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Damansara UtamaMethodist Church

Church OfficeDream Centre, 2 Jalan 13/1Seksyen 1346200 Petaling JayaSelangor, MalaysiaTel : 603 7958 7388Fax : 603 7958 3787Email : general@dumc.myWebsite : www.dumc.com.my

The church office is closed on Mondays. In the event of emergen-cies or after office hours, you may contact 012 295 2600.

FLOODGATES is a newsletter of DUMC, seeking to report the happenings of the church and the blessings of God upon His people in DUMC. May the articles in Flood-gates which seek to encourage and edify the soul, contribute towards God’s community and making known His glory.

If you have an encouraging story to share, please send your article of about 600 words to meilingfloodgates@gmail.com or call Monica Lee at 03 7958 7388 if you need a reporter to cover your story. All articles may be edited or rewritten for purposes of clarity and space. Articles for September - October 2012 issue should be sent in by early August 2012.

Bahasa MalaysiaHall 2Sund

TamilHall 1Sundays, 2.00 - 4.00 pm

MyanmarRoom 102Tuesdays, 11.45 pm - 2.00 amSundays, 3.30 - 5.30 pm

ays, 10.00 am - 12.00 noon

Chinese

Other Languages

Hall 1Sundays, 9.30 - 11.15 am

YouthHall 3Saturdays, 8.00 - 10.00 pm

Children’s ChurchRoom 104Sundays, 10.00 am - 12.00 noon

NepaleseRoom 102Saturdays, 8.45 - 10.45 pm

n

e

EnglishAuditoriumSaturdays, 5.00 - 7.00 pmSundays, 10.00 am - 12.00 noo

Xtraordinary Youth ZonHall 3Saturdays, 2.00 - 4.00 pm

Children’s ChurchHall 1Saturdays, 2.30 - 4.30 pm

Weekend Celebrations

The ChurchThe Hope of the Nation

When the Church (which is made up of God’s people) is empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God’s mission, she will shine so brightly, providing light to the world and hope to all.

Issue 69 | July - August 2012

Contents3 The Church - The Hope Of The Nation 4 In The Shelter Of The Most High

5 If God Is For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?

6 A Hotline To God

7 God Waited Patiently For Me

8 My Journey To Christ 9 The Marriage Course 10-11 DUMC Fathers Club Is Two Years Old 12-13 The 16th Malaysia Cell Church Conference 14 God Is Like The Sun

15 How God Prepared Me For Cross-Cultural Missions

16-17 My God Is So Big

18 My Cell Is Also My Family

19 What I Learnt At BMEW

20 Wounded Soldier

21-22 DUMC Ministries

23 DUMC Diary

24 The 16th Malaysia Cell Church Conference

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The Church is God’s amazing inven-tion and is uniquely designed for this world. She is not God’s after-thought nor is she of human origin. The Church is destined by God to be central to His purpose in this world. Apostle Paul writes, “And God placed all things under His (Christ’s) feet and appointed Him to be head over every-thing for the church, which is His body…” (Ephesians 1:22). This is what Jesus Christ came for - to form the Church as His Body and with Him as the Head (Ephesians 5:23). Jesus also says, “…I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

Everything focuses on the Church and it is through the Church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known (Ephesians 3:10). Jesus Christ has been building His Church for the last 2,000 years and will continue to do so until He returns in power and glory one day to receive His Bride for Himself. How special and precious therefore is the Church to the heart of God!

With such a glorious design, the Church is the hope of the nation in at least three ways. Firstly, the Church holds the key to opening the door to every nation. This key is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ because the gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, �rst for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can save people, transform lives and impact a nation. Nothing and no one else can.

When anyone is in Jesus Christ, he or she is born again. That person becomes a new creation – the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). A radical transformation takes place at the core of the person. There is now a new life with new attitudes and lifestyle ensuing. Only transformed people can lead in the transformation of society and the nation. As the Church is made up of transformed people, the Church is therefore the hope for the nation.

Secondly, the Church is the hope of the nation because she is built on the values of the Kingdom, one of truth, justice and righteousness. Building on any other foundation can never produce a strong and lasting body. In the last 2,000 years, many nations have come and gone. Empires have risen and fallen but the Church of Jesus Christ marches on. The Church of Jesus Christ can only grow stronger and larger. Consequently the Church is a sure-win enterprise and our participation in church work is always a sure-win business.

When our nation is built on the same foundation of truth, justice and righteous-ness, our nation will likewise be strong. Unfortunately, leaders of many nations have been tampering with these basic core values which are foundational to nation-building. Sadly, such countries have su�ered enormously and her people and the land have paid a heavy price for the reckless exploitation and mismanagement. The Church must call these leaders to

accountability. The Church is always concerned about the future of her nation and the well-being of her citizens. This is part and parcel of Christian citizenship and responsibility for a better society, a good country and a great future.

Thirdly, the Church is the hope of the nation because she is modelling for the nation in microcosm how a nation can and should run. In the Church therefore, people see truth, justice and righteousness characterising all that she does. There is integrity, transparency and accountability and everyone is treated with dignity and respect, from the highly-educated and the super-achievers to the poor, needy and marginalised. Everyone is treasured, embraced and welcomed. It may not be easy. In fact, the Church will �nd it di�icult, if not painful. But model the Church must if she is going to show the world what a transformed community looks like.

When the Church of Jesus Christ is able to re�ect this, she will be extremely attractive to the world. The Church will then become a magnet, drawing people in and to Christ. She also becomes the transforming agent of society. The Church thus becomes the hope to the nation of a better world, a transformed world.

We are living through crucial moments of history. These are challenging days but also exciting times! God’s people must realise and recognise this so that the Church of Jesus Christ will rise up to ful�l her destiny as the hope of the nation.

by Senior Pastor Dr Daniel Ho

THE CHURCHthe HOPE of the NATION

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On 17 June 2012, I was driving on the middle of the three-lane North-South Highway and heading south for Titi in Seremban. I had my mother, Yvonne Foo in the front passenger seat and Aunt Lai Chan in the back seat. At one point, I noticed two cars speeding very fast behind me. Before I knew it, both the cars overtook my car, one from the left side and another from the right side.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a third car emerged in the scene. It also tried to overtake my car from the left side. We heard screeching sounds of car braking. I then heard my mother and aunty shouted a few times that the car was going to hit us. Then, it was BANG!

At that moment, I remembered praying, "God, please don’t let anything happen to anyone of us!” “Please God, please!” As soon as I said that, I heard a voice with this command, “TAKE YOUR LEG OFF THE BRAKE!”

When I heard the same command a second time, I lifted my leg o� the brakes. Everything turned completely dark. I could sense the Holy Spirit taking over.

The speeding car had knocked the left side of my car and caused my car to skid and overturned onto the grass verge. I thank God that my car had not swerved onto the fast lane on the right where there were cars speeding past.

When I regained my senses, my car was in an upside down position. I was relieved to hear the voices of my mother

and aunty. I calmly switched o� the car engine, unbuckled my seat belt and tried to help my mother. Aunt Lai Chan who was in the back seat, seemed alright.

My mother was however trapped as our car roof had caved in. I could not free her. Suddenly, a man crawled in to free my mother. I thank GOD for this good Samaritan or angel whom I did not see thereafter.

The rear and side windscreens of my car had shattered into thousands of pieces but all three of us miraculously crawled out with only minor cuts, something we cannot explain till this day.

My mother only had two small cuts and a bumped head. My aunt had a small cut on her heel and a bruised tummy. As for

by Sarah Foo Gek Bee, PJ North 2

In the Shelter of the Most High

me, I had a mild whiplash which required wearing a neck brace for three weeks.

The driver of the car that hit us had aban-doned his car after the accident. The police later found false car number plates and other illegal things in that car.

With all my heart, I thank Jesus Christ for His grace and protection over us. Though I have neglected Him due to my work, I realise that GOD is never far away from those He loves.

My Father God is in control of all things that happened and I thank Him for giving me another chance to make it right with Him.

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I accepted Christ in 1986 while my husband accepted just before he died of cancer in 2003. In early 2007, I started to attend church regularly on the encour-agement of my second sister and in May 2007, I was baptised together with my second daughter, E-Lene who was then 12 years old.

However, shortly after our baptism, my eldest daughter, I-Vy who was then 23 years old was diagnosed with kidney failure. She was given a 10% survival rate. My sister kept reminding me that my daughter would die if nothing was done. I asked God, “What can I do?”

I went through a series of tests to ascer-tain if I was able to donate one of my kidneys to my daughter. I was very calm throughout all the procedures. Although I did not know the Scriptures that well then, the Holy Spirit led me to pray, “Father I in You and You in me” and I felt the Lord’s protection. My colleague told me that even if I was a suitable donor, I might have to wait for two years. I told the Lord that my daugh-ter could not wait that long. My �nal hurdle was an interview with the psychia-trist. If I failed in that interview, I would not be able to save my daughter with my kidney. Throughout the interview, I spoke boldly of Jesus Christ to the psychiatrist.

Praise God for clearing all the hurdles. The Kuala Lumpur General Hospital called to inform that my daughter’s kidney transplant had been set on 11 September 2007. Both my daughter and I were to be admitted the day before. The nurse also informed us that if we had fever or cough, the procedure would have to be cancelled. I prayed fervently to the Lord and held on to His promise that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Alas, we were both pushed into the operating theatre on Tuesday, 11 September 2007. On Wednesday, I was transferred from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the general ward while my daughter remained in the ICU.

The drip on me was removed but the urine catheter was still attached. I had di�iculty getting up to eat my food but the nurses kept reminding me to get up to walk. I then heard the Lord asking me to pray for a patient in a room nearby. As I obeyed the Lord and took the urine catheter and made my way to the other room, I was able to walk straight without any di�iculty and without any help. I opened the room door and saw a lady undergoing dialysis. I explained why I was there and without hesitation, she acknowledged that she had heard about the Lord Jesus Christ. I prayed for her and she was amazed and grateful.

The nurses later asked me to blow three blue balls to expand my lungs. However, I could not blow a single one because of pain. I felt the doctors had nothing better to do than to ask me to blow. I gave up and did not continue.

The surgeon visited me the following day and asked me to sit on the chair. He observed how I got down from my bed and moved to the chair. He asked me if I managed to blow the three balls. My immediate response was “Yes”. He then asked me to blow. As I confessed to God that I had told a lie, I made my �rst attempt to blow the balls. All three balls went up. The surgeon could not believe his eyes. He requested that I blew again. Once again, all the three balls went up! He told me I could be discharged the next day which was Friday, 14 Septem-ber 2007. I was excited while at the same time, found it hard to believe that I could be discharged that fast. Everyone was amazed. I am ever grateful to the Lord for saving my daughter.

I came to DUMC in 2010 in response to the Lord’s prompting. I now serve in the Ushering Ministry. Although I am a single mother with two daughters, aged 28 and 17, the joy of the Lord is my strength. I hold on to His promises that He will never leave me nor forsake me.

IF GOD IS FOR US

by Michelle Phang, PJ North 2

who can be against us?

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Do you realise we actually have a direct hotline to God and one only needs to dial in through prayer to catch his ear? I have known this for years but since going full-time with the single parents ministry via Jumble Station over the last �ve years, this hotline to God has been literally burning the wires right through.

A recent incident highlights this very clearly. Jumble Station assisted single father Yun to get a three-tonne lorry to generate the income that he badly needs to feed his kids. His employer of 10 years was paying him only RM1,000 while a newly recruited lorry driver who was also the employer’s relative was paid RM2,500 a month.

In April 2012, Yun tendered his resigna-tion hoping his boss would persuade him to stay and increase his salary in the process. However, that did not happen and a despondent Yun approached Jumble Station for help. Later, when Yun took delivery of a reconditioned lorry in May, a very grateful Yun said he never imagined he would possess his own lorry but God has now opened this new and unexpected door for him. He has also given him a better paying job in the process.

One day, Yun and I drove to Ampang to collect some donated items. While trying to reverse into the parking space of the

house, Yun drove the lorry onto the lawn and the wheels of the lorry were stuck in the muddy patch of grass. No amount of pushing, shoving or heaving would budge the vehicle as the wheels dug in deeper !

The irate owner ranted and raved. We tried to �nd some neighbours to assist. The owner angrily told us not to bother because she was new in the neighbour-hood and had already quarrelled with her next door neighbour. She was sure that no one in the neighbourhood would assist. We still tried but there were only two Filipino maids and they could not help much. As the house was in a cul-de-sac, there was also no likelihood of a passing vehicle to �ag down!

In desperation, Yun decided to call his friends in Subang for help while I decided to use my direct hotline to God. I asked God to send us �ve to six strong guys to help us out of this predicament as Yun and I did not know what else to do. Five minutes after my prayer, a van with some Nepalese workers in white catering uniforms drove into the cul-de-sac road to make a U-turn.

by Mary Anne Tan, PJ South 1

Hastily, we asked for their help. There were �ve Nepalese and one Indian driver. They helped to push and shove the lorry out of its rutted predicament. Yun’s friend from Subang had not even left when we called him to say there was no need to come. This hotline to God really works and it is a toll free line too!

More recently, I used the hotline again to tell God that Jumble Station needs people to donate decorative items, old antiques, collectibles, books, toys, old watches, cameras, art pieces, music CDs, DVDs, hi � and old records to raise funds for poor single parents.

If you wish to know more about the single parents ministry, have items to donate or need a 3-tonne lorry to transport goods, please contact Mary Anne Tan at 016 220 2958.

A toHotGod

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ISaviour in August 2010. During my school days, God sent His people to

occasions. But I was too stubborn to listen.

into hospital for appendicitis. God sent a Christian lady to pray and persuade me to agree to an emergency surgery. In June 2010, I was slapped by one of my uncles during a family dispute. I stood up for my father who was under pressure to sign away his hard earned assets. My uncles threatened to kill us if my father refused to sign. We lodged a police report but to my horror, my uncles twisted the scenario and accused me of attempt-ing murder. The Sergeant-in-charge threatened to put me in a lock-up.

Not knowing how to defend myself and at my most vulnerable point, I called out to Jesus for help. Immediately, I received two calls from my friends. One of my friends had her aunty who was a lawyer, to speak to the Sergeant over the phone and I was immediately released. God

sent another lawyer recommended by another friend to help me draft a letter. My case was eventually settled without a single charge.

A few months later, when I sought God over a matter with my boyfriend, I had an encounter with God. He gave me the vision of a new born baby smiling at me. I did not understand the meaning of the vision. One of my Christian friends interpreted it to mean hope and a new beginning of life.

Recently, I was miraculously protected from a road accident along the Duke Highway. The Holy Spirit prompted me to pray when I was driving on the

the car in front of me, skidded and hit another car and soon all the cars behind them frantically tried to avoid a collision. My car was the only one which escaped the accident. All the cars around me were badly damaged. It has been almost one and a half years since I accepted Christ. God has saved me and transformed my life. I have experienced His power. He is very real to

me. I no longer worry about my future because I know God has a plan for me. I thank God for my recent baptism which gave me the opportunity to publicly acknowledge Him as my Saviour.

Many of my friends were surprised that I had become a Christian. I was an idol worshipper and I used to go to the temple medium to seek for direction. I am currently the only Christian in my family and I am praying for the salvation of my family members. I would share the gospel with them whenever I have the opportunity. My father who used to criticise my belief, has since stopped his criticism. He now allows me to pray for him. My mother, who used to reject Jesus, also recently admitted that Jesus is real and powerful. My youngest sister has also allowed me to pray for her on several occasions.

I pray that our Heavenly Father will reveal Himself to each and every of my family members and that their hearts will be open to receive and experience Him.

by Yap Siew Ching, PJ North 1

God waited patiently for me

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In July 2011, I accepted Christ as my Saviour after I realised I could not do “life” on my own strength.

When my husband, Tien re-dedicated his life to God in 2008, I supported him and allowed our daughter to attend Children’s Church. I believe the teaching of values will be good for her. However, my stand then was, “Don’t talk to me about God”.

I was not interested. Much as I appreci-ate some of the Christian values, there were a few deal breakers. One of which was seeing the tension and wars amongst families of di�erent faiths which led me to conclude that religion divides. I did not want to have anything to do with that. I was also full of pride. I had big ego and was self-reliant. I thought I was �ne and did not need God.

So deluded I was. I was actually going through the most miserable time of my life. Before marriage, my husband and I were very in love and it was supposed to be a beautiful relationship. But there was complication from day one. I was like being thrown head down into the deep end as I was immediately a wife and a step-mother.

I was very naive. I did not realise what I was getting into. I thought as long as I love his daughter as my own, we will be a happy family. I was constantly angry and would burst into a rage. I had chest pain from all the outbursts and thought I would collapse from heart attack one day. Never had I cried so much and so often. I became cynical, bitter and felt very alone. I had no one to turn to. But outwardly, I look composed. In�uenced by movies, I kept going away for short

breaks thinking that it would help but that was a lie. The deep pain in my heart did not go away. I was very tired. I was also very tired of myself as I could not under-stand why I was always angry.

The concept of surrendering and obeying God in the Christian faith was another deal breaker. It seemed so weak. Then came the turning point, there was a hairline opening in my heart to let God in. I remembered suddenly getting “it”. I started to see all these deal breakers as human doings and from man’s perspec-tives and had nothing to do with the real God. During our church’s 2010 Christmas production, “Mad World”, unknowingly, I followed Pr Daniel to say the sinner’s prayer. Perhaps, I just wanted a relief but it marked the beginning of a cry for help. I �nally realised that I have been running my life on my own all these years. I have attended many seminars, I stayed positive but nothing seemed to work. What else could I do? On my own initiative, I attended Alpha. I told myself that if I want to �nd out about Christianity, I should go to the right source and discover once and for all. A few months thereafter in July 2011, I said, “Yes” and invited Jesus into my life, led by sister, May and brother, Martin in their o�ice. And the exciting journey of getting to know God and drawing close to Him began. How timely it was. Then in October 2011, my world crashed when my mother was diagnosed with advanced cancer. I now learnt that becoming a Christian does not mean a trouble-free life. However, in troubled times, we will have the amazing peace of God to guard and help us. Our family

by Melinda Yeoh, PJ North 4

My Journey toChrist

would have not pulled through if not for our reliance on God. He became our rock. I am in awe of the wonders of how every-thing changes when we have God in our lives. Our marriage is becoming more beautiful and “right” with God in the centre. Day-by-day, I learn to trust Him. I pray and surrender everything to Him. God is teaching me the meaning of life. I am learning to cherish each and every day. I have less to complain.

I am also learning about having the right perspective and knowing what is impor-tant. I now realise that pride and ego are not important. Who is right and who is wrong are also not important. When my perspectives changed, I saw a lot of small things held tightly in my heart, hardening my heart and gripping my life in the past.

I also realised that in life, neither I can prepare for what is going to happen nor the outcome. When all are broken, we can have the best counsellors and psychologists in the world but what we need is faith in God. Faith will make us look up to God and help us walk one step at a time. I am still learning to let go and let God take charge more and more.

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Do you know that the Marriage Course is also available in DUMC in Mandarin? Lam Mei Ling and Ben Goh have been fervently serving in the Mandarin version of the Marriage Course for the past four years. Here is the story of Mei Ling and Ben on what keeps them going. Ben is a project manager while Mei Ling is a part-time kindergarten teacher. They have two children, aged eleven and nine.

When did you join DUMC? Which cell group are you from?We joined DUMC in 2007 when we relocated from Alor Setar. We belong to a cell group in Bandar Utama.

When did you �rst attend the Marriage Course?We �rst attended the course in 2008. It was not only an eye-opening experience, it improved our marriage.

What were the positive changes in your marriage after the course?Previously, as a couple, we were so caught up with work, children and life in general. We had no time to talk to each other. We were like living two separate lives.

We often buried our thoughts and opinions until everything surfaced in a heated argument, which was not good. From the Marriage Course, we learnt about setting aside “marriage time” where there will be no children, no distraction, no talking about work and no sur�ng the internet. The “marriage time” was meant for us to share about ourselves and discuss issues that concern us as a couple or family.

We have since built “marriage time” into our routine. We “catch up” once a week when our children are in Children’s Church on Saturday afternoons. We will spend that time as a couple over afternoon tea. During the weekdays, we

also try to put our children to bed early so that we get to spend time with each other.

Has the course improved the commu-nication in your marriage?Ben and I are di�erent in the way we communicate. He is chatty while I need time to open up and share. These days, Ben is more mindful about giving me time to talk and voice out my opinions.

Who would bene�t from the Marriage Course?ALL married couples would bene�t, whether newly married or those who have been married for a very long time. This is a marriage enrichment course and the purpose of this course is to make every marriage better and stronger.

Can you tell us more about the Marriage Course?The course has eight weekly sessions, with the last session being a fun gradua-tion party! Many couples have returned as volunteers after graduation. As the setting of the course is quite romantic, one participant commented that it was as though he and his wife were back in their courtship days.

Each session will have about 20 couples. Before the start of every session, couples get to mingle with one another over afternoon tea. During the session, the couples will watch an interactive video series on the Marriage Course hosted by Nicky and wife, Sila Lee. In between, there are “exercises” or “ques-tions” which are answered by the couples themselves. There is no sharing

by Jade Wong, Floodgates

The Marriage Course

amongst other couples, thus there is maximum privacy. The next course will commence in September.

How about individuals who are not able to make it to church or in September? We are quite accommodating. If there are interested couples who are not able to make it for the September intake or would like to pursue a course immedi-ately, we can direct them to a course in one of the homes of our couples.

Do share with us a testimony from the Marriage Course.There was a couple who was on the verge of a divorce, but decided to attend the Marriage Course as a last resort. In the �rst three sessions, they nearly gave up, but we encouraged them to complete the course. At the end of the course, we were happy to see that they were giving each other another chance. The marriage did not end up in divorce. Instead, the couple got back together to work on their marriage.

Testimonies such as these are indeed encouraging. For more information on the Marriage Course, please contact Adrian Chen at 012 304 012 or Susan Chen at 012 223 7208.

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Launched on Father’s Day in 2010, DUMC’s Fathers Club turned two. Pr Chris Kam who founded Fathers Club shared that fathering is important, father-ing is a learned skill and fathering has great rewards. However, he observed that divorce rate has been rising and in most divorce cases, the mothers usually get custody of the children and as a result, the fathers become absentee fathers. Fathers play a big role in their children from the age of 13 onwards and daughters need to feel signi�cant and secure in their fathers.

From the Baptism & Membership Encoun-ter Weekend classes that Pr Chris conducted, he also observed that many people have unresolved wounds con- nected with their fathers which prevent them from living well. He believes that all fathers intended to be good fathers at the start but ended poorly because of wounds in their lives or they do not have the skills. Fathers Club thus seeks to help fathers to:- live their lives well by being authentic men that God wants them to be learn to be better husbands and fathers and lead their families or the world will do it.

One would expect Fathers Club to attract only the married men who are fathers but

in DUMC’s Fathers Club, there are also single men. On recent Father’s Day celebration, Pr Chris had Jonathan Oh who is a bachelor, to share his reason for joining Fathers Club. Another couple, Christopher Shun and wife Choy Sook Leng also shared how Fathers Club has impacted their family very positively.

My journey in Fathers Clubby Jonathan Oh

When people asked, “How are you doing, Jon?” I would always reply that I am ok. I would not reveal anymore or it will reveal my weaknesses. I used to think that people are always out to get me. But if I were perfectly truthful, my reply would have been di�erent. I was actually not happy with my life. I did not feel I could love. I was fearful of my future. I felt I was a failure.

I also have many questions. Why don’t I have a rich father to provide me with all the luxuries? Why don’t I have a million bucks to solve my �nancial burden? Why am I stuck in the middle class poverty? Because of my greed for more, it led me to a lot of sins. My peers used to speak of me as if I had a PhD in sinning.

I was drowning. No matter how much I swam, I could not reach for air. Deep within me, I was crying for someone to pull me out of this state. I no longer knew who I

was. I wore so many di�erent masks that I could not stand to look into the mirror to see what I had become. I was lost. I did not know what to do. I felt that nobody would understand what I was going through.

One morning while I was backpacking alone in Australia, I was suddenly �lled with images of my life before me and I decided to surrender everything to God. I prayed for God to �ll me with His guidance and love. However, I did not know how to start living a Christ-like life. I wanted to change my heart for God.

I realised I need mentors and this led me to not one but a group of men in DUMC’s Fathers Club with whom I can relate. They made me feel that I was not the only one who was on that path. Many too have gone through and overcame it. Their friendships, encouragement, faith and seeing how they are as fathers, husbands, sons and just being men, instilled in me a greater desire for God to be in my life to mould and use me to make a di�erence.

Fathers Club has something for all men. The youngest person in Fathers Club is 18 years old. I am still single but courting and I intend to get married in the near future. It is therefore a privilege for me to learn ahead of time what to expect in my life’s journey as a man, future husband and father, so that I can avoid the mistakes

is two years old

11

many men made without proper guidance. But most of all, I want to learn what is the right thing a godly man should do.

A Transformed Father, A New Husbandby Choy Sook Leng

My husband, Christopher Shun started attending Fathers Club in July 2010. We have three children, Stephen (14), Abbygail (12) and Colette (6). Everyone who is married with children will testify, parenting is no easy task.

I am glad Chris signed up for Fathers Club. He made some good friends at Fathers Club. Chris looks forward to going to the Fathers Club and Men Accountabil-ity Group (MAG) meeting every month and enjoys exchanging ideas with the other fathers. I believe it is therapeutic for Chris to be able to unload parenting burden in a safe environment where almost everyone is in the same boat.

I was delighted to see him �nding so much support and encouragement from other fathers. Not only Chris is happy, in the months that follow, the children discovered that they have a “transformed” father. The bonus for me is I have a “new” husband.

Being the eldest in the family coupled with many years in the corporate world, Chris adopted a commanding style of fathering. After Fathers Club, he made a distinct change of going down to the children’s level. He has become “down to earth” and sporting. More laughter and noise are coming from our kitchen-cum-work area whenever Chris is with the children or in the family car.

There is never a dull moment. Very often, they are pulling each other’s legs. When the children get out of line, Chris is more patient in correcting and guiding them. He has also got to watch himself as the elder two children will highlight his mistake in a teasing and diplomatic manner when the need arises. Nonetheless, the respect for the father is still maintained as they know the father has proven to be �rm on the right things and is more discerning and wise than them.

Chris is more conscious about spending more time with the family, either on one-to- one or with the entire family. This is especially timely as our eldest two children in their early teens. I am especially thrilled to see Chris doing the “manly” things together with my eldest son. We are also doing more things together as a family. Going out for ministry together like teaching the Orang Asli kids and reaching out to the needy is one area that encourages me most.

Even though the Fathers Club is not the Husband or Marriage Club, somehow I believe the fathers also get refreshers on how to love their wives. These days, I hear a lot more “I am sorry” and I get dishes and teas brought to me by my beloved husband. I praise God for my husband. My son will learn by example how to be that godly and serving husband that God will be proud of.

I thank God for Fathers Club. Christian families ought to be strong and united so that we can be the light of the world and reach out to the world where families are breaking up.

Knowing the Father’s heartby Christopher Shun

It is humbling and encouraging to hear from my wife of the many positive changes in our family life after attending Fathers Club. The most important lesson from the Fathers Club is about understanding our Heavenly Father’s heart and knowing how

much He loves and cares for us. As Fathers, we in turn seek to love our wives and children. Once we appreciate our Heavenly Father, we feel encouraged to love our family in a likewise manner.

We men have been raised to be the Generals and our wives the Majors. (We make General decisions for the family and our wives make the Major decisions!). Growing up, we did not have many good role models and we are not taught how to be husbands and fathers. We had to "learn on the job", often with more failures than successes. I am so grateful that DUMC started Fathers Club to meet this need and step into the gap.

Having the support of fellow men taking the same journey encourages us greatly. We get to share and laugh a lot. We also pray to overcome the di�iculties that we face. For some, it is overcoming cultural chauvinistic mannerisms, for others it is learning how to say SORRY but for most of us, it is learning how to accept WHAT we are and WHO we are, as Heads of our respective families and taking up the challenge and baton to be MEN of Destiny.

12

At a time when the leap forward for DUMC is in the transformation of society, the theme of the 16th Malaysia Cell Church Conference - “The Church, God’s Transformational Connection to the World” - was very relevant and timely. Pr Dr Mark Conner, the Senior Minister of CityLife Church, Melbourne was an excellent keynote speaker of the conference held from 7 to 10 June 2012.

Although the plenary titles such as “Transforming Your Church” and “Principles of Successful Ministry” sounded as though they were meant for those in leadership, the messages were just as relevant for the individual. One of the conference delegates shared what was covered in “Transforming Your Church” at a cell meeting, cell members who were not at the conference were surprised that the message also spoke to them very powerfully at the personal level.

Pamela Dibble who is new to DUMC, attended the conference on the encour-agement of her cell. She was not sure what to expect when she signed up but at the end of the conference, she said, “It was worthwhile and extremely bene�cial. The plenary sessions were thought-provoking and had me questioning my role as a ‘Christ-follower in the commu-nity empowered by the Holy Spirit to participate in God’s mission’ in Malaysia

and the world. The individual workshops gave insight into the various components of an e�ective cell church with DUMC being the example.” She was also full of praise for Pr Chris Kam and his team for an e�ective and well-organised confer-ence.

Indeed, the messages by Pr Mark were thought-provoking as there were many implications for personal applications. The messages were also very powerful as they were drawn from his church leadership experiences. The baton of leadership was passed to him in 1995 and in just seven years, his church congregation has grown from 1,500 to 9,500. Every church leader in the confer-ence was interested to hear his growth story and what Pr Mark had to share was simple, practical and most interesting.

Pr Mark shared that CityLife Church started 40 years ago with a few families, which was quite similar to DUMC’s early history. And when he assumed leader-ship of his church, he too wanted to grow his church but he was cautious not wanting to jeopardise the good work of his predecessors. He wanted to �nd a good growth model. This led him to study church growth. However, after all his research, he found that �rstly, there are 48,000 church denominations and there is no such thing as a single growth model that can �t all the di�erent kinds of

churches. He feels that di�erent kinds of churches exist to reach out to the di�er-ent kinds of people in the world. He is of the view that no matter what the church looks on the outside, as long as there is a community of Christ-followers empow-ered by the Holy Spirit to participate in God’s mission in the world, there is an expression of church.

Secondly, Pr Mark discovered that the Kingdom of God operates on principles and not methods. One should thus focus on the health and not the structure of the church. As stated in Matthew 16:18, “Jesus said, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.’” In Mark 4:26-28, “Jesus also said, ‘... a man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – �rst the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.’” Pr Mark pointed that it is God who causes the seed to grow just as it is God who builds the church.

Hence, to take his church to another level, Pr Mark focused on looking for principles and not methods. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he came up with seven strategic shifts (or seven changes in thinking) which will cause a change of behaviour and transforms the church. He thus prescribes these seven strategic

The 16th Malaysia Cell Church Conferenceby Low Mei Ling, Floodgates

13

shifts to anyone who wishes to transform his church (or himself).

First, beginning with a Power Shift where we change our focus from self to God by engaging in prayer. Leadership skill is important but he feels is not enough to build the church. We need to rely on God and prayer attracts the presence of God and His blessings. Next, a Priority Shift where we change our priority from reaching in to reaching out. It is God’s priority to reach out to the lost lamb and we should likewise do the same. Thirdly, a Programme Shift where we change the focus of our programmes from events to relationship. The mark of a great church is the love we have for one another and especially visitors. Unless a visitor is connected with church members, Pr Mark warned that the visitor is otherwise moving on a conveyor belt towards the exit. Fourthly, a Leadership Shift where our pastors are not just ministering to the congregation but are equipping and multiplying leaders. Fifthly, a Ministry Shift where the church members move from the mindset of consumers to become contributors. Every person is part of the body of Christ and has at least one spiritual gift. When the gift is used and matches the role, the whole body bene�ts. Contribution is not just in the church but also in the marketplace.

Sixthly, a Worldview Shift where we adopt a Kingdom mentality and �nally, a Generation Shift where the older leaders focus on raising the next generation leaders. He highlighted that although Joshua received the baton well from Moses and ran a great race, he failed to raise the next generation. Pr Mark warned that Christianity is always one generation away from extinction. He said that any church that does not have a vibrant children and youth ministry has a funeral waiting to happen. As every generation has its own culture, he encouraged the older generation to embrace the younger generation.

In his other session on “Principles of Successful Ministry”, Pr Mark also pointed some simple yet very powerful principles. He started by de�ning “success” as not being better than others but being the best you can be. He added that success is often achieved not by learning more but doing the basics that we already know well. As the way we see what we are doing has a huge impact on the outcome, he encour-aged everyone to see what we do in ministry as a high calling from God.

When Pr Mark asked every delegate to think of a person that has in�uenced him most and why the person was chosen, he illustrated the point that it is the character values like humility, sincerity,

kindness, patience, perseverance and integrity that impact lives. Hence, he encouraged everyone to work on “our lives” because it is our lives that have the most impact on others.

Apart from the many nuggets of wisdom one could learn from Pr Mark, confer-ence delegates were also overwhelmed by the spread of more than 30 workshops that they could attend and learn ministry skills. In the conference, Pr Daniel spoke on “The Key Principles of the Cell Church”, “Making Disciples, Multiplying Leaders” and “Challenges Facing the Church in Malaysia”. As Pr Daniel always speaks from his heart, many of the delegates who have come from afar valued the opportunity to hear and learn from him. On one of the evenings, there was a very useful Q & A session for all church leaders where practical challenges faced by leaders were raised and where both Pr Daniel and Pr Mark gave their valuable advice on how they would respond to such challenges.

Although the recent Malaysia Cell Church Conference was smaller in attendance than previous conferences, the messages and lessons one could learn from the conference were highly relevant and practical for every Christian who desires to grow in the Lord and glorify His name.

14

When we hear a brilliant speech, it is natural to be in awe of the speaker. But when we hear a good message by international apologist Dr Ravi Zacha-rias, we marvel at what he said and are in awe of our God. It is amazing to hear and see how this incredible man of God explain, clarify and defend God, His existence and His truths so elegantly that in the process, we are greatly a�irmed in our faith.

In June 2012, DUMC is blessed to have Dr Ravi Zacharias, widely regarded as a great apologist of our time to spend three days to speak, stretch and challenge our thinking and faith in our God. We also count it our privilege to host hundreds of visitors from more than 80 churches who joined us to learn from Dr Ravi Zacha-rias.

As an apologist, Dr Ravi travelled around the globe to communicate the gospel, respond to the many hard questions about life and clarify Biblical truths. One powerful and probably the thorniest question that he often has to address in his travels is, “How can a God who is all powerful and all loving allow the pain and su�ering that we see in this world?”

Dr Ravi pointed that this issue is so real that it has kept millions of people from believing. However, it is a question that is also wrestled by Christians and he explained that the Bible never avoids this thorny question. On his �rst night at

DUMC, he addressed this issue with the example of Job who lost his health, wealth and family even though he lived a decent life. Job did not complain but just wanted to ask God what was going on. Dr Ravi showed that God in turn asked Job 64 questions and in the process, Job received his answer.

Dr Ravi also illustrated to us how to handle tough questions. Often, when we question the questioner and open up the question, sooner or later, the question that was raised by the questioner will stump the questioner himself. For example, on the issue of good and evil, Dr Ravi clari�ed this way. If one assumes that there is evil, one must also assume that there is good. If one assumes that there is evil and good, then one must assume that there is a moral law which acts as a point of reference to establish what is evil and good. And if there is moral law, then there must also be a moral giver (God). Because if one are argues that there is no moral giver, then there will be no moral law, and hence, there is no good and no evil.

In the process, the questioner will often end up asking, “What is my question?”, “What am I asking you?” Often, the very entity we try to disprove, we ended up proving if our question is legitimate. And for the question to be legitimate, Dr Ravi pointed that we have to assume that people has intrinsic value.

Dr Ravi’s sessions were very thought-provoking and ba�ing to even the hard core non-believers. When I invited non- believing friends who normally had lots of di�icult questions about Christianity to meet and chat with Ravi after each session, they politely declined on the basis that they were not prepared with their questions.

Apart from “the Problem of Pain”, Dr Ravi covered many di�icult topics like “Can Man Live Without God?” and “the Problem of Pleasure”. He also shared that in today’s world where we are faced with so many options of pleasure, mean-inglessness in life comes not from being weary of pain but being weary of pleasure. He added that all legitimate pleasures will draw us closer to God but all illegitimate pleasures will draw us away from God. The price of true pleasure is paid with discipline before we enjoy it but the price of false pleasure is paid after you enjoyed it.

Dr Ravi Zacharias is a brilliant thinker, an excellent speaker and yet he is so humble in his ways. In all that he shared, he pointed people to God and His glory. In one of his sessions, Dr Ravi said, “God is like the sun. You can’t look at it but without it, you can’t look at anything else”. It is wonderful to observe how a man of his stature is so full of reverence for God.

by Low Mei Ling, Floodgates

Godis like The SunYou can’t look at it but without it, you can’t look at anything else

15

In 1996, one and a half years after I became a Christian, God started to speak to me about His call upon my life. He showed me a picture of a huge paddy �eld and pointed me to His Word in Isaiah 61:1,2. Through this Scripture, I began to note that He would anoint me as His servant to preach His Word, demonstrate His power of love, hope and joy to the troubled, hopeless and despair, reveal His healing power in forgiveness, comfort, peace and breakthroughs to those who are in darkness, depression and confusion.

However, I had my doubts. I did not feel worthy of the calling as I could not see anything that was good in me. The only areas I was good at were art and design work, and getting into trouble. Yet, the missions call continued to tug my heart for the next two years.

One night in 1998, I prayed to God that I would go into full-time cross-cultural missions in exchange for the salvation of my immediate family members. Within a year, all my immediate family members gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Two months later, they were baptised in water

as a family in DUMC. I was amazed by the way God answered my prayer. By then, I really had no excuse or doubt that He wanted me to be a part of His missions work.

In 2005, His call upon my life was clear and precise. He told me that He would send me to Vietnam as a missionary but before He could do that, He would send and mould me in Cheras for �ve years.

In 2006, God also gave me a �rm con�r-mation. When I was �nishing my theological studies, I went for a two-month missions practicuum in Vietnam. During this period, the Lord showed me the picture of “a drop of blood” and told me to go �nd a blood donation centre in the city to donate my blood. I did not understand His reason but I found peace in my heart to do as He asked.

Later, the Lord said to me, “As I have made a covenant with the Israelites, for they are my people and I am their God, so are you with Vietnamese people in a similar covenant that is: They will be your family and you will be part of them as a

by AK Wong

How God prepared me for cross-cultural missions

family member”. One week later, I was given a Vietnamese name which means the King’s heart. And the King is Jesus.

As my two-month missions practicuum was about to end, the principal of the Bible College presented me with a pair of Vietnamese sandals. He opened his Bible and read Romans 10:15, “And how can they preach unless they are sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” He closed his Bible and said, “I believe God sends you to preach, teach and bring healing to the people of this nation. Therefore, this pair of sandals represents you as God’s minister for His purpose.”

Looking back, God was very gracious and patient. He allowed me to take ten years to prepare for cross-cultural missions ministry and during this period, I enjoyed His amazing grace and bounti-ful mercy.

16

My God is so good. He healed me the �rst time when I had ovarian cancer in October 2010 and He healed me a second time when cancer cells were found in my kidney, liver and stomach in January 2012.

Blessed with good supportThe �rst time when I was diagnosed with cancer, I was 69 years old. I thank God for providing me with a team of good doctors. The �rst doctor I saw was also my cell member. She diagnosed my problem accurately and referred me to two special-ists to run further tests. They con�rmed her diagnosis and operated on me.

I am very grateful for the prayer support of our church pastors, cell members and church friends. My cell members visited me at the hospital and we had the Lord’s Supper on the night before my surgery. Cell members also waited with my husband during my surgery and they saw the massive cancer tissues that were removed, said to weigh at least one kg. I also thank God for my son, Julian and my daughter-in-law, Cheryl who nursed me post-surgery in their house. They made sure that I ate well so that I would be strong enough for the chemotherapy treatment that was to follow.

Nothing my God cannot doAll my four lovely grandchildren - Ellen, Erin, Katie and Jude were very good. During the times when I was more alert, they would talk to me, pray for me and sing me Bible songs that they learnt in church. One of their favourites, “My God is so big” became my favourite and a constant companion. The lyrics are simple but very powerful.

“My God is so big,So strong and so mighty,There's nothing my God cannot do.The mountains are His,The valleys are His,The stars are His handiwork too.My God is so big,So strong and so mighty,There's nothing my God cannot do.”

Whenever I sing this song, it lifts up my faith as I am reminded that my God is truly big. In Him, I have nothing to fear because there is really nothing that my God cannot do.

My help comes from my LordWhen I recovered su�iciently from my surgery, my cell member-cum-doctor friend referred me to a nice and good

oncologist to administer the chemotherapy treatment. I went through six cycles of chemotherapy.

That phase of treatment was not easy. After every session of chemotherapy, I would be extremely tired and weak for a few days. My husband, Boon Keng was very good and he was my prime care giver. All his life, he hardly goes to the kitchen or does any housework. But when I was not well, he rose to the occasion. He learnt to make juice and cook for me each day.

Julian and Cheryl also continued to be my pillar of support. They bought me all kinds of organic food. My cell members who live closer to us, took turns to visit me and on days when they knew I was well enough to eat, they would bring me nutritious cooked food. They also upheld me in prayers. My husband and I are very blessed to belong to a cell group which has become our extended family.

Through it all, God was always there with me. On days when I was better, I would sing unto Him. But on days when I was tired and weak, I would play worship songs especially those by Don Moen and my spirit would be uplifted. I also love to read the Bible and especially the psalms.

My God is soBIG

by Susan Chua, PJ North 2

17

My favourite is Psalm 121 which reminded me that that my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He watches over my life and keeps me from all harm.

God sustained meGod’s unfailing promises not only sustained me but gave me strength to go through one cycle of chemotherapy after another. I �xed my eyes upon Jesus and kept my faith in Him. I did not question why I had to have cancer. I just knew that the Lord is good and mighty and notwithstand-ing what I had to go through, just like the title of the hymn, I could tell my family and friends that “it is well with my soul”.

When all the six cycles of chemotherapy were completed in February 2011, I thanked God for His faithfulness, mercy and grace. Shortly thereafter in June 2011, my family organised a dinner to give thanks to the Lord and also celebrate my 70th birthday. I was very happy to get my health back and for the opportunity to see my grandchildren grow up. All was well for a short whileFor the next few subsequent check-ups, my oncologist was very happy with my results. I was feeling stronger and could potter around my house to do some work and gardening. My husband and I resumed our weekly routine to visit our grandchildren.

All was well until one medical check-up in January 2012. The cancer marker reading surged and a subsequent comprehensive scan found cancer cells in my liver, kidneys and stomach. I was not fearful but the thought of having to go through further chemotherapy treatment was quite draining.

My cell organised a prayer session for me. Various members blessed me with God’s unfailing love and promises. One member encouraged me that I was so special that at the end of the whole experience, I would have not one but TWO testimonies of God’s faithfulness and goodness in my life. On the eve of my chemotherapy treatment, Pr Daniel and fellow cell members prayed for me again.

My family and cell members continued to support me in prayer and practical ways as I started yet another six cycles of chemotherapy treatment. The protocol was simpler and the drugs were not as strong this second time around. Never-theless, it was still not easy.

A Special Divine EncounterAfter I have completed three cycles, on one morning in May, I woke up as usual before 4.00 am to spend time with God. I love to look out of my bedroom window and gaze at the sky as I worship God. On that morning, I praised God, prayed in tongues and invited the gentle Holy Spirit to fall on me. Suddenly, as I looked out into the clear sky, I heard a very loud

thunder. It was like an explosion. Some-how, in my spirit, I sensed it as God’s response to my prayer and that I am already healed.

When I saw my doctor the next morning, I I told him about the thunder and that my God has healed me. I also informed him that I do not want to do the remaining three courses of chemotherapy.

He ordered another comprehensive scan and the report clearly stated that the previously seen cancer cells in my liver, kidneys and stomach were no longer visible. However, my doctor politely insisted that I should complete the full course of chemotherapy. I followed his advice although deep within me, I knew it was not necessary.

I praise God for not only sustaining me but healed me a second time. I did another blood test on 16 July 2012. Once again, the cancer marker reading was negligible which con�rmed that I am healed. To be absolutely sure, my oncologist has ordered another scan on 9 August which I will just oblige.

I am very relieved that I have completed my �nal course of chemotherapy. I am extremely grateful to the Lord. I now seize every opportunity to testify of His goodness. God is good and truly worthy to be praised. He is also big and mighty, and there is really nothing He cannot do for me and you!

18

I was born in a Christian family and have been going to church for many years. However, I started to draw close to Christ and know Him in a special way only after I joined a cell about three years ago. In the past, when I journeyed on my own, it was easy to lose momentum in my walk with God.

In a cell, people care for one another and look out for each other. In life, there are ups and downs. My cell is also my prayer support group. When I am down and in need of prayer, I now know who and where to turn to. When a member has a prayer need, our cell leadership has this practice of broadcasting the prayer request via sms to everyone in the cell. We will also be updated of any develop-ment and breakthrough. This way, we stay in touch and know how everyone else is doing during the week.

When we meet on cell nights, we will share in greater details. As our God is real, alive and active in our lives, there is always so much to share. Our cell meet-ings tend to stretch into a long supper time especially when we have a good spread of food.

Over the past three years, a lot of things have happened in my life. God has brought me to di�erent places and many new experiences. Many of these would not have been possible without the cell’s encouragement and support.

As I re�ect during our recent cell multipli-cation party, one signi�cant new thing I have done in my life was to go on a short term mission trip to Cambodia with some of my cell members. The preparation of the trip and the experience on the trip have strengthened my faith, opened my eyes to see things from the Lord’s perspective and enabled me to make new friends of kindred spirit.

I also enjoyed and bene�tted greatly from the trip earlier this year with some of my cell members to the Prayer Mountain in Korea. In the little grottoes up on the mountain, the Lord spoke to me deeply, dealt with some of the issues I was strug-gling and in the process, drawn me closer to Him. It was an unforgettable time with the Lord. Again, this trip would not have been possible if not for the enthusiasm of fellow cell members.

Another signi�cant development in my life this year has been the reconciliation with my brother whom I have not spoken with for eight years. During this recent Easter, the Holy Spirit prompted me to invite my brother to church while my cell members encouraged me strongly to reconcile with my brother. Amazingly, my anger and hatred that lasted for ten years just disappeared on that weekend. We forgave each other and now, even if I want to be angry, I cannot. The anger is gone. All glory to God. This reconcilia-

by Jenny Tiong, PJ North 2

My Cell is also My Family

tion would not have been possible if not for the strong support and prayer of my cell members.

Everyone in the cell has become a part of my family. They are very dear to me especially when both my parents are no longer around. With a sad heart, I will soon be moving to Beijing for one year of work. My cell members are very supportive and I know they will continue to uphold me in prayer while I am in Beijing.

Five years ago, I probably would not have wanted to join a cell but now that I have experienced the amazing love and support of a cell, I would encourage everyone who does not belong to a cell to join one. The love and support are genuine and extended without any expectation - only possible because of the love of Christ in them!

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“Do you want a new heart?” I have heard of people receiving a new heart but I only found out how this is possible after attending the Baptism & Membership Encounter Weekend (BMEW) on 23 and 24 June 2012. The weekend turned out to a most enlightening experi-ence as I learnt many new truths for the �rst time in my life.

The Holy SpiritI am well aware that our Heavenly Father sent His only Son Jesus Christ to earth for the remission of our sins. But until the recent BMEW, it did not occur to me that our Heavenly Father had also given us the Holy Spirit to help and guide us through our daily lives so that we will have a fruitful life. How does one receive this Holy Spirit? At BMEW, Pr Chris Kam explained and led all the 24 BMEW participants to pray and receive the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues.

Trained as an engineer and accountant, it was di�icult for me to understand the power behind praying in tongues. How-ever, after Pr Chris engaged us in a session of praying in tongues, I fully understood the impact and the power in this gift. As I prayed in tongues, I sensed an old burden in my hearted lifted from me. There were two individu-als who have hurt me years ago. I had

always wanted to take revenge but when I prayed in tongues at BMEW, the problem was lifted. I somehow knew I no longer need to worry about them as God will deal with them in His time. I felt very relieved and a sense of peace descended on me.

Know Your “Roof top.”We all know that Satan is out to seduce everyone into a life of sin. At BMEW, Pr Chris taught us how we can avoid and escape from sins if we know our roof tops. He exempli�ed what “roof top” means by telling the story of the downfall of King David in 2 Samuel 11.1-27.

King David took a stroll on the roof of his palace from where he saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing. As Bathsheba was already married to one of his Army Generals, King David committed one sin after another so that he could have her. This eventually led David to his downfall which included losing his own crown. After hearing King David’s experience, we could not help but re�ect and identify our “roof tops” which are essentially our weaknesses. At dinner that night, I recognised the dessert counter as my immediate roof top. With my high sugar level, desserts are not good for me. I am pleased that I managed to avoid the

by Dato SS Subramaniam, PJ North 2

What I learnt at BMEWdessert counter that night and hopefully will continue to do so henceforth.

I normally go for a body massage after a golf game when I am away on gol�ng tours with my friends. I now consider this to be another roof top that I can avoid and the money saved can be used for a better cause.

At the end of BMEW, I could see many participants leaving the hotel with a new heart and a glow on their faces. Knowing our roof tops will help us to consciously avoid areas that are likely to cause us to sin. With the Holy Spirit residing in us to guide, prompt and lead us going forward, we will be able to discern better and make better life decisions.

Unseen inner emotional wound is deadlier than physical wound. Physical wound will heal, leaving behind only an unsightly scar but there will be no pain when pressed on.

However, emotional wound is quite a di�erent story. If one is not receptive to help, an emotional wound can remain inde�nitely and cripple a person for life. Worse still, an emotional wound can be passed on to in�ict other people, often causing an even greater wound. In a way, emotional wounds are “transferable”.

Many people carry inner emotional wounds which may not be noticed until they rear their ugly heads. Inner wounds are in�icted in many di�erent ways. The tongue has great power and nothing hurts a person more than unkind words. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).

The emotional wounds in our human souls are like tuning forks resonating to anything that will bring out the hurt in us. The enemy takes cognizance of that and uses it to his full advantage. In the battle �eld, the enemy seeks to wound a soldier. When a soldier is wounded, healthy soldiers are sent to help and the army’s �ghting strength is weakened in the process. This is the enemy’s strategy.

How does this work out in reality? When the enemy wounds a man, he gets the whole family. The church then springs

20

into action deploying healthy Christians, who are precious resources to counsel and minister to the wounded Christian.

Hence, instead of focusing on minister-ing to the lost, church leaders are often preoccupied with tending to the hurts of fellow Christians through counselling and prayer. All these can be avoided if God’s people are truly transformed and are renewed disciples of Jesus Christ. As the battle �eld of spiritual warfare is in our minds, our minds must be renewed (Romans 12:2). Discipling Christians to be strong to avoid and overcome the onslaught of the enemy should thus be our priority.

Our challenge often is also not from without, but from within, which is why Christians are exhorted in the Scripture to love one another. In fact Jesus prays for us about this in John 17. The community of God is called to build up one another. The enemy tries to get Christians to hurt one another.

Apostle Paul warns the church about “quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20). He speaks strongly against lawsuits among fellow believers without exhausting the avenue of Christian mediation (1 Corin-thians 6:1-8) and the creation of factions within the church (1 Corinthians 3). He abhors those who disunite the church by false doctrines and encouraging “unhealthy interest in controversies and

quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind” (1 Timothy 6:4b-5a).

The enemy knows he is powerless with a frontal attack because Christ has nulli�ed his power through the cross. His strategy is thus to cast discord among God’s people. If we recognise that strategy, then we can overcome the enemy by simply practising what God has commanded, which is: “to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

Hence, one of our most powerful weap-ons of spiritual warfare is love. Without love, we are a resounding gong or clang-ing cymbal (1 Corinthians 13). We are nothing and we gain nothing. Out of the triad of Faith, Hope and Love, the great-est of these is Love. (1 Corinthians 13:13). So as disciples of Jesus Christ, let us keep ourselves emotionally healthy and spiritually strong by loving each other. We should start with our own family.

Wounded Soldier by Pr Chris Kam

Life Growth Plan: http://hungryforgodsword.blogspot.com/(Download “Life Growth Plan Booklet” under “Documents Download”)