SSMC Family amp traded the view of rolling hills with that of the waters and beach (albeit man-made) as we return to Port Dickson. While the jury is out on the ideal venues, almost everyone can agree that the Camp was truly a refreshing and enriching experience in terms of the teaching of the word, worship and a revelation of hidden talents. Our main camp speaker was as colourful as they came. Dr Thomas

Ezekie sees a trick e of water emerging from under the temp e s thresho d, f owing eastward, passing south of the a tar, and trick ing out from under the wa of the east gate. As Ezekie pass through the waters, the f ow of the water increases at each interva , first reaching to his ank es, then to his knees and waist, unti it becomes too deep for him to stand in. At the bank of the river, Ezekie where he sees many

Chung, an itinerant preacher, part time pathologist and gemologist on the side, taught, shared, challenged, ministered and even entertained us with occasional outbursts of Gregorian hymns. Many were much encouraged by Dr Chung’s sharing of the Holy Spirit’s manifestations amidst the revival in East Malaysia over the decades. As he concluded with a prophetic word from Ezekiel 47 (see bottom bar) that God will pour out “streams of living waters which will flow from the temple and bring about a fresh revival sweeping trees on both sides of the stream, as the waters wi f ow eastward, and into the Dead Sea, whose waters sha be hea ed . Wherever the river goes there wi be a mu titude of fish "and

everything wi ive . Fishermen wi spread their nets and their fish wi be of the same kind as the Great Sea, exceeding y many.� The vision conc udes with a description of the abundant growth of fruitfu trees a ong the river: A ong the bank of the river, on this side and that,

Ebenezer, December 2011

on one of the most talked of incident the “DUMC Raid�, what should our response be as the Malaysian church?

throughout this land, we pray that SSMC will catch this wave. Dare we envision this river of living waters to be symbolically represented by our Sg Kayu Ara? wi grow a kinds of trees used for food; their eaves wi not wither, and their fruit wi not fai . They wi bear fruit every month, because their water f ows from the sanctuary. Their fruit wi be for food, and their eaves for medicine .

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Content

Feature

Events

Testimonies

2 Ed’s Notes

1, 4-6

12-17

3 Pastor Speaks

SSMC Family Camp 2011

11All Aboard - Visit to Logos Hope

Sungai Way - Subang Methodist Church (SSMC) Lot 1044 Jalan Cempaka, Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MALAYSIA Tel: +603-7726 9172 Fax: 7727 3036 Website: www.ssmc.com.my www ssmc com my Email : ssmethodist@gmail.com

7 Remembering the East

20 Fellowship of the

18-20 Birth of a new

Malaysian Revival

Green

DG, Taiping Outing

8-9 Journey of an East

21 PPKK Got Talent

23-25

Malaysian Christian Child

10 After the dust settled... (a post “raid” response)

I surveyed... here did 2011 go? For many of us, the days, weeks and months seemed to have flown by like the Road Runner (beep! beep!) fast disappearing into a cloud of dust leaving us bewildered in its wake. In 2 Peter 3, it says “a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day with the Lord”. It goes on to assure us that the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, but instead He is patient with us. Thank God that He is indeed ever so patient and gracious even as we look back at 2011 and think of all the half forgotten resolutions and unfulfilled promises we made to ourselves, to our family and friends but more importantly to God. Yet God remains patient ... Rather than dwelling on what could have been, we can remember God’s manifold goodness even when we are so undeserving. God’s love to us as described in Romans 8:38-39 appears to resonate with Elizabeth Browning’s

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Rebuilding Broken Lives Alpha Marriage Course Power of Prayer Family Camp Testimonies Jehovah Jireh Oklahoma Trail Never too young

22 Birds & Bees

Ladies Bible Study

23 Birds & Bees 28 MSF Sunday/ VBS

26 Tachilek/Maesai

Montage

27 New Ark Mission Trip

sonnet (which Pastor quoted in one of his sermons!) - “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways, I love thee to the depth and breadth and height.” So then, let us count our blessings and recall His kindness in all His dealings with us throughout 2011. Our Watch Night Service on New Year’s eve is always a wonderful opportunity for us to testify. Will you give God the glory for what He has done for you in 2011 and be an encouragement to others? “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19). Aptly, we are pleased to present quite a few personal testimonies in this year end bumper (28-page) edition of Ebenezer. We hope that these will be like “bak kut teh soup for your soul” and nourish and uplift your inner man (or woman). Our feature article is on Family Camp 2011, a key highlight in our annual church calendar. An accompanying story is on the East Malaysian or Bario revival which our camp speaker, Dr Thomas Ebenezer, December 2011

Mission Trip, Cambodian Service

Chung, alluded to many times in his messages. Even as we rejoice at His past miracles, we must also confront a new reality of Islamisation among Bahasaspeaking Christians in East Malaysia, (“Journey of a Bahasa speaking child”) and reflect on a thought-provoking piece on the Church response to the DUMC incident (after the dust settled...) In the end, we hope that these are not just other peoples’ stories or testimonies that you read, but that they can parallel your own stories as you allow God to use you to make a difference in the place and capacity that you have been or are being called to. Who knows if we may not be reading your story in the next edition of Ebenezer? Till then ...

December 2011

P A S T O R

S P E A K S

systematic teaching helpful as it enhances their understanding of their faith. Our PPKSKA Community work has taken flight after many long years of toil and, at times, sheer perseverance and it is now increasingly being referred to in some circles as a model of community economic transformation. It has been a joy to be able

1 is drawing n only stand the Lord

to bless more families within the community by enlisting the help and support of two other churches in the

started the urch Vision, us a A very

vicinity. Visitation of homes and families during the major festivals has been very well received and we expect the same

n the embers was onsecutive

favourable reciprocal response from the KSKA community when we host our Christmas Open House on Sunday, 25th December. All honor and glory to our

sults were the Faith Goals

Heavenly Father! We end the year with a flurry of mission trips to India, Bangladesh,

Expanding all for us as r personal ugh y of the urch, we ajole our eir faith. he necessary must begin

Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Sabah and China. We had our 2nd Baptism and Membership Celebration on 4th December

Leadership the need to take another step of faith and to trust Him even more. He has already laid the foundation for greater ministry by touching the hearts of two of our members who will be joining the Church Staff in the coming months. Transformation of Lives and Expanding His Kingdom will remain our focus in the coming years. The SSMC twin pillars of Giving and Missions will continue to evolve and be better defined. Our missions support will become more focused and targeted while we will also be revisiting our mission fields, taking into consideration the great need of our East Malaysian brethren. These will all be undergirded with much prayer especially for the church and her leaders. We continue to trust God to raise up more labourers from within and without our church family more labourers, especially pastoral staff for the harvest field. To Him Belong All Glory, Honor & Praise!

with 24 candidates undergoing baptism (including 16 Cambodian maids) and 19 transferring membership into the Church. We look forward with hope and excitement to the end of this year, culminating with our Covenant Watchnight Service and beginning another New Year with our Lord. Already the Lord has laid upon the Church

Pastor Swee Ming

clude our sions as well here many to be it in en’s was formally he s in a

a Have ed s bles s stma Chri

Congratula tions to our Pastor on his certification as an...

find the

CIPLING RCH up strong Christ-centred and families who od and their neighbours ted and grounded in the rd rthily of the Lord

A GIFTED CHURCH To encourage all members to exercise the gifts of the Spirit for • building up the church • reaching unity in the faith, • attaining maturity in Christ

A SENDING CHURCH To live out the Great Commission through • shining for Christ where we are • intentional sharing of our faith • faithfully praying, giving and going

rgirding it all, we acknowledge that we can do nothing apart from God, and we come to Him with unceasing PRAYER and WORSHIP flowing from humble and grateful hearts. Ebenezer, December 2011

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the many postures of Dr It is one of the more memorable SSMC Family Camp for a number of reasons. • A change of scenery and a return to Port Dickson, homeground for many of the earlier years’ Family Camps; • An extended & relaxed 4D3N stay; • An camp speaker akin to a modern day singing John the Baptist; • A series of fun & practical living skills workshops; • Unabashed display of talent during the “Cultural” Gala Night performance • Totally rocking and ground shaking worship sessions • Chinese church members rapping! • Giant Water Park!

Whatever you may remember the Family Camp 2011 for, we trust that all who came, went away blessed and ministered to at different levels. Many were just amazed at the stories and testimonies shared by Dr Chung, of God’s visitation on simple folks deep in the wilderness of East Malaysia. His prophetic word for the Malaysian Church, SSMC and even individuals was surely an encouragement. Perhaps, there is something about simple folks with child-like faith, for the kingdom of God must be received with child-like faith. Thomas recounted an incident where the natives, still new in their faith, could counter attempts to deceive them about Isa al Masih, and declared “My

Jesus is not the same as your Jesus!” Truly, from out of the mouth of babes... Perhaps, we have overcomplicated our faith with too much head knowledge and not enough heart knowledge. Perhaps, we over-think and over-rationalise, and merely invite God at the end to bless our elaborate plans and programs. Perhaps, we have sat in the seat of scoffers and doubters far too long. As Oon-Yow shared about hearing the singing voice of angels during a break between sessions, we can be encouraged to know that God is still moving and this may just be one of the signs foreshadowing His special visitation on the Church and our nation!

Worship Team and Dancers leading the people of God to worship 4

Ebenezer, December 2011

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mily Camp 2011 was a minder and an awakening to me. A reminder because of a vision that I had during last year's Youth Camp was again revealed to me as I stepped forward for the altar call at the Family Camp. The vision was of a Figure in a bright white room, with His hand stretched out towards me. For me, this could only mean that God is right there with me, telling me that HE is here to guide me. Strangely, I had all but forgotten about this vision since it first came to me until Family Camp, when it came back so suddenly. It was a deja vu feeling. God’s timing was so perfect as I was struggling with a relationship and it was then that I truly surrendered it to God, asking Him to take away my constant worrying and to sort it out according to His purpose and timing. Family Camp was an awakening to me, because I was no longer afraid to respond to the altar call. I used to feel really embarrassed to step forward with everyone’s eyes staring at me, but no longer. Now I have no fear because

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God is right there waiting for walk up. I feel so secure listening he music and to others praying. It s like home. I've also been praying and seeking God’s confirmation and calling to be a youth leader. For now, God seems to be leading me in that direction but I will continue to wait upon the Lord to guide me even as I avail myself. Another awakening event at the Family camp was when Josiah, Darren and I were praying together. Even as we were praying and crying, we found ourselves enjoying the presence of the Holy Spirit, and experiencing the power of prayer in reaching God’s heart. I just want to share these words that seem to reverberate in my head. "BE THERE" and "Expect great things From God, Attempt great things for God".

Ebenezer, December 2011

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st is the head of my ouse by Alan Chai “Any ideas for the performance by the Chinese Church for the coming Family Camp?â€?, June asked me one evening. My first thoughts was the tried and tested “Song & Dance“ routine which will contribute to a good time of fellowship. As I thought a bit more, the idea came for something different to complement the Song and Dance to convey a message. That started a chain of events which culminated in making our Rap Music/Drama Video. “ć?Ľ çš„厜庭,,ä˝ ćœ‰äť€äšˆç‚šĺ­?ĺ?ŻäťĽ* 中ć–‡ĺ ‚ ?â€?敏慧的<个BH埀始了一=串 çš„ć´ť â€?é€ ĺ°ąâ€?了< 役片.ćˆ‘çš„珏一个忾 ĺ°ąć˜Żć?Ľä¸Şčˇ&#x;垀嚴一$çš„â€?6ć­Œ6čˆžâ€?çš„襨ćź”. ćˆ‘č€Œč¨€,ĺŚ‚ćžœćˆ‘ čƒ˝ĺœ¨ĺ…śä¸­äşŤĺ?—% çš„ 弑,äš&#x;ćœŞ ä¸?弽.ĺ?Żć˜Ż, äť€äšˆćˆ‘ ä¸?čƒ˝ç”¨ĺ?Ś 一ç§?ć–šĺź?ĺ‘ˆ&äżĄć Ż ? It was about two weeks to the Camp and we were fast running out of time. We wanted everyone to be involved and not feel left out despite the wide demographics within the Chinese Church. Then, I came up with the storyline about a Christian multigenerational family facing the distractions of modern lifestyle and social media such as facebook and twitter. I was confident to convey our message within the allocated 10 minutes as commercial ads had less than 60 seconds to promote a product/service. čˇ?厜庭,çš„"Cĺ?Şćœ‰两个ć˜&#x;ćœ&#x;,ćˆ‘ ĺż… F忍é€&#x;埀塼.中ć–‡ĺ ‚äźšĺ?‹çš„ĺš´Iĺˆ†ĺ¸ƒĺžˆĺšż, ćˆ‘çš„ć„?ć€?ć˜ŻčŚ ĺ?„ĺš´I éƒ˝čƒ˝ĺ?‚与.ĺ› "C (迍,ćˆ‘ĺ˝“ć™šĺ°ąćœ‰ć•…äş‹çš„#ć€?与坺 ĺˆ†亍: é‚Łć˜Żĺ…łäşŽä¸€个ĺ&#x;şç?Łĺž’厜庭çš„ 固 ĺ­?ĺ…łçłť ć— ćł•/ć—Ľć–°ćœˆĺź‚çš„ç§‘ćŠ€(匂:é?˘ĺ­? ,ćŽ¨ç‰šĺ’Œ YOU.G)ç ´ĺ??.整个+ç›Žĺ‘ˆ&ä¸?čƒ˝čś…:ĺ? ĺˆ†>.ĺŚ‚ćžœĺ•† ĺšżĺ‘Šĺ?Żĺœ¨ĺ…­ĺ? 秒内推?

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ĺ“ ,<弢äžˆçš„ĺ…­ç™žĺˆ†> 1ĺžˆć…ˇć…¨äş†ĺ?§!(一 珑) Pre-production was quick and straightforward By Wednesday, Henry came up with the script which I reviewed and refined for the storyboard. We were set shooting of the youth scene on Saturday. We managed to googled a good catchy Chinese Christian Rap Song, and even got the consent from the composer for us to use it. Praise God! We wanted to present the Chinese Church ministry in a vibrant and fresh light to dispel stereotyped misconceptions. All of us had a great time even if some of us had two left feet.

ĺ…ˆ䝼 ćˆ‘<个â€? ćź”â€?ĺ°†äźšćœ‰ćž 大çš„ĺ›°E帎 ĺż™<ç?­ĺš´A的攞ć?ž,ćƒłä¸?ĺˆ°äť– çŤ&#x;ç„śé?ž常ĺ?ˆ ä˝œ,ĺ?Şćśˆĺ? äş”ĺˆ†>尹大ĺŠ&#x;ĺ‘Šćˆ?!看-äť– < 䚈大把嚴),;čƒ˝éš?ç?€2ĺ”ąć­Œć›˛çš„+ĺĽ?! ,太棒了! ĺ?Œä¸€个下ĺ?ˆ,ćˆ‘ ĺœ¨č‹ąć–‡ĺ ‚ć— 9的一C ćˆżCć‹?

了â€?厜庭â€?çš„ 景.<瞤é?ž çš„ćź”

çŤ&#x;ç„ś;柔垗䟟樥䟟$,ćˆ‘<个â€? ćź”â€?ĺ–Šĺ œ ĺˆśä˝œĺ‰?部的塼ä˝œ(č?‰ ćœŹĺ’Œ ç™˝)比

ĺ’Œé‡?ć‹?çš„ćœşäźšĺ°‘ĺž—ĺ?Żć€œ.

7' ,ĺœ¨ĺžˆç&#x;­çš„"CĺŽŒćˆ?.ĺ› "C太( 迍,ćˆ‘ć— ćł•ćœ‰äťťä˝•çš„ć•…äş‹č„šćœŹ.ĺťş ĺœ¨ć˜&#x;ćœ&#x;

ĺˆśä˝œĺ?Žéƒ¨çš„塼ä˝œ(剪8)ĺœ¨ĺ?Œä¸€夊晚上

三č?‰ 了 ćœŹçš„ 0ĺ’Œ 景.ćˆ‘D4:,ç¨?

尹埀塼ç›´ĺˆ°ć˜&#x;ćœ&#x;三, 弽辜上珏äşŒ夊埀始的

垎俎攚,尹准 于ć˜&#x;ćœ&#x;六埀始â€?埀麌拉â€?.ćˆ‘

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é‚€3ć‰€ćœ‰čƒ˝ĺ‡şĺ¸­çš„é?’ĺ°‘ĺš´ĺœ¨ć•™äźšč šé›†ć‹?

çš„粞彊役片.

ć­Œčˆž役片.č€ 夊ä¸?ä˝œçžŽ,ćœŹćƒłĺœ¨ 外ć‹?

çš„

景必F攚 厤内@ .用â€?č°ˇć­Œâ€?ć?œ 了一 錖适ĺ?ˆçš„中ć–‡ĺ&#x;şç?Łĺž’2ĺ”ąć­Œć›˛,ć„&#x;5丝,ć­Œ 曲 ä˝œäşşĺžˆ ć„?/ćˆ‘ 使ç”¨ĺŽƒ.ĺœ¨ć‹?

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中,ćˆ‘ éƒ˝ĺ? ĺˆ†%揣,ĺ˝“ç„śćœ‰ä¸€äş›é?’ĺ°‘嚴衳 辡čˆžć?Ľćœ‰ç‚šç”&#x;祏,ĺ“ˆ! The video shooting continued on Sunday morning for the Seniors after the Chinese Service. I had anticipated some difficultly in directing them in a Rap music video but I was pleasantly surprise as they moved in rhythm to the beat of the rap song. It was a wrap within 15 minutes. That same evening, the Family Scene was shot in one of the room in the Church Sanctuary. The cast and Henry were natural and we improvised. Postproduction started the same Sunday evening and managed to finished by Wednesday, just a day before Camp Day. Truly, it was a team effort to make this possible. All Glory to God! ć˜&#x;ćœ&#x;夊下ĺ?ˆ,丝ć—Ľĺ´‡ ć‹œč šäźš䝼ĺ?Ž,ćˆ‘ Içš„äźšĺ?‹ć‹?

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Ebenezer, December 2011

.ĺŽ&#x;

Some of our Favourite Acts

1. Chinese Church Rap A multimedia presentation featuring young and old moving to the beat of a Chinese rap song. Catch the video on ssmc.com.my !

2. The Ah Chims A harmonious sisters act medley by the aunties, resplendent in their cheongsams.

3. Ring-a-Ling MSF’ers Our evergreen senior leading us down memory lane in a litany of campfire sing-alongs.

4. The Saving Station A narrated pantomime/parable by a huge youthful cast with a message for the church to remain true to its core mission.

5. Children Church An effervescent performance of “Jesus my Hero� chant and singing/reciting the Phil 2:3-4 memory verse

Get the DVD

to watch these & more!

R E M E M B E R I N G

Indeed, there is much to learn from the history of God’s Church in this remote part of the world. Here are the fingerprints of God, marks of His miracles in bringing repentance and faith and transformation. Listening to Dr Thomas Chung, it would appear that the people in East Malaysia are more open to the move of the Holy Spirit than their Semananjung counterparts. A number of revivals accompanied by signs and wonders had been recorded as early as the forties. But it was not until 1973, that a major breakthrough took place. Dr Philip Lyn (Pastor of Skyline Church in KK) wrote in his blog “I had come to visit a place (Bario) that I first heard of in 1976 as a student in the UK. Revival had broken out here in 1971-74 & it was part of the reason I had come to live in Borneo”. High in the Kelabit Highlands (Mount Murud), revival broke out in the most unassuming village of Bari in October of 1973. The Kelabit wa a small tribe with just about 5,000 persons. It started in a school among teacher and a few students, and sprea like wildfire. God also confronted and convicted the backslidden principal about the charms & amulets he had secretly kept. Inspired by the book “Like a Mighty Wind”, they prayed and believed God could start a revival among them too. The Holy Spirit came upon the people with great power and conviction. The young and the old began to cry out and repented of their sins. School children, farmers and almost everyone went to church daily, many from morning till night, to pray. This was accompanied by miraculous signs, speaking and interpretation of tongues, healings, casting out of evil spirits, and the word of knowledge. An unexpected year-end “bonus” from government enabled the teachers to return to their homes and also visit other towns, spreading revival like "Bario", which means "wind" in their language.

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Through the word of knowledge, God revealed the sins and even hidden charms of their family members and villagers, exhorting them to repent. Many would fall under the power of Holy Spirit from morning to evening, often for several days, till the whole village turned to God. As the Spirit lead them from village to village, they had to travel for many hours and even after it got dark. Phosphorescent lights appeared before them in the midst of dense vegetation, to light their path and keep them safe from wild animals, to the great surprise of the villagers they visited. When they heard about what God had done, revival came to each and every little village. Witch doctors and bomohs who had great influence over the people, could not challenge the power of God. As they were converted, many were released from their bondage and oppression, and turned to Christ. od also visited the un Bawangs in he town of akelalan which is n the other slope f Gunung Murud with great signs nd wonders. here were many miracles and lights” which ooked like fire alls, appeared in he sky as they ang praises to od. Even New Straight Times rried news reports on these Sarawak Sightings”. book called “Drunk Before Dawn” (which has been made into a stage musical in 2006) tells how God intervened in their lives of the Lun Bawang tribe of Borneo. They had been so dejected after head hunting was outlawed, that they gave themselves over to drinking and was reputed to be drunk for more than 100 days in the year. As a result, they were looked down upon by the others and faced extinction as a people. Then God intervened and transformed them in every way and now can even claim to have one the highest percentage of professionals among all the tribes. A humble Kelabit pastor, Pastor Solomon who was the aforementioned school teacher in Bario in 1973, has coauthored a book “The Bario Revival” with his sister in 2004 to give a first hand account of the revival.

Ebenezer, December 2011

R E V I V A L

Ps Solomon noted that there were three phases in the Bario Revival. The first was “Repentance the second was “Praise and Worship and the third was “Retreat to the Mountain fo Prayer”. The first phase of “Repentance was an obvious sign as the initial move of the y p The second is when the people of God gave themselves to daily worship and praise at the church. The believers would go to church at 5.30 am and end at 12.00 pm. They then attend to their work. From 6.00 pm to 12.00 am there would be another service in church. They were never physically tired of meeting in the church nor did they feel hungry. Even today, church services are held daily. The last phase was when they would retreat to the Prayer mountains. Four decades have passed since the early stirrings of the Bario Revival. One may reflect on the purpose of such a great revival and signs from God. Ps Solomon pointed to a sobering fact - a new generation of Kelabit and Lun Bawangs have arisen but many have no experience or personal knowledge of God’s power. The church is losing them to trappings of modernisation and Islamization. He said that there is a deep underlying spiritual desperation in the Church. The Church has been complacent and as a result, we are losing our children to the world. Ps Solomon feels that revival is for believers and not non-believers. When God gives a revival to His people, He brings a restoration of direction to the Church. God has His timing for revivals but His people must pray because prayer brings revivals. Will God visit Malaysia again in a spectacular manner? Will His next visit bring an even greater revival to the whole country of Malaysia ?

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K R I S T I A N Esther tidak ke Tkn 6. Keputusan SPMnya yang cemerlang menempatkan dia di program Pra-U di sebuah universiti lokal. Sejarah Islam menentukan 25% daripada skor keseluruhannya. Tamadun Islam adalah subjek wajib. Kerana format peperiksaan dalam bentuk objektif, dia harus tahu Sejarah Islam dan Tamadun Islam untuk menjawab 100 soalan dalam 2 jam. Tidak lama kemudian, dia mula tertarik dengan beberapa jejaka Melayu. Beberapa Kakak yang peramah mula menemaninya kerana dia adalah satu-satunya pelajar bukan Islam di asrama. Kini dia dapati dia lebih banyak memakai baju kurung, dan kadang-kadang dia memakai tudung ketika mengikuti mereka menghadiri beberapa ceramah agama. Joshua dan Esther akhirnya Berjaya masuk ke menara gading. Tamadun Islam terus menjadi subjek wajib lulus. Kini mereka mempunyai lebih banyak kawan Melayu daripada Kristian, kerana budaya mereka lebih dekat kepada Melayu daripada budaya Cina atau India. Ini tidak dapat dinafikan kerana mereka telahpun belajar cara “berdoa� ketika mereka di TABIKA dan TASKA. Mereka belajar Bahasa Arab di sekolah rendah. Mereka mempelajari sejarah Islam dan Melayu di sekolah menengah. Dan mereka mendalami tamadun Islam di universiti. Kini, selepas keluar dari universiti dan mula bertugas di jabatan kerajaan, mereka harus duduk peperiksaan Biro Tata Negara (BTN) pula sebelum mereka disahkan jawatan. Dan dalam BTN, sekali lagi mereka harus mengetahui tamadun Islam serta sumbangan bangsa dan parti politik tertentu dalam pembentukan bangsa Malaysia dalam konsep Satu Malaysia. Hanya tinggal selangkah saja lagi untuk mereka memeluk agama Islam dengan syahada atau berkahw dengan orang Islam ya mereka pacari!

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P E R J A L A N A N

Journey of a Bahasa-Speaking Christian Child

Introducing Esther and Joshua… they represent the majority two-third Bahasaspeaking Christians from Sabah and Sarawak. When they were little, they had no choice but to attend the KEMAS-run TASKA (Child-Care), TABIKA (PreSchool) and TADIKA (Kindies). The ustazah taught them about God and taught them to pray. The values of the dominant religion were imparted to them continuously as early as the age of 2. On the other hand, they only learned about Moses, David and Jesus once a week when they had the opportunity to attend Sunday School. After TADIKA, they went to the local primary school. In their Sivik and Kajian Tempatan classes they learned more about Islam and the contribution of a certain political party to the nationbuilding of Malaysia. Though Esther is an Iban and Joshua a Dusun, they couldn’t take the Iban or Kadazan language as their elective module. They had to learn Arabic instead. Some of the parents protested but they were told by the headmaster there wasn’t any Iban or Kadazan language teacher even though they lived in Iban and Dusun communities! Ustaz and ustazah from Semenanjung taught them Bahasa Arab, Jawi, J-Qaf and verses from Al-Quran. After 6 years in primary school, they progressed to secondary school. For the next 5 years, they learned more about Islam and the contribution of a certain race and political party to nation-building in the new History curriculum. Their parents said the new History seemed different from what they had learned in their time as other races who did

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contribute to the fight for independence were not featured. But Esther and Joshua ouldn’t understand what they were lking about as all they knew was what as taught in their History class. n Form 4 they did learn about church istory. However, Christianity was ortrayed negatively. They studied about he Dark Ages in Europe, where the hurch was portrayed as having plundered he resources of other nations, colonizing hem and leaving them with nothing but overty. Oh yes, there was an elective subject they were forced to take - Tasawur Islam. Some Christian teacher tried to start Bible Knowledge as a subject, but a few months later she was transferred to another school. So the attempt was aborted. And after SPM, they learned more about Islamic civilization and the Malays in their Form 6 History book. By the way, History is a compulsory subject for SPM and STPM. So, they had to know the history of Malaysia and Islam really well

So now they knew Islam more than their own religion. It was difficult to get a copy of the Alkitab. Some of Joshua’s friends had to pay RM 68.00 for a copy of Alkitab Indonesia. His mother said there was a shortage of the Alkitab since the end of the 1980’s. She said a lot of restrictions made it difficult to bring in the Alkitab from Indonesia. Joshua received his first Alkitab from his Youth Pastor at his baptism. But the language was just too foreign. So the Alkitab Indonesia became just another book left to gather dust on his small bookshelf. Esther didn’t go to Form 6. She did well in her SPM and was accepted into the Pre-University program in one of the local universities. Sejarah Islam made up 25% of her score. And Tamadun Islam was a compulsory subject. Because the exam paper was in the objective format, Ebenezer, December 2011

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she had to know her Sejarah Islam and Tamadun Islam well in order to answer the 100 objective questions in 2 hours. Soon Esther found some Malay guys becoming attracted to her. Some friendly Kakak also befriended her as she was the only non-Muslim in the hostel. Now she found herself wearing the baju kurung more often, and occasionally she wears tudung when joining them for some religious ceramah. Both Joshua and Esther finally found a place in the local university. Tamadun Islam continued to be the compulsory subject they had to pass. And now they had more Malay than Christian friends, simply because culturally they were closer to the Malays than to the Chinese or Indians. That was inevitable as they had learned how to “berdoa” when they were in TABIKA and TASKA. They learned Arabic when they were in primary school. They learned all about the history of Islam in secondary school. And they studied Islamic civilization extensively in the university. Now, after graduating and having started work in the government sector, they have to sit for the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) exam to get their position confirmed (pengesahan jawatan). And in the BTN Exam, the emphasis is again on Islam civilization and the contribution of a certain race and political party to the nation-building in Malaysia, in the spirit of One Malaysia. It is only a step away for them to embrace Islam by saying the kalimah syahadat or b i th M li ti th !

Article is reprinted from Berita Rakan rly Newsletter Linking Writers, Publishers, Bahasa Churches and Ministry Workers Around Malaysia 9

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EXTRACT OF CFM STATEMENT ON DUMC RAID The Christian Federation of Malaysia is deeply shocked and appalled at the raid by the officers of the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) and the police conducted on the premises of the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) on the evening of 3rd August 2011. This arbitrary action of the JAIS and the police officers is an affront to the values of mutual respect and harmony which

y n August 3 at about 10pm, a team of 30 enforcement officers from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) aided by police officers raided entered Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) based on an unsubstainted complaint. JAIS defense was that it was merely carrying out an “inspection” and not a “raid” but DUMC maintained that it was a “trespass, search, and seizure” without proper authority under the law. Immediately, the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) issued a statement of protest. The incident was given headline attention by the media and sparked sharp debates and accusations and counter accusations from numerous religious, political and many NGOs. Eventually, the Sultan of Selangor made a ruling which attempted to put the matter to res. However, some still regarded it as ambiguous. Certain main stream media, whose views supported the authorities, continued to perpetuate the alleged Christian hidden agenda to convert Muslims through bribery disguised under good works such as food aid and free tuition. It was indeed heartening to see many churches standing together with DUMC and the Harapan Kommunity over this issue. SSMC members turned up in force at DUMC on 19 August 2011 in an interchurch prayer meeting which DUMC anchored as part of the 40-day NECF fast and prayer. There was a clear call for unity in the Malaysian Church to speak as one voice. Some believed that God has allowed this incident to happen to galvanise and unite the Malaysian Church which has been relatively silent on many pressing issues of the day. Up to that point, many churches were somewhat myopic and parochial. 10

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should be accorded to every person, regardless of religious, cultural or ethnic background in Malaysia. Christians are shocked and saddened at this deplorable action. In recent times, we have witnessed an increase in incidences where Christians have been singled out and targeted with unjustified accusations and prejudice from various groups as well as certain mainline media who have made inflammatory statements against the spirit of 1Malaysia.

Yes, the incident was the spark and it raised the voice of the Malaysian Church. What started as a trickle turned into a stream and to a crescendo of a rampaging river. But are these just the cries and shouts of the more vocal and the activists amongst us. What about the majority of Christians who are still on the sidelines? After the hue and cry, many of us will invariably shift our “kopi tiam” diatribes to the latest scandals. Against this backdrop of display of “solidarity” and unity, there are yet many, even among the Christian community, who are divided or ambivalent over this issue. This is evident in reading the ensuing discussion frenzy on various online portals and blogs. Some Christians opined that the Church should limit her good works to the non-Muslims community. Sadly, the natural reaction for some of us is to retreat into our holy huddle. “Let’s not court trouble or provoke the situation.” “Let’s be thankful for our religious freedom and not jeopardise it”. “We should just focus on spiritual matters”. “Church and politics should not mix”. “There is so much need out there without having to get involved in some of these areas.” Similar sentiments were echoed about as SSMC’s hosting of the Nation Building Seminar in March, the Voters Registration Exercise last year and even our own ongoing KSKA community initiatives. There were reports of some “Christian” establishments which had quietly ceased all activities that may be deemed “sensitive”. A well known “Christian based” kindergarten chain issued a directive to its staff to remove all Christian materials and to stop open prayer in classes. And the kids, in their innocence, asked one teacher why she had stop praying for them (read her story on page 23) “for out of the mouth of babes...” How do you explain this to the 4-5 year olds? What message are we giving out? The history of the early Church in Malaysia is characterised by a deep social concern for society and especially the marginalised. A visible symbol of this are the Mission Schools, whose legacy is an educated and literate populace and contributed to a solid foundation for the current education system. Ebenezer, December 2011

Ironically, the beneficiaries of the mission schools include many of the past and present leaders of our nation who seemed to have conveniently forgotten the selfless contribution of Christians and the Church in nation building. Amidst a cacophony of voices from within and without, we need to discern the voice of the one true Shepherd. His words are loud and clear in Matthew 25 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in...Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus summarised the Christian calling to obedience in the 2 greatest commandments - to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, strength and our neighbor as ourselves. (Luke 10) Rev Ong Hwai Teik touched on this incident and other troubling developments in our country, in his sermon at SSMC recently. He exhorted us to first seek God for wisdom, as he shared from from Psalms 73 “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God” I think Pastor Daniel Ho of DUMC succinctly offered the right, and therefore the only possible response to the aforementioned question. “As Christians, the Bible commands the community of faith to walk humbly, to seek justice and to do good. In all our community work, we seek to practice our faith and to serve the community around us as Christ commands us to do, regardless of creed, race, and religion. We w citizens of thi nation, will always help th poor and nee with no conditions attached.”

by the sending off

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SSMC was privileged to host a team from MV Logos Hope on 9th Oct 2011. Todd Sprinkel, Director of Corporate Services took the pulpit and shared about being spiritually prepared for the challenges of life. His sermon was based on the parable of the wise and foolish virgins from Matthew 25: 1-13. He also touched on ministry onboard the Logos Hope and God’s calling into missions. Simultaneously, another team ministered to the SSMC Children’s Church.

floating book warehouse, it actually has a 3 fold purpose - to bring knowledge, to help and to give hope to people all over the world. Logos Hope also blesses the local community through conferences and seminars on board, through ministry teams sent on outreach. When we visited, we saw a A few of us also had the opportunity for a very long queue snaking its way up to the private tour of the ship after we sent the gangway which made us feel a tad guilty as Logos Hope team back after our Sunday we bypassed the queue, courtesy of our host. Celebration. THE MV Logos Hope is the 4th We thank God that Logos Hope was able to and newest ship of Operation Mobilisation bless many Malaysians from all races and (OM), and was berthed at Port Klang from 29 backgrounds with an average of 6,000 visits Sept to 23 Oct 2011. This was her maiden visit daily and exceeding 10,000 on weekends. The to Malaysia after her predecessor, MV Doulos following Sunday, SSMC organised 5 last called at Port Klang in 2006 (and sold in busloads of kids and families from KSKA 2009). Most of us would remember MV community for a visit to the ship. Logos, which ran aground off the Chilean coast, the MV Logos II which Logos Hope We met with a few of the crew and discovered replaced (Philip Phua & Su Kim had served that all them are non salaried volunteers who onboard both for 4.5 years). have to raise their own financial support for Being twice as big as any of the previous ships, MV Logos Hope is the world's largest floating book fair, carrying over 7,000 titles on a wide range of subjects and are for sale at discounted prices (courtesy of generous donors). We were able to perused the books which were neatly displayed on shelves in a comfortable air conditioned galley, a far cry from the hot open deck of MV Doulos. Some generous Malaysian, also contributed to the Power Up Logos Hope project which involved the replacement of two 40 year old generators and other electrical systems This multi million project is vita ministry of Logos Hope. While most of us are famili with Logos Hope as a

the normal 2 years service onboard. What’s even more amazing the 400+ crew represent a mini United Nations of 50 different countries, which is indeed a reflection of God’s love and the daily exercise of the fruits of the Spirit. At that time, there were 5 Malaysians serving on board with anoth 25 j i i ft The unity in diversity did no escape the observation of many visiting Malaysian leade Truly, as Pastor Phua declared i one of his recent sermons, this is our 1Jesus mandate in action which far exceeds the much hyped 1Malaysia rhetorics. Ebenezer, December 2011

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his true character. It was so painful to bring understanding of my true identity amidst a stormy marriage where fear and emotional hurts had became a daily staple. Through all this, God brings issues from the depths of my heart to the surface. I can only conclude that only a home built on the foundation of God’s word can stand the storms, trials and tests of life. For the past 5 years, my husband went through the darkest night of his soul. The many painful and bad experiences had made him bitter and hardened his heart. He became discouraged, bad tempered and verbally abusive. The bitterness and unforgiveness was so deep seated that it hindered his ability to function and see things in the right perspective. I was not able to help him. I lived in fear of his spiritual yardstick and high expectations. My unsurrendered life did not help the situation. It also hindered guidance and counsel from the Holy Spirit. I could not see a way out, my heart falters and I found myself right where the devil wanted me. Satan sucked me into the mire of helplessness. The drifting apart and downhill spiral of our marriage pierced deep wounds in my heart. I felt like I was under a curse. I was unable to live God’s abundant life. I did not have the joy of the Lord and I was unable to overcome. I desperately tried to fix my messed-up marriage without letting God become the centre of the restoration. I was working against an impossible obstacle. My husband’s judgmental preaching caused me to be too overwhelmed to even pray. I had no peace and felt so unworthy. I had no one to confide and suffered in silence.

mercy, God sent a long lost sister to look for me. I poured out my difficult situation to her for the very first time and asked for help. Soon after, she came visiting with other church members and Pastor and his wife. God was sending his army from SSMC. Their concern and support touched my heart, as I saw God’s fingerprint in their lives. I’m very thankful for their fast response and visit. It brought about a divine shift in my family. Pastor’s admonishments pierced into my soul and I began to see my sin, mistakes, weaknesses, foolishness and pride. Consumed with grief, I came to the foot of the cross in prayers, not to ask God to rescue me from my shame but to surrender my life again. I laid my troubled marriage and shattered life at Jesus’ feet. At last, I understood that Christian life is not about the overcoming of problems, one after another. It’s about Sonship in the Lord Jesus Christ, living to please the Father and bless others. I gave all the broken pieces of my life to God believing He would rearrange them into His Masterpiece. I don’t know what will happen next but I no longer live in fear. We are now in the family of SSMC. It’s such a joy to see my husband on the healing journey with the support from the brothers in the church and our DG leader. I am very grateful to be in SSMC and I believe my daughter and I are journeying to the Father’s Love.

Suffering allowed us to discover the holes, inconsistencies and weak spots in our relationship with God that we weren’t aware of. Running toward God didn’t make the pain go away, but it did give meaning to our pain. Even when our broken lives felt like a stagnant pool of pond scum, God was unfolding a wondrous destiny ahead. Our failures or mistake didn’t terminate God’s plan. God was waiting to write His story in our life – a story of the greatness of His plan, not a story about 12

Ebenezer, December 2011

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by Leong Swee Chor hen I became a Christian, my wife was not happy about it. However, the church members and I had been continually praying for her. It was my heart’s desire that my wife and I would one day attend the church services together, as well as other activities such as prayer meetings and Family Camp. Just about a month before the Family Camp, she agreed to join me in our Chinese Church’s day trip to Tanjung Sepat. Thereafter, she also agreed to attend the Family Camp! I believe God was with us throughout the 4-day Camp, as my wife was very happy. She talked to me a lot more than she normally would. She also attended all the sessions and enjoyed singing the songs of praise! After the camp, she continued to join the weekly Sunday Services with me at the Chinese Church. A few weeks later, she accepted Jesus as her personal Savior! Since then, our lives have become happier and our health also has greatly improved! I thank God for he has done so much for us and it is so amazing! Lord, You are real, great and powerful! ć˘ ç‘žĺˆ? ćˆ‘俥耜I䝼ĺ?Ž,ćˆ‘çš„太太ä¸€ç›´éƒ˝ĺžˆäť‹ ,

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After this year’s Family Camp, I continued to read the bible, pray and spend time with God. One morning, just like any other morning, as I was rushing to finish my house work before going to work, I felt stressed and and upset. Just as words of complaint came out of my mouth, I suddenly found myself singing a song, “rejoice rejoice always, sing a song of praise to the Lord, no matter in what circumstances‌‌â€? Immediately I smiled! Thank you, Lord! He knew I needed joy to be my strength and He spoke to me in this special way! That morning, He showered me with joy and strength so that I could do my house work and thereafter go to work joyfully! Now, I realize the difference in my life and attitudes when I have spent time with God reading His word and praying and when I haven’t. I ask God to help me so that I can continue to be zealous for God!

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体äš&#x;ć›´ĺ Ľĺşˇ!

Ebenezer, December 2011

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was getting weary of all the visits to the dentist, oral surgeon and ENT in Putrajaya. I wanted an answer and solution and not to keep running tests. That was my prayer to Abba Father. The firm swelling on the left floor of my mouth was detected in early March 2011. CT scan results showed no calcifications in the salivary gland. The impression was that it was a ranula cyst while the differential diagnosis was lipoma or salivary gland tumour. The ENT suggested a sialoendoscopy to investigate the salivary duct with a camera. I then decided to go for second opinion. Pastors Swee Ming and Kok Moi were instrumental in my consulting Dr. KC Ling, an oral surgeon formerly from University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC). Upon examination he ruled out ranula cyst and explained what should be done with the tumour. He referred me to Dr. Ha in UMMC for management. My UMMC experience from the day of consultation to the surgery points to God’s hand in the whole matter. Arriving at UMMC from Dr. Ling’s clinic, I found the dental registration counter had just closed and I was asked to come back afternoon. However a kind lady at the Oral Surgery and Maxillofacial clinic told me to go back to registration counter to inform the clerk that Dr. Ha wanted to see me. It was so simple and I was examined by Dr. Ha that morning. I was to be admitted two days later for operation on 2nd June as someone had cancelled a surgery appointment. Suddenly, it was all moving too fast, and I needed time to digest and so I requested for a later date. After I managed to rescheduled to 9 June, the staff nurse issuing me the appointment card, advised me to keep the 2nd June appointment as the two cases scheduled on 9th were expected to be complicated. As one involved a psychiatric patient, there was a high chance my surgery will then be postponed. So I heeded her advice. 14

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On 1st June I reached UMMC around 10 am with my dear old pal Mary Tay. We were very impressed by the hospital’s efficiency and courteous service. I was surprised to find out that my roommate was my former colleague who was soon to be discharged. She related to us she had waited 3 months for this surgery appointment, and she had an earlier scheduled surgery postponed because the cases before hers took longer than expected. I testified to her that God opened doors for me, and made it all possible in only 3 days. Later she told me the operation schedule was out and I was third on the list and advised me that my operation would be in the late morning and that I would have to fast from 12 midnight and till evening. God took care of that as Aunty Ai Swee brought chicken soup in the evening. So I enjoyed a double dinner. On the day of surgery, I was up early. Right after my time of devotion, the nurse came in and asked me to get ready to go to the operating theatre. The first patient had not turned up, so my case was moved up. God spared me the anxiety of waiting. The second patient who had waited 1 year for her surgery appointment was still sleeping. Before the nurse kept my hand phone I quickly SMS out on the change in surgery time. I told her that I must inform my Pastor “dan gereja yang doa untuk saya”. Immediately Pastor Swee Ming called to pray and commited the surgery to God. The nurse was very understanding and waited patiently. I was given tranquillizers at the ward and was knocked out while waiting outside the operating theatre, so I never saw the operating theatre. The operation took about an hour and by late morning I was back in the ward. I felt no side effects from the general anaesthesia. God hears and honours the prayers of His church. I felt so special and loved. In the evening, Swee Lan came while my brother and I were enjoying the Baskin Robin ice cream, courtesy of Pastor Swee Ming. I knew my brother was really touched when she invited him to pray together for me. I was discharged the next day. My recovery process was quite an experience. It got worst before healing. The swelling at the neck worsened, with blue black marks appearing. I had an ache in my mouth, making it hard to swallow and it was a strain to talk. It reached a height 3 days after surgery, when I felt the pull of the stitches, and sleep was elusive. I was miserable and tired. Ebenezer, December 2011

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Arriving home I found my mum restless. Mum had developed a fever and the maid was having difficulty in getting her to eat. Time again and again, I went to Abba Father for reassurance and comfort. I endeavoured to fix my eyes on God’s love in my heart not on the fear in my mind. Two days later mum had a choking experience and I rushed her to Emergency at Putrajaya Hospital. She was discharged after 4 hours of observation. Next day, she was admitted to SJMC because she refused to eat or drink. She had lung infection. I stayed home and tried to stay calm and focus on my own recovery. The following day was my pathology test review. I woke up with the hymn “How Great Thou Art” ringing in my head. During Devotion, I looked out of the balcony and saw the sun red and still. The impression of a battleground came to mind. I went to UMMC expecting favourable results. Dr. Ha took a long time to break the news to me – it was early cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma. I was exceptionally calm and my only question was whether I need chemo. He said “No, the tumour was cleanly removed and there was no spillage”. However, I have to be monitored for 5 years. I was mindful of the seriousness of my health problems, and accepted the results and determined in my mind to put up a fight. Without God, I would have spun into despair. My brother was at a loss for words when I broke the news to him. There was silence on the way to SJMC. Mum’s weakness was worrying. The physiotherapist would not allow oral feeding and suggested tube feeding because mum was not swallowing. We were reluctant and decided to continue with facial exercise to stimulate saliva and swallowing and to bring her home the next day. There were moments of anguish when she appeared to be slipping away, and elation when she finally took her first bite of solid food a few days later. It was the most traumatic 2 weeks of my life. I thank God for my family, church and friends who rallied around me in my time of need. Even my brother was touched for he told me he is glad I have God and a good circle of friends. All have calmed down. Both mum and I have overcome. I am learning to be flexible in my expectation of how God should work. Cancer is not a death sentence. Neither am I in a state of denial. The battle is to restore and rebuild the weakened God given immune system. All glory unto God! How great Thou art indeed.

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God’s Angels Tears flowed down my cheek, as I entered the operating room, feeling sad at not being able to see my family. I was scared and fill with uncertainty of what was going to happen. A nice male nurse stopped to assure me. The doctors took over and I fell into deep sleep. About 5 1/2 hours later, I regained consciousness, and was glad in my heart that the surgery was over! It had taken longer than expected due to minor complications, and the doctor had to carry out alternative plans to avoid further complications. That was 26 July 2011 - I had a hysterectomy; removal of my uterus, part of my cervics, a cyst, some part of my right ovary and I was told that i had endometriosis. Now it is almost 1 month since I had the surgery. I am grateful to God, for seeing me through this procedure, for His healing hands upon my wounds each day, for assuring me that He knows and cares for me, and for giving me wonderful friends who ministered and showered love to me and my family. I am reminded of John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must, love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. My heartfelt thanks to my DG, especially to my leader and wife, John and Hoon, who provided home cook food for me on a daily basis. Their love for me and my family can never be repaid. Jamna, a dear sister, who relentlessly shared much information and her experience gave me the assurance and courage to face each day as it came. Indeed these verses in 2 Cor 1:3-4 come alive.

The Ladies Bible Study or LBS ladies (special mention - Rdeen & family) and many friends, who visited, cooked, baked and prayed with me, are truly God-sent angels

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I had home made Kaya (which goes very well with crackers), shortbread, biscuits, pasta, soup and a whole lot more types of food, and I appreciate all their love and concern for me. I am touched by Pastor Swee Ming, his beloved wife and many others including family members who visited and prayed for me, before and after the procedure. And on one occasion when Pastor came with his batik, I almost felt am urge to stand to attention to greet him, but obviously could not then. :) I am thankful for my husband, Roy and daughter, Eunice - for taking care of me. And above all, praise to the Author and Perfecter of my faith, my Lord Jesus, for His unconditional love and care! To Him be all glory.

Testifying of God’s Goodness by Wong Mei Ching ew months ago, my Dad felt some discomfort in his throat and noticed the lump at the left side of his jaw seemed to have increased in size. He had this even as a young child and all this while, it had not given him any problem. So he went to see the doctor at Sunway Medical Centre. The doctor recommended removing it and having it checked. The report came back to say it was lymphoma. We were shocked to hear the news but nevertheless, felt that we needed to get a second opinion. I asked Pastor Swee Ming for prayer and he sent out the prayer alert to the rest of the DGs. We got a second opinion from Sime Darby Medical Centre and to our relief, it was confirmed not to be lymphoma. The pathologist from Sime Darby Medical Centre who reviewed my Dad’s tissue slides was more experienced. Subsequent tests and another consultation with a doctor at the National Cancer Centre in Singapore General Hospital also revealed everything to be in the clear. We give all praise and glory to God for this good news and for His grace and mercy upon my Dad.

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even if some of them don’t know who he is. God’s hand has guided him through the years even when he was ‘far away’ from God and I have seen God’s steady work upon my Dad in helping him come back to Him. Truly, God is good and He is faithful to bring to completion the good work He has started in my Dad.

by Tan Siew Mooi, October 2011 (An update to my earlier testimony entitled “How Great Thou Art”)

had a brain and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan on 18 August. I was a knot of nerves, first time ever I had such anxious feelings during a medical appointment. The confined space inside the machine and the head cover close to the face added to my tenseness. I had to stay still and tell myself it would soon be over, keeping my focus on God and recalling how He had seen me through the recent happenings. Eventually, calm settled on me and I was able to go through the 40minute scan, without the need to press the provided panic button in my hand. He is my Rock of Peace. I rejoice over the good results. Praise the Lord! Much as I desire to always soar on eagle’s wings above the clouds, there are times during these past few months I find myself in the valley. It happens when my focus is shifted from God. The regular follow-up, a part of cancer management, is a reminder that the underlying malignancy is not totally ruled out and can recur. At times I do struggle with this and fear will creep in. When that happens, I will call unto God and bring the struggle to Him who gives rest. I thank God that I am never out of His sight. He is my refuge and strength in my moments of weakness. God through various ways had reminded me many times to trust in Him and not lean on my own understanding. Many have encouraged me to have faith and trust God. I choose to do that. To depend and trust the Faithful One whose love never ceases and whose promises never fails. Looking back at all the good things and blessings I have been given, I have a lot to be thankful for.

Through this experience, my Dad has grown much in his faith in God and appreciated the fact that the Pastor and members of SSMC care enough to pray Ebenezer, December 2011

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onor the promise, and I found out that he boss was in China and had not igned the cheque. During this period, ur cash flow was tight as we were acing difficulties in collection from ost of our customers, and that was he only payment I was counting on.

raise and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus hrist. The Lord is truly hovah Jireh and has blessed us with our own industrial lot at Glenmarie Shah Alam. When our former factory lot was due for the tenancy renewal last June 2010, the landlord informed me that he would be raising the rental after the 3rd year. As that would mean a hefty increase in expense, I prayed to the Lord as I left the office that evening. I asked the Lord to enable us to purchase one of the adjoining factory lots, if it was in His will. A group of Christian friends and some from Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship (FGBMF) gather every Tuesday at 7.00am to 8.00am for Sunrise Prayer Meetings at our office. I shared this prayer request and we continued to pray about this a few times. After a while, all of us forgot about this as with many unanswered prayers.

t our Discipleship Group meeting the ext day, I shared my predicament egarding the purchase of this industrial ot. The DG members prayed for us. One brother asked me about the amount I needed to pay for the earnest fee. When I told him, he immediately offered to loan me the RM10,000, which took me and my wife by surprise. A few days later, my uncle also offered to loan me some money to purchase the property. When I went to meet him, he gave me RM 10,000, the exact amount required. It has been an amazing how the Lord has met our needs. After signing the S&P, paying the taxes, and lawyer fees, we still needed to pay the balance of the 20% difference of the total loan amount. We were praying to the Lord for our customers to honor their payment. My accounts clerk had been calling the customers almost every day but without much success. One morning after Sunrise Prayer at my FGBMF friend’s office, the boss of the factory called me and told that he was willing to help me tide over the cash flow difficulty in buying the factory lot.

In April 2011, I saw a notice that the adjacent lot was for sale. I immediately contacted the owner and expressed my interest in the unit. Together with a FGB friend, I met the owner and negotiated the price. Upon agreeing on the price, I committed to to pay RM 10,000.00 as earnest fees within the next few days. I was expecting a payment from a customer which would cover the earnest fee. However , the customer did not 16

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As I shared about our collection problem, he asked me to meet him that afternoon. There and then in his office, he handed me a cheque of RM30,000, which totally caught me by surprise! Jehovah Jireh in our life. Thereafter, the whole transaction went through without any delay, and the owner handed over the keys to us on the 22nd Sept 2011. From October onward, the Lord answered our prayers and our customers began to release most of the long outstanding payments. We managed to carry out all the renovation, refurbishing and electrical works. On the 29th Oct, 2011 our DG came over to our office to dedicate the factory lot to the Lord. God has been faithful and His timing is perfect in meeting all our needs. As I look back, I am amazed how He moved different ones to extend a helping hand. I thank God for all these generous Christian brothers and pray that the Lord will bless them as I have been blessed through them I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (P 2 2

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by Stephen Brewer

was raised in a Christian home in Oklahoma, USA. I was raised in church but during my teenage years I began to rebel and started taking drugs. By the time I was 17 I was using different kinds of drugs and alcohol. As I lived this way for a few years the fun started to end and I began to feel in my heart that I needed God. A friend showed me a book called The Omega Code which talked about the Bible’s validity and the second coming of Christ. I never read the book, just looked at a couple things my friend showed me. Whether the book is correct or not, I do not know. All I know is that I believed in Jesus and His return and realized I was not ready for Him to come back. It must have been a month or so later when one Saturday night, I cried out to God. I felt in my heart that God was calling me. As this call had been going out for awhile, that Saturday night, was the time that I asked Jesus to come into my heart and life and to forgive me of the way I was living. I asked Him to change me. As I spoke out loud to Him in my house, a few months before my 21st birthday, I was flooded with salvation. Jesus’ love and forgiveness came into my heart and my life was changed from that day on. I no longer had a desire for drugs and alcohol. My life was filled with praise and worship from a thankful heart and a desire to read the Bible. Since I was saved, I have loved reading the Bible! I was a new man and it was evident to everyone. Jesus truly changed me! I would go to bed praying and singing to Him as I cried tears of joy and I would wake up the same way. About one year after I was saved, some family friends who were pastoring in Texas told me about a Bible School not far from them. I moved from Oklahoma to Texas and attended Texas Bible Institute for two years. Upon graduation, my pastor and friends of my family who lived in Texas invited me to work for their church. It is a church in the country outside of a small town called Elgin, about 30 miles from the capital of Texas called Austin. I served the church part-time, doing maintenance and cleaning and anything else they asked me to do.

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It was a wonderful time in my life. I believed I had a call on my life for ministry but wasn’t sure exactly what area. I worked full time jobs as well as my work at the church for about seven years when I went back to school and got a degree in electronics. After school I got a job with a Japanese company. I stopped working for the church and rented a room in a friend’s house. I saw my life was moving in a good direction but I still had a desire in my heart to fulfill a call on my life. I have a friend who was in missions in Johor Baru, Malaysia, whom I contacted about missions. He told me of a threemonth missions intern program in Singapore that I could attend and then go from there. I talked with my pastors and family and decided this is want I wanted to do. I put in a notice to my boss that I would be quitting and told them what I wanted to do in missions. I left my job in good standing and was told if things didn’t work out in missions, I could reapply and come back to work for them. During the three months in Singapore I felt in my heart a call to serve in Indonesia where I went and lived for about two years. Then I was invited to serve one year at a youth centre in Singapore. I enjoy letting God provide for me and lead me. He does all things well. I am beginning a new season in my life, here in S.E. Asia, and I know that God has good days ahead.

John Chai

ast year, I was

backsliding nd rebellious hristian. I had lot of bad bits which had controlled me. That's where my addiction started and also when I was slipping further away from God. God saw all these and He started to pull me back through Jeremiah School (JS). At first He spoke to me through my parents' persuasion, but I rejected in anger because I was such a rebellious youth.

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argument with them. It was so serious that my parents gave up on persuading me to go to JS. As I was sitting down on my bed, I found my dusty Bible beside my bed. Out of curiosity, I flipped my bible to the book of Jeremiah chapter 1. Right there, God's voice whispered in my mind. He was calling me to join JS. Although I have been touched by God in the past, I never really did anything to please Him. So I decided that this was my chance to please God and obey. So, I told my parents to sign me up for JS. Now, I'm a graduate student from JS 2011. My life has been fully transformed by God. All praise goes to God ! In just two short month in JS, I was filled with God's wisdom and His Word. Not only has God disciplined me, but God had also actually broken down the stronghold that hindered me from Him. Thanks to Him, my relationship with Him is now growing and I don't have to complete my life with others things because He has completed everything I need. I would like to encourage our youth to join JS because this is where they can learn how to be independent, how to relate with different age groups of people and most importantly, how to stay close with God. During JS, individuals will experience God in a different way. This is where their faith will be strengthened as they know more about God. Besides the lessons, they will also get to go for missions in the local area for one week. Also, in JS, individuals will establish deep friendships with different types of people, and experience the wonder of unity in Christ. In closing, I wish to share a verse from Jeremiah 1:7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Its never too young for us to have the passion for God. After all He is our saving grace and He is all that we need.

Those arguments with my parents went on until one night, which proved to be a pivotal point and caused a 180 degree turn in my whole life. After dinner, my parents started talking about JS, and as usual I got angry and got into a heated Ebenezer, December 2011

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Fast forward 20 ½ years to the present day, this pioneer CG led by Dr Ng Swee Ming and Dr Ng Kok Moi which met in their home in USJ2, has now spawned 10 Care Groups or Discipleship Groups (DGs). As the Doctors Ngs became Pastors Ngs, the mantle of the DG leadership was passed on to See Ah Sing and Hedy (hence the “SAS” DG in the next page). On Nov 13th, the church prayed for Cheng Hoe and Debbie as they assumed the DG leadership, signaling a new chapter of this “family” in a new home in USJ 18. The SAS DG also multiplied and “birthed” a new DG in Bukit Jelutong, with a starting membership of 11! Praise God for raising up Trish Tan who answered the call to lead the new DG. On 11-11-11, the whole “SAS” DG met for a special time of sending off. On 13-11-11, the new DG in Bukit Jelutong was commissioned in church! We look forward to even more new birthings that can be traced back to the humble beginnings in 1991. Praise the Lord! All glory be unto Him and Him alone!

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by Robin and Heather

uoting C.S. Lewis, “Christianity is a statement , which if false, is of no importance, if true, of infinite importance. But one thing, it cannot be, is moderately important. These words still ring in my ears (Intro Talk – Is there more to life than this ?). The statement sums up what Alpha program is. An invitation to explore, examine and consider the meaning of life. Faith in Jesus Christ and relationship with God is not something mystical. It is a logical conclusion after having examined the facts and claims. At the point of writing, we have completed about 80% of the Alpha program. We would like to share a few thoughts since embarking on this amazing journey . Nicky Gumbel’s talks cover apologetics, theology, doctrines and philosophy intermingled with illustrations and testimonies. We enjoyed and benefitted much from them. It gives clarity, deep appreciation and understanding of Christian truths/ concepts. An example, understanding the meaning and implications of redemption, atonement and justification in Rom 3 : 24-25 (Talk #2 Why did Jesus die ? ). The talks equip us to share our faith in a clear and logical manner without

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ng confrontational. No need to ue or insist on our correct views. We ve to “unlearn” many deeply grained habits. One golden rule in Alpha – people will hear you speak after they know you listen to them. 1 Pet 3:15-16 says be prepared to give an answer to everyone …with gentleness and respect. Alpha is a good tool for oikoses to examine the meaning of life without the pressure to convert or be converted. This is the work of the Holy Spirit (not ours) at His own timing. We are called to come alongside and walk with them. Developing relationships is a process. We enjoy the ice-breakers and activities together. It is a thrill to see people opening up to ask questions and sharing openly as we journey together even though they said nothing for the first three weeks ! Friendships are built that continue. Praying and seeing answers has made us more committed and passionate in praying for others. What joy to see breakthroughs in lives at our recent Alpha Weekend . We encourage you to join us at the next Alpha series in 2012. Begin praying for oikoses. Invite and walk with them . Be part of the ‘team’ as hosts, helpers or fellow sojourner. We are sure you will be blessed as we seek to make a difference in others. Look out for the next Alpha.

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f y and the other kids "saving" the puppy. * hike up to Maxwell hill was good, great time to catch up with Esther! Hike down was a killer for my knees, but by God's grace I didn't die! :) * Night safari was really cool. We've been to zoos before but I think this was the first time we did it at night, and to watch the nocturnal creatures. Kristi especially enjoyed the slow lorries, she wanted to take them home! :) * Sunday Service and the message was great. The feet washing was especially touching. It was an excellent symbolic gesture of our pastors being servant leaders. * The food was great, but a little too much for us. At the end of the trip we decided as a family to abstain from meat for the 40-day fast! :) R’deenPhillips It was on the whole quite an enjoyable trip. The food was good. The climb to level 3 of Maxwell hill was quite a challenge for me. I had wanted to give up at Level 1 if not for the "encouraging" words such as "go further up got certificate"; "get colour cert. at next level, this level only black and white cert"; "reach the top got tulips". I am really thankful for the "encouraging" words. It made the climb more fun. Seow Swee Tien

Though Melvin and I have made numerous trips to Taiping each year, I found this trip with my DG members (our DGL - Mr. See Ah Sing) to be such

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we had to gather quite early in the morning, the tiredness did not prevent us from looking forward to our destination. Uncle Gary took over the 'mic' in the bus with lots of amusement and laughter. The climb up the Maxwell Hill, though challenging, was a good experience and fun. At the Sunday morning service, Ah Sing preached John 13:34-35 (Love). Personally, I was very moved and touched by both the word and demonstration of servanthood our Pastor Ng Swee Ming and Pastor Kok Moi. There and then, I told God, You are Great and Real! Melvin & Julia

I am very blessed to join the Taiping Retreat trip. I enjoyed the fantastic food. especially at Garden Seafood although seafood is not my favorite. I heard about the tough but fun climbing of Maxwell Hill since secondary school days. Now, I have my wish fulfilled at level three of Maxwell hill. Climbing up was in fact as easy as “kacang putih”. However, the challenging part was the climb down which really testing but I wouldn’t mind conquering the Maxwell Hill again. It has been a fun and worthwhile trip!!!

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We enjoyed the trip - the fellowship, the programmes and Sunday's miniservice which was intimate yet refreshing. Hayley and Jayden especially loved the bus trip (first-time on long bus ride mah!) . When the trip ended, they cried all the way home in our car!...... God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!... Donald & Carol Chiang

When I saw the program for the Taiping Trip, I thought it was just a eat and run' trip. Well it was more than that, it was eat and run, eat, eat, eat run, climb.... Jokes aside, when Trish suggested that we do feet washing, I was very sceptical about the whole thing although I did not say it out. I was hoping that it would not happen. But it did and I was touched by what Pastors Swee Ming and Kok Moi did. And when Kok Moi shared about how she felt after that, I was very touched and very encouraged, and immediately asked God for forgiveness for my scepticism and unbelief! God is good! Deng Cheng Hoe

Foo Yit Har Ebenezer, December 2011

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Swinging report by Bernard Tan were able to face the challenge and by grace, successfully conquered 'the most difficult course' without any hiccups.

Perkhidmatan Awam (KGPA) on 27th August for a time for their favourite sport, as well as for an opportunity for fellowship and outreach. The exciting day started with an opening prayer by Brother Pook Seong.

Brother Oon Keat emerged as the best player with a score of 37 and was presented with a challenge trophy and prize b th i l Uncle Geo won a ret Lucky Dr home wit with our l for letting sports. The day e seafood d having ha hoped the on in the f

The venue which is in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, is a very challenging course with natural undulating terrains and has the reputation of being voted 'the most difficult course in Malaysia' for 3 consecutive years. The Lord granted good weather and bonding through laughter (when ball enters pond), weeping (balls were lost), and dancing (birdie is scored). Truly a time for every activity under Heaven. In good spirit, the players 20

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PPKK

Pusat Penyayang Kakak Kanak (PPKK), our kindergarten held their PPKK Concert on Oct 22, 2011. The theme was ‘PPKK’s Got Talent’. Initially, we were all nervous as to whether we could again meet the high expectations set by last year’s concert which was based on the theme “God’s Creation”. It received rave reviews and feedback from all who came. Actual planning for this year’s event started rather late in June with children’s practices only in July/ August. Despite such short time span, there was much to do from planning to execution of various tasks such as selecting the songs, back drops/stage decorations & lightings, costumes and choreographing the dances. Anyone who has worked with young children can emphatise with the efforts in getting them to coordinate complicated moves in sync with each

other and with the music. Thankfully, the children were indeed talented true to the concert’s theme. It was a major production rivaling a Broadway show and would have been impossible to stage without the dedicated teachers, helpers and volunteers who gave their time and energy (and loads of patience). They are the make-up artists, costume / stage designers, runners, traffic wardens, ushers, backstage crew comprising video, photographers, sound & light team, and countless others. We thank all of them and praise God for how He has led the whole team and given us the perseverance to overcome all the obstacles, glitches and stress! It was such a relief that the concert went like clock work and ended with a bang (literally with an electronic screen fireworks at the finale) to the

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rapturous applause of the audience who filled the hall. A key highlight in this year’s concert was a special item by the ‘Sporting Mamas’ who gave a roof-raising performance! As part of our ongoing efforts to nurture relationships with the parents and family members of the students, we had initiated a monthly ParentsTea-Gathering. The PPKK Concert was another occasion to further build these relationships. We are pleased that more SSMC members are involved in this “ministry”. For those who missed “PPKK Got Talent 2011”, look out for these opportunities to engage with parents and build bridges as we look forward to next year’s concert which we hope by God’s grace, to be even bigger and better! =)

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irds & Bees” is a term commonly used to mean basic sex education, but the title doesn't do justice to the scope of the weekend camp specially designed for Standard 6 children. I would describe it more as a kick start for “tweens” and a sneak preview into what to expect of the confusing, awkward yet exciting period in their lives and some guidelines on how to handle it all. In a nutshell, B&B is an honest, comprehensive, biological, factual yet biblical discussion of a child’s transition through puberty into adulthood. The sessions reinforce the key message that we are God’s masterpiece and reaffirm our value and worth in God’s sight. We can, therefore, love ourselves and fully appreciate our individual appearance and uniqueness, without needing to conform to the world’s definition of what is cool or “in”. Children are guided on how to handle the biological changes they will experience. There is also a session on

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internet safety which touched on hidden cyber threats that many parents are not even familiar with. Throughout the sessions, there is an emphasis on how to make the right choices and equip our “tweens” with a strong foundation and kingdom values for the journey ahead, as parents or teachers can never fully shield them from the realities of life. I consider it a great privilege to spend a weekend with 50-odd 11/12 year olds, as a facilitator in the B&B program. Although our time with the children is all too short, it is a precious opportunity to share God’s truths that will influence the paths of these young persons. Yet, this is but a small part of the whole nurturing process, and so it is really a partnership with their parents who ultimately shoulder this awesome responsibility and accountability “to train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. (Prov 22:6)

Ebenezer, December 2011

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In my own personal journey, I had a tough time growing up through puberty. While my parents were the best I could have been blessed with, I had to face much the challenges of growing up myself. It was hard and honestly, I don’t think I really “found myself” until I was 19 and began university. I’m now convinced that my teen years would have been much easier if I had benefited from such a B&B camp. Now that I am a parent, I can encourage other parents, “Plan for it”. And to the children, I’d say “It’s a great place to get all your questions on growing-up (including sex) answered. Don’t miss it, you’ll be blessed. ” If you have children who will be turning 12 next year (2012), make a commitment to sign them up. If you know of other children (nieces, nephews, friends’ children - whether they are Christians or otherwise), encourage their parents or guardians to consider this as vital coming-of-age process. This camp could make an profound impact in their teenage years and future choices.

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everal groups of ladies in SSMC have been faithfully meeting fortnightly to study the Bible, share lives and pray. The LBS groups are currently mbarking on a six-session study of the life of David sing materials from “Anointed, Transformed, edeemed: A Study of David”. Prior to this, the LBS was studying the book of Jonah -"Jonah Navigating a Life Interrupted" presented by Priscilla Shirer. The following are some of testimonies and feedback the impact of the study of “Jonah” on their lives.

by Dolly Ng “Psalm 119:105 - “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” “The pin-drop silence in the Agape room was suddenly broken by running steps and bustling noises and within a few seconds, the youths came bursting excitedly into the room...” That is the usual greeting which Jennifer and I got accustomed to. Praise the Lord for such enthusiasm! These are the “under-privileged” nonMuslim teens from Budimas Orion Home who first came to SSMC in 2009 and make up the Orion Youth Fellowship. Through this fellowship, the youths learn more about Christ, salvation, and many Bible truths. The lessons are specially designed for those who are not well versed in English. The Youth Fellowship was conducted for 6 months from March to September 2011 with weekly lessons held on

Tuesdays from 8.00pm to 9.30pm. The Learning materials were taken from the Christ-centred “The Mailbox Club” courses. Besides that, Christian movies were shown occasionally to reinforce Christian values and principles. These sessions were always filled with lots of fun and laughter. During this period, God touched the youths and all them received Jesus into their hearts. Praise the Lord! The youths were also encouraged to share their testimonies, memorize bible verses and lead prayers. It is truly encouraging to see how the Lord has impacted their lives. All of us who have had the privilege to be involved with the Orion youths can bear witness to how the Holy Spirit has and continues to transform their lives. Ebenezer, December 2011

Sadly, the Budimas Home has plans to relocate further away and these youth may no longer be able to come to SSMC for logistical reason. However, we continue to pray that the seed of God’s Word that have been sown in their young hearts will grow deep roots and bear much fruit.

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GOD’S DIVINE INTERVENTION WAS t was a Monday night when a sms came through my phone. It was a reminder for tomorrow’s meeting from my LBS leader, Aunty Carol Tang. In exasperation over the spirituallyemotionally-exhausting homework of tears and soul-searching, I replied “Is our God a God of 3rd chance after we messed up on our 2nd chance?” In a few minutes, an assurance came through, “Certainly! Our God is a God of 70th chance or more!” To date, I have completed 2 LBS series with this wonderful group. God had sent wiser women as stated in Titus 2:3-5 to share, teach and guide me. From sharing “Siew Yoke” and “Yong Tau Fo having meals toge sharing of life’s p experiences, thes have never for a m me out.

Many lessons involved me bringing my (then) 6 month-old Jason. No one complained when I walked around the room during the video sessions to rock my baby. Instead, Joyce helped me fill in the answers or Aunty Carol carried Jason while I penned my answers down. ‘Jonah, Navigating a Life Interrupted’ was a lesson of reassurance for me. I have never in my life felt so interrupted over the things I want to do. Therefore, this Bible Study changed my heart and perspective over my life’s situations. I now accept the fact that God intervened in my life merely because His plans are greater than mine. thankful to Aunty Carol each of the LBS embers in this group for aking God’s Word so teresting and applicable.

Kathy Chang

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The study helped me understand th sovereignty of God. When we g through hard times, we questio God but through this study, we see that every storm i life has a purpose This understandin helps us to reach

n tha for m Ps ght n the d He ou th f your was er to it wa g us our d ut m

Evelyn Wong Through the study of Jonah, I see God’s season and His timing. God can speak to each of us, but at the end of it, the decision will have to come from us. It is a call to obedience. We need to be open and allow the Lord to show us His will.

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Moi sa t a de e less is so s how want n to sa season to go deep into God s Word. here is a rebellious streak in all of us. We have no right to insist on our own ways. We need to work on the obedience part.

Ebenezer, December 2011

I am especially grateful that it was Jonah who was swallowed by the fish and not me, just to learn that God’s divine intervention was intentional..

aphnie Ng od’s love is o fantastic. If nly we can ust capture a ttle of it and ass it on, it ould be wesome. When trials ome our way, e need to believe God has a plan. I ave been blessed through this Study. oreen Yip Submission” is he word that omes to mind. onah, despite ot submitting to od initially, nally allowed od’s way to revail. We ertainly don’t want to go through the hard lesson like Jonah did. God must be in control, not self.

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son s fr o m j o n a h Marie Lam “Jonah” is not entirely a new subject as it is a book studied in Sunday School. However, I have not regarded it as a “Divine Intervention” until I ventured into this study. It was a good time of reflection. The study allowed me to pause, think and to thank God. It is through downtimes that we are forced to go back to God and search his Word again. “Divine Intervention” brings us closer to God.

that there are many people who need help and we need to reach out to them. For me, craft is a way to reach out to the community I lived in. Through craft, I can garner people’s attention, offering opportunities for them to reaching out to me as well.

Jenny Tan At first I thought it was a simple book but it turned out to be so much more. It allowed me to see God’s hand working in a deeper way. Instead of murmuring or complaining, we need to see situations from God’s perspective. What I have learnt is the unfathomable love of God. No matter how we fail Him, His love never fails. “Jonah” has also helped me to see God’s divine purpose and to value things in a new perspective. We need to better understand God’s heart and be in tune with Him. What I have

Helen Lee Jonah ran away from God and it’s something we have done in our own ways too. Like Jonah, regardless where we run, we cannot outrun God. We bear the consequences of the choices we made in life. We may not be able to change consequences but we can see them differently.

Serena Yap There were many incidences in my life when I obeyed, God confirmed it through the peace He grants. I can praise and give thanks to Him despite the difficulties I face for I know there is hope and He is always there for me. It is our choice whether we obey or be angry with God. The storms in life can pull us down but we need not worry when we obey and sur God.

Carol Tang A precious group of ladies … As the Word of God tore deep into ou hearts, we share our struggles with tears and laughter; but always cheering and encouraging glory to God. Mui Bee Lee God’s divine intervention in Jonah’s life reassures me tha He has always been with me, ev without my knowing it …His carries me throu Tang Tin Yew The study of Jonah has given me a fresh understanding o life’s interruptions and helped me view them from a different perspective

What do we do when God interrupts our lives? Many time Jonah, we run! This Bible study redefines interruption and that interruption is actually God's invitation to do somethi beyond our wildest dreams. When Jonah was willing to all to interrupt his life, the result was revival in an entire city. Ebenezer, December 2011

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TACHILEK / MAESAI MISSION TRIP

Team Members: Bayen Lok, Xavier, Aunty Mary, Kathy Chang & Josephine Lock

n the day of our departure, 9th October 2011, most of us ke up at 5.00 am as we were all looking forward to our mission trip. But it proved to be an eventful day. Kathy Chang was still in the bathroom when the water pump broke and water supply turned into a trickle. Despite the slight inconvenience, all 4 of us were on our way to LCCT in a tiny taxi by 6.00am. Upon reaching LCCT, Bayen realized that he had forgotten to print his Galatians notes. Josephine was slightly late because she was trying to fix a dislodged towel rack in her toilet before going to the airport. While checking in, both of Aunty Mary’s backpack straps suddenly gave way. Despite our failed attempts to repair them, we continued in high spirits knowing that whatever the enemy was scheming to distract us, will be overcome by God. We were amused by God’s

CAMBODIAN SERVICE The morning of October 23rd was filled with an air of excitement and anticipation as the large crowd of 52 Cambodian sisters eagerly look forward to having Heather who would be teaching. Extra nasi lemak and roti canai had to be ordered that morning. As Heather shared her life and insights of her prayer life and trust in God, many present were touched and impacted in a deep way. Another time was on 28th August when Philip came to teach the Cambodian sisters. I believe God had brought a large crowd so that the Holy Spirit could speak to them through Philip. He was sharing on the parable of the unmerciful servant and 26

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- 29th Oct To 4th Nov 2011

humor in sending us into Thailand against the exodus of people fleeing from the floods! God was good and ensured no other incidents as we arrived in Bangkok and proceeded to Chiangrai. From there, we took 2 taxis to Maesai and crossed the border safely, all in good time. Although we could not contact Pastor Pakkhim, Steven or Deborah, God sent Florence, (Jonathan’s daughter) to help us with our additional boxes of clothes. On Sunday we split into 2 groups to preach in Pakkhim’s and Abraham’s churches. In the evening, we spent time worshipping the Lord with the children from the orphanage as well as the students. Aunty Mary shared the Word and Josephine gave a powerful testimony. There were 36 students in EMBS and 13 students in ALTS. We enjoyed teaching them all. During the last session, we opened for a time for Q&A and testimonies. We were so encouraged that they fully understood many truths from Galatians such justification by faith, ineffectiveness of the law and hollowness of good works without love. Beyond just understanding, they had begun to apply God’s word in their lives as they shared testimonies of personal breakthroughs like carrying each other’s burden and practicing Christ-like living. Praise the Lord!

Deborah will be delivering her baby in December, and have chosen to name their baby girl – JOY! God also gave a vision to both churches. A huge eye was looking down from heaven on both these churches. The Spirit declared Lord’s favor and protection on them, calling them to live a life pleasing in His eyes and to be faithful to their calling. Then another sign was given - a dark sun shining in the sky. That signified that they should get right with God, remove whatever was not right from their lives the complacency, bitterness, hurt, greed and selfish desires from their hearts. They are to be a light unto the world, shining like a bright sun and not a dark sun so that people all around can see the love of God through their lives. God also revealed that their craving for power and strength should be replaced by love and care for one another. We came back refreshed, strengthened and filled with so much joy as we had learned so much and seen the breakthroughs in their lives. What a trip we had. God is good! Praise the Lord!

use a simple illustration of a “HAMBURGER”. For the sisters (and most of us), the central and favorite part of the hamburger is the meat. Likewise, the central lesson of the parable was on forgiveness - how we should forgive those who offend or sin against us since we have been forgiven so much. Sokreaksa’s testimony was a fitting illustration on how God gives strength to forgive even the most painful offences and how we can find true freedom through forgiveness. While forgiveness is a choice, it is nonetheless, part of our spiritual DNA. At the end of the service, Bayen felt led to initiate an altar call for the sisters to respond. I was awestruck. The Holy Spirit moved mightily through the prayers. Four sisters

came forward to receive God’s forgiveness. Twenty others forgave those who had hurt/sinned against them. Many were crying, even as the Holy Spirit was restoring many broken lives and healing their painful pasts. It was an intense moment. That morning, many in the Cambodian fellowship tasted true forgiveness ...and I believe God will bring this lesson to remembrance each time they think or eat another “HAMBURGER” All praise and glory be to God!

Ebenezer, December 2011

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by Kathy Chang Banga ore Surprises ga ore! That speaks to our innards. The Ark of Hope A she ter A haven without hope. ments were their homes den .. society. ith worms darkened.

think John 3:16-17 sums up well the son we went to Bangalore from the 10th – 16th of Oct. God’s love is the only reason we could do what we did for 6 days. For the first two days of our stay in the Home of Hope, we focused mainly on dressing the wounds of a number of the men and women. Here, I think we must really give thanks to God for the reduced number of wounds during this trip and over the years according to Aunty Jenny and Kathy. There are even missionaries now who tend to the men at least once a week! Even so, the realities of this place can be pretty grim with about 500 fatalities over the last year. Many come to the centre in poor health. Most of the men, women and children are outcasts within their own families; driven out due to a range of problems like alcoholism, depression, being “disobedient” or birth defects. It can be heartbreaking to see them just lying or sitting around the centre on the floor in a street-living mentality. Thus, for the remainder of the days spent in Bangalore we shifted our focus to a more personal level. We spent our time cutting their nails, talking, touching and praying with them with the intention of giving them the human touch that they lacked throughout their lives on the streets. It was difficult at first for me, personally, to tear down the mental barriers and fear I had of touching these people who had flies and dirt-caked fingernails. Eventually, I

for them did. Thus, the walls were slowly broken down by God as He showed us how to love. It would have been impossible for us and even T.Raja to do what he did without His love. Once these barriers fell, we were blessed to experience what God was doing in the Home of Hope. As we prayed and sang with them, we saw smiles on faces and some of them dancing and praising God in their own way. This was the power of the Holy Spirit and the unconditional love that came from our Lord. Many of you probably have heard of New Ark Mission or brother T.Raja, whom God called to start this ministry. But many will not know that this is not T.Raja’s only ministry. It was an eye-opener to hear him share about his passion for the ‘lost’ in the Tamil Naidu interior to which he travels to (a few hundred kilometers from Bangalore) and finances on a frequent basis. Again, such is the love of this man for others that I dare say I met Jesus, and he was Indian. This is because Jesus Christ is reflected so much in his life. It is not so much that he is an extraordinary man, but rather, we believe in an extraordinary God who delivers on His promises. I think it is safe to say that we came back knowing that much more of our infinite God. Ebenezer, December 2011

to their fate. ge met them A messenger of God. Through the ikes of T Raja, God showed his compassion. A p ace of refuge Meeting their needs Dignity restored. A purpose and reason for iving An encounter with God Is the beginning of change. As they sup on The goodness and kindness. Ah! What a feast A banquet indeed Fit for a king! Prayer: Lord , you are indeed our Refuge. We thank you for the privi ege of being a sma part in bringing cheer to the fo ks of this home. You have opened our eyes indeed to see the other spectrum of ife. We thank you, and indeed are more appreciative of the ife You have given us. I pray that we not squander it but be mindfu that your heart is for the margina ized, the poor and the downtrodden. For T Raja, his fami y and band of he pers, we give You praise and thanks for raising them up to answer your ca . Our prayer is that You continua y sustain and strengthen them in their work and in their tria s and persecutions. May their faith never waver and their eyes be firm y fixed on You. Protect them O Lord, from the wi y schemes of the enemy. Surround them with your ho y ange s. May your peace, your ove and your joy remain with them a ways. Amen 27

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