ISSUE 109
SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 2021
FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM
September to December 2021 Message From Senior Pastor 1-3
Don’t Waste This Pandemic!
4-6
Chasing The Lion
7-9
The Reluctant “COO” Who Turned Strategic “CFO”
10-13
KL Zone – Impact Now & Beyond
Message From Founding Senior Pastor 14-15
Healthy Christian Spirituality Amidst the Pandemic
16-18
Driven, or Drawn?
19-21
Having A Grateful Heart
22-28
How “Safe” Is Saving Grace Part 3
We are living in an era of constant change, and we witness something new every day, to the point that we may be numb to it. Nothing surprises us anymore. With instantaneous information available through social media, and the constant bombardment of “news”, today’s generation can be overwhelmed by what used to be considered “unusual” or “shocking” in times before, and begin to believe that this is “acceptable” and “normal”. But it should not be “acceptable” nor “normal”. Romans 12:2 tells us “Do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Floodgates was created to be a vessel, a platform where we can publish articles and testimonies to bless and inspire God’s people towards Godly renewal of the mind mentioned by the apostle Paul, and which will stand out from the daily bombardment of confusing and possibly unhelpful “information”. In Floodgates, we, as a Church, the Body of Christ, can share stories and bear witness to God’s amazing grace and give Him the glory. Also, we can remind ourselves that we are nothing without Jesus, that we would just be part of a dying world and hopeless. On the cover, “G” is at the centre of the title, Floodgates, just as we need to place God at the centre of our all. Our name Floodgates originates from Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Damansara Utama Methodist Church Dream Centre, 2 Jalan 13/1, Seksyen 13, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia T +603.7958 7388
F +603.7958 3787
E general@dumc.my
dumcMY
W dumc.my The church office is closed on Mondays.
Father God, may we all, children of God, be blessed when the “floodgates of heaven pour out…” and be reminded that the presence of God in our lives is the blessed life.
Message From Senior Pastor
DON’T WASTE
By Pastor Chris Kam, Senior Pastor
THIS
! c i m e Pand
I
t is hard to imagine that we are coming close to two years now in this pandemic. My heart goes out to many who have suffered from the loss of life and the devastating economic impact. I was moved to tears watching a documentary on CNA with the title Asia’s Lost Generation: Malaysia. It highlighted the plight of children experiencing a historic blip or a standstill in their life: loss of loved ones, some orphaned by the death of both parents, loss of social and school interactions, the mental stresses, the loss of hope and facing an uncertain future. The worldwide pandemic has been unexpected and unprecedented in our lifetime, and we were totally unprepared for it.
No longer are we talking about herd immunity with the COVID-19 pandemic but instead an endemic situation - co-existing and adapting to the virus, like the common flu virus. At the time of writing, the latest omicron variant has brought in a fresh wave of anxieties just as we are about to begin relishing the fact that normalcy may be within sight. So much has been written and talked about this, even misinformation, which has not been helpful at all. What is our Christian response moving forward and how do we look at things happening in the world with biblical lenses? Why is it important to see things biblically? The answer is simple - so that we view 1
Message From Senior Pastor
current events not from a narrow, limited perspective but understanding things from God’s point of view. Otherwise, life is like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, making no sense until the pieces are fitted together revealing the beautiful picture which the pieces are meant to be part of. Early in the lockdown of this pandemic in March 2020, I had told the church: “Don’t waste this pandemic.” I am not ignoring the suffering and hardship that accompany this pandemic, but since we are in it, we can decide either to be bitter or better. How do we not waste this pandemic? Let me guide you through some of my own reflections.
will not get better. 1. Things Be prepared for it. The Bible talks about the fact that the whole of creation is groaning because the world is under judgment due to our disobedience. Romans 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. It is a labour pain that will lead us to a new creation someday. Romans 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. This labour pain will yield something wonderful, which the Bible paints for us a picture of a future glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV) For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison … But note this: The days ahead of us are not going to be easier, but harder as we wrestle with evil, lawlessness, immorality, greed, and natural and man-made disasters due to climate change. Luke 21:10,11 10Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
are not in control. 2. We God is. If we believe in the omniscience and omnipotence of God, then we need to recognise that nothing happens without His permission and some sufferings are even attributed to Him as in the case of Job: “… Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10) or Apostle Paul “… Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7) Satan is real but he is no ultimate but operating only under God’s sovereignty.
or sufferings have 3. Hardship a way of growing on us if we allow it. Scriptures do not in any way counsel us to shun or avoid sufferings, but in the midst of it, to grow to be more Christlike. Our call to discipleship is also to “ … participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:13) In an unusual way, “glory” is tied to the word “sufferings”. Romans 5:3,4 3Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
God is teaching 4. Ultimately us to let go the things of the world and not hold on to them too tightly. Sufferings remind us of the brevity of life and that someday, our earthly existence will cease. Numbering our days is a sobering call of the Psalmist, “…to number our days … “ (Psalm 90:12). Hence, it is a preparation for something on earth towards the hope of a glorious future beyond this life. It is a reminder that this world and our earthly life are temporal. This pandemic does not win if we die. It wins when we fail to realise Christ is more than enough. This echoes the words
Message From Senior Pastor
of Apostle Paul: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) and “ … I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord …” (Philippians 3:8). Our response is simply to leverage the lessons learnt, especially about slowing down and making life a lot simpler by focussing on what is really important. Do not go back to the old normal. Go to a better normal. This pandemic has a way of surfacing who we really are inside – the strength of our inner life, marriage, family and walk with God. This pandemic is helping some of us to recalibrate our lives to walk more aligned to His will. For others, it may be a total reboot and starting all over. Maybe for the first time we begin to value what we have taken for granted for so long. What used to be important may no longer seem so. Maybe you have discovered that, before the pandemic, you hardly had time for your children and spouse. This lockdown has enforced daily family meals together, conversations, and
We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones not to return to the old normal. We will waste this pandemic if we fail to show the Christ in us, as witnesses to the truth and glory of Him.
much time reading about COVID-19 and not enough time reading about God. It is meant to awaken us to the reality of God. We begin to value human interactions and wish we had set aside more time to connect in the past. Church and Cell Group in-person gatherings may have become a renewed desire. As a church, we have more than survived. We have thrived in the lockdown by doing more for the community than we have ever done before. The extra money unspent by members for leisure activities and holidays are repurposed to help others. Our compassion for people is re-ignited in a significant way, and we see those in our poorer neighbourhood communities that were “invisible” before this. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones not to return to the old normal. We will waste this pandemic if we fail to show the Christ in us, as witnesses to the truth and glory of Him.
even regular devotions. We may even have initiated regular online conversations with loved ones and friends out of town like never before. Things we thought we could not do without, seem manageable today. Many have found time for spiritual disciplines away from the pre-pandemic mad rush. I also realise that we will waste this pandemic if we spend too
3
Features
Pusat Kuarantin & Rawatan Risiko Rendah Covid-19 Swasta (PKRCS) @ Travelodge City Centre
D
uring the first MCO in 2020, Dr Lakana Kumar, a Cell Leader in KL Zone, asked the Lord “Lord, what should I do?”. At that point in time, food shortage was a serious concern and there were many communities who were struggling to put food on their tables. Responding to that need, food packages were put together and distributed to needy communities such as those living in PPR flats and those who had to be quarantined at home. In the course of organising this food aid distribution, Dr Kumar crossed paths with Dato’ Seri
Dr Edmund Santhara, the Deputy Federal Territory Minister. Little did Dr Kumar know that Dato’ Seri Dr Edmund would soon be a key person to a bigger project that was to come. During the second MCO, Dr Kumar again sought the Lord and asked Him in what areas He wanted him to serve. It was during this time that Isaiah 54:2 came to his mind. “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”
Complied By Lynn Foo, PJN6
C HASI N G
THE LION
Features
While praying about it, Dr Kumar was also meditating on what was being preached in church during that season - about Chasing the Lion and IMPACT Now. A couple of months later, Dr Kumar received a video of a church in India that had been converted into a COVID-19 quarantine centre. He was intrigued by the concept and brought it up to Pastor Chris Kam who connected him with CREST (Crisis Relief Services and Training Berhad), a Christian non-profit organisation. Although Dr Kumar’s specialisation is in ophthalmology, and the setting up of such a quarantine centre would not have been within his scope, he still went ahead as he felt led to do something about this crisis. He drafted a proposal and sent it to the relevant parties including Dato Seri Dr Edmund Santhara whom he had come to know earlier. Dato Edmund assisted to take Dr Kumar’s proposal to the relevant authorities to be approved. With CREST’s involvement, the envisioned project soon became a multi-church initiative and things began to take form steadily. Volunteers were recruited, donations started pouring in and other preparatory works were done, as the team looked to God as their strength. Finally, Pusat Kuarantin & Rawatan Risiko Rendah Covid-19 Swasta (PKRCS) @ Travelodge City Centre opened its doors on 7 August 2021. PKRCS @ Travelodge City Centre was to be a quarantine centre for Category 1 & 2 COVID-19 positive patients from the B40 community, referred there by the COVID-19 Assessment Centres (CAC). Their desire was to serve those from the B40 and migrant populations where home quarantine was a huge problem due to the size of their cramped homes. Operations of the PKRCS were also fully funded by donations and thus, the B40 patients would not need to pay anything during their 10-day quarantine there.
The PKRCS @ Travelodge City Centre ceased its operations on 7 November 2021 when the number of COVID-19 cases started to decline. In the course of three months, they had served a total of 878 patients. The impact of caring for these 878 patients meant that PKRCS had helped to prevent 8780 (10x) others from being infected and potentially starting new clusters. The project also mobilised a total of 190 volunteers and was awarded The Star Golden Hearts Award 2021 and Gamuda Inspiration Award 2021. Dr Kumar recalls that when he first approached volunteers from both the medical and non-medical fields, the main concern that many of them had was the possibility of getting infected with COVID-19 when they served at the PKRCS. He and the team prayed for God’s protection and they give ultimate praise and honour to God as there were zero COVID-19 infections amongst the volunteers throughout the operations of the PKRCS. Indeed, our God is an Almighty God - all Glory be to Him! Besides the PKRCS @ Travelodge, God has also led Dr Kumar and team to set up smaller quarantine centres in Plaza Sungai Besi, Pudu and Kajang, thereby preventing Covid clusters among the migrant populations there. As they stepped up to serve the communities in these areas, they also started doing vaccination projects and providing transport for the people to get vaccinated in Bukit Jalil and other vaccination centres. As God’s people stepped up to serve and volunteer in these projects, Dr Kumar praises God for the opportunity to become living ‘epistles’ that the community can ‘read’; bearing fruit that displays God’s greatness and faithfulness!
5
Features
“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” Isaiah 54:2
DUMC Stories
THE RELUCTANT “COO”
WHO TURNED STRATEGIC “CFO”
By See Tho Puk Lim, PJN4
W
ay back in early June, I first heard of the possibility of the opening of the first ever no-charge private quarantine centre. What made such a dream so unique was that it would cater only for low-risk COVID-19 infected persons from the B40 group - the first of its kind in pandemicstricken Malaysia. It aimed to bring God’s love to the least in a concrete way, and to share God’s unconditional kindness with them along the way. DUMC led by Dr Lakana Kumar and our Senior Pastor,
Chris Kam, was key in forging a collaboration among churches in the Klang Valley, with Crisis Relief Services and Training (CREST) adding its weight to fulfil God’s project. I was immediately convicted to jump into the fray as a possible volunteer. However, there were many obstacles that I had to face and overcome. For a start, I was way over 60 and had been a quadruple heartbypass patient. This already technically disqualified me. However, even after specifying all this information 7
DUMC Stories
off my clothing outside our house and immediately shower upon arrival. This was on top of the weekly nasal RTK testing to ensure I stayed negative. CREST also faced mounting challenges to meet all kinds of requirements set by the different authorities. There was a spell when we had to really get down on our knees to seek God’s intervention and help.
Just before the launch
Typical Malaysian group discharged
in my application, surprisingly there was no rejection from CREST volunteers’ management. At that time, the average daily new cases were more than 7000 and Covid deaths were alarming too. Another challenge was that all volunteers who wanted to serve in the Red Zone area had to sit for an online COVID-19 course by experts from Hospital Sungai Buloh and be certified. It took me five days to complete and receive my certification. Actually, a DUMC brother, Jason Leong sent my certification among documents to the
then Minister of Federal Territory, as proof of CREST’s thorough preparation in setting up the Centre. Furthermore, there was domestic objection to my participation. My wife, Kim, who worked as a senior nurse, could not afford to be infected or she would be terminated. But I was tenacious in my persuasion and she relented, on condition that I had to put up at the PKRCS staff quarters. She eventually gave more leeway by allowing me to return home on condition that I sat, ate and slept in segregated areas within our house. I also had to take
As CREST management sought team leaders for Cleaning and Sanitisation in the Red Zone, and no one took up the challenge, I volunteered for it although I had zero knowledge let alone experience in such work. When the PKRCS was finally open for operation on 7 August, there was a need for a Mr CSO (Cleaning and Sanitisation Officer). I had to arrange for an outside professional to train the whole C/S team. One and a half weeks later, when the Incident Commander found out about my heart bypass background, he forbade me to enter the Red Zone. Instead, he redesignated me to the safer duty of “COO”. Not Chief Operating Officer but …CCTV Operating Officer! I soon found out that one of many “privileges” for the COO was monitoring individuals and families who would be discharged from the centre. They would congregate at a waiting site just outside the CCTV room window for the nurses to issue them discharge documents and for the MOH
DUMC Stories
Pastor Senaida and her family of three. Another poignant farewell was to a Chinese family of five. Their elderly grandparents, though infected were not admitted, otherwise all seven would have been with the Centre. On my last day of service, the Incident Commander granted my request to don the PPE and accompany one of the Cleaning & Sanitisation staff to enter the Red Zone. I was absolutely delighted by that gesture and the Red Zone experience! Finally red zone duty
officers to meet them at the departure zone just outside the building. Sometime towards the last week of September, I had a zoom meeting with the Senior Pastor to update him on my involvement and happenings at the centre. When he learnt of my COO privileges, he reminded me that the least we served were also the lost. More than receiving quarantine services, they also urgently needed to hear the Gospel. He proposed that I should think about being in the “CFO” position. Again, not Chief Financial Officer …but Chief Farewell Officer! Challenged, I redesignated myself as such. Every morning, I would check out the backgrounds of those who were be discharged and, the moment the MOH officers arrived, I would dash outside to meet the discharged patients face-to-face. After introducing myself, I would tell them that most
volunteers were Christians and these volunteers who served them with such distinction did so because they were determined to share God’s love with them. I reminded them to “bersyukur kepada Tuhan”; or to “gei Shen gan earn”. Most of them responded
“I learnt one most valuable lesson among a few others - that God is not looking for our ability, but more so our availability.” as such verbally and with prayer hand gestures. The patients I met ranged from policemen, privates from army camps, government hospital nurses, civil defence personnel, refugees and migrant workers. Of special significance were two pastoral families: our DUMC Pastor Eddy Marson and daughter as well as SIB
Looking back now at how all those early obstacles and stress were overcome, I can truly testify that a venture like that, which had been so difficult and so big, would have failed if God had not been in it. On 1 November, CREST was informed that out of 450 nominations, CREST PKRCS work was chosen to be the winner of 2021 Gamuda Inspirational Award as well as the Star Newspaper Golden Heart Award. On 10 November, this honour was published in the Star. I learnt one most valuable lesson among a few others - that God is not looking for our ability, but more so our availability. I am thankful I made myself available and He did the rest. So He deserves the fullest credit!
Reflections of my volunteer experience with PKRCS Travelodge City Centre, KL From 7 August to 7 November 2021. I was 66 years and 2 months at the time of service; and had my quadruple heart bypasses done in November 2014. I was only vaccinated once in early July 2021. 9
IMPACT Stories
KL ZONE -
IMPACT NOW BEYOND
&
By Pr Allan Leong, Zone Pastor - KL
T
The KL Zone Impact project started in 2020 during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As at end-July 2021, the zone has done 71 projects costing RM100,700, all contributed by the generosity of the cell members to serve and bless the community. Some of the projects have been completed and a number of them are on-going. I am happy to report that all the 17 cell groups in KL zone are involved in the Impact project. I thank the Lord for each and every cell member in the zone for his/her contribution and the labour of love ploughed into the community. “God is not unjust, he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you helped his people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10). In the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:6, I pray that “he who began a good work in you (the zone members) will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
WHAT INSPIRES OR DRIVES THE CELL TO BE INVOLVED? “In obedience to Christ’s command - to love one another. To show those in need that they are not forgotten. They are special and we hear them, see them, and they are God’s children too. Even when they have not yet known Jesus, He is there for them. We want to extend our assistance to those who need help and support.” - Teo Wun Meng, Cell Leader “The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people in need, in Jesus’ name. The thought that people are going hungry or suffering out there and if we can do something regardless of whether it has a big or a small impact, why not?” - Godwin Supramaniam, Zone Leader/Cell Leader “Inspiration of the church leadership and to be in alignment with the Church strategies of Impact Project. More importantly be obedient to the Scriptures.” - Dr Lim Beng Keat, Cell Leader “God has shown us mercy, so in gratitude, we want to extend it to those in need. God has taught us compassion, empathy and love, so it is just our natural and spontaneous response to help the needy and those who are suffering. It is more blessed to give than to receive, to bless others as God has blessed us in so many ways. Finally, it is a God-given privilege and grace that has provided the opportunities to be involved in the midst of the pandemic. God is good”. - Dr Lakana Kumar, Cell Leader -
IMPACT Stories
SOME OF THE KL ZONE PROJECTS It is not possible for me to share about every project that we are involved in. Allow me to highlight just a few here: The zone funded the transportation costs for Myanmar migrant workers from Plaza Sungai Besi to the vaccination centre. We arranged six buses to transport a total of 126 workers to the Bukit Jalil PPV (Pusat Pemberian Vaksin) centre. We are grateful to be able to play a part in helping the migrant workers in our nation to be vaccinated. We will be making the same arrangement for them to take the second dose.
1
In August when an area in Old Klang Road was under EMCO (total lockdown), we partnered with an NGO to provide rice packs and food essentials to about 150 Indonesian migrant households in that area.
2
There is a children’s home in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan run by Pastor Sukumaran. It is home to 15 children (5 boys and 10 girls) with ages ranging from two years to teenagers. The children were either abandoned by their parents or given away to relatives and ended up in the home, as the relative or caregiver had abused them. The home is well managed and the children are well cared for. As the children are growing up, Pastor Sukumaran and his wife felt the need for the boys and girls to live in separate houses. By doing so, it would not only allow segregation but also make room to accept more children. A second home had been identified and set up.
3
Our two cell groups in Cheras (under Godwin and Dr Kumar) financed the furnishing of the new home, providing them with beds, mattresses, a refrigerator and fans, etc. Prayerfully after the MCO with interstate travel permitted, the cell groups will plan a trip to the centre to do some painting, and also to help out in the community project with the neighbourhood children.
11
IMPACT Stories
Our cell group in Puchong, under Peter Sia got to know of the needs in the Penjara Wanita Kajang (Kajang Women’s Prison). In this Prison, there are not only female inmates but also babies (some of them were born there) who are staying with their mothers who are serving prison terms. The babies are allowed to stay with their mothers until they are three
4
years old. Due to the lack of budget from the government, there is always a dire need for infant and baby milk powder and diapers. The cell group decided to look into ways to provide these needs. As the prison authorities only deal with organisations registered with them, the cell leader was told to contact Malaysian Care. So through Malaysian Care, the cell was able to have access to the Kajang Women’s Prison and provide them with milk powder and diapers. On that day, when the cell leader introduced themselves as Christians from DUMC in Petaling Jaya, the Prison officers were very surprised as nobody had done this before, blessing them with baby needs. She mentioned “Orang Gereja selalu buat baik.”
A cell member named Benjamin Teh from Dr Lim Beng Keat’s cell in Kemensah Heights came across a Malay lady who was living in a dilapidated house without a roof. The only portion of her house with a roof over it was the kitchen and that was where she slept, cooked and confined herself to, as this was the only place not inundated by rain. Sadly, she had been neglected by her own family [including three adult sons] and left to fend for herself. Her plight caught the attention of the MP of the area, Datin Paduka Dr Tan Yee Kew. She decided to help this lady and managed to find a contractor who was willing to mend the roof for free, but funds were still needed to buy the raw materials for the repairs. When Benjamin shared this with the CG, the cell unanimously agreed to contribute to the fund, in keeping with our motto ‘See a Need, Meet it’, even though this was not their preplanned Impact project.
5
When the cheque was presented to YB Dr Tan, many of the top PKR leaders [Dato Seri Dr Wan Azizah, Tian Chua and YB Prabakaran] were there in support of the Malay lady who is an ardent member of their party. When Dr Wan Azizah learned of the involvement of DUMC, she was very touched that a church could help out someone in need regardless of race, religion or political affiliation. The cell members were very encouraged that their Impact initiative not only made an impact on the Malay lady, but also those who witnessed it.
IMPACT Stories
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CELL MEMBERS “We are truly grateful to God to be able to see the improvement in the lives of individuals that we touched. These efforts also ministered to our hearts. We can comprehend the true meaning of God’s love; He cares and loves us no matter what our backgrounds are. We do not need to worry about anything because God knows and cares for us. He will send people to help us. Thank you God that we can be part of this initiative.” - Hia Ngee Yeow, Cell Leader “The cell members have seen and experienced the generosity of the whole cell. It was a whole cell decision to support/reach out. We saw how God poured his blessings through the cell members by their giving. When the cell group decided to give, it was overflowing, in abundance. When we give to others, God gives us blessings too i.e. prayers answered, own needs are met, etc. Everyone was very cooperative in contributing money, effort, time and energy. Packing food items, etc. brings cell members together. Everyone played his/her part, united in purpose and mission. Indeed, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Some feel blessed to be able to help in little ways as it is heart-breaking sometimes to see some of the needs out there.” - Teo Wun Meng, Cell Leader -
What an eventful and fruitful period it has been; in the midst of the pandemic God has opened our eyes to see the needs around us! We thank the Lord for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the community who have been badly affected by the pandemic. To God be the glory.
“It was an eye opener in seeing the great needs in our society. We felt joyous and at peace that we could help and at the same time were humbled by the experience. We are privileged that we can meet people’s needs. The initial feelings of apprehension, fear and anxiety turned to a greater desire to continue helping the needy.” - Dr Lim Beng Keat, Cell Leader -
13
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
HEALTHY CHRISTIAN
SPIRITUALITY AMIDST THE PANDEMIC By Pastor Dato’ Dr Daniel Ho, Founding Senior Pastor
“
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23
”
T
he passage of Scripture above provides a true test of healthy Christian spirituality. How far are we close to or distant from bearing this fruit of the Spirit? The fruit of the Holy Spirit is borne as we submit ourselves more and more to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is one fruit that must manifest itself in all 9 nine facets in our life. We cannot say we have some and do not have the others. If this is the case, then we need to come before God and allow Him to search us seriously. Let us examine these facets and see how we can learn to grow in it.
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
Firstly, love which is one that comes from God in the first place. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). But we are all inclined towards selfishness and selfcentredness and need to be delivered from such self-preoccupation. Only when we embrace God’s love can it turn us outwards to show love to others increasingly. Secondly, joy which is independent of the circumstances around us. When we know this joy which comes from the Lord we will begin to manifest this deep down in spite of the challenging pandemic situation we are in right now. Moreover, this joy of the Lord shall be our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). How much we need this in these uncertain times! Thirdly, the Holy Spirit will begin to bring increasing peace in us because real peace comes from the Prince of peace, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:17). Fourthly, patience which the Holy Spirit has to work doubly hard on most of us because we are often impatient people. We all have much to repent in this area. We often cannot wait but want to have everything right away. So we demand and pout if we do not have it immediately. How the Holy Spirit has to work overtime to confront and convict us! As we surrender to the Spirit, He begins to work gently and slowly patience in us increases. Fifthly, kindness which comes from the Lord who is altogether kind (cf. Titus 3:4, 5). As we embrace this kindness of the Lord we will begin to show kindness, likewise to others too. Like in driving, when we are kind towards others in giving way they will likewise be kind towards other fellow drivers. We always give what we receive.
increasingly. Authentic goodness comes from God who will work in us to reflect the same. Seventhly, faithfulness in our living, acting and relating. Faithfulness with our roles and responsibilities, in the use of our gifts, time, resources and whatever else that the Lord has given us. Faithfulness in promises and commitments. Faithfulness before people and behind people. Eighthly, gentleness which is perfectly exemplified in the Person of Jesus. He was gentle with the woman caught in adultery as He was gentle with the hated Zacchaeus. Both were transformed in their encounter with Jesus. Likewise, the Holy Spirit will work gentleness in us reflecting Jesus as we surrender ourselves more and more to Him. Finally, self-control which is that one area we all struggle with. Our mouths are too quick as our actions are too rash oftentimes. Sometimes we live to regret them. Of course we must confess, repent and cry to God for mercy and forgiveness. Only in recognising our great need in this area of self-control will the Holy Spirit begin to painfully work in us slowly and graciously. Then, we will begin to have greater self-control over our words, actions and temper. What a time for us all in the midst of the pandemic to surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit and to allow Him to examine our hearts and our lives. To see how much of the fruit of the Spirit we are bearing which will be the true test of our spirituality. Not how much of the Bible we know, important as it is, but how much of the Spirit’s fruit we are manifesting. That would be the true witness to our Christian spirituality.
Sixthly, goodness which is a reflection of that quality inherent in us. But this quality resides firstly in this absolutely good God who is altogether good towards us. And as His goodness is poured into our lives through the Holy Spirit we inherently become good and will manifest this likewise in our lives 15
DRIVEN, OR DRAWN?
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
By Debbie Loh, PJN3, Equip Programme Administrator
2021 was a year I had set aside for unstructured time. I read voraciously, liberally—anything I wanted. I picked up literature written around the Victorian era going into the Enlightenment period, which is mostly where my longstanding historical interests lie. I picked up macramé which I enjoyed, although I have one big unfinished project still waiting for me. I watched several critically acclaimed Hollywood movies, mostly psychological thrillers. I played a couple of mobile games that had to do with racing, but also candycrushing and colour-matching. I bought and read a few important books by Marva Dawn and Eugene Peterson. They left a deep impression on me.
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
But perhaps the most revolutionary thing that came to me this year was the idea that one can live their lives either being driven by a machine-like impetus, or drawn by their deepest desires. It was mostly introduced to me by my spiritual director, before I came upon a series of videos by Trevor Hudson called “Another Kind of Life”. Driven by Shoulds I have spent most of my adult life being driven. Driven by external goals, outcomes, but most of all, being driven by the big “Should”. I made my decisions based on what I “should” and “ought”, and I realise many of us live this way—searching for the shoulds and oughts of life. I should get married. I should have children. I should own property. I should earn a 5-figure salary. I should serve in a ministry. I should do my quiet time. I should pray. And it goes on and on, depending on who your influences are. The shoulds of our lives may be good, but they are, after all, external influences imposed upon us that we comply with rationally but mostly robotically. The shoulds of our live may be easy and safe enough to follow, but they do not always engage the heart. In the end, we are like headless chickens driven by the applause of others, doing lots of things but not really knowing why we do them, except because we should. Jesus of Nazareth was not like that. He did not just go with the flow just because one should. People should not heal on Sabbaths. But He did. People should wash their hands properly before eating. But He and His disciples did not care to. People should not walk in fields and pluck grains to eat. But He and His disciples did just that. People should not go around touching dead people so casually even if compassion was the reason. But He did just that. People should not allow a menstruating woman to touch them. But He stopped in His tracks and sought her out. People who were unsanctioned by the Pharisees should not go around preaching
unsanctioned teachings to crowds. But He did just that. Jesus of Nazareth was unperturbed by the shoulds of His time that were lined up in the tradition of the elders that sought to implement the Law with rules and stipulations. He held them to the heart of the Torah and found them wanting. They were deeply disconnected with desire, and observing them became a cumbersome and laborious task. To be sure, there is a certain militant efficacy in Should. It is rational, reasonable. There is no room for argument or appeal. It is absolute. Questions are frowned upon. We should, and so we do. However, the silencing force of the should is not all that our stubborn drives respond to. As an example, although we should do our daily Bible reading, and can be effectively driven to it, we cannot deny that there is a different albeit quieter voice—the gentle and more earnest voice of desire. What is Desire? “Desires are a deep, vital, integral part of what it means to be a human being. God has created us with infinite desires. … We are desiring creatures. That is how God has created us. These desires give direction, energy, and they give shape to our lives. On the other hand, desires can become distorted. They can become dark, dangerous, destructive. For example, a desire for food can lead to gluttony… It is very easy for a legitimate desire to become disordered. Trevor Hudson, Another Kind of Life (Video Series on conversatio.org)
“O God, let me know myself; let me know you.” Augustine of Hippo
17
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
There are two sides to desire that can be described as ordered and disordered, illustrated by Trevor Hudson in the quote above. Scripture tells us that the entirety of our being—hearts and minds, have been corrupted by the prince of this age. And then it tells us that Christ has come to revive that very thing that has been dead for so long— our hearts and minds. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
show that the world can go on without him. Putting the phone on silent modeearlier in the evening decapitates his need to be needed. To cut to the chase, the ancient paths of silence and solitude are an affront to Drivenness, weakening him from his boastful claims. Once Drivenness has thus been tamed and put in his proper place, we can then provide a safe space for Desire to speak. Silence and solitude help us hear ourselves with clarity.
In my time Our hearts of listening which to others “Our hearts which are the wellspring are the and myself, of life contain our deepest desires, wellspring I discovered desires deeply connected with how of life that Godcontain our given desires our Creator formed us—signposts deepest are often to God.” desires, simple in desires expression, deeply yet incredibly connected with how our Creator formed us— noble and self-giving in motive. Put next to signposts to God. what Drivenness can produce, they seems small, and trite. Ignatius of Loyola particularly emphasises that our deepest desires are the touch-points It sounds rather like something about the to the things that God is calling us into. simplicity of love that borders on naivete: 4 Learning to be drawn by desire is to have the Love is patient, love is kind. It does not Spirit tutor our hearts to discern our deepest envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It desires, God-given desires that reside in does not dishonour others, it is not selfour hearts. seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight Drawn by Desire in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always It takes time to know what we really want. perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:3-7) Using John Bunyan’s literary device in the Pilgrim’s Progress, the loud and fastIn 2021, I learned the joyful rhythms of paced efficiency of Drivenness silences the Sabbath rest. I set aside regular time to wistful and tender whispers of Desire. When spend with a handful of underserved children. Desire begins to mouth its tender longings, I gave up Instagram. I released to God the Drivenness is already drawing sophisticated responsibilities I was not meant to have. I charts and snapping up a spreadsheet to built relationships with several children. I procure its wants. A life of drivenness has slept early, daily. And I did all these things the tendency to distort and silence our not because I should. But because I deepest desires. wanted to. Therefore, there is a need to be less driven. To prove Drivenness wrong. To show that its fears are unfounded. Limiting our work schedule helps to deflate Drivenness’ ego, to
I am learning to live by being drawn, not driven. And I am loving it.
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
H AV I N G A
l u f e t Gra Heart
By Sarah Lye, PJS2
19
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
A
s we enter into the next phase of COVID-19 which is endemic, we must learn from past mistakes and improve in managing the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, we also need to renew or revamp our thought life, our speech, our behaviour, our responses, our reactions and our attitude. Having said that, it is not easy as we need to relearn by surrendering our old habits or old ways of thinking and embracing the new normal. How do we do that? First of all, we need to have a grateful heart. We need to be thankful for what we have and not compare with other people. The moment we compare with other people, we will have a self-pity party and think that we are inferior to other people. We will become negative in our thought life and if it is not guarded well, we will be heading for a disastrous situation! Ephesians 5:20 says “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In the above verse, Paul encourages the Ephesians to give thanks to God the Father for everything. Likewise, we too are to give thanks to God for everything – for things that are good, for things that are bad; to be grateful to God for things that are pleasant and to give thanks to God for things that are unpleasant or challenging. When we are hard-pressed or challenged, it is very easy for us to complain and whine. We question God. “Why am I suffering? Why do I have this sickness? Why doesn’t God heal my loved ones but instead let them die?” We lose our cool and tend to forget that God is a Sovereign God and that He is still in control despite the adverse circumstances. Instead of hiding from God and running away from Him, we should draw closer and nearer to Him. “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded”. (James 4:8)
He is the One that will guide us with His loving hands and teach us how to move on step by step. We need to be patient when God seems to be silent and not speaking at all. Our faith must be grounded and not waver. When our faith is shaken, we should ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and empower us. Ask Him to show us what we should be doing and what we should not be doing. We must be really in tune with Him in order to able to hear from God. It is easier said than done but we have to trust and believe that God will direct our steps as what the Psalmist declares in Psalm 32:7,8 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you”. We also need to count our blessings and not compare. We need to be thankful for the gifts or blessings that God has given us. James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows”. Likewise, the Apostle Paul says that he has learnt contentment. Philippians 4:11,12 says “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Indeed, we must be thankful for what God has done in our lives, what He is doing in our lives and what is He going to do in our lives. We must have the eyes of faith to able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hebrews 11: 6 says “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”. This verse tells us that if we want to please and honour God, we must have faith to believe that God exists and God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. We must have faith to believe that God will complete His work in our lives even when we are facing difficult moments especially in circumstances when we want to just throw in the towel. Hang in
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
there and cling on closely and tightly to God as God says that He will never leave you, nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). God’s marvelous love enables us to move on, to get up to run the race and face the day. We can feel overwhelmed by difficult challenges or trials but we will not be destroyed by them. Why? Because God’s love is so much greater! His wonderful love will enable us to overcome adverse circumstances. Romans 8:35-39 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When we are going through the darkest moments in our lives, we must remember not to lose hope. We must keep trusting in God’s faithfulness, trusting in God’s love, trusting in His provision and relying on God’s grace. At the end of the day, when we reflect or look back, we will be astounded by His works in our lives – how He has orchestrated everything to work according to His purpose in our lives. All will still be under His control even when we feel that we have lost control. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
m A I
As we near the end of the year, we can be hopeful as we look forward to 2022. The reason is because God’s mighty hands will lead us and guide us and His presence will go before us. Even when we do not have a single clue as to what is going to happen ahead of us, we can entrust our future into the loving hands of God.
21
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
“Safe” H O W
IS SAVING GRACE? By Alex Tung, PJN
PART 3
Sanctification Assures Salvation At the beginning of this series, we discussed how the Christian concept of grace distinguishes Christianity from all other religions and how grace is fundamental to our salvation. As Christian grace is unparalleled to all other notions of grace, we also saw how some have stretched the biblical concept of grace to an unbiblical end in the form of hyper-grace or antinominalist teachings. We concluded that notwithstanding God’s guarantee of our salvation through His grace, His grace is not a ticket to live unrepentant sinful lines. This left us in a limbo of whether grace alone was truly sufficient for our salvation or if we needed to live our lives up to a prescribed moral standard to earn and retain our salvation. In the previous article, we unpacked this dilemma and discussed the importance of repentance and what true repentance means. We saw how the biblical definition of repentance meant more than merely turning away from sin (i.e. metanoia) but more importantly entailed a change in one’s mind of how he recognises Christ, that is from being faith-less to being faith-full in Christ. As a result of recognising Jesus as Lord and Saviour (i.e. repentance), electing to turn away from sin (i.e. metanoia) becomes a natural by-product. Nonetheless, this leaves us in a final conundrum – if a person had indeed repented and received salvation, is it possible for him to lose his salvation if he then opts to turn away from Christ? In this final part of the series, we seek to answer this last question of whether it is possible for salvation to be “lost” and find finality to this question of how “safe” is saving grace. Justified by Grace It is important to note that when a person is said to have been “saved” or has “received salvation”, what that truly means is that he has been declared righteous. As a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the race of mankind had become unrighteous, with his relationship with God severed.
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
As a result of the fall of man, humanity had become sinful and each generation thereafter until today is born into sin. Given that the wage of sin is death and humanity would never be able to sufficiently atone for its own sins, humanity would be eternally condemned to death. As such, humanity’s only redemption out of eternal condemnation was if its sin had been atoned for on its behalf by someone who, unlike humanity, was pure and sinless. For Christians, this redemption came in the form of Jesus, the one and only pure and sinless Man who surrendered His life as an atonement for our sins, taking His place in a death which should have been ours and thus offering us His life. DUMC Floodgates, Issue 107 – How “Safe” is Saving Grace, Part 1
Our only means of salvation is if we were to be made right with God – that is, if we were to be declared righteous. Simply put, to be justified by God is to be declared righteous by God. As such, justification can be seen as God’s pronouncement of righteousness onto a sinner once the he has repented and accepted Jesus into his life; and as a result of this pronouncement of righteousness, his sins are atoned for by Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary and his relationship with God is mended.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. Romans 3:22a–25a It should be noted that justification is something only God can do – not us. On our part, we can only choose to repent and in response to our repentance, God can choose to offer His justification. Like grace, justification is not something which can be earned. God does not need to and He is not compelled to, but out of His grace, He has chosen to do so and has promised to offer His justification for our salvation. But being justified does not automatically transform sinners into angels and saints. Post-justification/repentance/salvation, we remain sinners – only that through grace we have been saved and declared holy. The actual living out of holy lives and the pursuit of holiness does not occur overnight – it is a lifelong journey, and this journey is called sanctification. Is justification just? If He is holy, how can God forgive a guilty sinner?” The answer is that justification does not excuse our sin, ignore our sin, or endorse our sin. Rather, our sin is fully punished, Christ having taken our penalty for us. He was our substitute (1 Peter 3:18).
23
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
Endless Sanctification “Sanctification” comes from the Greek word hagiasmos, meaning “holiness” or “a separation.” As such, to sanctify means to be set apart for a specific purpose, and thus the theological interpretation of sanctification typically refers to the process of being set apart further and further from the world and of being made more and more holy. It should, however, be noted that some literatures do confusingly refer to sanctification as an event – rather than a process. An example of this interpretation of sanctification as an occurrence can be seen from verses such as Hebrews 10:10, which the ESV and NIV translations notably vary.
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10 (ESV) And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10 (NIV) For the purpose of this article, it would be more accurate to refer to this one-off event version of sanctification as justification, and retain the meaning of sanctification as referring to a process. Consequently then, to refer to sanctification as an end goal or destination would be inaccurate, rather it should be seen as a progression and a journey. In the same way, “travel” refers to the state of continual movement, likewise sanctification refers to the state of continual pursuit of holiness. But unlike travelling where we can expect to arrive at a destination and therefore conclude the travelling process, it is generally agreed that with sanctification, we would only conclude the sanctification process in heaven. As it would be impossible for humanity to live lives completely devoid of sin whilst on earth (only Jesus was able to do that), it would likewise be impossible to be completely sanctified whilst on earth. The key idea is this: that sanctification is a journey to holiness, and it being a journey which will only end in heaven means that we will never be able to achieve complete holiness whist we are on earth. It follows then that whilst we continue on this pursuit of holiness on earth, we will inevitably continue to sin – this raises the fundamental question: can we then continue to freely sin whilst on this pursuit of sanctification and still be assured of our salvation? Sanctification is Not Hyper-Grace Lest we come to the erroneous conclusion that being on the journey of sanctification allows us a ticket to freely sin whilst our salvation remains secured, let us be mindful of the different mindsets these two positions are based on.
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
With hyper-grace and antinomianism, the mindset taken is that as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, God’s laws no longer apply and salvation is assured regardless of how we live our lives. This is radically different with sanctification where the mindset taken is based on a repentant heart that continually seeks to be more and more holy despite the fact that he continues to sin out of his imperfection. Sins committed by antinominalist and hyper-grace proponents tend to be committed in a carefree manner and carelessly as they do not believe that God’s laws apply to them, and therefore they do not see the need to turn away from sin. Conversely, Christians who are repentant would endeavour to turn away from sin and would confess their sins, those they had failed to avoid, in a posture of submission to God. Notwithstanding their imperfections, Christians would endeavour to avoid sin in their quest to improve themselves to become more and more godly and holy. The differentiating element here is as intrinsic as it is personal. On the outward, two sinners may look the same but inherently, the weather in their hearts will be immensely different - and it is this difference which will determine whether the sinner’s salvation can be “lost”.
“… when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned…” Leviticus 5:5
Our Salvation Hinges on Repentance Given that God’s promise and grace are reliable, permanent and unwavering, then the only potentially wavering element which may risk us “losing” our salvation is on us – that is, our state of repentance. Where repentance means changing our minds about God (i.e. accept Christ as Lord and Saviour) then its antonym is apostasy (i.e. turning away from and rejecting Christ). It is generally agreed by most Christian schools that apostasy is not possible, as they argue that repentance only works in one direction (from being faithless in Christ to being faithful in Christ) and it is not possible to un-repent or to undo one’s repentance. The idea behind this is the belief that when a person becomes a Christian, he would be spiritually reborn as a new person (especially if he has been baptised) and hence it would not be possible be un-born. Perseverance of the Saints This is in line with the Perseverance of the Saints doctrine which states that if a person were to turn away from Christ, that means that he was never truly repentant and thus had never truly accepted Christ into his life. This means that when a Christian is said to have turned away from God and rejected Christ, it would not be an over-stretch to consider such persons as “fake” Christians to begin with. Although they may have had gone through the motions of faith like attending church service and worship, serving in 25
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
ministry and participating in prayer meetings, these “fake” Christians never actually had faith as they had never really repented.
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
In its simplest form, the Perseverance of the Saints doctrine ascribes to the notion that, once a person has been saved, he will always be saved as, at the point of repentance and justification, he had been marked by the seal of the Holy Spirit. Once received, this mark is permanent and guarantees our salvation. And if he had changed his stand from being faithful to being faithless, then we can be assured that he never received the Holy Spirit within him.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 To any human observer, the difference between a true Christian and a “fake” Christian may be indistinguishable. A good analogy of this was given by Jesus Himself when He expounded on the Parable of the Weeds. In this parable we see how unbeknownst to the farmer, an enemy had sowed weeds alongside the farmer’s wheat. In their early stages of growth, both the wheat and weed showed no difference. It was only when the wheat started to bear fruit but the weeds did not that they were detected. In the same way, “fake” Christians who have not truly repented would never be able to bear fruit from sanctification.
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:24–30
Can a Christian Lose His Salvation? Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to the question of whether a Christian can lose his salvation. Rather the answer is “it depends”, and it depends on how we define “Christian” in this statement. If we define a Christian as someone who has uttered the sinner’s prayer or has been raised in a Christian family and observes Christian traditions and regulations, or someone who embraces the cross or crucifix and endeavours to live an ethical and moral life, technically we are not wrong – but we are not completely right either. Each of these are notably important and indicative of someone who is walking right with God, but they are not conclusive of whether the person is truly a Christian. But, as discussed above, if we employ the Perseverance of the Saints doctrine then no, it would not be possible for a “real” Christian to lose his salvation. The true mark of Christianity in a person is much less tangible and has less to do with his outward appearance and more to do with his heart. The more accurate definition of a Christian then is someone who has chosen to accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour; in other words, someone who has changed his mind about Jesus and has chosen to invest his faith in Him. A simpler way of expressing this is – a Christian is someone who has repented. To him who has repented (that is, true repentance), then he is assured of salvation and God promises that he shall not perish but have eternal life.
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 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 Towards that end, we can be assured of God’s promise to all those who believe in Him, to all who are “real” Christians, that His promise of salvation will not waver. His promise is good and insofar as we remain faithful and repentant, we can be assured that notwithstanding our failures and sins, our salvation is assured and will never be lost.
27
Message From Founding Senior Pastor
So, How “Safe” is Saving Grace? In a nutshell, how safe saving grace is depends heavily on us. In the assurance that God’s offer of grace and His promise of justification and salvation are a definite and a constant, then the variable which determines whether or not we are saved (and how safe are we saved) depends on our strength of repentance and our pursuit of sanctification. Another way of putting this: as long as we pursue sanctification in a posture of repentance, God will offer His justification which will make us righteous and therefore worthy of salvation. These are two necessary elements for salvation – repentance and justification. They are two sides of the same coin, and it is by this coin our salvation is bought and secured. On our part, we need to check that the posture of our hearts is truly repented and that we allow ourselves to continually be tutored and sanctified by God. And on God’s part, God’s grace will always be safe enough.
Message From Founding Senior Pastor DUMC Ministries
DUMC CONGREGATIONS & MINISTRIES CONGREGATIONS
COMMUNITY
FAMILY
ENGLISH Pr Chris Kam english@dumc.my
BREAKTHROUGH DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRE bdrc@ces.org.my
FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY Kay Yeow & Rachael Ling family.life@dumc.my
BAHASA MALAYSIA Pr Eddy Marson bahasa.malaysia@dumc.my
CITIZENS NETWORK FOR A BETTER MALAYSIA sccd@dumc.my
PREMARITAL COUNSELLING Bob & Ruby Chee pmc@dumc.my
CHINESE Pr Dr Ling Shui Nyuk chinese@dumc.my
EXCEL TUITION CLUB Yuen Ting Ai sccd@dumc.my
MARRIAGE Adrian Chen & Susan marriage.course@dumc.my
NEPALI Adrin Sant nepalese@dumc.my
GOLDEN CLUB Rupert Ling sccd@dumc.my
PARENTING (Children) Ronnie & Ivy Khoo Dennis Ngai & Joo Wei parenting.children@dumc.my
MYANMAR Pr Sarah Aye myanmar@dumc.my
FOODBANK Tan Hong Looi foodbank@dumc.my
TAMIL Sarah Krishnan tamil@dumc.my
S.T.A.R YOUTH (Ministry for Intellectually Challenged Youth) Tracey Chan micy@ces.org.my
FILIPINO (Fellowship) Peter Lim filipino@dumc.my
YOUTH
STREET MINISTRY (Ministry to the Homeless) Jerry Teo sccd@dumc.my
CHILDREN’S CHURCH Pr Mike Ngui children@dumc.my
URBAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Sophy Lim sccd@dumc.my
NEXTGEN Pr Terry Yeow (Teens) nextgen@dumc.my
HELP DESK Josond Lee & Elizabeth Lee helpdesk@dumc.my
Pr Sara Leong (Campus) nextgen@dumc.my
ADULTS MEN ALIVE! John E men.alive@dumc.my WOMEN2WOMEN Stella Hoh w2w@dumc.my
FIRST TOUCH CONNECTORS Pr Alex Tan connectors@dumc.my SECURITY Pr Adrian Chong security@dumc.my USHERS Pr Alex Tan ushers@dumc.my
MISSIONS
PARENTING (Teens) Vincent & Lily Wong parenting.teens@dumc.my WEDDING PLANNING weddings@dumc.my
COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA DEW CREW Huong Yew Yi dew.crew@dumc.my FLOODGATES (Church Magazine) Petulia Lun floodgates@dumc.my CREATIVE ARTS Darren Ong creative.arts@dumc.my RESONATE (Worship Ministry) Gabriel Ngui resonate@dumc.my
OTHERS FORERUNNERS (Intercessory Prayer Ministry) Pr Chris Manivannan forerunners@dumc.my TADIKA JUARA CERDIK Rachael Chan general@dreamacademy.edu.my
CROSSFIELDS Pr Kelvin Yong missions@dumc.my 29
LOVE GOD. SERVE PEOPLE. MAKE DISCIPLES. We are DUMC. A church for all generations —an exciting community of families, senior citizens, young adults, teenagers, and young children, doing life together. Our primary purpose is not to make nice religious Christians. Our purpose is to build passionate disciples of Jesus Christ.
