19 Dec 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

“Who do you think is the greatest leader to you other than Jesus?” asked Rev Dr Robert Weniger of Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, International Church of Kuala Lumpur on 14^th of December.

Our answer may be Abraham Lincoln, Moses or Mother Teresa. But Jesus Christ told us that the greatest person who ever lived was John the Baptist.

“I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28)

Yes, the greatest man who ever lived camped out in the desert, dressed in camel hair and ate locust and wild honey. (Matt 3:1; 4)

In this Christmas season, Rev Robert shared the life and ministry of John the Baptizer to give us a clear insight of Jesus’ mission.

Ref: stjames-manotick

Scripture tells us that John the Baptist was a gift from God to Zechariah and Elizabeth who were righteous in God’s eyes. Elizabeth was barren and the couple had no children until old age. 

As Zechariah was serving as a priest in the temple, an angel appeared before him and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.” (Luke 1:13)

The only part in Scripture, which tells us about John’s childhood, is how he lived in the desert before appearing publicly to Israel; John grew and became strong in the Spirit. (Luke 1:80)

On a side note, while we think that John may have lived in solitude, Rev Robert hypothesized that John might have lived with one of the desert communities. Like the monasteries we have today, these communities chose to live away from the cities to devote their lives to God.

Worship team of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

“It was there in the desert that John was shaped and formed by God. Away from all the distractions and interfering noises of the city life, John was able to focus his attention on God.

“It was a time of preparation, training, and formation, so that when John emerged from the desert and appeared to the public scene, he was in his peak spiritual condition. And he was ready to fulfill his calling to prepare the way of the Messiah,” said Rev Robert.

As for us, we may not able to get to a desert or an isolated place for a lengthy time. But all of us need to regularly withdraw to God, so that we can hear Him. During this time, God truly can shape us and prepare us to fulfill His calling for us in our life. And when the time of preparation concluded for John, what a ministry it was! (Isa 40:3-5)

How is understanding John’s background related to our life? We can understand its significance by asking ourselves three questions: Where? What? Why?

A sister-in-Christ thanking the congregation for their support for the children’s ministry

Firstly, where did John proclaim the message? We know he proclaimed it in the desert, where Israel had a part of its land in the desert. So, the Israelites knew how to survive in the desert. It was known to be barren, lonely, desolate, terrifying, and even life threatening. In a deeper sense, the desert symbolized the absence of God in the Israelites life. They had not heard from God for 400 years. At that time, they were also living under the oppression of the Roman rule.

“It is in that environment of desperation, John was sent to prepare them for a spiritual refreshment from the Messiah. Perhaps, today, you feel like you’re in a spiritual desert because God seems so far away. God seems absent. You don’t feel His presence.

“There is stress in your marriage, hassles a work, strains on your finances, anxiety about your health. You’re tired and worn out. And you feel like you’ve been wandering through the desert of one sand dune and then another. But no matter where you look, all you can see is more sand, more problems,” said Rev Robert.

Ref: wikimedia

But in the midst of our desert experience, a voice is calling out the Lord of hope. John is proclaiming, “Someone is coming right into the heart of our desert!” The desert is often where the Lord comes to meet us. If you are going through a desert experience, take heart! God has not abandoned you.

“Desert times will guide us to deepen our faith, refine our character, purify our desires, and strip away from us all those things that are hindering us from drawing into the fullness of Christ,” said Rev Robert.

Often times, when we are in our oasis, we typically do not sense a great need for God. We believe in Him. But God is pushed into the background. However, in the desert, we realize our need for Him to be in the center of our life. It prompts us to seek God in a new and refreshing way.

Another sister-in-Christ sharing about her short-term mission trip

Secondly, why did John cry out for the Israelites? When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, no one was prepared to receive him. Religious leaders were oblivious to his birth. The people in the inn did not give up their room. But only a few lowly shepherds took notice. God sent John the Baptist to prepare the hearts of men to receive Jesus. He made sure that spiritual apathy would be absent when Jesus began His Ministry, so that the Israelites would not miss out when Jesus came.

Isaiah prophesied the purpose of John the Baptizer’s coming in Isaiah 40:3-4:

A voice is calling,

         “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;

         Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

“Let every valley be lifted up,

         And every mountain and hill be made low;

         And let the rough ground become a plain,

         And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

John the Baptizer | Ref: kingofages

This passage tells us that every obstacle, which prevents the Israelites from recognizing the Messiah, should be removed. Scripture tells us John was preaching ‘a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.’ (Luke 3:3) The first obstacle John was removing was the Israelites’ dependence on their Jewish heritage and legalism. John wanted to raise their awareness of sin in the face of a Holy God. He wanted them to realize their need for a Savior, and thus the need for Jesus Christ to bear their sins.

Another obstacle John wanted to remove was the belief that the Messiah would come as a political deliverer or military ruler to set them free from the Romans. But John wanted them to make sense of Jesus’ larger purpose, which is setting them eternally free from sin and gaining an eternal inheritance. They would be able to understand Jesus’ purpose for crucifixion.

Ref: oceansbridge

Finally, John promoted anticipation of the coming Messiah by firstly denying that he is the Messiah but there would be someone much greater after him.

“Like the Israelites, we must also recognize our need for a Savior. If we don’t, then we don’t desire Jesus. We must acknowledge that no matter how good we are, we will never be good enough to save ourselves.

“So, one of the mountains that must be made low is the mountain of pride. If we are proud—trusting ourselves and trusting our accomplishments—we will never cry out for Jesus, and we will never embrace his forgiving mercy and grace,” said Rev Robert.

Ref: chuckhaney

Besides leveling the mountains to salvation, we need to level the mountains to experience the fullness of Jesus’ presence. The mountains include resentment, belittling others, indulging in pornography, and other destructive habits. It could also come in a willing form of self-pity.

“Well yes, we are forgiven. But still, we will not experienced the joy and wonder of God’s transforming grace in our lives because we have these obstacles, these mountains, that prevent God’s mercy and grace from breaking into our life,” said Rev Robert.

Rev Robert Weniger praying for the congregation

Finally, what does the voice promised us? Isaiah prophesied:

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isa 40:5)

John promised us that we would see the glory of God! (Isa 40:5) And the glory of the LORD specifically refers to God’s nature and character. We see how God is because of Jesus carrying the exact representation of God’s nature. In His crucifixion, we are convinced of the depth of God’s love for us.

Hence, in this Christmas season—as we understand the where, why, and what of John the Baptist—let us find time in our busy schedule to withdraw and prepare our hearts for God, to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Let us also meditate on our need for a Savior in our life and also Jesus’ promises for our life.

Ref: ecfchouston

“Like the Israelites during the time of John, we are in danger of just going about our business. The Israelites missed the coming of the Savior. So, I want to encourage your today to prepare your hearts for the next twelve days before Christmas.

“Read the gospel that describes the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. Do some things together as a family that will help you focus on the true meaning of Christmas… Level the mountains, make the way smooth, and remove all barriers from reveling in the true meaning of Christmas,” said Rev Robert.

God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Ref: wikimedia

Visit Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church for their special Christmas services on December 24^th, one held at 6:30 PM and the other at 11 PM. The latter service would be a candlelight service. Visit their church also for their Christmas day service with Holy Communion on December 25^th at 10 AM.

Address of Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church:

29/31, Jalan Raja Chulan
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

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21 Dec 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

On Dec 14, guest speaker Rev Looi Kok Kim of Charis Sanctuary in Taman Miharja, came to preach a Word of God at Charis Christian Centre in Cheras.

He told the story of God blessing Mary with His son Jesus Christ, at the oppressive backdrop of the Greek empire. At that time, the Israelites were allowed to return as exiles to Jerusalem under the reign of King Herod of Judea.

Ref: turnbacktogod

Under the reign of Caesar Augustus at that time, the Israelites were living a somewhat peaceful, comfortable, and autonomous life. Yet, beneath the surface, they were also undergoing oppression from the Greek. Augustus issued a census for the Israelites dwelling in his empire to pay taxes. He wanted his face to be printed on the currency, and his statue to be set up all over his conquered territories. Many of us are also experiencing similar oppressive situations, cloaked in an impression of peace, comfort, and autonomy.

“To address this situation, we need to know how we can find favor from God in this journey because life is going to be tough,” said Rev Looi, addressing the implication of the coming Government Service Tax (GST) next year.

Following Mary’s footsteps, Rev Looi shared that we first need to have faith in God in the midst of oppression.

Rev Looi Kok Kim

“How can a lady anticipate the angel appearing before her and said, ‘you shall conceive a child and this child would be the Son of God.’

“When God speaks, He speaks of unthinkable things that will become a reality if we operate in the realm of faith,” said Rev Looi.

Mary had faith in God. Although she knew the risk of being stoned to death due to pregnancy out of wedlock, she believed that God’s Word would come true.

“We have to have faith to trust God, so that we can overcome the struggles we have in our mindset and our cultural setting.

“My challenge to you today is that if you were to be a miracle giver like Mary, let us come before God and seek Him. Say, ‘I want to see You and I want to have such a faith in me that I will become an overcomer of situation,’” said Rev Looi.

Ref: turnbacktogod

Rev Looi shared that some of us are in a crossroad of making important decisions in life, which involves an element of risk. But we can take comfort that we can always come to God by faith and ask for His guidance. Faith overcomes fear of uncertainties.

“When you are encountering a new risk in your life—‘I am getting a lesser pay’ or ‘I am not sure if this journey would be successful’—when you have question mark upon question mark, know that the Holy Spirit is always with you and He will send the conviction into your heart,” said Rev Looi.

Also, although the sight of the angel Gabriel initially disturbed Mary, Mary found comfort in the angel’s words. How can she easily accept and believe the message? That is because Mary walked closely with God. Hence, if we want to move in faith amidst risky situations, faith needs to be first built on an intimate and ongoing relationship with God.

Ref: uf.daum

Lastly, sometimes, we wondered if God’s favor is still upon us when we had to move in faith in a particularly risky situation. When the angel told Mary about what God was about to do in her life, he first addressed Mary as ‘highly favored.’ Likewise, when God ask us to move in faith as well in risky situations, we are actually ‘highly favored’ as well. This is because God is about to do a miracle in your life! You are about to be a miracle-giver!

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank. (Prov 22:29)

Pray to God for faith that overcomes fear, so that you and I can be miracle-givers to others.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb 11:6)

Rev Looi Kok Kim with the worship team

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23 Dec 2014 by Kim Yung CM-

When a time of suffering occurs, people often feel like they are being cut off from the good. At times, it is difficult to define suffering and the connection to suffering, while at other times we may believe that the reason for our suffering is due to our circumstances.

Often people place questions to God about its cause, and frequently reach the point of denying Him when they are unable to discover its reason. Edmund Chan graced Faith Oasis Fellowship on the 13^th of December, where he preached to the congregation on suffering. He began by citing the verses below, which emphasized on focusing on the Lord no matter what we may face.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory^[a] and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” (1Peter 4:12-19)

¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Ref: unveiledwife

People believe that circumstances would change if they get their act right. Nonetheless, many people forget that God wants us to become mature and stable in our faith so that we may act right even when none of our circumstances are good. We may want to use our faith to get rid of a problem. But sometimes God’s plan is for us to exercise a higher level of faith that will carry us through life’s challenges. This requires even greater faith than being delivered from a situation, a faith that only comes from the understanding of suffering.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)

Ref: tworiversblog

“If you do not suffer for the Lord, then you will never be able to know why God asked us to carry the cross in our day to day lives,” he shared. We need to continue to focus on the Lord. “As you set your love upon Him, He will honour you and deliver you. He will set you high because you have known His name and when you call upon Him, He will answer you,” shared Edmund.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (Hosea 4:6)

Ref: pinim

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:33)

First of all, people often fall stray when they are not equipped with the Word of God to help them, for the knowledge hidden in the Bible has already given us the knowledge of what we need to know to get through this life before we are able to move on to the next. Subsequently, when we get to know the Word of God, it is important to be obedient to it and use it to our advantage in our daily lives. “God is merciful, He does not want to punish us because God is love but God is just. Therefore, He must punish our sin,” shared Edmund.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Then, there are other reasons for suffering such as the test of faith and the need to encourage others from our testimonies that we share. In this case, without suffering, we would not be able to understand the conveyance of the Word of God. Compassion is born out of experiencing similar problems.

God’s deliverance through our trials better equips us to minister to others. There is a certain comfort from knowing that our pain is never wasted; it brings about compassion that reaches out to other hurting people. It encourages them to step out into action. Therefore, it is important to have the Word of God within you so that you shall not grow weary but become the person that God has always intended you to be in the eyes of the world.

Ref: relaxandsucceed

 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

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24 Dec 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

Rev George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilisation (OM), graced Glad Tidings Petaling Jaya on 14^th of December with his fervor and upbeat.

“What a privilege to be back in this church, which I have prayed for many decades! We thank the Lord for his work in our midst,” said Rev George as he continued to share the life nuggets in his life.

While we think the world is increasingly degrading, Rev George shared that the world has not changed much since Cain killed Abel. In our century, we see segregation, slavery, and crime. But what stands true is the Light of Christ has rapidly travelled across ten of millions around the world!

“There are 40,000 different denominations today. Each feels they are the best. God is a God of enormous variety. He wants different cultures, languages, and races,” said Rev George, whose world-map-jacket reverberated with his conviction.

Ref: academic

“Anyone who wants to do anything gets criticized. The most criticized Christian I know is Billy Graham, one who is said to be the anti-Christ. So, if you want to live for Jesus and you want to be a radical disciple of Jesus, get ready for criticism,” said Rev George.

He recalled how God showed him that he would have a ship for the worldwide ministry. At that time, they reached the people by hundreds of vehicles crisscrossing around the world. The idea was too farfetched to believe. But God did what He said! OM had their first ship, LOGOS, within three years after his vision, followed by DOULOS, and then replaced with LOGOS 2 and now Logos Hope (a 12-thousand ton ship with 400 people living inside).

“But guess what? We need more people. Some of you here are looking just bored. But I tell you, if you join the Logos Hope, you will not be tired. Spend time in the engine room, especially when there’s a fire. Or when you get a storm, that’s why people don’t join. Jesus never promised an easy road,” said Rev George.

Ref: bernews

More than 200,000 people have volunteered for OM.  It started with a lady who prayed. When God does His Work, He raises up men and women of prayer!

May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face shine on us—

so that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you rule the peoples with equity

and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

The land yields its harvest;

God, our God, blesses us.

May God bless us still,

so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

(Psalm 67 NIV)

The psalms encapsulated all the nations on the earth. Rev George stopped in his sermon to pray for the nations of the world including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, southern Sudan, northern Nigeria, Tunisia, Maldives, Morocco, and Turkey.

“There are about 40 nations that have less than five percent of the amount of witnesses of Christ, less than what we have in Malaysia. I want you to make a commitment tonight to pray for the workers that are needed, especially for some of those nations we prayed for,” said Rev George quoting Matt 9:35-38.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matt 9:35-38 NIV)

Ref: carolvanderwoudern

At only 18 years old, Rev George was touched by the Lord and became a missionary to share the gospel in Mexico. Exposed to 50 different mission agencies at that time, he thought that starting another mission agency was unnecessary. But upon talking to esteemed missionaries, he realized that a large part of the world was left out. He started mobilizing young people to reach the world and OM began. In the year of 1962 and 1963, they reached 25 million people in two summers in the whole Western Europe.

But unlike many spiritual giants, Rev George shared he did not have any spiritual legacy. His grandfather was an atheist. His other grandfather was an alcoholic. Nevertheless, Rev George had a delightful childhood. Although his father was not a believer, he loved George and held on to strong family values.

“So, I was doing fine until this Holy Ghost interfered in my life! A woman of prayer who lived across the road from my school … This woman got my name. And she put my name in the Holy Ghost hit list. She prayed that not only I will become a Christian, she prayed that I will be an ambassador of Jesus,” said Rev George.

Ref: salemwebnetwork

At that time, pornography came into Rev George’s life that shook him. But this lady with many people continued praying. God sent Billy Graham to New York. Having mistaken Graham as a hypnotist and getting a free bus seat from a businessman right into the heart of the city, he went to the event with a girl.

“And I heard the gospel. I didn’t understand but I trusted that Jesus as my savior. So, I took my first step, that baby step. I went forward to all those people. And then I began to leap as the Holy Spirit broke me. God began to show me there’s a whole new way of life on a totally different level,” said Rev George.

Thinking back, he struggled in his fear of leaving his newfound faith, hearing stories of people leaving but returning to their faith later in life. But due to God’s grace, he never left and had the joy of seeing thousands of people returning to Christ from the midst of lukewarmness, wavering, and secret sins.

“Operation Mobilisation was not first born as a missions movement. OM was born as a revival movement, quickening people out of lukewarmness, quickening people out of churchianity, and youth fellowships into radical discipleship,” said Rev George.

Ref: blogspot

Jesus said:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24 NIV) How do we deal with our time, money, sexual emotions, and romance emotions?

Paul says, “…but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.” (1 Cor 9:27) We are called to be discipline with our prayer, food, emotions, and the way we think.

The greatest challenge for Rev George is the sin of lust when he fell into the world of pornography. Although he accepted Christ during Billy Graham’s evangelical event, he still had many struggles.

“So, if you’re a Christian and you have a lot of struggles, it’s normal. I didn’t know that there were so many rules. Dancing is my favorite thing. I was from the day of Elvis Presley, dancing is in my bloodstream.

“If I can’t find a girl, I will dance with the broom sometimes or three girls at once. I once met a Christian who said, ‘You are not allowed to dance with anyone anymore.’ It’s a miracle I ever made through the jungle of legalism. And at the same time, of course, I grew in God’s grace,” said Rev George.

Ref: blogspot

With an interest in romance, Rev George decided to quit casual dating and focus on Jesus alone. He went to Mexico and studied Spanish. Completing the Bible, he understood the meaning of relationship and leadership at only 18 years old. The verse he held on to was, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33)

“That’s what I got to do with all these whole deal of romance, and who I am going to marry, I just gave it to God. So, for two years, no kissing!” said Rev George.

He went to Moody Bible Institute where he met many beautiful girls there.

“How am I going to survive this place? But a lot of them are carrying really huge Bibles, so if you try to kiss them, you get a New King James Version on your head! I didn’t kiss any girl there. I was just serving Jesus and evangelizing of course,” joked Rev George to the roar of laughter from the audience.

But God provided Rev George his wife—a beautiful and quiet woman in charge of an evangelistic film. Rev George fell in love at first sight with his wife, while she took some time to warm up to her extroverted and assertive beau. After much prayer, his wife agreed to marry him, even agreeing to sleep on the floor of a bookstore after marriage instead of an apartment. She sold all her possessions and gave it all for world missions.

Ref: georgeverwer

However, they underwent a difficult time in the beginning of their marriage.

“We discover we didn’t know each other. And we began to have lots of difficulties and problems but we kept going back into the Word of God. We kept praying. God used one book to expose my ego and my impatience,” said Rev George who realized at that time his ego was cloaked in zeal for the ministry.

“God revolutionized my life in Mexico City by the power of the Holy Spirit,” he added referring to Gal 5:22-26 and 1 Cor 13.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Gal 5:22-26)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor 13:4-7)

“That’s why in one month’s time, my wife and I have 55 years of Holy Ghost matrimony. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you,” said Rev George.

“Mine is a ministry of exhortation, to get people from the head to the heart. We want to urge you to be radical for Jesus. We want to urge you not to seek for the next blessing or the next help you’re asking God for but to seek His Glory. Be willing even to lay down your life.

“But more than anything else, I just want to say God wants to use you. I am just an example of how God can take someone—nothing spiritual, struggling in his faith, even in the area of doubt—and yet somehow, God is able to use me,” said Rev George.

Ref: beforethecross

He candidly shared how he fell into lust even in a Christian leadership position. Seeing a free pornographic magazine, the mighty fell.

“I fell big time into lust. But I knew from the Bible—I memorized large chunks of it, which has been built into my DNA—I felt condemned, I felt dirty, I felt God can never use me again. I felt that I should quit this whole Christian thing and go back to the time before Billy Graham.

“But because of the message of radical grace, I know that Jesus still loves me. In the rest of my life, I experienced a higher victory of what could have destroyed me. God’s love, take it deep into your DNA whenever you have difficulty and whenever you are hurt,” said Rev George.

Ref: kingdavid

He shared how his wife was deeply hurt by her stepfather. And although she accepted Christ, part of her wounds was unhealed. And as a young fiancée, Rev George felt that he could not meet her emotional needs. He was busy reaching out in Mexico City and studying in the university at the same time. So, he made a disastrous decision to leave his fiancée to study Spanish alone in Mexico City, a frightening experience for a fairly shy girl. But while she took a bus alone from Mexico City, she heard this message from God, “The all-sufficiency of Jesus, in Him, are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” She fell asleep in the bus and woke up freed from all her illnesses of fears and insecurities. From then on, she left United States six months from that point onwards and never looked back ever since.

“This is a woman with a difficult childhood—hurt, father killed. And God brought her and me together. I am this happy-go-lucky New Yorker, pain in the neck person. But by God’s grace, we have three children and five grandchildren.

“We are so privileged. I want to urge you to give Jesus your all, one hundred percent. Be willing to go anywhere even though you are kicking and screaming. When you get there, somehow you will discover the grace of God,” said Rev George.

Ref: myofferingtoyou

Are you willing to trust God in giving one year of your life in serving him in the ship?

“The ship is not a perfect environment. In fact, it’s the imperfections that teach us more about reality because that’s how life is. Thousands upon thousands have joined the ship and I met them everywhere I go.” The years he and family were on the ship was one of their highlights in their whole life.

“God, help us to go where you want us to go and to do what you want us to do. Pray that verse in Isaiah 6, ‘Here am I. send me!’” said Rev George.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa 6:8)

For more information about OM you can contact:

Mobilisation Fellowship (M) Bhd

356 Block A, Kelana Centre Point, 3 Jalan

SS7/19, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,

MALAYSIA

Email: info.my@om.org

Telephone: 03-7803 5303

Fax: 03-7803 5456

www.om.orgFax: 03-7803 5456

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25 Dec 2014 by Jason Law CM -

Today, when you go to shopping centers, you would inevitably see prominently-placed placards about sales. In the decorations, you would see images of elves, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, but not a single sign of Christ the Redeemer. Much of the real significance of Christmas is gone from popular culture. Amidst an increasingly commercialized and cynical celebration of the season, it is inspiring to see businessmen unashamedly proclaiming the real reason for Christmas publicly.

Last Saturday, 20^th of December 2014, men from the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship (FGB) were invited and came together to share about the love of Christ through carols. They had 2 hour-long sessions, first in Lot 10, and then in Shook! Starhill Gallery.

At Lot 10.

A total of 14 songs were sung, all centering around the birth of Jesus Christ and the redemption plan for mankind 2000 years ago. The songs were carefully chosen so as to avoid the commercialistic connotation of Christmas in order to bring out fully its sacred significance.

The sessions started on a jubilant note with Joy to the World, progressing on lively songs like Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Go Tell It on the Mountain, and Angels We Have Heard on High.  Three songs were sung in solo and towards the end the group sang Silent Night in the simple way the song was meant for; acapella.

At Starhill Gallery.

All three songs that were sung solo (Mary Did You Know?, You Raise Me Up, When A Child Is Born) were picked by their singers because of the songs’ special meaning for each of them. Brother Ramesh, who is the son of Reverend Jai Kumar, shared his testimony before presenting You Raise Me Up.

‘For the longest time, I couldn’t understand when people referred to God as a ‘father’. To me, He was this distant and almighty individual; He was God in this stereotypical sense. I struggled to understand God as a father. Then, one day, an hour before I had to go for work, God moved me in my spirit and I finally understood Him for who He was.

Brother Ramesh sharing his testimony.

‘The Catholics have this prayer ‘Our Father in Heaven’. God is exactly like that; He is present in every part of our lives and He is always concerned about us, just like how my father loves me and the fathers of others love their children. Our God is personal and He raises us up,’ Ramesh shared. Many other brothers told their testimonies of how God had covered them with His protection and providence upon their lives, holding placards to share their stories.

A brother sharing his testimony through a placard.

Tourists, as well as people from multiple faiths stopped and listened to the carols. Many clapped along with the singers and some took photos to share with their friends. The other songs sung were Rivers of Babylon, What Child Is This, The Little Drummer Boy, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, and Felix Navidad.

Dr Henry Ng leading the choir.

Dr Henry Ng, the choirmaster for the event, believes that music has the power to touch the soul and bless others. ‘In our own little ways, we hope that what we do today will bless listeners, not just in enjoying the songs but in bringing hope and love to those who are in search of them,’ he shared during the sessions.

The carollers from FGB.

The caroling sessions has been a tradition for the men of FGB, going back several years. In their own ways, they are playing an important role in sharing and proclaiming the real reason why Christians celebrate Christmas; that it is not about the presents or good food, but about something that is infinitely more precious and valuable.

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4 Jan 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

With the recent disasters and GST coming this year, times are getting tougher. Rev John Kok shared a timely message on 4^th of January at Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church (KLBC), based on Matthew 6:25-34.

During challenging times, we need to go back to the basics, which is reading the Word of God! And the Bible can be used for the past, present, and future, because this book has an unchanging and reliable message. 

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus repeated the word ‘do not worry’ three times because we tend to be forgetful and we need to be constantly reminded. 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (Matt 6:25)

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (Matt 6:31)

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34)

The Singing Ambassadors of KLBC presenting a gospel song

We worry all the time. We worry about our job, our spouse, our children, and recently, the safety of air flights for our families and for ourselves. This is because our priorities are wrong. We place other things in life above God.

But the Bible tells us not to worry about our daily needs—what we will eat and drink, and what to wear. 

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matt 6:25-26)

To put it simply, do not let anything in this life consume you more than God. This is because worrying brings us nowhere and changes nothing.

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matt 6:27)

Rev John Kok preaching the Word

Also, if God feeds the birds that do not store in barns and clothes the lilies that do not toil or spin, will He not feed us and clothe us also?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? (Matt 6:28-30)

Can we stop worrying? God would not put on us more than we can bear. We know the Scripture so well but we have to start living them out. God knows what we need and He promised in His Word to provide. The key to stop worrying is to seek first the Kingdom of God, and God will do his part in providing for our needs.

The Singing Ambassadors of KLBC worshiping the Lord

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt 6:31-33)

The word ‘seek’ means to go after, to strive after, to pursue, to long for, to endure, and to get. Now, what do we seek for? Do we seek for high-quality things, better lifestyles, bigger houses, better cars, or a newer version of cell phone? Our Christian life should not be preoccupied with all these things.

Jesus said seek Him first, not after we get all the material wealth, and certainly not seek Him last. But often times, we are more concerned with what others say than what God says about us and what He wants us to be. 

It’s only when we spend time reading the Word of God that we have the right perspective in life. Do you set aside time reading and praying? You may think you have no time for God. But if you can spare ten minutes reading your Facebook, playing your cellphone games, and taking selfies, you can also find time to read His Word.

Rev John Kok preaching on having a better tomorrow by first seeking God’s Kingdom

We need to put God first in all the choices we have. Making no decisions would only mean leaving God out! God has already promised in His Word that He will provide our needs if we seek first His Kingdom. (Matt 6:31-33) Do not worry. Worry will only steal your joy, contentment, and health away. Worry exhibits our lack of trust in God.

Hence, the message for the New Year is to stop worrying and to start putting God first above everything in your life.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

(Prov 3:5-6)

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7 Jan 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

On 3^rd of January, Acts Global Networking (AGN) and Church of Acts threw an outdoor Christmas party for 1500 children at Padang Bolasepak, Kawasan A, Jinjang Utara, Kuala Lumpur. 

Built on the city’s rubbish dump, Jinjang Utara is littered with dilapidated rumah transits that are currently housing 2000 families. They have waited for 40 years now to relocate to their new residence under Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR), 38 years later than the promised duration.

Children having fun in the party

The integrity of the rumah transits is questionable because they were not built to last. This poses a safety hazard for the family staying under the roof, which has now grown over the years to include three generations with an average of ten people per family cramped in a 480-square-feet space. 

YB Chua Tian Chang, invited guest for the Christmas party, stressed that the compromised infrastructure of the transit houses calls for immediate attention from the authorities to build new transit houses and the construction of PPR with a recreational space for children.

The children in Jinjang Utara have been growing up in a hostile and abusive environment. Some were even abandoned by their parents. Pastor Mary Ramamoothy of Church of Acts had been to police stations numerous times to counsel victims of Jinjang Utara for cases of murder, theft, and rape.

From right to left: YB Hannah Yeoh, Dato’ Chua Jui Meng, YB Chua Tian Chang, and Rev Raymond Mooi

Realizing the plight of the children, AGN and Church of Acts started and have been running a weekly Sunday school for the past 14 years to instill moral values in children and to encourage them to aim high for ambition. Over 100 children came every week, with some of them even completing their college education through sponsorship by Life College.

Besides Sunday school, AGN and Church of Acts would also make weekly home visits to know each family’s respective needs. For the past 14 years, AGN has been fund-raising to support the Jinjang Utara families’ needs including food and education (canned food, school bus fees, etc). Children as young as 3-4 years old are often deprived of food for many days and survive on occasional leftovers offered by some kind neighbours. 

Clowning act for the children of the Christmas Party

Rev Raymond Mooi, founder of AGN & Senior Pastor of HIS Church recalled one of his early memories of visiting one rumah transit. In one particular home, he was shocked to learn that a boy had sores on his body due to sleeping with his family and sore-infested dog on the same filthy, smelly and ruined mattress. After attending the Sunday school, the boy stopped lying, which impressed his parents so much that they wanted to come to church. And this is only one of the life-changing stories that happened. It is because of these changed children’s lives, which resulted in the birth of the Church of Acts, serving this community since 2002.

However, Rev Raymond Mooi shared that the crime rate has recently risen in Jinjang Utara, with a seeming revival of the underworld activities targeting children for recruitment. Hence, a youth center needs to be urgently instituted to cater for a safe and healthy environment for youths to spend time, learn, and receive counseling during critical periods.

The children receiving their Christmas gifts

While AGN, Church of Acts, and HIS church have the manpower that would wholeheartedly serve, they looked forward to accepting funds from the public and government alike. 

YB Hannah Yeoh, honorary guest for the Christmas party, agreed with Rev Raymond, saying that more programs should be developed with the non-governmental organizations (NGO) targeting children in low-cost area to curb social ills before they grow.

The volunteers of the event handing out food

The Christmas party was packed with exciting games, performances, Christmas skits, clowning, magic tricks, festive gift for every child and a Christmas draw. A school bag was donated to each child together with food and gift items totaling to over RM50 per child. YB Chua Tian Chang, YB Hannah Yeoh and Dato’ Chua Jui Meng were the invited guests of the party.

ABOUT AGN: ACTS Global Networking (AGN) is a non-profit organisation mainly focusing on education and social concern activities. One of the community activities that it has been involved in over the past fourteen years is its “street ministry” where the organisation reaches out and helps the hurting and neglected children and youth in Jinjang. AGN has been extending support, counselling and meeting the material needs of this needful community for over fourteen years.

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9 Jan 2015 by Jason Law CM -

Just a few days ago, on the 5^th/6^th of January, the recent Christmas season came to an end. As a matter of fact, the last day of Christmas is an important day of commemoration for many traditional churches throughout the world. It marks an event known as the Epiphany, in which the churches remember the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ.

I won’t go too much into that, beyond recommending readers to find out more if they are interested, but the crux is that Christmas has a meaning that go beyond 25^th December every year, and in fact, its themes last throughout all year and into eternity.

The reason behind Christmas is more significant than the celebration itself.  It is timeless, universal in that it crosses all cultural and national boundaries, and yet at the same time, it is personal in that it means something special, in its own way, to every person. Last Christmas, the Japanese Church in Malaysia Agape (JCM Agape Network) celebrated the season in an intimate yet meaningful way.

When we talk about celebrating something that is timeless, universal, and yet personal, what better way than to do so through something that shares identical qualities? Few other things can equal these in the same way as music.

Music is a central component in the expression of every culture. It is timeless in that it has existed since the dawn of human history. Its diversity and variability is an apparent mark of music’s ability to speak personally to every person. If we look deeper into music, we also find it having an ability to help Christians utter their spiritual and emotional relationship to God.

The pastor of JCM Agape Network, Pastor Mayumi Yamazaki, has a gift for music and their Christmas celebration was multi-faceted. The celebration opened through a wonderful harmonica performance by the Harmonica Touch. Three different types of harmonica were used, including soprano, alto, and the seldom-seen bass harmonica, and the flexibility of the instruments were showcased through the three main areas of music; classical, popular, and sacred.

Throughout the night, there were also other musical presentations including the saxophone and a violin-cello duet. Three solo songs were presented: ‘What Child Is This?’ by Brother John Chong; ‘Joseph’s Song’ written by Michael Card to express the emotions of Joseph as Jesus’s earthly father, presented by Brother Ron Koh; and ‘You Are The Reason’ by Brother Caleb Ee.

One of the highlight of the celebration was JCM Agape Network’s well-known Hallelujah Singers’ presentation of Christmas carols in English and Japanese. A Gospel group known as the Gospel 11 rendered other carols in lively Gospel form.

Another highlight was a hula dance presentation by Madam Tomoko One and her team. The hula is a complex art form, and in its original nature, the movements were designed to signify aspects of nature, such as the swaying of a tree in the breeze or a wave in the ocean, or a feeling or emotion, such as fondness or yearning. Madam Tomoko and her team adapted the dance form to celebrate the visible signature of God’s handiwork in nature and the emotional-spiritual aspects of the Christian life.

A testimony was shared by Dr Noel Francis Thomas of God’s divine intervention and how He had providentially guided and arranged Dr Noel’s steps since decades ago, until today where he is an important member of the chemistry faculty in Universiti Malaya.

Pastor Mayumi herself presented solo renditions; ‘Mary Did You Know?’ and a Japanese translation of the Hebrew song, ‘The Hope’. In her message, Pastor Mayumi shared about the miraculous nature of Christmas as a momentous event that only happened once in our human history. She shared that many people attempt to disprove the Virginal Birth of Jesus through the use of natural laws, but by focusing on the commonplace laws of nature, they are missing the point. The power of Christmas is in its nature as a miraculous event.

Three timeless aspects to the meaning of Christmas were shared; Hope, Unity/Solidarity, and Reunion. The fact that God loves us so much, that He made the ultimate sacrifice by coming down to Earth, and living among us as a human, brings hope to the lonely and hurting of the world. Reflecting on this, Pastor Mayumi also gave thanks that God is working among the Japanese.

She shared that for a long time, the Japanese were known as a hard ground for the Gospel message. Today, however, many Japanese are returning to God through a medium that is ever-present in their culture. For many years, Japanese children were taught songs without fully understanding the meaning in them. It is by the Spiritual understanding of the lyrics in them that many Japanese have found God communicating. Pastor Mayumi gave thanks that God did not just select a specific group of people for salvation, but that He had made that salvation available to every person across the world. God is calling His people to return to Him.

During the celebration at JCM Agape Network, there were believers from many nations. This reflects the fulfillment of the promise proclaimed during Christmas about God’s peace and the brother- and sisterhood of Christ’s followers. Pastor Mayumi imparted that this is something that Christians must cherish and continue to work towards. The celebration ended with the whole church intentionally coming together as one body in Christ.

Christmas may be celebrated once per year but its meaning/significance lasts year round. We are used to looking backwards at Christmas as something in the past, but what God set into motion on that day 2000 years ago points to the future. God is bringing the work He started 2000 years ago to a triumphant finish.

NOTE: All pictures kindly contributed by JCM Agape Network Church. 

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10 January 2014 by Adeline Lum CM-

On 6^th of January, Rev Andy Xuan Bach Tran—ordained and licensed as an Evangelist by Heather Wood Baptist Church at Genesis Vietnamese Mission in Georgia, United States—came to share the Word of God in the FGB Ebenezer Chapter led by Steven Toh.

His first mission trip to Malaysia in 2008 started his journey to minister in Southeast Asia, where the Lord Jesus recently used Rev Andy to save 10,000 souls in Myanmar!

In the meeting, Rev Andy proceeded to heal the attendees of the FGB in the name of Jesus Christ including shoulder pain, chest pain, knee pain, headache, sinus, sore throat, skin problems, flatulence, gastric, food allergy, slip disc, and gout.

After the healing, we had the opportunity to ask Rev Andy hard questions about healing by God.

Rev Andy sharing about his healing ministry

#1 Why God does not heal everyone?

Rev Andy shared that some people die because it’s his or her time. This is because ultimately, God decides the days of our life. (Job 14:5)

A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. (Job 14:5)

But in our faith, death takes on a new perspective because death means reuniting with God in Heaven without pain and suffering.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Rev 21:4)

Ref: universal-link-888

Rev Andy shared how a widow blamed God for taking her husband who died of brain cancer away. But when she was reminded that her husband would cease to suffer in Heaven, her bitterness turned into joy and thankfulness.

#2 Why do some people take longer to heal than others?

Healing comes from our faith in God. Some people have more faith in God, which allows an immediate healing to take place.

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. (Matt 9:22)

But some people needed a few times of healing in one session, for a complete healing to take place. Often, God would take the first step to increase our faith by reducing our pain for our first attempt. As our faith in Him rise, He will complete His work of healing in us.

Nevertheless, a complete lack of faith on the other hand hinders God from working in you.

And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. (Matt 13:57-58)

A FGB attendee sharing a testimony of God’s goodness to her

#3 Why do we need to confess our sins to God before He heals us?

Amidst the sins, Rev Andy shared that bitterness is often one of the most tenacious sins hidden in our heart. We refuse to forgive those who offended or hurt us.

But Scripture tells us that if we do not forgive others for their sins, our Father will not forgive our sins as well. (Matt 6:15)

But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matt 6:15)

However, if we confess our sins of bitterness to the Lord, God will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) And thus, there will be no hindrance for God to heal us. (James 5:14-16)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:14-16)

Rev Andy shared that to love God involves loving everything and everyone that God loves. Akin to loving our wife or girlfriend, we love everything and everyone she loves including her food, her parents, her siblings, and her activities. To love like God is to love unconditionally.

Rev Andy (2nd from right) healing an attendee of the FGB Ebenezer Chapter

In John 21, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” In the English text, it was ‘love’ in all of the questions. But in Greek, Jesus meant agape for the first and second question. Agape means unconditional love, to which Peter replied, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” In this case, he meant phileo in Greek, which means brotherhood type of love. But when Jesus asked Peter for the third time, “Do you love me?” He used the Greek word phileo. Peter replied the same way he did for the first two questions. This shows how Jesus was attempting to stretch Peter from phileo to agape, which is necessary for him to lead God’s people in the future.

Ref: freebibleimages http://www.freebibleimages.org/storydata/photos/FB_Jesus_Questions_Peter/overview_images/001-jesus-questions-peter.jpg?1362685627

To put it simply, if we want to lead in God’s Kingdom, we need to practice God’s agape type of love—that unconditional love for everyone including people we dislike or hate.

Rev Andy shared that looking at a person from God’s perspective brought God’s love into his heart. He realized that the person has yet to know Christ or has not fully understood the love of God for his or her life. Empathy saturated his heart.

Jesus said to His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:5-6)

Lastly, Rev Andy shared the bible verse, which his healing ministry is founded on. (Mark 16:17-18)

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mark 16:17-18)

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11 Jan 2015 by Jason Law CM -

2014 was not a good year for Malaysia. There were three airplane disasters within a single year, a huge flood that displaced thousands and even took lives, and an escalating tension in the air. It is not a strange thing that many Malaysians did not greet this year with joy but rather with somberness. Amidst such situations, how are Christians supposed to approach issues in their daily live?

Recognizing the importance of addressing this issue, Pastor Aris Siew from Praise City Cheras has taken the initiative to address the subject of fearlessness in a series that will cover this month and the next. Chaos is inseparable from issues such as this, and Pastor Aris communicated that this fact should not be sugarcoated.

Pastor Aris Siew (left) and Tamil Language translator.

Chaos is, in fact, part of daily life of which no one is exempted including Christians. We only need to look at what is happening around the world to know this. In John 16, Jesus foretold the coming event of the scattering of the disciples. In verse 33, He tells them that on this earth, there will be trials and sorrow. For every disciple of Christ, this is something that is very real and when it comes, these trials must be faced.

A classic example in Old Testament days was the story of Job. Job was a man who loved God and walked rightly with him. Nevertheless, in his story we find that overnight he lost all his possessions, and one day when all his children were in the house, the roof collapsed and killed them all. This is a level of trial that few of us would fully understand.

Ref: biblestudyoutlines

Yet despite his difficult circumstances, he did not curse God, but only the day of his birth. And although he anguished over his plight, he stopped short of accusing God of injustice. In Job 1:21, he said something that showed the faithfulness of this man of God: ’Naked I came, naked I will depart. The Lord had given and the Lord had taken away, yet the name of the Lord be praised’.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, we are reminded that God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-discipline. How do we as Christians attain this kind of courage and peace even amidst the most challenging times? Pastor Aris shared that there are 4 things within the passage of Matthew 14 that will help us.

Ref: knowingjesus

Matthew 14:22-36 is the famous passage of Jesus’ walk on water and it is also one of the best illustrations of the nature of faith in the Bible. First of all, Pastor Aris highlighted, is the importance of prayer as shown by Jesus in verse 23. This was just after the feeding of the five thousand, but Jesus did not retire to rest but instead withdrew to a quiet place in order to pray. If Jesus prayed, how much more do we need to do so? Prayer is what connects us to God. It is through prayer that we communicate with Him and the only secure place is with Him.

The first thing that we can learn from the passage of Matthew 14:22-36 is how to stay calm and confident during chaos. Pastor Aris shared that fear has an intransigent nature and has a persistent power. Despite that, when the time comes to deal with it, the best way to do so is with a calm mind and with the faith and trust that God is with us no matter what we may go through.

The first step towards losing the battle is by losing control of our feelings or thoughts. The disciples allowed the surrounding chaotic environment – the night sky, the tossing waves, the heavy wind, etc – and the vision of Jesus’ walking on water to shape their minds. Instantly, Jesus responded in compassion to reassure the disciples.

Ref: wikimedia

Yet not all the disciples reacted in the same way, and Peter’s response is one of the most notable acts in the New Testament, all the more so when we remember that he was not in a controlled environment. The disciples were right in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and the storm-tossed waves and heavy wind were very real. Peter replied, ‘Lord, if it’s you, tell me to walk on the water’. Jesus gave the call, and Peter started to walk on water.

Pastor Aris shared that often, the way to handle chaos in our life is to think out of the box during such times. We must learn how to ask God for strength and wisdom, get out of the boat, and try something we have never tried before in faith. For a time, Peter did what was impossible to the human mind.

Ref: gbcdecatur

Peter continued to walk on water so long as he focused and centered his sight on Jesus. The moment he took his sight away from Jesus, he saw the waves around him, panic started to set in his spirit, and he started to sink like a rock. Peter only started to sink when he lost sight of Jesus. This is the third thing we can learn from this passage: the importance of staying fixed on Jesus. We must be constant and consistent in our walk and relationship with Him.

Lastly, and an important lesson we can learn from this passage is to be covered by the Lord and carried by Him. The moment Peter started to call for help, Jesus instantly reached out and pulled him from the water. Jesus’ immediate response is a visible sign of God’s heart of compassion for His people. God is ever faithful and if we are true children of God, we must be faithful and steadfast with God.    

Ref: googleuser

Matthew 7: 24-29 tells us the story of the wise and foolish builder. If we want our foundations to be strong when the hard waves hit, we must build them on a solid rock. Especially during times of chaos, we must stay faithful and near to God.

Worship at Praise City KL.

NOTE: Praise City’s ‘Fearless’ series will cover 7 more areas of challenges to faith: Fearless of Hard Work (11 Jan), Fearless of Hardships (18 Jan), Fearless of Man (25 Jan), Fearless of Final Moments (1 Feb), Fearless in Prayer (8 Feb), Fearless of Spiritual Powers (15 Feb), and Fearless to Love (22 Feb).

To find out more about the church, you can visit the church website at http://praisecitykl.com/ or their Facebook page at /Praise-City-Church-Kuala-Lumpur/

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15 Jan 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

On 11^th of January, Rev Lau Tong Hoong preached at the 9^th Mile Cheras Lutheran Church on the significance of baptism.

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

(Matt 3:15 KJV)

Although Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He chose to be baptized by John the Baptist. (Matt 3:13-15). This is odd because according to the universal compass of righteousness, Jesus should baptize John (Bengal Gnomen’s commentary).

On a side note, it is noteworthy to point out the propriety of Jesus towards John’s scruples from his answers. Jesus used the word ‘suffer’, which means permit. His answer to John’s attempt to defer His baptism is ‘gentle, respectful, dignified, simple, yet deep, deferential, half-yielding, yet strong in its very gentleness.’ (Expositor’s Greek Testament) Perhaps, we can all learn from Jesus’ propriety and humility.

So, why did Jesus choose to be baptized by John? The phrase “all righteousness” here is the same as ‘a righteous institution’ or ‘appointment.’ Jesus was about to enter his great ministry. Hence, it is proper that Jesus ‘submitted to the ordinance of baptism’ in humility, so that every area of His life would be a living testament for all His disciples to follow. (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible) His baptism is ‘not a matter of absolute necessity, nor of absolute duty, but of moral fitness.’ (The Pulpit Commentary)

The worship team

Jesus chose to be baptized as a symbolical act of the older people blessing the representative of the coming age, like how Melchizedek blessed Abraham. (The Pulpit Commentary) What coming age is Jesus symbolizing? Rev Lau shared that through His baptism, Jesus is representing the ending of the age of prophets and the coming of the New Testament age.

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

(Matt 3:16 KJV)

A church attendee sharing the significant moment of his life, which is knowing Jesus and his wife

In the baptism, a Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove, a picture of what believers-in-Christ would receive when they believe in Him.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

(Acts 2:2-4 KJV)

A church attendee sharing about the goodness of God

Jesus’ baptism also manifested the picture of the Sacred Trinity in our world: we have Jesus Christ the son, the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove and the Father in Heaven approbating Jesus Christ as His Son.

This baptism also happens in order that God can publicly affirm Jesus’ position as the Son of God. Likewise, through baptism, we publicly affirm to others that we are God’s children.

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

(Matt 3:17 KJV)

A church attendee sharing her significant point in life

Lastly, the baptism is a significant event to mark Jesus’ beginning of His ministry. Through our baptism as well, we are given the ministry of reconciliation from God to the world.

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(2 Cor 5:17-21 KJV)

The congregation rising in prayer

In conclusion, because Jesus went through baptism Himself, it is reasonable to render this act as important in our Christian faith following our confession.

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16 Jan 2015 by Jason Law CM -

We often hear that as Christians, one of the great privileges we have is in making an impact for the Lord. Impact mostly comes from influence, which can be made either through force or through wisdom. Influence in turn can be made in one of seven mountains (arts and entertainment, business, education, family, government, media, and religion).

For Christians, we recognize that influence ultimately comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. Ideally, the Holy Spirit must prevail on every one of these mountains, and some Christians have roles in more than one mountain. Recently, last Sunday in Glad Tidings PJ, Reggie Lee released his new film ‘Elephant in the Church’ to great anticipation. Who is Reggie Lee and what is so special about his films?

The Lauching of ‘Elephant in the Church’ at Glad Tidings PJ.

Reggie Lee is a former chef, born in Penang but now living in London, also now serving in a wider capacity for the Lord. At the end of this year he plans to launch a cookbook, but already for ten years, Reggie has been itinerant, traveling from church to church, city to city, country to country, to teach, preach, evangelise, and responding to whatever the Lord has called him to do.

An area of expertise for Reggie is the Book of Revelations, and he has himself written three books to date. It is through his movies, however, that he will be instantly recognizable to many people, including non-Christians. In 2010, he released the movie ‘Who are the Chinese?’.     

Reggie Lee – Pastor, Chef, and Filmmaker    

Pastor Reggie Lee.

During the launch of his latest film, Reggie shared that he considers himself foremost either as a pastor or a chef, not a filmmaker, and there were challenges in the early stages of his filmmaking career. Firstly, he needed money and he had no such large amount of money. Secondly, he needed to write a script and he did not know how to do so. Thirdly, he needed a large team consisting of a wide variety of professions including a logistics manager and a director.  

Reggie, however, knew how to trust the Lord and the Lord has led him on a miraculous and providential journey of discovery in this area of his life. When there were challenges in finances, God would send people who voluntarily sponsored the sum necessary. LiveWire! Media Sdn Bhd came along to help produce and make his films possible. Reggie shared many testimonies of how God has blessed and guided him through their making.

Pastor Reggie Lee sharing his story behind his film ‘Who Are The Chinese?’

The film ‘Who Are the Chinese?’ traces the roots of the Chinese people and presents evidence that we are the people of God, something which is reflected even in the characters of the written Chinese language. It has been watched by millions of people in multiple countries, and the Hong Kong actress Fung Bo Bo was so blessed after watching it that she volunteered to sign on as the narrator for the Cantonese version free of charge. This version will be out before Chinese New Year. In 2014, the film won the prestigious Best Mission Film Stellae Award, beating many other films which were themselves of great quality.

Reggie Lee’s ‘Elephant in the Church’  

After the success of ‘Who Are the Chinese?’, recently Reggie Lee launched his second film ‘Elephants in the Church’. What is ‘Elephant in the Church’ about? Reggie Lee communicated that the film is intended to combat the evils of what is known as the Replacement Theology, something which Reggie said is unfamiliar to many people but which is doing a great deal of damage. Principally, however, I understood that Reggie has a heart of compassion for a certain distinctive group of people, and what he was fighting against was the effect of this theology.     

The Replacement Theology first cropped up in 105AD.  Basically, it teaches that the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ had established a New Covenant with God’s people, and that the Old Mosaic Covenant had been fulfilled and ‘replaced’ by that New Covenant.  This is a major theological stance of many mainstream churches, but it has also had adverse effects on our views of the Jewish people and Judaism’s current status. Because this theology holds that the Jews had been replaced by the Church as God’s chosen people, it has affected the way many Christians regard and treat the Jewish people.

Reggie showed through clips from the film of the churches’ mistake during the Holocaust. When Hitler came to power and established Nazism in Germany, he implemented what was known as the Final Solution. Millions of Jewish people were murdered and the piles of bodies were so huge that the Nazis used bulldozers to push their bodies into mass graves like rubbish heaps.

Ref : furtherglory@wordpress

Reggie Lee shared that many churches kept quiet during this whole period of history, and many are still ignoring this huge question in their midst; the ‘Elephant in the Church’. How are Christians to treat the Jewish people? Have they been replaced by the Church as God’s chosen people? Reggie communicated that these are important questions, and the film is scheduled to be launched in many nations such as the US, Europe, and other nations.

Further Projects     

Besides this film, there are many other projects in Reggie’s pipeline, among which are the 1^st project of Evangelistic Animation for India and the rest of the world. “When ‘Who Are the Chinese?’ was released, many people asked ‘What about the Indians?’. This is my acknowledgement and gift of gratitude for the support I have received from many people,’ Reggie shared.    

Reggie Lee’s upcoming projects will include an animated evangelistic animation for the Indians.

Other upcoming film projects include ‘Revelation: The Movie’, ‘Who Are The Chinese Part 2’, ‘The Other Side of the Coin’, ‘Amazing Testimonies’, ‘Why Don’t You Give Me A Chance?’, and short videos for YouTube as well as animated stories from the Bible.  

All finances that come in for Reggie Lee’s projects and through his films will be channeled for the Holy Land, India’s education, other countries according to needs, and poor pastors in Indonesia. For updates on funds, expenditures, and the filming projects, you can visit the website www.endrevelation.org or through email contact at potbless@yahoo.com.      

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17 Jan 2014 by Kim Yung CM-

“We need to be focused on what God wants us to do and we need to be expectant,” shared Pastor Suresh Sundram as he shared on the topic above at City Revival, Subang Jaya, on the 4^th of January 2015. Just like when a seed is sown into a mother’s womb, one is not able to see the outward signs of what is happening inside until a few months pass. But once the outward sign manifests, one will feel a great sense of focus and expectation. “A lot of times we cannot see it, but God is doing something behind the scenes. God has got new things for us! Amen?,” shared Suresh.

“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

(Isaiah 43: 18-19)

The Praise and Worship Team of City Revival Church

The Word of God brings change! There are times when God allows situations into our lives, where we feel that we are in the wilderness (a situation where we feel that nothing seems to be happening). But despite being in the wilderness, the Lord is able to create roads and to create a river in the desert; He is able make the impossible happen.

“Sometimes, there are no words to describe what we are going through, and sometimes all we have is God, so we have got to put our trust in Him and know that God will make a way when there seems to be no way,” shared Suresh.

As we go through struggles in our life, keep the Bible verse Isaiah 43:18-19 close to your heart.

The City Revival congregation at Holiday Villa Subang Jaya

“We need to make sure we know who God is and we need to ensure that this is our priority,” he shared.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

(Romans 8:28)

“God is the Lord over our families, He is the Lord over our businesses, He is the Lord over our nation, He is the holy one, He is the one who paid for our sins, He is the Creator who formed you. Apart from Him, there is no life. He is the ultimate authority! A lot of good things that we have in our life (come from Him) because He created us. It is He who has given us talents and great things. Whether the enemy wants to do something or not, God is above that!” encouraged Suresh.

We must never limit God through some of the things that we have seen God perform or through our own understanding and experiences of Him. God is above that!

“He can do whatever He wants to do through whoever He wants,” he said.

But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Pastor Suresh preaching the Word

DO NOT ALLOW your negative experiences of failures and discouragements to possess you and prevent you from moving on to the future. If you keep looking back into the past, you will not be able to move on to your something new. The key to moving on is to be focused, this is to lessen the room for accidents to happen; we cannot be focused if we are distracted. Clear up the things in your past that you are holding within you and remember that God is in control!

For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations. (Psalms 22:28)

“The everyday of this year will be a fresh experience! We have got to be saturated with God and be in close communion with God and His purposes,” shared Suresh.

Simultaneously, we need to distance ourselves from wrong associations.

“Sometimes we are so traumatized by the bad things that happened and we may feel that we are predestined for this bad thing; this is part of life. People often feel that because they have failed, they are a failure. Let me tell you that God makes no failures! As we look at the life of Jesus, was He focused? He was focused on the cross! Jesus died on the cross so that each one of us can experience His forgiveness,” shared Suresh.  

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

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22 Jan 2015 by Kim Yung CM-

Pastor Bob Ignacio from Kingdom Christian Fellowship Malacca, a Philippine national living in Malaysia, recently graced Faith Oasis Fellowship on the 10^th of January 2015. He shared on the different levels of faith.

“Baby Christians always stumble because they walk but when you put your hope in the Lord, you will soar,” shared Bob. In this case, there are those with no faith, those with little faith, and those with great faith.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

Ref: christian-faith

The Faithless

These people have no faith in the word and they do not believe in Jesus Christ but they have faith in other things that they believe in. We need to be careful with the faithless because they deny and pervert the truth.

A good example of a faithless person is Thomas. Thomas was a disciple of Jesus but when Jesus died he became faithless because he did not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Only after Thomas saw Christ after His resurrection, he became a man of great faith and an apostle of the church. With no faith, you cannot believe in God. You doubt the word of God and you are always fighting the Word and God’s children.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. (John 20:27)

Ref: faithspillingover

Those of Little faith

People of little faith doubt many things; they doubt what they have heard and what they have heard about the word of God, and they are always struggling to believe in God. 

“In order have a new life, you must destroy the old life, then you will see things in God’s perspective. But you will never see things in God’s perspective if you stay in the same level that you’re in. You need to know God and to know the Holy Spirit,” he said.

With a weak faith, you can neither experience the power of God nor have an intimacy with Him; you doubt what the Spirit tells you. “You must learn how to be in the realm of the Holy Spirit,” he shared.

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:29-31)

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. (1 John 2:19)

If you have weak faith or little faith, you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, a doubter. “If you want a breakthrough, you must level up every time” shared Bob.

Those of little faith are easily swayed from the truth as trials and temptations overcome them. Do not go on a roller coaster ride of asking God for forgiveness but instead repent once and for all, and become a changed person by renewing and increasing your level of faith in Christ.

Ref: centrevillepres

Those with Great Faith

A person who is of great faith will stand firmly in complete confidence of God and will not be swayed from the truth. He is one who is confident about the Word of God and His teachings.

To be of great faith, we need to be faithful from deep down our hearts in what we say and do. Miracles and signs occur when people have great faith; you will not receive healing due to someone praying for you but by your faith. Jesus healed and performed miracles, He forgave sins and He raised the dead, and those who received it are the ones who had great faith in Him.

Great faith or being faithful has no limit. As we continue to keep growing in great faith the Holy Spirit will continue to impart on us the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are given according to faith but if you are of great faith you have one or several gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Ref: quotesvalley

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. (Psalms 101:6)

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24 Jan 2015 by Jason Law CM -

Psalm 127:3-5 reminds us of the treasure that comes from the children that God has blessed us with. This particular psalm expressly tells us that children that are brought up in the Lord are like arrows in a master archer’s hands. They have the power to extend the Kingdom of God far beyond anything we may think of, act as stalwart defenders of the work and word of God, and become the pride of God’s army.

Ref: linkedin

This is the reward that comes from responsible stewardship of God’s blessing, and the heart cannot express the joy and level of tranquility when a man and his family are within God’s approval and blessing. Being a father, natural or spiritual, is an important responsibility. So is being a husband.  

Where do we start to begin the journey to be better husbands and fathers? We start with ourselves as authentic men! We need to learn to be the kind of men that God wants us to be. Learning to be all these do not come through a single event but a process over time.

About Men Alive

To answer this need, Men Alive, the men’s ministry at DUMC, was formed to provide a platform through talks, small groups (MAG -Mentoring and Accountability Group) and retreats; a safe place where powerful learning opportunities are available for ALL men, single or married. 

Specifically, Men Alive meet one Saturday per month, sessions where men gather together to learn from spiritual leaders, commune to share advice from personal lessons in life or discuss issues with a group of friends, encourage one another, and pray together in unity.

Brother Keong, the coordinator of Men Alive DUMC.

Their first session for the year was held on the 17^th of January 2015.  Before Pastor Chris Kam shared the word, Brother Keong, the coordinator of the ministry communicated about its heart for the MOSAIC Generation, those that are from 18-35 years old. He imparted that the Church’s near-future will largely depend on the composition of this generation that still remains faithful to God, and that the Church needs to follow-up and disciple this group of people. The young adults shared that their generation are looking for churches that are relevant, real, and relational.

The Three Ps That Make a Man of God

Pastor Chris Kam shared that there are 3 Ps that make a guy a mature man of God:

Fellowship at Men Alive DUMC.

1. Perspective

Developing an eternal perspective mean placing our foundation in Christ and taking care of our walk with God. We need to be careful about how we build our lives. Develop a culture of accountability and establish guard rails/barriers to areas that we shouldn’t cross.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 teaches us about God’s system of reward. God takes note of what we do on earth, which mean that what we do matters. The parable of the 5 talents (Matthew 25:14-30) teaches us that God’s reward system is not based on the amount of thing we do, but on our faithfulness. As men, this particularly applies to the people God has blessed us with; parent to children, husband to wife. We must always recognize what God has given to us and that families are both a responsibility as well as a blessing.   

Pastor Chris Kam.

2. Priorities

There are 4 categories of things in life; 1. Important and Urgent, 2. Important but Not Urgent, 3. Not Important but Urgent, 4. Not Important and Not Urgent. Mature men know how to differentiate between what is important and urgent.

Pastor Chris Kam shared about the 5% Principle; that is, the 5% that matters. 85% of everything we do in life, anybody can do them. These come automatically and we do not have to pay attention to them. Some examples of these are television, having a good meal, sleeping, and so on. 10% of everything, someone with the same training can do them. These include technical work and jobs requiring degrees.

However, there is another 5% in our life that nobody can do except us and that’s where healthy men are different from the others. For example, no one else can take over roles of husbands to wives. The roles are unique to them and it is their responsibility to take good care of their families. Good husbands and fathers know how to invest in the emotional bank accounts of their family.

No one else can keep ourselves spiritually fit; that can only come from a personal walk with God. That goes as well for being physically fit and setting the proper pace in life and taking time to enjoy life (resting in God; the meaning of Sabbath). Setting proper priorities makes the difference between lives.

Worship at Men Alive DUMC.

3. Patterns  

Pastor Chris Kam also shared that setting patterns for the things we do will also shape either good, godly, spiritual lives or empty ones. He explained that studies have shown that our brains have a knack of adapting our regular activities into habits. This frees up our minds for other things. By setting a pattern for our spiritual lives, our devotional life will slowly become more effortless and increasingly natural to us. Good habits set us in front of others, bad habits sets us back, and many successful men have the wisdom to follow good patterns of life through.

Men Alive meet one Saturday every month. The next sessions are as follows:

You can find out more about Men Alive at:  http://menalive.dumc.my/

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25 January 2015-

Mawar Sharon megachurch in Surabaya, Indonesia lost 46 members in the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crash late last year. The church’s pastor, Pastor Philip Mantofa, recently opened up about how his church, and his faith in God, have strengthened through the tragedy.

“Our church has always been like a big family,” the pastor explained in an interview with Charisma News.

“Even though not everyone necessarily knows everyone, our sense of belonging as one body of Christ is strong since most of our members belong in small groups and ministries.”

In late December, Flight QZ8501 disappeared about one hour into its journey to Singapore from Surabaya while flying over the Java Sea. Officials lost contact as the plane travelled between Belitung and Kalimantan, Indonesia with 162 people on board. Days later, wreckage and bodies–one fourth of which were members of Mawar Sharon– were recovered.

“No words can describe the feeling of loss we have all experienced here, especially the passengers’ families,” the pastor recalled. “Unnecessary comments haven’t help a bit, and we don’t attempt to answer the big “WHY” question. However, the Holy Spirit has been real in our church as the Comforter. As their pastor, I must say that I couldn’t be prouder of my members as they carried each other’s burden without second thoughts. The most glorious moment was when I witnessed how one bereaved family encouraged and prayed for another out of their own initiative. I could say that I almost saw heaven in that situation. Yes, we are moving forward!”

Although devastated, Pastor Mantofa says his Christian faith has grown stronger through the tragedy, as it has forced him to completely rely on God.

Read more

27 January 2014 by Felix Chen-

On 18th of January, the Emerging Leaders Mentoring Program, also known as M2, was kicked off at D’Fong Restaurant. 

As a brainchild of young professionals Jason Lee and Alex Tung, sponsored by the Full Gospel Businessmen Malaysia Fellowship (FGBMF), this program seeks to provide a mentoring platform for young Christian men and women to deal with issues in their workplace, help them live out their Christian faith and to be a salt and light to the world. The program pairs up teams of young Christian men and women (mentees) with mature Christian individuals who are successful in their respective careers (mentors). This year was the first time the women’s version of the program was introduced. Hence, unlike previous editions, there was a blend of businessmen and businesswomen at the launch.

Dr Peggy Wong (second from right) as a mentor of her group

The lineup of mentors for the 2015 edition includes:

• Henry Eliathamby – Founder and COO of Tootpay Sdn Bhd, the largest and most secure Mobile Payment Services provider in South East Asia.
• Rick Loh – CEO of NW Solutions (M) Sdn Bhd, a company providing business solutions to large corporations in Malaysia.
• Lai Tak Ming – Director, Group HR and Admin of Public Listed Infrastructure and Property Group.
• Michael Ong – Retired vice president of business development of a local private university.
• Peggy Wong – Global entrepreneur extraordinaire.
• Christina Yong – Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Director of a multinational FMCG company.

Rick Loh (middle) with the participants of the M2 program

Each mentor was assigned to between three to four mentees. The program would last for six months where mentor and mentees would meet for monthly meetings. The meetings will be chaired by one of the mentees on a rotation basis and the mentors would provide guidance and input in the discussions on challenges faced by the mentees in their daily Christian walk. The core theme of discussions revolves around leadership but would also cover issues such as money, sex, power, etc. Each mentor-mentee group will then be required to produce a write-up of their experiences and take-away from the program, which would be handed to the organizing committee at the end of the six-month stint.

Back at the launch, the chairperson of the night, Jason Lee, kicked off the event by introducing the program and its core values and vision. A sumptuous dinner courtesy of FGBMF was served as the participants mingled around gleefully with fellow mentees and mentors at their respective tables.

The mentors and mentees having a scrumptious meal in D’Fong Restaurant, sponsored by the FGBMF

Halfway through, the chairperson got the mentors to make a brief introduction about themselves. Many of them expressed their heart’s desire to pass on the baton (experiences and words of wisdom) to the next generation of young working adults. Many mentees felt truly humbled and filled with a sense of immense gratitude towards the mentors’ willingness to sacrifice their time and energy in mentoring their respective mentees.

Next was the mentees’ turn to be in the spotlight. Some mentees volunteered to share their thoughts on this program, their hopes, their excitement, and their expectations. They shared heartwarming testimonies about God answered their desperate prayers for mentors to guide them through their participation in the program. This was followed by testimonies from mentees who were in the program the previous year. The present batch were all encouraged by the experiences and testimonies of the alumni of the program.

Lai Tak Ming (first from right) as a mentor with the participants of the M2 program

Towards the end of the launch, the chairperson closed with a sharing of a verse which summed up the heart of the program: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). With this take home value for the night, the launch ended with fellow participants exchanging contacts and bidding their farewells, all looking forward with excitement to the start of a journey that would reshape their walk with Christ.

On behalf of my fellow mentees, I wish to convey a very big thank you to the organizing committee and mentors who made this program possible. Here’s to an exciting journey ahead! God bless!

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29 Jan 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

The M² Emerging Leaders Mentoring Program for Men and for Women was launched on 18^th of January at D’ Fung Restaurant in Wisma TA, which drew 40 mentees from 22 churches for mentorship from eight industry players.

On this day as well, 30 mentees from 18 churches celebrated their graduation under the mentorship of six mentors from the past year M² program.

Held by the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship in Malaysia (FGBMF), they hope to provide a mentorship service targetting young working adults for the local church community. And seeing the success of M² men last year, M² women was held for the first time this year with similar framework to M² men.

Dr Peggy Wong giving her speech

Conducted based on the Effective Personal Leadership by Paul J. Meyer, young working adults would learn to deal with their work issues, live out their Christian faith in the marketplace, and be the salt and light in the world.

“It was an eye-opening experience for me to attend the opening dinner event as it helped me to understand deeper the meaning of money and materialism in this changing world by the unchanging love of God,” said Dr Ruth Chan, participant of the M2 program.

Sharing her personal journey of seeking spiritual mothers in her life, Ruth was impressed with her mentor Dr Peggy’s love for the Word of God and service for the thousands of poor children in Malaysia.

Lee Jun King, graduate of the M2 Program last year, sharing his encouraging experience

Lee Jun King, graduate of the M² program last year, also shared how God led him to join during his job transition, at an impeccable time of his life. Under the mentorship of Sreedhar Subramaniam, Jun King was impressed with how his down-to-earth mentor led by example in his spiritual discipline and work-life integration.

From the mentors’ side, many personally shared their heart for the young adults. Dr Peggy Wong, a mentor of the M² program, shared how God impressed in her heart that she is not considered as a good leader until she raise another leader like herself.

The guests of honour for the event

And having mentored many young adults, Dr Peggy realized the crux of their problem is in their identity crisis. Many bought the idea of success as the world defined it: firstly, information is power and secondly, success can happen overnight. As a result, these undiscerning information-binging and disillusionment for instant success drove many to dissappointments, addictions, and even contemplating suicide.

What this generation needs, according to Dr Peggy, is to know God, not only know about God. Many young people felt that they do not have time to spend with God. But what they do not realize is that the Bible offers valuable wisdom to make important life decisions, which saves them time from making mistakes. Also, when they know God, they know that their identity only lies in Him, which is unchanged and unperturbed by this world.

Dr Wong Hong Meng (First right) showing the Effective Personal Leadership booklet by Paul J. Meyer

Lai Tak Ming, a mentor as well, shared similar heart sentiments with Dr Peggy. Echoing his life calling to develop people, he desires to prepare the young, so that they can eventually take on the baton of leadership. And having life mentors himself, Lai attested to the value of receiving godly counsel.

Henry Eliathamby, another mentor of M², added, “I have a heart to mentor the young people because when you look into their eyes, you see in your life all the mistakes you made before. And you just don’t want them to go through the same consequences you go through.”

According to Henry, the key problem young people have today is the lack of business role models who are technologically savvy. However, despite the evolving business platforms and methodologies, its foundation remains to be Jesus Christ. Dr Henry also shared that the young people need to have a paradigm shift, whereby wealth does not equate to success. In other words, a disciple in Christ is not marked by how deep one’s pocket is, but how broken and how willing one is to be shaped and used by God. God is more concerned with the stability of our relationship with Him whether richer or poorer, than the sustenance of our wealth. Life is not about what we see but what God is doing in our life.

Henry Eliathamby (Second from left) with his group of mentees

The banquet dinner ended on a high note after the sharing of the alumni from last year’s M² program. Interspersed with the intimate sharing between the mentors and mentees, this banquet marks the beginning of a journey that would change the life course of a young working adult for a lifetime.

The churches represented by the participants in this program are Antioch Network Community, Breakthru’ Worship Community Church, Calvary Family Church, City Discipleship Presbyterian Church, DUMC, Full Gospel Tabernacle, Glad Tidings Assembly of God, HIS Church, JCM Agape, Methodist Ampang, New Life Restoration Centre PJ, New Life Restoration Centre Shah Alam, SIBKL, Tabernacle of David, Tcc Rawang, and Triumphant Christian Centre AOG Rawang.

The M² men mentors last year who are present in the dinner banquet included Sreedhar Subramaniam, Richard Ling, Dr Wong Hong Meng, and Cheam Tat Inn.

The M² men mentors this year included Henry Eliathamby, Founder and COO of Tootpay Sdn Bhd; Rick Loh, CEO of NW Solutions (M) Sdn Bhd; Lai Tak Ming, Director, Group Human Resources and Administrator of Infrastructure and Property Group; and Michael Ong, Former Vice President of a business development of a local private university. The M² woman mentors included Christina Yong, Marketing Director and Dr Peggy Wong, Global Entrepreneur. And finally, the M² youths mentor is Jason Lee, Wealth Client Proposition Officer for a Bank.

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30 Jan 2015 by Jason Law CM -

The Planetshakers’ annual visit to Malaysia is one of the eagerly-awaited highlights of the year for many Christians. For three nights and two days, their rallies and workshops are packed to the brim and the lines entering the auditorium take up almost the whole outer corridor.

The crowd at one of the Planetshakers Awakening 2015 rallies at DUMC (Photo courtesy of The Planetshakers).

Besides the rallies themselves, the Planetshakers are also taking up roles as connectors in the field of Christian Media and Evangelism. In one of the workshops conducted on the 24^th of January this year, Pastor Neil Smith discussed about living in the favour of God.

Living In a Room Called Favour

Pastor Neil shared that in order to be in the favour in God, we must learn how to place ourselves daily in a room filled with God’s presence. And in order to do that, we need to cultivate a radical faith and expectation as part of our routine.

Pastor Neil Smith of The Planetshakers Church.

‘I am going to talk to you about living in the room called Favour,’ Pastor Smith shared. ‘You see, we need to understand that God has favoured us; that’s a scripture that has been coming to us over and over again. The truth is, if we’re going to be leaders in the Church, if we’re going to be people who help in ministries and be part of things that happen in the Church’s life, then we need to have on us something that people desire.

‘We need to be people who are so full of faith, so full of confidence, that often, when people step into a church, we are the first ‘Jesus’ they see. They see the presence of Jesus through you and that becomes their expression of “Do I want this Jesus or don’t I?” So the truth is that we need to understand that we are people who are favoured by the Lord but we continue to live in that favour every day of our lives. I want to declare over your lives that favour is going to rule over them in 2015.’

The Favour of the Lord Brings Power and Authority     

One of the things that are related to living in the favour of the Lord is dominion, also known as power and authority (Ephesians 1:18-23).

‘If we want to understand living in the favour of God, we need to understand what it is to walk in dominion. Not everyone understands what dominion means but it basically signifies the right to govern or rule. We as the Church are supposed to walk in authority; we are supposed to recognize that God has given us a dominion authority, whether in business, education, or whatever it may be. We need to walk in the sense of dominion authority; “God has given me the right to be the head and not the tail, and through His power, I will overcome and fulfill what God has purposed me to do”,’ Pastor Neil imparted.

The Meaning of Dominion in the Lives of Christians

For Christians, dominion has a different meaning from that of the world. ‘We don’t dominate people, we dominate atmospheres. Dominance over individuals is dictatorship or bullying. We are called to be people who carry dominion, not necessarily over people, but over realms, over the spiritual atmosphere, no matter where God has placed us,’ Pastor Neil conveyed.

He shared that Luke 8:49-56 has much to show us about the nature of faith and its role in the exercise of dominion. In the passage, we read about Jesus’ healing of Jairus’ daughter. There are three things to take note; 1.) There were only a few people in the room 2.) most of the people, including some of the disciples, did not get to go into the room 3.) the specific people Jesus chose to go into the room.

What the Passage Shows Us about Being in the Room Called Favour

Ref: worldviewweekend

‘When we hear about the revivals that are taking place all over the world, how often do we wish that we did not just get to hear about them but also be a part of them?’ Pastor Neil encouraged. ‘God has prepared a room of influence and favour for each one of us, and we need to change our perspectives and not focus on the circumstances, as the wailers in this passage do, but rather on how to be solutions. How do we ensure that we are in the room that God has prepared for us?’

Among the people that were left out were some of the disciples; they missed the opportunity. These disciples haven’t caught what Jesus was doing. Pastor Neil communicated that Christianity is primarily about catching, and that a huge part of ministry need to be focused on teaching believers how to catch the heart of Jesus and be part of what He is doing. ‘Christianity is more than head knowledge, it is about interconnection; our relationship with God must reach deep down and catch our hearts.’

Three disciples – James, John, and Peter – were chosen by Jesus to be in the room with Him, and we read in many other passages that these three were notable for their faith and close relationship to Jesus. Jesus wanted them in the room for their faith and authority in changing the spiritual atmosphere.

How Do We Ensure We Are in the Room?

In Pastor Neil Smith’s Workshop.

Pastor Neil imparted that there are three keys in ensuring that we are in the room of favour and catch on to the movement of God:

1. Create and carry the atmosphere: Are we focusing on the circumstances or are we creating and carrying the spiritual atmosphere with authority?
2. Declare the enemy is defeated: Be radical in our praises to God. Praise has the power to change atmospheres.
3. Challenge and change our thinking: Our thinking has a tendency to be shaped by the atmosphere and culture of the place we are surrounded with. In order to place ourselves in the room of favour, we need to change the culture by bringing in the supernatural atmosphere of God into our surroundings.

NOTE: Planetshakers is an adults and youth movement that began as an annual conference and grew into a ministry and church in Melbourne, Australia. Planetshakers revolves around empowering a generation to win other generations. Its ministries have spanned across many countries including Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa. To find out more about their ministries visit their website. 

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31 Jan 2015 by Adeline Lum CM-

On 23^rd of January, Pr Andy Harrison of Planetshakers shared a word of God in the Planetshakers Awakening conference in DUMC. He shared that the Word carries a potent power that projects our potential into reality. What does that mean?

When the angels met Gideon on the threshing floor, they addressed Gideon as the mighty warrior, a total contradiction of how Gideon saw himself! (Judges 6:15)

Pr Andy Harrison

But like Gideon, some of us may think we are not enough in accomplishing God’s Will for us. Yet, God sees in us all the vested potential we have in us, waiting to be birthed out. The question is whether we are ready to catch this prophetic anointing from the Lord. 

What separates us from the age of Gideon (or the Old Testament) is how Christ has redeemed our relationship with God through His blood. Hence, in the New Testament, we have the privilege to be appointed as the children of God.

And we are favored as His children, not because of our righteousness, our good deeds or our religious observations, but because of God’s unconditional love. (John 3:16)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

This heart of God the Father for us can be represented by the heart of Jacob for his son Joseph. 

Ref: skyprairie

Since birth, Jacob has set Joseph apart and loved him more than his brothers. At one point, he declared his favor upon Joseph when he made Joseph wear a multi-colored coat. And while Joseph evoked favor from his father, he evoked disfavor from his brothers, so much so they sold him into slavery out of jealousy.

Sometimes, God’s favor in our lives would also evoke disfavor or persecutions from the people around us. Pr Andy shared how a particular classmate would often attempt to humiliate him by making him answer difficult social issues raised by his teacher in class. Little did his friend know, his classmate was giving Pr Andy a platform to share about the gospel.

Hence, like Joseph, the favor God has bestowed on us may evoke dislike, hatred, and persecutions in our life. But take heart, the reason for this disfavor is because you may have unknowingly attracted the attention of people who could not comprehend the favor you are enjoying.

Ref: wikimedia

Likewise, we are clothed in Jesus Christ as well and the favor of our God as well, as children of God. (Romans 13:14)

Also, have you ever wondered why Jacob chose to give Joseph a coat? Jacob could have given him other things such as a ring, money or camels. Pr Andy shared that for Joseph to wear a coat, he is literally wearing the favor, love, and blessing of his father. Wearing the coat was an apparent indicator and declaration of Jacob’s favor upon him. Wherever Joseph goes, Jacob’s favor covers him. Likewise, as the children of God, God’s favor follows us everywhere we go.

Ref: lds

Lastly, we need to remember that we owe our enjoyment of God’s favor to the invitation of someone else. The reason God bestowed favor on us is to ultimately bring people to Him, that they too can enjoy the favor of God.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Pet 2:9)

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. (Romans 13:14)

Pr Andy Harrison

Sometimes, we question if God’s favor has left us when we go through trials and tribulations. But like smelly fertilizers and compose, these trials and tribulations are necessary to help us grow our roots deep into God. And when we are strongly rooted in Him, and we die to our desires, that is when the seed would shoot out a tender plant that grows into a tree. This tree would produce other seeds. And these seeds would also go through the same process. As this process continues, the Kingdom God advances.

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Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

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