180 Degrees 2010 by Kajang Assembly of God

ͽ΄ͼ hundredeightydegrees

Transforming lives through transformed lives ISSUE 1 2010

¹⁸⁰ hundredeightydegrees WISH ALL READERS

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

“We are a worshipping community of God’s people declaring God’s Glory”

KAOG@Timur Celebration Services

English Services 1st Celebration Service Sat 5.30pm 2nd Celebration Service Sun 11.00am Powerhouse Youth Service Sun 11.00am Sonshine Kids Children Service Sun 11.00am

Chinese Service Sun 8.30am

Bahasa Malaysia Service Sun 8.45am

Tamil Service Sun 4.30pm

Nepali Service Sun10.30am

contact us : Kajang Assembly of God Tel: 03-87361890 Fax: 03-87369396 Email: office@kaog.com.org.my URL: www.kaog.org.my 2

Sowing Godly Character

Rev Chan Nam Chen

Early in my Christian life, I heard a quote that stuck with me: “Sow a thought and

reap an action; sow an action and reap a habit; sow a habit and reap a character; sow a character and reap a destiny.” We are sowing thoughts and ideas all the time. Some good, some bad and some plain irrelevant. We will act on some of it. That which we do often will become a habit. Some of these are habits by default. It does not require great discipline to be lazy, late, messy or rude. Some are by intention. Whatever they may be, the sum total of our habits de ine our character.

Some character qualities are more critical than others. In the challenging times that we live in, what kind of Christians will triumph, effectively serve God and make a difference? Being smart will not do. It is always an advantage to be clever but consistency and effectiveness over the long haul require more than cleverness. It requires character. Below is my list of 12 key character qualities which I believe are the most critical.

We need continual and fresh experiences of 2 God’s love. But praise be to God, we have a heavenly Father who longs to reveal Himself to people who humbly comes to Him!

Love God

People in love with Jesus

Everything we do should spring forth from an inner love for God. Worship, service and sacri ice are considered to be joys, or at least as privileges, if one is in love with God. Otherwise everything degenerates into stale, tasteless obligations and duties.

Different from the other character qualities, this one cannot and does not have a starting point from ourselves. The human race has a capacity to love but genuine love for God is not natural. We love because he irst loved us!(1 John 4:19) The starting point to cultivating love for God is not from within ourselves. It is from without – experiencing the love of God for us in Christ. The Apostle John had such experiences - deep revelations of His Master’s love for him. No wonder he was willing to do anything for his master. He had a sense of awe and wonderment when he wrote: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Holy

People who live in the world but do not share in the values of the world

God’s Word says: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:15-17) We are born in a world that is naturally sinful, sel ish and apathetic toward the things of God. But when we responded to the voice of the Holy Spirit in receiving Christ, the seed of holiness was planted in the depths of our being. This seed will grow day by day as we consistently choose obedience to His ways and depend on Him for daily strength. 3

Word-based

People transformed by His Word

Jesus says: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”(John 15:7) To abide in the Word is not merely to know God’s Word. It also goes beyond practicing God’s Word. Abiding in the Word is a character quality where our emotions, mind and choices are in luenced by His Word. The nature and character of the God of the Word has so permeated the depths of our being that it transforms us from inside out. Revivalist Bill Johnson has this to say, “I cannot afford to have a thought in my head about me that is not in His.”

Spirit-ϐilled

People full of the Holy Spirit and acquainted with the realm of the spirit

The Bible clearly teaches that the realm of the spirit in luences and controls the material visible realm. We are in constant spiritual warfare (Eph 6:12) that determines the welfare and destinies of ourselves and people around us. It is gross foolishness to neglect the Pentecostal power that is afforded by the Holy Spirit’s in illing. Through the Spirit, we see and acquaint ourselves with the realm of the spirit. Jesus is still inviting us to drink from the river of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).

Missionary

People who willingly share God’s blessing of salvation and grace

When persecution broke out in Jerusalem and Judea, “those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:1-4). Sharing the gospel was second nature to the believers of that era. Apparently they did not spend too much time moaning and groaning over the loss of their prime real estate in Jerusalem or their personal discomforts due to forced relocation. They just got on with life and shared the gospel wherever they went.

Gratefulness

People who are thankful and consistently express appreciation

God’s people should be marked by thankfulness and gratitude (Col 3:16-17). We make it a habit to thank God and praise God in all circumstances. We also should consistently express appreciation to the people around us - our loved ones, servants who help us at home, and the ushers, musicians and preachers who minister to us in church. Acknowledge them and say thank you when they render you a service.

Generosity

People who demonstrate God’s generous nature

You do not need to be rich to be generous. Oseola McCarty (1908-1999) was an Afro-American washer woman who started working at the age of 8. But after she retired at 86, she gave her life savings worth US$150,000 to the University of Mississippi to provide scholarships for needy students. In her words: “I think the way we live matters, not just for now but for always. There is an eternal side to everything you 4 do.”

God is a generous God. Generosity is a spirit. To be generous is to have His spirit. Generous people seek to bless with no thought of return. Generous people look for the best in people. Generous people will overlook the wrongs of people

People who are reliant on God

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Through faith we see the unseen and appropriate that which we hope for. Without faith, we will drown in our cares and worries. Faith gives us strength to look beyond our own needs and circumstances and enable us to serve God and other people. Faith also gives us the stamina to carry on when things go wrong and we encounter setbacks and failures.

Servanthood

People who demonstrate care for others

Jesus says, “… whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be irst must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." ( Mark 10:43-45)

Servanthood is demonstrated in how we treat others, especially our families. Does it demonstrate consideration for their feelings and well-being? It is also seen in how we use the toilets and how we park our cars. Does it demonstrate our consideration for others? Or do we add to their stress and workload?

Faith

Humility

People who realize that God is the source of everything

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Prov 11:2). Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov 16:18). Humility keeps us on a learning posture and keeps our feet rooted to the ground. Pride is one reason a lot of people who are highly successful in their careers may be dismal failures in their homes or in their walk with God. Their success is their greatest enemy. Their pride has caused them to shut their hearts and minds to learning new things in other areas from ‘lower’ mortals, resulting in great harm and destruction to their relationships and walk with God. The only remedy is humility that will open us to correction and learning, regardless of the channels that God uses.

Relational

People who value people and relationships

People should be important to us simply because they are important to God. Super iciality is a malaise of the modern world. One may be connected with hundreds of friends through Facebook but it is by no means friendship with depth. The test is when the going gets rough and we get inconvenienced. A real friend and real servants of God are committed to long-term relationships with people.

From the shepherd’s desk 5

Rev Chan Nam Chen

Purposeful

people who are intentional on ful illing God’s purpose.

Paul says, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:13-14) We have only one life. Make it count where it matters – for the glory of God and for the Great Commission.

Someone

made the statement: “Character is everything.” If you don’t develop it, you will suffer the consequences. You will rue unful illed dreams, unrealized potential, ruined relationships and wasted opportunities. If you turn to God and ask God to help you develop it, you will reap its manifold blessings. Most of all, you become like your Father in Heaven for the 12 character qualities that I outlined are the qualities of our saviour, His Son. You and I are still on this journey to grow our character. Let’s walk together!

SOWING GODLY CHARACTER CHARACTER

PRAYING & FASTING EXPERIENCING BREAKTHROUGH

40 DAYS

praise God for leading the church through 40 days of prayer and fasting from 22nd July to 30th August. Instead of our usual 1 week of prayer and fasting, Ps Chan was led to call for a 40-day event in conjunction with the NECF national call for prayer. We sensed a greater need to enter into a season of drawing near to God. As such, we scheduled weekly Wednesday and special meetings over that period with one main agenda: To worship God and to draw near to Him. Individually, we were encouraged to spend time daily to pray alongside the churches in Malaysia for our nation. The theme for this year was “Love our Neighbour – a Shining Light to the Nations". We trusted that as we worshipped God, He would incline His ears to our petitions. We were greatly encouraged by the many who faithfully gathered to worship God. It was a delight to see many youths and campus students turning up. We experienced great liberty in worship. Indeed God has raised many anointed worship leaders, musicians and backup singers to lead us into God's presence. We sensed the move of God during every meeting and was blessed greatly when God spoke to many of us through exhortations, visions, prophecies and prophetic declarations.

experienced breakthroughs and were refreshed. We had a deeper understanding that worship is a key that opens the door for the King of Glory to come in. When we worship God, we will enter into His presence. When we come into God’s presence, we are responding to Jesus’ invitation to drink from Him. Whoever believes in Jesus, as the Scriptures says, streams of living water will low within him. Just as worship is a key to open the gates of heaven and bring us right into God’s presence, prayers are keys to release the river of God from God’s throne room to the earth. Prayers release the very life of God into the situation we are praying for. This understanding spurs us to pray even more fervently. During the AG prayer commission held during this period, a clear message was given. There is a need for us, the church, to be radical in our prayer lives. This may require us to make changes to our lifestyle so that we can prioritize and increase our prayer time. We are living in the end-times and to break through, we need to be radical in our prayer lives. Let us continue to intensify in prayers. We rejoice with those who have experienced breakthroughs and encourage all to persevere and pray without ceasing.

By the end of the 40-day prayer and fasting, those who participated Kok Meng Chow

Church Happenings explore the experience 7

for the glory of God, nearly 1,200 Christians from all over Kajang gathered for the Easter March on 18th of April, 2009. At least 20 churches were represented in this event, all of them gathering in one accord to declare the name of God and to speak forth His blessings to the town of Kajang. Despite initial fears of bad weather, God in His mercy gave us a mildly cloudy day. The meeting place was at the Church of The Holy Family. There was no talk of denominations or differences as everybody gathered at 3pm to pray and worship God before the march. After a brie ing, we set out at 4pm for the march, divided into three sections by language. The march followed a simple route through the town. At certain points, the marchers stopped to pray for speci ic needs, such as the salvation of Kajang folks. Songs of praise illed the air as the marchers sang their way through town. The march lasted for an hour, ending back at the Church of The Holy Family at 5pm. After more praise and worship and a closing speech by Rev Chan Nam Chen, the people dispersed at 6pm. Overall, the march was a success with a good turnout. I am looking forward to the next one! Mikha Chan

MARCHING IN UNIT Y FOR KAJANG

In a major gesture of solidarity and pride

Church Happenings explore the experience 8

PIANISTTHE POOR

WITH A HEART FOR

"That has got to be the coolest thing I

also the president of Christ for India, an organization dedicated to spreading the Good News in India, especially through its ministry to poor children. Fernando raises funds for the poor through his performances and CD sales. He is residing in the US and attends Pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in California. Now, what better way to use that skill than to glorify God and bring people to Him?

have ever seen!" I thought. Fingers lashing across the keyboard, hammering out melodies of staggering complexity. I'm talking about a pianist - an amazingly talented pianist - Enoch Fernando, who performed at Kajang Assembly of God Church on Aug 15 and 16. He delighted the audience with a repertoire of hymns, popular Christian songs and even an oldie from the Carpenters.

Mikha Chan

The two-time Grammy Award nominee is

Oct 24

programme of singing,praising & worshipping God with all their heart, mime presentation, choir presentation, etc. It was an evening to remember as everyone who was present,from the PA people to the ushers,singers,presenters, prayer-ers/intercessors and counsellors, contributed what they could as an act of worship to our Saviour and Lord. Even the funny and joke-cracking MC who set the Many came with expectant hearts that night particpants laughing all the time, re lected to receive from God, in the area of their our Lord’s creativity! All praise and glory to need(s) as they participated in the evening’s God! was the day we had Cries of Jericho Concert at KAOG. “Cries of Jericho” was born out of the desire to see a new and higher level of God’s glory, power, beauty and faithfulness in our walk with Him; to see C-zone revived by the power of God through worship, bringing Christians and non-Christians to have a wonderful experience in God’s presence.

WORSHIP

FREEDOM THROUGH

Church Happenings explore the experience 9

PIANISTTHE POOR

WITH A HEART FOR

"That has got to be the coolest thing I

Mikha Chan

The two-time Grammy Award nominee is

Oct 24

WORSHIP

FREEDOM THROUGH

Church Happenings explore the experience 9

Martin

and Diana Chow gave participants very enlightening and relevant input on the topic. The seminar is not only bene icial to parents of the very young but also to parents of older children. An interesting idea given by the presenters is create your own family motto. The Chows gave theirs as an example: “The will to love and the energy to forgive”. Through this motto, they remind themselves that they should decide to love each other whether they like it or not. That’s surely practical, right? As for the inancial side, Martin suggested that each family should plan to spend on one income although both husband and wife may be working. This is to ensure that there’s some savings made each month and to prepare the family for the time when one of them can’t hold on to a paying job. Sound advice!

Among other issues discussed were “spouse irst; then children”, disciplining children, household matters (talk about your expectations). The 14 participants were also posed with thought-provoking questions like “How is your relationship with your spouse? Can it be improved?” and “What are the things stopping you from giving priority to God?” As a former successful remisier for several years, Diana advised participants not to be afraid to say ‘no’ to bosses or clients when they ask you to spend after-of ice hours with them. Diana said if your boss sacks you, God will bless you! No doubt it’s important to build our career but it’s more important to have time for family. According to the presenters, it should be in this order – God, family, career. It was indeed a fruitful afternoon receiving tips for practical biblical parenting in a real world!

BIBLICALWORLD

PARENTING IN THE REAL

Church Happenings explore the experience 10

POWERFUL ENCOUNTER

The

Powerhouse camp FAITH FACTOR 2 was the second youth camp that I went this year which made a great impact on me and, no doubt, others too. I invited my best friend Su Yen to the camp. I had been praying that she would enjoy herself and get to know this marvelous God that I love. During the irst few hours that we were there, I could tell that she was having a great time. Ps Paul Hughes’s message was awesome. He shared about his background and I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me. He prayed for us at the end of his message and the presence of the Holy Spirit was very strong. It was the irst time that I had ever encountered such an anointing. The youths were laughing, jumping, shivering, screaming, swooning and shouting. Su Yen couldn’t understand what was going on. I explained to her that it was the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Su Yen was intrigued and afraid at the same time. Most of the youths shared with her about Christianity and so did I. On the second day, I could feel the Holy Spirit working in my heart slowly. God's words moved me in a way that it never did before. This time, the ire of God was in the house. I remembered Su Yen telling me about wanting to feel it, so I held her hand and took her to the front to experience the anointing. She told Ps Paul she wasn’t a Christian and He prayed for her. She felt it! She said she felt light-headed and overwhelmed while Ps Paul was praying for her. She knew that this was the truth and that the Holy Spirit and Jesus exist.

Church Happenings explore the experience 11

While Ps Paul was praying for me, He said God was going to do something in my life and that I shouldn’t blame Him if things went wrong. This made me excited and I kept my focus on the Lord, asking him to use me. I was overwhelmed and felt my body shaking and hot ire going all over me.

have anything to do with Christ. A friend and I bought her a Bible and she was very happy. She continues to say strong and says that she will attend church when she can drive.

The youths have been very supportive. They encouraged and prayed for her throughout On the third night, Su Yen went upfront and the hard times. Su Yen is now running the this time, she was illed with the Holy Spirit. race for God and I know that God will use When Ps Paul asked if there was anyone her in the furtherance of His kingdom. who wanted to accept Christ, I closed my eyes and before I knew it, Ps Paul called her Many people tend to ask what their purpose name. I was illed with joy! Ps Paul prayed in life is. I used to ask myself that, too, but for her and she fell to her knees. I hugged after the camp, I am starting to understand. her. What a wonderful night that was. We The camp has changed me into a person were laughing and crying and the Holy who not only has a passion for Christ but also one who wants to in luence others. God Spirit was just illed us. has a wonderful way of planning our lives. Su Yen could feel the Holy Spirit and she has Whether or not it’s just passing a lea let to a the joy of the Lord in her. I thank God for her guy across the street, telling people a testimony or bringing a friend to camp, salvation. their lives are bound to change. We need to After the camp, Su Yen had trouble telling step out and be bold, rise up and tell the her parent that she accepted Christ and this world that salvation is here. If everyone worried her. I encouraged her and told her takes a step of faith, that can surely change to continue to trust in the Lord and He the world and advance the kingdom of God. would protect her. That day, the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray for her. This was the Hannah Bhatt irst time I prayed for a person with God's guidance. The next day I gave her a copy of the Book of Hope. She read it and told me she couldn’t put it down. After reading it, she felt it was time to tell her parents. Her parents were quite shocked and upset. She isn’t allowed to attend church or care cell or

FAITH FACTOR

Church Happenings explore the experience 12

Carecell Reports

north. east. west. south.

N E

W S

REAL BLAST AT PORT DICKSON

The East 2/West zonal camp

was held from 19th-21st Sept at NUBE building in Port Dickson. There were 101 participants including 17 children. Rev Teo Kwee Keng was the speaker. We started of with an ice-breaker which was simple but yet at the same time challenged our minds. We also had two sessions of team-building activities. All the activities were exciting and fun. We had a great time getting to know each other. Each group was assigned to come out with a sketch based on the topic given. We enjoyed the presentation which portrayed a good message. The participants were creative and talented. The presentation included acting and singing. I was glad to see all being so sporting regardless of their age. The judges had a hard time determining the winning group. Rev Teo spoke on the theme "Positioned and Strengthened to Serve" and pointed out Col 1:18 where Jesus has the pre-eminence in all things. We must know that Jesus must have pre-eminence in our lives if we want to be strengthened to serve. This means that

Jesus Christ is Lord over our mind, spirit, body, marriage life, career, choices and everything else. Rev Teo shared her testimonies about how people got saved when she shared the gospel with them. People whom she prayed for were also healed. Her testimonies were powerful and amazing. All of us were indeed encouraged and ired up by what we heard. She further stressed that it is very important to have the presence of the Lord with us wherever we go as this will lead people to salvation. There were altar calls after every session and many of us were ministered to. It was indeed a great camp. I pray that we are not merely listeners but doers of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word. Lily Leong

Carecell Reports

north. east. west. south.

BACK-TO-NATURE ENCOUNTER On 2nd & 3rd May, the North 2 and South zones

gathered for their camp at the Agrotek Resort, Hulu Langat. We had 50 adults and 10 children with us. The speaker was Rev Teo Kwee Keng. The resort is a quiet hideaway full of lush greenery and small chalets that beckon those who want a simple getaway from the busyness of life. Having said that, as we checked into our chalets, many participants were frustrated at not having air-cons in the rooms, especially the younger ones. Well, knowing it was a one-night stay brought relief to some. The two days were full of activities. We received a lot from the Lord through the speaker and we saw deliverance and healings during altar calls. The games were very competitive and full of fun with lessons on teamwork and team-building. We had both dry and wet games which saw everyone putting in all their efforts to win. It was totally fun and entertaining to say the least. Other activities included a karaoke session on the irst night. We had a relaxing time listening to the young and old alike singing their hearts out. Not to forget, there was the lying fox activity at the end of the second day. The young ones were lining up with some mothers too who wanted to face their fears and have fun. One more attraction was the cool fresh stream that runs through the property. The children were seen playing and dipping themselves into the cool refreshing water. However, the centre of attraction was a very strong low of water through a wall that you can lean on and get a good massage. The adults made full use of it, including Rev Teo! Rachel Chang

W S

Carecell Reports 15

north. east. west. south.

A TOUCH FROM

GOD

AT THE

N E

W S

NS CAMP

On 30 July, two UKM carecells visited a

National Service camp at Beranang, about a 45-minute drive from Kajang. It was indeed a fruitful experience for us. We left Kajang at 7pm and went through heavy traf ic through Kajang town and Jalan Semenyih. After Semenyih town, we went past a winding road through some villages and inally reached the camp site. As we had arrived about half an hour earlier, we took time to seek God. When the NS students came in, they were very polite and shook hands with us. There were 29 of them; the guys and girls were almost equal in number. They told us they were from 3 states in Malaysia – Selangor, Sarawak and Sabah. Natives from the 2 states of East Malaysia made up the majority. It was a good time to get to know so many students of that age from different states. When Priscilla led the Gel or icebreaker, most of the participants enjoyed the game. The two Christian songs in Bahasa Malaysia led by Christopher were familiar to the students so they sang with gusto. Then, Jeremy shared his testimony of how God touched him as a student in UKM, and how He had given him a Christian family in the carecell to show him love and acceptance. Christopher shared brie ly about his experience when he was at the NS camp in

Kedah before he entered university, and how he had experienced lack of water supply at that camp. Some of the students could identify with Christopher's situation! When it came to the Word, Isaac shared the miracle of Jesus healing a blind man (John 9). When one of the NS students was asked to act as the blind man, and Isaac acted the part of Jesus, all eyes of the NS students were on them. This was in contrast to some students’ lack of attention to the sharing of the Word earlier. Praise God for the medium of drama! After the sharing of the Word, led by the Holy Spirit, the NS guys gathered with our 3 UKM guys for prayer. The NS girls gathered with Priscilla and me. We girls joined hands in a circle and prayed for the requests. After we had prayed for and with the girls, we asked one of the girls to pray too. Her prayer made us aware that they were concerned about their safety and about one of the girls who was supposed to have been demon oppressed earlier. So when that girl ended her prayer, we took time to assure them they needn’t be afraid because God was with them as they continued to worship Him and pray to Him. We also took time to pray for the girl who was demon oppressed. We were surprised to see all the girls stretching out their hands towards this girl as Priscilla and I prayed.

Carecell Reports

north. east. west. south.

During the prayer, the girl rededicated her life to God and invited Jesus into her heart. Before going to the NS camp, most of us didn’t know what to expect or how things would proceed, but praise God, for He showed us what He could do when His people availed themselves to be His vessels. And through our interaction with the students, our eyes were opened to the various needs of the NS students. Don’t miss the chance of going there with your cell group! Lydia Ng

N E

W S

youth meetings but I inally learned to be lexible. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the company of my elders. I learned to lead my group well during the games and be patient because I know one day we will grow old and move a little bit ‘slower’ than the younger ones. There was also a big switch in the style I led worship at the camp compared to the youth camp. One thing for sure, God will be there no matter what your choice of songs or style of music. What really encouraged me was seeing people of different ages and cell groups coming together to worship and exalt the name of God. There was such a spirit of unity that when it came to the last night of the camp where we had our sketch presentation, everyone participated and we were like one big family.

God used our camp speaker, Rev Clement Wong, to inspire us to live the life of a worshipper no matter where we are. We left the camp challenged to make a from difference in the world around us. At the end of the last service, Rev Clement opened am 20 years old and have been deeply up the altar and many of us were ministered involved in the youth department of our to. church but seldom go to combined carecell/zonal church camps. This is the This was a great camp and I would like to reason I enjoyed myself so much at the encourage you to break out of your comfort North 1/East 1 zonal camp in Port Dickson. zone and attend camps like these. I have It was indeed a learning process because I attended around 30 camps and I have learnt not only had to work with youths but also something new from each of them. If you’re with adults and children. experiencing a stage in your life where there is a drought and you are feeling weary and We often neglect other age groups because tired spiritually, you will be shocked how we’re so comfortable in our own circle of powerful these camps are and how God can friends. This camp was the place where I turn your life around in just a few days. learnt to communicate and contribute ideas and thoughts. It wasn’t easy at irst because Joel Dass 16

BREAKING FREE I

MY COMFORT ZONE

Testimonies

live.to.testify

I have known Jesus as my Lord and Savior

AREVOLUTION IN

SCHOOL

for more than 3 years. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never regretted this decision to follow Him. He has poured out so much of His grace and love upon me. I thank God that this year, He has prepared and equipped me to do His work. In the beginning of the year, I entered Tunku Abdul Rahman College. He used the people in the prayer group and Christian fellowship there to bless me. I got closer to Him during my time there. I learned to discipline myself in prayer and be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, besides learning to share the Word of God. The sense of belonging and accountability I had with my Christian friends in TARC helped me in my walk with God. After a few months in TARC, I continued my Form 6 in High School. God gave me a vision to revive the Christian fellowship in this school which had been closed a few years ago. Although I encounter challenges in school, God constantly strengthens me. I learned to obey and trust Him in all areas of my life. He told me, "Don't compare and try to be like others, just be yourself." I learned to trust Him that He would use me as His tool. Whenever I questioned Him about my weaknesses and limitations, He said,"Give your love and just obey". He shone in the darkest corner of my heart, slowly showing me the things that I need to repent of, and cleansing me. He showered me with His presence, lifted me up time and again, giving me such joy in doing His will and patience in enduring obstacles. He said, "Be strong and courageous, do not be terri ied, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) 17

Many times I failed, got frustrated, discouraged and disappointed, but yet when I cried out to Him, He told me, "I love you not because of what you've done, but because of who you are. Don't do it through your strength, let Me do it. I'll bring you through." How amazing God is!

We learned to humble ourselves, doing what would not come normally to students. We cleaned up the canteen and the school, volunteered to help teachers and treated 100 people in school with food - to bless them and share God's love with them. It's like having missions in school. Truly, for a Christian, every day is a mission. God said, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) Through the Recess Revolution, God showed His faithfulness and His desire to work through His children. I encourage you to take hold of what God has called you to do and be obedient. You'll discover miracles as you embark on this exciting journey with Him. Lee Yee Thong

rebellious daughter, and a short-tempered and lazy person. I would never apologize to anyone even if it was my fault. I was a lonely person. I did not have a true friend and I was hated by my siblings. Though my parents pampered me, they did not understand me as they had left my siblings and me in the care of our foster mother during weekdays. As we grew up, my siblings and I were abused physically and mentally by our cousin. One day, when I couldn’t endure the suffering and loneliness any more, I started to think of suicide plans. Before I could do that, I was invited to a Christian fellowship in school. There, I heard about the Good News. It was not the irst time that I had heard about Jesus. When I was young, another cousin had told me about Jesus and she taught me the song “Jesus Loves Me”. At that time, I didn’t understand the meaning of God’s love. However, after hearing the Good News again at the Christian fellowship, I cancelled my suicide plan and started to ind out about God’s love.

HIS UNFAILING LOVE

Now, although we are having Christian fellowship in school, there are still many obstacles as the devil is also working hard. Yet, I'll trust God and believe that He'll show His glory in this school and in other schools in Kajang too. My friends and I have started a movement called the Recess Revolution - a time where Christians gather together in school to make a difference and impact the school.

Before I became a Christian, I was a very

I asked Him, “Do You really exist? Does unfailing love really exist in this miserable world? Why do I need to suffer?” God did answer all my questions through the Bible, church, people and even dreams. Eventually, I accepted Him as my Saviour. My lifestyle started to change and I have a close relationship with my siblings now. I still have unsolved problems but I know that God will guide me as I face them. I give thanks to God for He never gves up on me and for His promises in the Bible. Grace Lee

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God turned them into delicious cake

came from a Buddhist family. I was always seeking for peace, protection and business prosperity for my family. All these anxieties caused me to be stressed out and depressed. As a result, I became a hot-tempered person. One day, my younger sister gave me a DVD to watch and I was touched by the Christian testimonies in it. In May last year, I took my irst step of faith by attending the Sunday service at KAOG at the invitation of my cousin Linda Lim. That was really a de ining moment. For the irst time that morning, tears of joy just came pouring down. Looking back, I have no regrets taking that step of faith, which was the beginning of God's abundant blessings upon my life and my family. God is the only one who can minister life to us.

At that point of time, I was reminded of Rev Clement Wong's sermon during our zonal camp in Port Dickson to commit everything to God and we would see wonderful things happening. Immediately I lay hands on each radish and pumpkin cake and I prayed: "Lord you are the greatest one, the wonderful one. You can move mountains and feed the ive thousand with two ishes and ive loaves of bread. I believe that these radish and pumpkin cakes will be very delicious and customers will come back for more." I told my husband that God would make the impossible to become possible because I had faith in Him. True enough, I got a call from my son to say that all the cakes were sold out and his customers had placed orders for more! My husband was speechless. I thank my dear sisters in the Lord - Naomi Dass, Linda Lim and my younger sister - for their care and love. "Give of your best to the Master, Give Him irst place in your heart, Give Him irst place in your service, Be obedient and faithful, And leave the results to God.

God has blessed me in the area of earning extra income too. I was asked to make radish and pumpkin cakes to be sold at an eatery where my son was working. I got my husband and children to taste them but I could not believe the onslaught of complaints I received. The radish cake turned out to be too salty whereas the pumpkin cake was tasteless.

Cristina Chin

Seven months have slipped by so quickly

God’s work wherever we are.

since we came back to Siem Reap, Cambodia, for the second time. When we irst came to Cambodia in January 2008, George was to head the team in taking over the management of the Angkor Paradise Hotel for 3 months.

We praise God that He has opened doors for us to make a difference in the hotel. When we irst arrived, we noticed that the piped-in music at the hotel consisted mainly of secular songs. George decided to change that and put in instrumental When the assignment was completed, we Christian music instead. And it has made a left for home. Never did we imagine that we great impact on some people. would return, live here and enjoy the place and the people. Some Christians on a mission trip who were staying in the hotel commented that the It is not easy adapting to the Cambodian music refreshed them, especially after a way of working but we are learning. The long day in the mission ield. Weeks ago, Lord has been wonderful to us and He has George received a letter thanking him for brought many Christian friends into our the music. Recently, he was also presented lives. with a gift (a clinging cross) together with a short note, thanking him for the music. We These missionaries have shown us what know that the Lord’s hand is upon this. missions is all about. They are people from the US, Germany and the UK who gave up We also know that the Lord has been their comfortable lives to work in blessing the hotel since the Christian Cambodia. Many of them are in the medical Fellowship of Siem Reap started its services ield like doctors and nurses. The beautiful here. We have people from more than 21 thing is they are here with their young nations coming to worship at one time or children as well. another. We have many from the Youth With A Mission and it is amazing to see young I remember the irst time I met Maria, who people from different countries coming has been here for 10 years. I told her that I together to serve the Lord. marvelled at how there were so many missionaries here and she said, “All of us are We have learned a lot and we know that missionaries in our respective ields, be it in there are many more things in store for us. the church, school or marketplace." Well, With God taking the lead, we only have to she has reminded us that we can still do follow and we can be assured that He’ll give us the best. George and Christina Teh

THE WORKPLACE

OUR MISSION FIELD 20

Testimonials live.to.testify

In December, 2008, my mother

was admitted to KPJ Kajang Hospital due to pneumonia. In January 2009, she went for a follow-up check-up and the doctor gave her the usual medication. I knew my mother was still not

I stayed back that night in the waiting room. At 3am, the doctor on duty told me that there was a need to do a CT scan on my mother’s brain. I immediately informed my family about the situation. I began praying and speaking in tongues. When my mother was wheeled out for the scan, she looked restless

GOD SAVED MY MOTHER

due to the medication but she could speak in tongues and pray. However, she could not respond to me when I called her. I kept telling her not to worry as Jesus was with her and would take care of her. When my eldest sister and nephews arrived, we joined hands On Jan 27, the second day of Chinese New and prayed. I also asked close friends and Year, seeing that my mother’s condition was pastors to pray. getting no better, we took her to hospital. The doctor immediately gave her a nebulizer, Later, the doctor informed us that the brain scan showed nothing was wrong. That was followed by oxygen and a chest X-ray. the irst miracle God did! Upon receiving the report, the doctor said my mother had heart failure. Deep down in At 6am, the doctor told us that my mother my spirit, I refused to accept the negative needed to be referred to a respiratory words and I bound them in the name of Jesus specialist. We started calling friends and Christ. The doctor also said the luid in my doctors we knew for advice. In the midst of mother’s lungs caused her breathing this, my mother became unconscious and problems and that she needed treatment her carbon dioxide level increased, endangering her life. We managed to contact fast. a professor from UMMC who said my mother Since she was placed in the ICU, none of us should not travel until her oxygen level had was allowed to stay beside her. Close friends stabilised. The doctor said she would need a and family members came and prayed. I life support machine. We gathered around 21 alright because her body was heavy due to water retention. She had dif iculty walking and was grasping for breath every few steps. Our family, friends, care cell and pastors prayed for her.

my mother and prayed as we were so fearful. Within half an hour, my mother’s oxygen level increased. That was the second miracle! By God’s grace, after many enquiries, there was specialist and a bed available at Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya. That was the third miracle.

By the time the ambulance reached the hospital, my mother was awake. Seeing her awake gave us hope. A heart specialist, respiratory specialist and an anaesthetist attended to my mother. The heart specialist con irmed that my mother had heart failure. Again I refuse to accept that and confessed God's positive words. I praise God that my mother recovered fast. I met the heart specialist after a few days to check on her status and he told me he could not believe that the latest X–ray showed my mother’s heart was strong and nothing was wrong! God is awesome. All the prayers were never in vain. I thank God for His mercy. Without Him, we wouldn’t know where this journey would have ended. By Lillian Joseph and family

FAR FROM HOME, NEAR TO GOD I

have just graduated with a medical degree from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. When I was younger, I used to work hard but did not have much con idence in myself. My aunt is a Christian and she told me about Jesus. I did not know Him personally and I prayed to many other gods, including Jesus. Then I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior during an evangelical crusade in Malaysia although I did not fully understand what salvation was all about. Upon inishing my SPM, I went to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia while waiting for a scholarship from the Public Service Department. Initially, I did not want to go abroad and put medicine and United Kingdom as my choices, telling God that if He really wanted me to choose this path, He would provide this scholarship. He did and I took up this challenge to study

Testimonies

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abroad. It was my irst time leaving home. My aunt prayed for me during the Sunday worship and she told me that God was the only one who would never leave me nor forsake me. Hearing those words of encouragement, I had complete peace the day I left home for Manchester. It was indeed the peace of God that transcended all understanding. I had no fears of going to a foreign land.

good care of me. He led me to an amazing church in Manchester. The elders were like spiritual fathers, encouraging me to walk with Christ and to grow in the potential that God had placed in me, teaching me to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God sent many brothers and sisters in Christ to me, where we encouraged and spurred one another into maturity. I learn that our God is an excellent God; therefore, we are His excellent people. "Just alright" or "mediocre" should never exist in our vocabulary. God taught me to have con idence for He lives in me through the Holy Spirit. Many times when I doubted myself and my abilities in passing examinations or inding time to serve God or coping with my hectic life as a medical student, God reminded me to ix my eyes on Jesus, to trust Him and to do everything for the glory of His Son. He gave me joy and peace and His grace enabled me to pass my inals and graduate as a doctor. I am so glad that I did not return with just a medical degree but also as a transformed individual. He renewed my heart and mind, and gave me passion for His Kingdom.

God had been faithful throughout my years abroad. That was a new season of my life. Being away from my family and friends was not easy. However, it had brought me nearer to the Lord. I remember crying out to Him in the middle of the night when I thought I did not do well in my examinations, and when I felt lonely and afraid of the uncertainties ahead. I had no one but God to depend on. It was during those times when Jesus revealed more of Himself to me, teaching and guiding me. I am forever grateful to such a detailed and generous God. He knows exactly what we need and often gives us more than we can ever think of or imagined. He gives success to those who trust Him, seek Him and walk with Him, just like King David and King Uzziah. Jesus says in Matt 6:33: "Seek irst His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all things will be given unto you." I can testify that this is true for me and I believe it is also true for you.

Natalie Tan Cheng Lu

When God took me away from my family, He did not just leave me on my own. He placed me into a family of wonderful men and women of God who loved me and took 23

My husband and I have 2 sons, aged 18

and 11. Life is a 'bed of roses' with thorns of sweetness and bitterness. My youngest son was 11 years old when our awesome Abba took him home on Christmas Eve in 2007. Life certainly is full of ‘thorns’ when one has a disabled child to care for. My

Before Reuben came, I was working as a secretary but I resigned when the doctor told me that Reuben would never be a normal child. Friends told me that I was silly to give up my job as I could send him to a home. Many people asked why I didn’t sue my gynaecologist because he hadn’t

LIFE WITH JESUS IS FULL OF

SUPRISES beloved Reuben had cerebral palsy (brain damage) since birth. Initially, my family couldn’t accept this. To take care of a disabled child, one needs lots of money, time, patience and love. Praise God that during those 11 years, He provided my family with all that we needed, especially with Christian friends’ help.

People asked me whether it was because of Reuben that I became a Christian. Even before Reuben was born, I had accepted Christ as my personal Savior and was baptized in 1985. For the irst few years after Reuben was born, my husband couldn’t accept him. Reuben didn’t know how to smile but was always fearful of my husband and some family members. After years of prayers with Christian friends, my husband accepted Reuben and amazingly, Reuben began to smile most of the time. He would often give his cheeky and attractive smiles. Despite his disabilities, he was handsome and didn’t look 24 abnormal.

seen to the welfare and safety of my baby and myself during delivery. I told them that I am a Christian and I am to forgive him. Praise God for giving me the grace not to take legal action against the doctor. Although Reuben was disabled, he showed me how to be patient and never give up hope. Many times I asked Abba why I had to suffer to take care of a special child, and obviously Reuben was suffering too. Each time when I asked Abba this question, He would tell me, “Why not you?” He revealed to me that He needed a special mother to take care of a special child, and He had chosen me. I didn’t have much moral support from my family, and many times, I felt depressed and lonely. I was physically and spiritually tired of taking care of two children. At times, I wanted to have a holiday at some resort. Our Abba is a humorous God because one day, I landed myself in hospital and I had a good rest!

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Each time I felt bad, I would sing two of my favorite songs, “Because He lives” and “He Makes Something Beautiful of My Life”. Abba has given me another special gift, that is the ability to handle special children like slow learners, autistic or hyperactive children. He wants me to be a ‘reminder’ to other people, including family members who have backslided. From time to time, I would meet old friends or former colleagues and I believe that God had arranged those meetings to remind them to return to the kingdom of God. Life is full of surprises! We don’t know what’s in store for us in future but we de initely know that our Abba is always by our side to help us through. I would like to quote a pastor: "Trials are not the reason to give up but a challenge to improve ourselves. Dif iculties are not an excuse to back out but an inspiration to move forward." Luke 1:37 says, “Nothing is impossible with (our awesome) God.” Belinda Kok

Recently, reading my 1989 journal

reminded me of how God has seen me through these years, health-wise and ‘soul-wise’. In 1989, I started my orthodontic treatment when braces were ixed onto my teeth. During my schooldays, I was often conscious of my crooked teeth, so much so that whenever I smiled, one of my molars would jut out. I was so self-conscious that at times I dared not smile! The dentist said the treatment would only last 2 years but in reality, it took much longer. In fact, only in 1998 were my braces removed. It was an ordeal of 10 years. Year after year, different dentists who looked at the progress or lack of progress of my teeth commented, “Your teeth are very stubborn; one of them isn’t moving as it should.” Many times, I despaired and wanted to end the treatment but was told the braces couldn’t be removed without the teeth moving into their proper position. So what could I do except pray desperately, asking God to make the teeth behave. There were times when I commanded one of the teeth (the one the dentist pointed out as uncooperative) to move to the right position in the name of Jesus. Once I was very disturbed when a dentist told me I might have to go through an operation. Thank God I was told later that I

THROUGH

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didn’t need to when I sought a second opinion. It was at that time I came across I Cor 2:9, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." I felt God speaking to me and I was very touched. Since then, whenever I was in despair over my teeth, I would remind myself of the verse. Finally, the day I had been waiting for came. 10 years of wearing the braces came to an end. The teeth episode was just one of the happenings in my life when God showed me His faithfulness. All along since schooldays, my health was not good as I would often get lu or cough especially when anyone near me got sick. I also used to sleep early at night. As a student, 11pm was the latest I could stay up to. As I started working, when activities ended late and responsibilities and worries piled in, I found my body vulnerable to viral attacks. For several years, I used to catch the lu at least once a month. There were many seasons when I had racking cough which lasted for months, and no medicine or antibiotics seemed to work. There were nights when I couldn’t

SEASONS

sleep well because the cough was disturbing me. So during the day, I couldn’t really perform well in my daily routine, and didn’t have any energy even to smile! Again I cried out to God, “Lord, if You want me to serve You and honor You, please deliver me from poor health!” Through the years, I have seen God’s gradual healing. For the past whole year, I didn’t have any lu and I know it’s a miracle from Him. There were certain times recently when I felt mild lu symptoms coming, but praise God He removed them. Actually, I didn’t know that all these physical healings were also a parallel and a prelude to the healing He wanted to do in my soul. Recently, through various incidents and struggles within, I felt compelled to take a journey into my own heart and soul. It was partly triggered by 2 books I read recently, “Jesus, Ph.D., Psychologist” and “The Bondage Breaker”. I realized that as much as my physical make-up needed God’s healing touch, my diseased soul also needs His transforming power. Prompted by the Holy Spirit and by what I read in the books, I began asking myself what is it that often caused me to feel intimidated by certain words or certain types of behavior? Why did I often

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have insomnia especially after a meeting with others? Why did my mind keep replaying what we had said, or what had proceeded? It was only when I understood that it’s because all this while, I had been concerned with what people might think of me, that I was in a cycle of feeling inadequate and easily intimidated. It’s only then that I realized I had to identify my own fears, the causes of my low self-esteem, etc, and to ask Jesus to change the way I think. I also realized I have to ask for His forgiveness in relying on my own strength and rationalization, and in believing different forms of deceptions versus His truth. When I did that, I began to experience true freedom that only He can give. I began to have peace and con idence within me even when circumstances are still as challenging. Once recently, after a sleepless night of being bombarded by accusing thoughts, and wanting to call it quits the next day, God’s Word spoke directly to me in Isa 54: 4-7, “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. For a brief moment, I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.” One day, He said to me: “Aren’t you convinced that I really sympathize with your weaknesses (Heb 4:14)? Why do you always keep scolding yourself or opening the door to negative thoughts?”

Once, when I felt there were too many demands to meet, His Spirit prompted me to see Jesus as my role model. I realized that I need to study the life of Jesus more and hear what He says. Another time, I felt I should ask Him, “Lord, can You show me how much You love me in a personal way, coz I don’t want just to have head knowledge of Your love?” He brought me to the lyrics of this song: The years had left scars, the scars had left pain How could He recognize me I wasn’t the same I knew I must pay and I knew the price For justice and law demanded my life But His tender heart heard my desperate cry And He looks at me thru’ merciful eyes Beautiful, that’s how Mercy saw me Though I was broken and so lost Mercy looked past all my faults That’s how Mercy saw me That’s how Jesus saw me God knew I needed to hear those words personally. Now I know that though I had made mistakes, I needn’t condemn myself as He looks past my faults. The new perspective to take is that when I make mistakes, I can say: “So what if I do? I can learn from mistakes, and learn to hear from God rather

THROUGH

THE

than struggle on my own."

HE WILL NEVER

And when I started worrying about what people think of me, I would tell myself: “It doesn’t matter what people think of me; more important is what they think of my God!”

LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU

Well, Jesus is still working on me. I’m not saying I’ve arrived. I’ve still got a lot of rough edges for Him to chip off. But one thing I know, His healing touch is real – in our body, mind and soul.

the age of 17, all I could think of was pursuing my tertiary education and building my career. I was healthy and doing great in school co-curricular activities. I could run, jump and play badminton, which was my favorite game. I thought I was still young and would encounter no hardship. Furthermore, I come from a Christian family and had been a Christian since young. What more could happen to me? At that time, I didn’t have a close relationship with God.

Lydia Ng

When I was in Form 2, I was diagnosed with scoliosis (curvature of the spine). I had back pain and dif iculty breathing. I was asked to use a brace but I was not consistent in wearing it. Every month, I went for X-rays to monitor the curvature of my spine. After 3 years, the specialist advised me to go for an operation to straighten my spine as the curvature had deteriorated. On 23rd December, 1999, I went for a spinal surgery in the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching. Primarily, the surgery was to improve the condition of my scoliosis by inserting screws and metals in between the vertebrae. But during the operation, I sustained spinal nerve injury due to some complications. Because of the complications, the medical staff took out all the screws and metals. Eventually they grafted my pelvic bone to be placed in between the vertebrae

SEASONS 28

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instead. The operation took 7½ hours. The doctor told my parents I was going to be paralyzed from waist down. At that moment, I asked myself why had God forsaken me as we had prayed before the operation. As I journeyed through the valley of the shadow of death, I grappled with questions like “Why does a God of love permit suffering?” and “Why does this have to happen to me?” I was on drips, morphine and oxygen. Due to the spinal injury, the central spinal luid had leaked to my lungs. The doctor said I might have to be operated at another time. Every morning and afternoon, the radiologist took X-rays of my lungs. The pain was excruciating as the radiographer had to put a hard piece of white board on my back. The X-rays showed that my lungs were cloudy. I also could not move my legs and I was numbed from waist down. Daily, the doctors and nurses would gather around my bed and gently poke my legs with needles and asked me whether I felt anything. All I could do was shook my head as I felt nothing. I was so dismayed. My mum took care of me at night while my dad and brother did so during the day. We never thought such challenges would happen to our family. It was a trying time for us. My brother told me that my mum hardly slept; she would kneel beside the bed and pray for my recovery. I went on questioning about divine healing and why God did not answer our prayers.

Never left alone." She would also read to me the book of Psalms daily. Sometimes I cried and struggled through prayers of frustration and bitterness, complaining why God was so heartless, allowing me to suffer. When negative thoughts set in, I would read Psalm 91: “He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." That reassured me and the psalm ended with God saying “Because he loves me, I will answer him…when he is in trouble, I will rescue him.” That comforted me and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. At night when I felt discouraged, I would listen to the song 'In Your Hands'. As I sang along, the feeling of fear went off. I started to have peace in my heart. I started to have faith in God that He was going to heal me and I was going to walk out of the ward as normal as before despite what the doctor said. I knew that fear was of the devil and I decided to turn to God. By the third week in hospital, a Chinese physician prescribed some herbal medicine for me. After 3 days, my lungs cleared. But I was still paralyzed. My family and I persistently prayed every day for recovery.

After the 6th week, a miracle happened! The irst toe of my right leg began to move a bit. I was off morphine, drips and catheter. I could feel a sensation on my left leg. Hallelujah! That gave me hope. It was then that the doctor asked me to do My mum would sing to me this song daily: physiotherapy. I was supposed to wear a "Lord I am in Your hands brace to make sure the grafted bones are Lord I am in Your heart fused to the vertebrae. After so many In Your heart In Your plans 29 weeks in bed, I had to stand up. I

experienced dizziness and vomited because of the sudden rise of my blood pressure. My brother held me as I moved from the bed to the wheelchair. I told God I could not do it! As I placed both my arms on my brother’s shoulders, I couldn’t feel any sensation on my legs. My legs were soft like vegetables. My limbs were feeble. Juanita, you will be con ined to the wheel chair forever, I thought. It was like being a baby all over again learning how to walk. Even doing simple actions like standing and sitting were taxing. After each physiotherapy session, I would cry and negative thoughts would creep in. I began to hate the doctor who operated on me and blamed my parents for agreeing to the operation. I inally returned to Sibu, my hometown. I was still con ined to the wheelchair. Indeed everything was in God’s plan as I continued my physiotherapy. I progressed rapidly. God’s healing was so real. I was using a walking frame with 4 legs. Within 2 months, I was walking with the help of a walking stick. As I look back, I realized it was God who had helped me. I thank God for brothers and sisters who gave me encouragement and supported me in prayers. I began to forgive the doctor who operated on me, and my parents too. I began to release the hindrances in my life to God. I wanted to have full dependence on Him. When I made that stand, I saw many changes. I began to thank God for every move that I could make and every little contraction of the muscles. I began to spend time reading the Bible and praying. I began to sense the Lord reassuring me of His love. I found great comfort in that and began to trust Him even more despite my 30 physical challenges.

Initially when I could walk with a walking stick, I was on cloud nine, but people around me looked and some even jeered at my peculiar gait. I prayed for courage and strength to go to public places. Now, I can go shopping by myself without caring how people look at me as I have a Friend who is always in my heart - Jesus. I thank God for putting me in such a situation as I learn to understand the feelings of special people who are physically challenged. When I furthered my studies in Form Six, I was still dependent on the walking stick. Well, I even wore adult diapers because I was worried that I might not be able to walk to the washroom which was quite a distance from my classroom. I praise God for bringing friends who cared for me and I was happy studying. I thank God for renewing my mind as I can now hold my head up high and tell people who ask about my walking condition. I have opportunities to share about Christ with them. He helped me to bear the fruit of His Spirit, especially patience. We are His living testimony. As I commit myself more to the Lord, I found His inexplicable peace. To this very day, I thank God for what I had gone through. In the Bible, Job, a man who had suffered much, asked, “Must we receive only good from God and not the bad?" I have learnt to hold onto God for strength and wisdom. I thank God for giving me con idence so that I can step out in faith in the area of worship. Blessings are lowing into my life. I believe God wouldn’t let us go through the things we can’t bear as He would never leave us nor forsake us. Juanita Ling SM

ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER I feel this poem is very touching. It’s telling the people out there that there’s hope in

Christ. No matter how hard we fall, god will be there to pick us up. You know in our church, people are suffering from hurt, anger and many more. But they keep it inside and they don’t share. So we must remind them that, even friends can help and most importantly, GOD should be our tower of refuge. He has promised us love, joy and peace. We should not let the Satan Rob away what is rightfully ours. This is a poem that can remind our church members that there is HOPE in God ... I ind this appropriate cause every day we face so much in college, school and work place. Hurt, sadness and anger are always our best friend in life, but it’s HIGH time we put a STOP to all these. Charlene. He may be testing our faith in Him, As we plod life's great highway, And we will learn great lessons, When we take the time to pray.

And then without any warning, A friend appears on the scene, And offers you a helping hand, And turns a dull day into the unforeseen.

No matter what the problems are, When we give them all to Him, God has all the right answers, And we get back our silly grin.

A few words of instant understanding, An offer to help you out, And you begin to breathe again, And no longer whine or pout.

When we help someone recover, We will ind life's brighter side, And we will be rewarded some day, When in His eternity we abide.

God always knows when we've been hurt He knows our every need, He may be testing our endurance While planting a fertile seed.

When we encourage one another, We build a sturdy bridge, Across life's raging rivers To heaven's awesome ridge.

POEMS

Have you ever felt so defeated, So crushed and broken, too, That no matter how hard you tried, There seemed to be no hope for you.

~ Eva May Young ~

Lending mum a helping hand

along a stony path, Your gentle voice seemed to say: This is what you just need to do, Just lend someone a helping hand along life’s stony path, Sharing with them My love and power; Not that dif icult, right? Especially when you just trust in My Spirit to lead you!

Don’t you remember you have sung to Me: “Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of Thy love Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee Take my voice and let me sing Always, only for my King”

STONY

POEMS

Yes, Lord, it’s not dif icult, Just that at times I don’t even understand That’s what I’m doing, why I react the way I did, To certain types of words or behavior of Taking your life, hands, feet and voice, To make them sing for Me, others, Just let My love move you, Sometimes I ind I’m a mass of Just turn your eyes upon Jesus, contradictions myself; Who tho’ criticised and ridiculed, Saying one thing to You but acting out Stayed committed to the purpose set another, for Him, And before I could stop myself, I’ve already done it! Yes, Lord, now I understand, Moreover, when I see some so capable, My life is set apart for You, I feel like a clod! Each time, I feel like crawling off the altar, Yeah, that’s because you still want to Strengthen me, Lord, so that I won’t struggle on your own at times, run away! Learn to let go, and let Me be God! Each time, I feel like calling it quits, Don’t be anxious; I’ll take over, Remind me, Holy Spirit, that You are Just rest in Me as I’ve told you in Psalm my... 91, Comforter, Friend, Teacher and I’m moulding you and the others… Revealer of Truth... To represent Me in this world which has yet to let Me reign, Lydia Ng

LIFE’sPATH 32

Published with permission from www.biblequizzes.org.uk

BIBLE CROSSWORD

Across 1 An ancient weight (6) 4 Seemed (8) 10 New Testament book (9) 11 Unit of length (5) 12 '...it is a ____ thing the king requireth' (Dan 2:11) (4) 13 Contemplation (10) 15 Abigail supplied David with one hundred clusters of these (7) 16 A son of King David (6) 19 Concurred (6) 21 Light sources (7) 23Propitiations (10) 25 A false god (4) 27 Gather (5) 28 Abimelech was hit by this (9) 29 Instructors (8) 30 Hastily (6)

Bible themed crossword containing words from the KJV Bible.

Down 1 Skilled animal workers (8) 2 Inspiring (9) 3 Compass point (4) 5 Intense emotion (7) 6 The words of Jeremiah said not to listen to these (10) 7 Jewish leader (5) 8 'He is proud, knowing nothing, but ______ about questions and strifes of words...' (1 Tim 6:4) (6) 9 Bread makers (6) 14 In this year of King Nebuchadrezzar's reign, Nebuzaradan arrived in Jerusalem (10) 17 Ancient city of Og, King of Bashan (9) 18 Stringed instrument (8) 20 Joseph, perhaps? (7) 21 Tiny amount (6) 22 Jesus did this with authority

CHILREN CROSSWORD

PATH

When

So today, after listening to this album for nearly a week, I inally took my irst look at the accompanying press material and the album’s website before sitting down to write this review. Man, I have to tell you how surprised and incredibly impressed I was when what I had assumed was strictly an extraordinary compilation of work, turned out to be something much more special and far more reaching than I had imagined – in reality, a trend setting movement. Separated from all of the build-up and promotion, and apart from all the surrounding buzz, the CompassionArt release is quite simply a masterpiece of worship. The genius of the album not only comes from the 19 talented artists who contributed to it and the level of creative synergy that was reached, but the way the styles converged in a unity of cause and belief. The music presented a dynamic medium for a message which I believe can only be explained by the involvement of the Holy Spirit – the album’s 20th contributor. I want to tell you unequivocally that the compositions included here are as solid and meaningful as the worthy causes they support. The CompassionArt initiative is an artist-backed

ALBUM REVIEW

I received this album for review it came to me with the usual press material and a word from Jay Heilman (founder of Christian Music Review) letting me know only that the album was “highly anticipated”. I, myself, hadn’t actually heard of the project before, and since I make a practice of not reading any background prior to listening to an album I'm reviewing (my way of making sure I remain unbiased toward the music), I simply went ahead, pressed play and dived head irst into the music.

Artist: Various Release Date: 27 January 2009 Distributor: Sparrow Records Album Ratings: Message: 4 out of 4 Music: 3 out of 3 Production: 2 out of 2 Creativity: 1 out of 1 Overall score: 10 out of 10

ALBUM REVIEW

charity founded by Martin Smith of Delirious? that is (to quote the website), "dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the poorest of the poor." The current album is a central component for the launching of the charity. By releasing all current and future rights and royalties to the music contained in the CompassionArt album, Martin Smith, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Darlene Zschech, Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu G (Delirious?), Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Kirk Franklin, Amy Grant, Joel Houston, Leeland Mooring, Christy Nockels, tobyMac and CeCe Winans have insured that 100% of the proceeds from the sale and reproduction of their work will go directly to helping those in need.

Conclusion: After listening to the 15 inspiring tracks and learning the story behind this incredible album, if you're not moved by CompassionArt, you're simply not alive. Go out and buy this album because one of your favourite artists is on it. Go out and buy this album because you feel compelled to play a role in carrying out the Lord’s work to help the poor and needy across the globe. Go buy this album to witness a special moment in the history of Christian Music. Go buy this album because you long to experience the Holy Spirit at work. Whatever the reason…Go out and buy this album! Closing Thoughts Not often does a Christian album come along that combines music, message and purpose in a way that transcends an album or even an industry. This one does. You don’t want to miss it!

Printed with permission from ChristianMusicReview.org

The

Sims is a long running game, originally created by Will Wright as a building/design program to help architects. This is the 3rd major development of the original Sims program.

The Sims 3 has taken this a step further and now also allows the gamer to choose personality traits for their Sim such as “Insane”; “Coward”; “Unlucky”; “Evil”; “kleptomaniac” and many more of this nature. The creators of Sims 3 have also included some more wholesome traits for your Sim such as “Good”; “Green Thumb”; “Brave”; “Artistic”, but it has to be said that the un-Godly traits outweigh the Godly.

GAME REVIEW

Genre: Simulation ERSB Rating: T (Teen) Devloper/Publisher: EA Games, Maxis Released: June 2009 Review Published: 24/6/2009 Platform: PC, PSP

This version of The Sims is very similar to previous in as much as you choose and design the Sims you want to control, you tell them where to live, what job to have, who to fall in love with and how to live their life.

As with previous Sims games, your Sim can be any sexual orientation and can have pre-marital sex (know as “Woohoo” in the game). When these interactions take place, you can clearly see the Sims kissing, hugging and heavy petting. When the Sims want to have “Woohoo”, they dissapear under blankets and all you can see is Sims wriggling under the duvet with a few very 50’s type sex euphemisms (ie Fireworks). As previously mentioned – “Woohoo” can be with any gender, pre-marital and also extra-marital.

PATH

Another new feature of the Sims 3 is that your Sim can ask another Sim to leave their current partner and move in with your Sim

continues. to. shine.

On a more positive note – it is harder to have romantic relationships in the Sims 3 than in previous Sims games. However this also has a downside because you can now also have “Woohoo” with people you aren’t in love with.

GAME REVIEW

Some of the clothes you can choose for your Sim are quite revealing, but the creators have also included some conservative items as well! Very refreshing! Nudity is not gratuitous or sexual as it is only when the Sims wash or go to the toilet and even then it is very heavily pixilated. Overall The Sims 3 has quite a few un-Godly themes. These themes are avoidable if (like me) you started playing the Sims before you were saved and now feel the need to save little pixilated characters along with the rest of society. What I don’t like about The Sims 3 is that it depicts multi-partnered casual sex, same sex relationships, divorce, lies, theft and affairs as things to be aspired to. Reviewer: Pam Gibson , Christian Spotlight™ on Entertainment (ChristianAnswers.Net).

Used by permission. Copyright, Guide 2 Games®.

As with previous Sim games, there is no mention of any religion (with the exception of Christmas in Sims 2 – although this was very heavily Santa focused). There are no religous books or religious festivals (so far, but there may be add-ons later). Also the ability to practice Yoga (available in Sims 2) has been removed from Sims 3

to gain some sense of identity? Have you been hurt or rejected? Do you want to experience the freedom to really walk with God? If you have been going through any of the above, the answer is Jesus Christ, the Bondage Breaker; the message of this book. Jesus promised that through Him we could live abundant and free lives. And this book, The Bondage Breaker can help you stand against the spiritual forces of this world and live in the freedom that Jesus has given. The reader is helped to understand who he or she is in Christ, so that he/she can walk free. Besides helping readers to identify who they are in Christ through God’s Words, the authors have also shared about the lives of their counselees whom God has set free. It’s awesome to read about how God has demonstrated His suf icient grace in their lives.

talk about how to win that battle for your mind and learn how to walk by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Through the book, the reader also learns to identify strongholds of self-defense. Note the accuracy of these words: ‘Fortresses’ (or strongholds) as quoted by Paul in 2 Cor 10:3-5, are leshly patterns of thinking that were programmed into your mind when you learned to live your life independently of God. The authors further say: Your world-view was shaped by the environment you grew up in. But when you became a Christian, nobody pressed the “CLEAR” button. Your old leshly thinking patterns weren’t erased.

Have you ever been like one of the authors’ counselees who says, “I want to do what God says is right, but sometimes I ind myself doing just the opposite”? (sounds like what the Apostle Paul said in Romans too). If you have, you will ind what the authors say, so relevant, “Beating yourself up and condemning yourself won’t help. Let’s see if we can resolve your con lict ….I would like to walk you through these Steps to Freedom. Then we can

continues. to. shine.

BOOK REVIEW

Have you been desperately trying

be retrained? If you have believed in a lie, can you renounce that lie and choose to believe the truth? Can your mind be reprogrammed? That is what repentance is: a change of mind. And understanding what God has done for us in Christ helps to set us free, as mentioned here:

BOOK REVIEW

Nothing is more basic to our freedom from Satan’s bondage than understanding what God has done for us in Christ and who we are as a result. Our attitudes, actions, responses, and reactions to life’s circumstances are determined by how we see ourselves. If you see yourself as the helpless victim of Satan and his schemes, you will probably live as though you were his victim and be in bondage to his lies. But if you see yourself as the dearly loved and accepted child of God that you really are, you live like a child of God. Read The Bondage Breaker to stop being a victim to any bondage, and help others ind the way to be set free!" Lydia Ng

TRANSFORMED

THE ROLE The

irst part of the title can be a mouthful. Take another look and let the full meaning of the phrase sink in. 180 Degrees has adopted this tagline (Transformed Lives Transform Lives) to bring into focus what people need to know: that lives need to be transformed and only when lives are transformed can they transform others. Everyone aspires after change. You don’t want to remain stagnant. You stop living the moment you stop changing. Hence, transformation is also all about change. Here is where counseling plays its role. Most theories of counseling, biblical or secular, promote change as their basic foundation and goal. It is all about helping a person who is “stuck” in his life make a move to freedom and liberation. Change effected does not just impact the person, it also impacts others around the person. Hence, change is powerful. Just look at how Christ released the transforming power of change. I. Christ and His Transforming Work Christ’s coming is all about saving mankind from the ravages of sin. Jesus advocated a revolutionary turn away from sin and its damaging effects on the person. We see many instances in which Christ reached out and made an impact on the people He met.

LIVES TRANSFORM LIVES:

OF COUNSELING

B. Restoration of Peter (John 21:15-19) Jesus had just been arrested. There was not a single soul who came to His defense. Not even Peter, one of the Twelve. Deny was what he did; not just once but three times. The Bible tells us he went out weeping bitterly. He was at his lowest mental state. Jesus, however, gently and lovingly restored Peter. No condemnation. No rebuke: just plain, genuine acceptance – unconditional positive regard, empathy and genuineness. Set free, the man was released into a remarkable ministry. II. Counseling and Its Transforming Work Jesus, in these two instances, exempli ied the counselor par excellence. The restoration and

empowerment extended to the woman and Peter brought into plain view what counseling can do for the person and the church. A. Counseling Liberates and Empowers Counseling, contrary to many perceptions, is not advice-giving. What advice-giving would do is to enslave someone to continually depend on others to solve their problems. If one has a problem and he keeps going to another for advice and gets that, what he would do the next time he has another problem is to go back to the same person or another for another round of advice. Counseling, on the other hand, helps the person to see that he has the potential to solve his own problem. What he only needs is someone to help him work out and clarify his options so that he can, on his own, make his own decision. In that way, he has been empowered. Just like what Jesus had done for the people who needed help.

GODLY PERSPECTIVES

A. The adulterous woman (John 8:2-11) The Jewish leaders had already made a judgment on her as a sinful woman and someone to be put to death according to the law. Others wanted to throw stones at her. But Jesus said, “Let those who have no sin cast the irst stone.” Jesus went on to address the woman that since no one had dared to condemn her, He would not as well. What Jesus had demonstrated is, what counseling calls, the Rogerian Triad – unconditional positive regard, empathy and genuineness. This forged a connection between Him and the woman that brought repentance and life.

When one is empowered and set free, he has the capacity to live up to God’s potential for him. He does not remain defeated by his hang-ups and constant struggle to come to terms with his issues and himself. Instead the energy could be channeled to being who he is in Christ. Once he comes into an acceptance of who he is, this will cascade to the people he meets and minister. His relationships will take continues. a positive turn and to. through shine.his

victory over his own issues, others will catch on and be likewise release into freedom. Corporately, the church will become stronger and built up in the faith because the church is the sum of its part. Everybody around him will be affected by the change in his life including his family and friends.

GODLY PERSPECTIVES

A life, on the other hand, still plagued by problems will never be totally free. It will constantly sap the energy of the person leaving not much left for the bene it of others. It keeps the person self-conscious, self-oriented and self-excusing. He cannot follow the example of the sel less Jesus to which he is called to emulate. Hence, counseling helps, in its own way, to bring the church on this process of health â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from the mental and physical to the social and ultimately to the spiritual. Imagine the impact of a church illed with people liberated from their own hang-ups? It is no longer inward-focused. Instead it has the potential to make an impact in the community. B. Counseling Heals and Restores Not a single one of us can claim to not been hurt or scarred in some way as a result of our relationships at home, work, school, neighbourhood and even in church. As long as we are in contact with another human being, there is that potential for damaging effects. This is not to say that all relationships are negative. If so then we would have to live as a hermit in the mountains which is obviously not practical. But the fact remains that all our behaviors are a result

of conditioned thoughts patterns learned throughout our lives. Every life experience shapes our thoughts and consequently our behaviors and down to our relationships. In the light of that, what do we do with negative emotions and feelings that we have accumulated through the years? For some of us, early childhood had been traumatic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; constant labeling as stupid and a mistake by parents as a child, for instance, stays with the child so much so that as a grown up, this labeling manifests itself through dysfunctional emotions and behaviors such as timidity, depression, low self-esteem and so on. More often than not, people are very ef icient in suppressing these traumatic experiences as they are not pleasant so much as that they are not even aware consciously of these experiences. Hence, unless these are brought up and identi ied, people remain in ignorance and hence remain stuck in these dysfunctional behaviors that affect not only themselves but also others they come into contact with. They, in turn, cause others to be negatively affected and as a result there is a domino effect that goes on and on. This is where counseling comes in. With proper counseling techniques and skills and the work of the Holy Spirit and prayer, the work of the devil can be defeated and individuals can be set free through the healing and restoration process as the roots of the problems are identi ied and dealt with. Many

people,

especially

men,

A Final Word Isaiah 61:3-6 speaks about the anointing to bring about healing and restoration. Jeremiah 29:11 accords to us the promise of a bright future and a hope that we can lay claim to for the will of God is not being bound, enslaved and defeated by our emotions, issues and hang-ups. With the Holy Spirit and counseling will come the anointing to bring about healing, restoration, empowerment and liberty. Hence, we can be free and be transformed to live a victorious lifestyle that in turn will transform others. Rev Calvin Lee

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

unfortunately, think they do not have anything to deal with. In fact, that could often be lies that the devil has implanted to stop us from dealing with it knowing that once we have taken the step to choose to deal with our issues, he is losing the battle. Often the ego comes in the way. Anyone and everyone can bene it from counseling that will bring healing and restoration. It takes courage and boldness to face up to one’s issues but the bene its are worth the risks. So perceptions about counseling also need to change in our church and community.

¹⁸⁰ hundredeightydegrees Advisor:

Rev Calvin Lee Editorial Committee:

Lam Lin Shi Sis Lydia Ng Sis Law Jen Jen Sis Aneeta Chelliah Sis Charlene Tan Bro Mikha Chan

KAJANG ASSEMBLY OF GOD ADD 52, JALAN TIMUR, 43000 KAJANG P.O. BOX 20, KAJANG SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN, MALAYSIA TEL 03 87361890 FAX 03 87369396 EMAIL OFFICE@KAOG.ORG.MY www.kaog.org.my