Floodgates Issue 113 (2023)

January to April 2023

Message From Senior Pastor

1-3 Wherever God Places You – A New Missional Imagination

4-7 Missionary God – God of Generations and Nations (Genesis)

8-9 Regroup. Reenvision. Relaunch.

10-11 All Things New

12-13 You Never Walk Alone

14 Time Out – Men’s Encounter Weekend

15-16 God’s Faithfulness

17-18 The Gospel Cafe

19 My Comeback to First Touch Ministry

20 Loving God, Serving People

FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM

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.”

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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.

By Pastor Chris Kam, Senior Pastor

Our progressive theme since 2020 has been “Go … Keep Going … to the Least and the Lost … Wherever He places you.” It should invoke in our imagination that where we are today, the absolute time and space, is not a random occurrence or by fluke of chance. Apostle Paul affirmed that when he debated with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers: Acts 17:26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.

God has omnipotently decreed or established the history of humankind (their appointed times) and the boundaries (the precise places) of our existence. God reveals Himself in three ways: events (nature and history), His written Word and persons (e.g., through Adam and Eve who were made in His image), and through the incarnate Christ, God in person. One of the purposes of these revelations is that we may seek Him (Romans 1:19-20).

Therefore, God is sovereign and there is no “wrong” country, birth, or time. Our being and our existence is a divine appointment. What an awesome truth, that we are not a random product of chance. Apostle Paul echoed this in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Imagine this exciting proposition: He has prepared for us even before we were born what our life will be like and how we can be useful for His Kingdom. Our life of pilgrimage on this present earth is to discover and realise that as we move along.

So, what does “being useful for His Kingdom” mean? It is the desire of God’s heart expressed in 2 Peter 3:9 “not wanting

anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” He wants everyone to ultimately enjoy eternal communion with Him in the everlasting Kingdom to come on the new earth. (Revelation 21:1-4) He delights in us and does not want anyone to miss out. While on this earth, we as His children will be the agents of reconciliation. Everything we do must be for the sake of the gospel because this allows every person to experience the greatest good in their life. There is no other goal loftier.

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

While the physical Kingdom of God is yet to come, it has in some sense arrived, although not fully. We as followers of Jesus Christ bear the Kingdom of God within us. Wherever we are, we are to express that Kingdom (God’s Presence), making a difference and impact, every day with the gospel. The loftiest goal in our usefulness for the Kingdom would simply be to be missional – to adopt a lifestyle where our posture, thinking, behaviour, and practices would be of those who engage others with the gospel message. That engagement can come in many ways, building slowly and intentionally to the point that people in our sphere of influence would

“He has prepared for us even before we were born what our life will be like and how we can be useful for His Kingdom. Our life of pilgrimage on this present earth is to discover and realise that as we move along.”

be in a position to consider the claims and invitation of Christ.

Therefore, in some sense, a new missional imagination is not about the church in the usual understanding of what a church is. The idea of a church is often erroneously the building where all our events are held to attract people. Breaking out of the four walls of the church building to evangelise is reserved for the elite troop of the Christian community. But, in a nutshell, the model of the early church from Acts 2:42-47 was not confined to where Christians gathered only, but also where people in society were every day. The net result was simply Acts 2:47b “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

It’s not about how to make events and programmes of church better, how to attract more people to come with our slick advertising, or how to turn a dying church around with new strategies. The church is increasingly marginalised, and it is certainly not about getting the church back to cultural respectability. All these in themselves are good things, but they aren’t the focus of a missional imagination.

I believe God is calling us to a purpose larger than ourselves - outside of ourselves and our internal focus. This is not a new call. It is re-imagining the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, summarised the imagination this way: “It is not the church of God that has a mission. It’s the God of mission that

has a church.” He affirmed that God is at work through the Church with the Gospel in redeeming the world, and God extends His invitation to us to participate in this mission. He is not primarily interested in getting more and more people into the institution of the church, while that is good in itself. Fundamentally, we need to re-imagine the church to be God’s hands and feet in accomplishing God’s mission of making disciples out there in society.

This imagination is already at odds with how most churches “do church”. It invites us to turn towards our neighbourhoods and communities, listening first to what is happening in the everyday lives of people and learning to ask different questions about what God is up to in the neighbourhood. Rather than the primary question being, “How do we attract people to what we are doing?”, it becomes, “What is God up to in this neighbourhood?” and “What are the ways we need to change in order to engage the people in our community who no longer consider church a part of their lives?” This is what a missional imagination is about. I have encouraged you that each time when you exit the church building, look up above the glass door at the notice that says: “You are now entering the mission field.” This is your everyday places. I have challenged you to pray for five people this year and also to begin praying for your places of work each day – offices, schools, communities, your neighbourhood and your home.

Can I encourage you to ask this question, with a missional lens? What is God doing where you are every day? How can you be His eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet? What do you see and sense about the people you rub shoulders with each day? Where can you go with your feet to where they are and with your hands to minister with compassion the needs that you see? What would He say to you each morning when You greet Him “Good morning Holy Spirit? What would You have me do today?”

MISSIONARY GOD

God of Generations and Nations (Genesis)

By Lee Kha Loon, PJS1

INTRODUCTION

My cell group met at the home of one of our members in December 2022 to celebrate Christmas and also to share the good news with some of our pre-believer friends. It was a time of fun and laughter, good food and fellowship. I also took the opportunity to distribute copies of our daily devotional reading for 2023 to my cell group members

We began the year 2023 with the excitement of a common daily devotional reading, (Missionary God, Missionary Bible) which provided another opportunity to encourage one another in our daily walk with Jesus Christ. The January readings covered the book of Genesis, and we dedicated one Friday cell group meeting to reflect on what the Lord spoke to us regarding the genealogies in Genesis. We were puzzled why there are so many long lists of names of peoples and their descendants. We counted ten and they began with the standard phrase “these are the generations of…..”

THE TEN TOLDOTS (GENERATIONS)

We dug a little deeper and discovered that bible scholars referred to this as the “toldot formula”, a Hebrew word for generations; or an account of the life of a person and his descendants. Each toldot introduces a key character and his family/generation and their contribution to the early period of Israel’s history. The first toldot is an introduction, this is the account of heaven and earth (Gen2:4). This then leads to the genealogy listing of individuals and how they and their descendants played a role in the account of God’s creation, the heavens and earth1 .

This is followed by nine toldots which are; Adam (5:1), Noah (6:9), Shem, Ham and Japheth (10:1), Shem, 11:10 and Terah (Abraham) 11:27, Ishmael (25:12), Isaac (25:19), Esau (36:1), and Jacob (37:2). 2The reading for our discussion that Friday were Genesis 9 -11, and portions of it included the toldot of Noah as below:

1. Victor Hamilton, The Book Of Genesis, Chapters1-17, (NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1990), 24

2. Herbert Wolf, Pentateuch, Introduction to the Old Testament, (Moody Publishers, Chicago, 1991), 1547

SCATTERING OF GOD’S PEOPLE

These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. 2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations. (Genesis 10:1-5 ESV)

These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations. (10:20)

These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations. (10:31)

Biblical scholars have attempted to trace places, towns and geographic territories from the list of names in chapter 10. Below is a map that shows that the descendants of Noah were scattered across North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Hence

the genealogy provided an important source of information to trace the roots of various peoples and nations across the world at that time.

The scattering of the people going in different directions also fulfilled God’s mandate to Adam at the beginning of creation. Adam was told to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28) Adam and Eve were not meant to live happily forever in the Garden of Eden. The same mandate was given to Noah after the flood (Genesis 9:1)

Hence when we see this table of nations we begin to realise that the purposes of God was being fulfilled as the descendants of Noah moved further and further away from their current locations to populate the earth. The table of nations in chapter 10 affirms that God is God of all nations, as the peoples, tongues and nations, (a repeated phrase for that ends with each of the genealogies of Japheth, Ham and Shem) were scattered and settled in new lands3

3. Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Theology, An Introduction, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2008), 248

Source: Bible History.com

THE TOLDOT OF TERAH (AND ABRAHAM)

The story does not end here. Man had fallen into sin and as they were scattered there was a need to reach them with the message of salvation and reconciliation. How could that be accomplished? The answer is found with the toldot of Terah, the father of Abraham. This is the genealogy of Terah…Terah became the father of Abraham (Genesis 11:27)

From one man, one family, twelve tribes, one nation, God began a process to gather his people and the rest of the book, from chapters 12 to 50, is about the genealogy of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The family prospered and multiplied in numbers with each generation. Genesis ends with seventy families from the sons of Jacob living in Egypt, giving us hope. The process of building a nation as part of God’s redemptive plan to bring the gospel to all the scattered peoples through the nation of Israel has gained momentum.

THEME OF SIN AND REBELLION, GRACE AND MERCY

The toldots also gave an account of the spiritual lives and conditions, and highlighted the sinfulness of man; brother killing brother, seeking vengeance, cheating, sexual immorality and social evils. God brought a flood upon His people as an act of judgment. However, God spared Noah and made a covenant of blessing and mankind could start afresh with Noah and his three sons. The toldot of Noah and the blessings on his family and three sons is an act of grace from a God who is patient and merciful. He gave humankind a second chance, a new beginning, hope and redemption through Noah.

Similarly, God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis12:1-5) to bring blessings and salvation to the peoples of all nations.

IS HE GOD OF ISRAEL OR GOD OF ALL NATIONS?

The list of the toldots leaves us with two names we have not discussed, Ishmael and Esau. Let us take a closer look at Esau. In chapter 36 we read a very long and extended toldot of Esau. Why is it even here in the first place? It seems out of place as the story line focuses on the “elect” line of Abraham. In fact the whole narrative of chapters 12-50 is focussed on the patriarchs.

I have always read the book of Genesis from a narrow Christological perspective of salvation. Hence Ishmael and Esau are “rejects” and I ignore the sections about them. A more careful reading made me realise that the toldot of Esau showed that God blessed him and his descendants greatly4. Part of the text is reproduced below;

These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). 2Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter[a] of Zibeon the Hivite, 3and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. 4And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel; 5and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. (Genesis 36:1-5) ESV

These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their clans and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43Magdiel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. (Genesis 36:40-43)

This very long list of Esau’s genealogy reminded me that God has not forgotten Esau. The first toldot lists them according to their ancestral line. The second list from verse 40 lists them according to their geography and region, the dwelling places5. All the peoples of the earth will be blessed through

4. Walter Brueggemann, Genesis, Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching, (Westminster, John Knox Press, 1982)286

5. G Aalders, Genesis, Bible Student Commentary, Volume II, ( Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1981), 178

Abraham and his seed will multiply; they will be princes and chiefs that will prosper, expand and rule over the lands that God has given them. They also were participants in the blessings to Abraham and Sarah in terms of land and descendants.

We see a similar pattern with the toldot of Ishmael. (Gen25:12-18). God indeed treated Ishmael as a son of Abraham and in chapter 17, when God made His covenant with Abraham, there was a promise of blessings to Ishmael as well.

As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful, and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. (Genesis 17:20)

These toldots included long list of names that seem meaningless to the casual reader. As I read them in the context of the book of Genesis, it began to make sense that these descendants are a great blessing from the hand of God; that we are to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

JESUS – SAVIOUR TO ALL NATIONS

What did Jesus have to say to all this? Jesus affirmed this inclusiveness in His outlook and teachings when He said that there are other sheep (Gentiles) who are not of this fold (Israel).

And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will

listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (John 10:16)

Jesus’ mission on earth was to bring salvation to all peoples, languages and nations and the early church was evangelistic and missional in outlook and practice. The early church was scattered from Jerusalem to Ephesus to Rome and Greece because of persecution and the gospel travelled with the early Christians to reach the “unreached” peoples of that period. Paul went as far as Illyricum, modern day Croatia, with the gospel (Romans 15:19)

CONCLUSION

We ended our cell group meeting praying for the people of Azerbaijan, a community in Central Asia where evangelicals were only 0.22 percent of the population; (daily reading in Missionary God, Missionary Bible includes a community of people to pray for their salvation) where the majority are Muslims.

The daily readings instilled a stronger discipline to read the Bible for us as a cell group. We currently devote one meeting a month to share our reflections and pray for communities listed. This has also opened our eyes to many more places where people are scattered and are in need of the gospel.

As we read the Bible book by book, we also discovered that God is a missional God with fresh insights such as the toldot; that our God is a faithful God to His peoples over many communities scattered throughout the earth and over many generations. There is only one Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ and one flock, and let us continue to take the gospel and pray for the various indigenous communities across the earth; remembering He is a God of generations and all nations.

“The toldot of Noah and the blessings on his family and three sons is an act of grace from a God who is patient and merciful. He gave humankind a second chance, a new beginning, hope and redemption through Noah.”

By Kelvin Yong, Missions Pastor

By Kelvin Yong, Missions Pastor

How has the pandemic changed the way we do missions? This has been a common conversation piece among members of the missions fraternity in the last three years.

While it’s true that the pandemic has somewhat affected the way we operate, the call to fulfil the Great Commission has remained unchanged. Matthew 28:19 still says we are to go and make disciples of all nations, the last time I checked! The gospel of the Kingdom must still be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations.

We can use technology and digital means to support this purpose and enhance the process. We can engage, equip and empower our mission partners more intentionally to play a deeper and wider role where they are. But nothing can substitute for us crossing borders and being there with them personally.

The ministry of presence is powerful beyond words. Its value cannot be underestimated. Jesus’ incarnational model in doing missions is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago. And we are called to emulate Him.

What would be required of us therefore?

Regroup, reenvision and relaunch. That was what the Lord revealed to me when I sought Him at the start of the year. We need to assemble once again to redefine and reclarify the vision God has given us, and that is to cross into the harvest fields with the message of the Cross. Our strategy in fulfilling that vision is threefold - ignite, incubate and impact.

For the blueprint, we need to look no further than Paul, the exemplary missionary. Paul’s heart was ignited when he encountered

Jesus on the road to Damascus, after which he was filled with the Spirit and began to fellowship with other believers. Most, if not all of us, would have gone through a similar experience albeit not as dramatic as Paul’s perhaps.

Paul then went through an incubation process. He spent three years in Arabia and Damascus, sharing his faith actively and freely there, before going to Jerusalem to meet the apostles. Barnabas then found him in Tarsus and brought him to Antioch, ironically to the church started by the very people who had escaped from him when he was persecuting them. God truly has a great sense of humour.

Antioch was not only the place of reconciliation for Paul. God’s people need to make peace with one another before they could be used by Him as His agents of peace to the world. Antioch was also Paul’s place of development. It was the incubation hub where he expanded his relational and ministerial capacity.

And Antioch was where Paul received the call to go. Three recorded missionary journeys resulted and the gospel entered Europe for the first time, impacting the lives of the people there - and beyond when this lifegiving message spread globally.

And I believe God is saying to us that DUMC is to be the modern-day Antioch. We have been in the business of sending missionaries and mission teams out the last 30 years, and we will (and we must) continue to do that. Hence I would like to make a personal invitation to all you members of the church to join CrossFields in this faith venture, as we relaunch our mission trips this year.

ALL NEW

By Vera Tay, DUMC Missionary in Cambodia

As we move into 2023, Covid-19 has not been eradicated, but living with Covid is the ‘new normal’; Zoom meetings, work-from-home and online learning are some of the things that we have adapted to. Most of our initial fears about Covid have diminished. We have also grown wiser with selfimposed quarantine when we have symptoms. Have you considered that the lockdowns and movement restrictions that were enforced upon us were ‘times of waiting’? Waiting means being ready. Are you ready to embrace the ‘new things’ that God wants to bring into your life?

When I stepped out as a missionary, God took me on a new and unusual journey. I fell critically ill and had a near-death encounter, I had a lapse of memory, I was all alone, locked down in a foreign country, the list goes on. Yet in all of these circumstances, I experienced God putting His arms around me, hugging me and whispering “I love you. You are precious”. God held me through it all.

“This is what the Lord says... “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; ... you are precious and honoured in my sight, … I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

(Isaiah 43:1-5 NIV)

In 2022, I returned home to Malaysia to recuperate. In April, when my immunity was still low, I caught Covid-19 and had to selfquarantine. One day, in silence and solitude, God impressed upon me that my time in Cambodia had not come to an end. He gave me the desire to return to serve Jesus. God was moulding me. I had to learn to hear, trust in Him, do what He called me to do and not charge ahead on my own strength.

WAITING…

I learnt to wait upon God. Waiting is not doing nothing. Waiting is being obedient to respond to God when He calls. What was it like? Well, while waiting upon God:

i) I continued to disciple and mentor the leaders and youths in Cambodia.

ii) Together with the Khmers, we prayed online for the church planting work that had been started, and it grew into two thriving cell groups. It is ready to be launched as a small village church.

iii) I was the representative for Cambodia at the ASEAN Bible Reading Marathon. For three months I coached the youths. On 22 - 25 September 2023, this event was launched throughout ASEAN. Cambodia had the youngest youth team. Pastor Kun (our Khmer pastor) read in the opening ceremony from a tiny village in Cambodia. It was an honour and privilege to proclaim the Word of God in Khmer across Cambodia and ASEAN! This was just the beginning!

iv) I made two trips to Cambodia in September and December. As I stepped off the plane, emotions welled up within me. My heart resonated with the land. It was like a homecoming.

v) I continued my Theological studies with Seminary Theology Malaysia (STM). It was exciting and such a joy to formally study the Bible. I fell in love all over again with the Word of God. Definitely worth the effort! Perhaps you would want to consider joining a Bible Study course?

vi) I was accepted by Interserve1 Malaysia, and Interserve’s National Medical

Advisor helped me to become healthy and fit. I made regular trips to the clinic to get a series of inoculations as protection for my work in the villages. At the end of every session the doctor and I would pray, and a bond developed. I thank God for this divine appointment, and I am extremely grateful for her attention to detail, care and love for my spiritual and physical well-being.

Looking back, I did a lot while waiting!! It is not the regular understanding of waiting. Please do not despise your time of waiting. Use it to align and deepen your relationship with God and to be ready to launch when God calls.

In November, I went on a silent retreat, and I spent a lot of time praying on my knees. One day I felt a sharp pain on my left shin. I looked and noticed a small growth with a discolouration of my skin. I went to the doctor, who told me I would need a minor surgery to remove it. Again, I was reminded that my life was not my own. It belongs to Jesus.

LOVE.

I have committed to return to Cambodia and serve Jesus for another three years. I will be sharing the Good News, preaching, teaching and serving the poor, church-planting and mentoring and discipling. Jesus has called us to love. When you speak and read the language of the locals, you speak love to their hearts. So, I will continue to learn Khmer (Cambodian language).

This world is dying to know the way to heaven, dying to know Jesus. Would you like to join me in making His Kingdom known? Jesus said “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last— and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16 NIV)

In His grace.

1. Interserve is an international evangelical mission organisation with partners in a wide range of ministries in Asia and the Arab World. There are national offices around the world including Malaysia. Interserve was established in 1852, and today is 171 years old.

YOU NEVER WALK ALONE

By Sarah Lye (PJS2)

Imagine that you are in an unfamiliar surrounding with strangers around you. Or imagine yourself in a dark room with no light for a long period, say an hour, and you are not sleeping but are wide awake? Or maybe you are experiencing excruciating pain right now in certain parts of your body and you may feel that you do not have the strength to pull through the difficulties or any challenges that you may be facing right now. You want to throw in the towel because you say, “Enough is enough!”

Your emotions are draining, and you are filled with despair and anguish. You are tired, exhausted and overwhelmed by the whole pressure or stress. You are losing your sense of purpose. You wonder why you are here in the first place. You just want to run away as far as you can go. You think that nobody knows and cares about you. You are in a downhill spiral.

The actual fact is that, in spite of whatever you are going through, God is always present though you may not feel it. You will never walk alone. You do not need to be afraid or discouraged. Instead call upon God and depend on Him and He will be there for you. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Call upon God and rely on Him. Do not depend on your own strength as it will fail.

I experienced this recently when I had to drive my 12-year-old daughter to the ER department on a Wednesday night (22 February) at about 8.10pm. Earlier we had been having dinner together and suddenly she complained that she felt pain on the left side of her chest. I told her to just rest and she obeyed. She sat on the chair in the dining hall resting while I cleared the table. She sat there for one whole hour and the pain in the chest did not go away. Many thoughts went through my mind. I was filled with anxiety and fear as I did not know what was happening to my girl. I was trying to encourage her to not be afraid yet, at the same time, I myself was feeling afraid. What irony! I had to act strong in front of her so that she would not be fearful.

After we arrived at the ER, the medical officer there quickly did an ECG test for her. The readings were normal but she was still feeling the pain in her chest. So we had to check her in for further tests that night to rule out any possibility of other serious conditions such as a hole in the heart or chest issues. The doctors also asked many questions such as whether she had any allergy, was she born full-term or if she had any medical problem when she was younger. All the answers were satisfactory – she did not have any allergy or medical issues when she was younger and she was born full-term.

Next, she was requested to go for a blood test – and this was her first time in a hospital having to experience or see a needle being poked through her veins. To make it worse, the first time, the medical personnel could not extract any blood and had to re-insert the needle. My daughter screamed in pain and I was beside her holding her other hand to comfort her. At that moment, the picture came to my mind of Jesus nailed on the cross. Jesus bore our pain and our iniquities for us. I was tearing in my heart and at the same time comforting my daughter and assuring her that everything would be all right although I did not know what the final outcome was going to be. Thankfully, the second attempt to extract the blood was successful.

After the blood test, my daughter had to wait to do an X-ray. We waited with her outside the X-ray room. When her turn to go in came, she had to be there alone in the X-ray room to have her chest area scanned in the presence of a female medical personnel. I was a little apprehensive about leaving her alone but I just surrendered the whole situation to God - trusting that He would take care of her and that she was not alone. God was present with her. The moment I surrendered to God, I felt His supernatural peace.

When she came out of the X-ray room, there was a smile on her face and I instantly knew that God was with her. I was reminded that the God that I trust was also with my daughter. He will never leave or nor forsake my daughter as He is faithful.

So we returned to wait for the doctor to inform us of the results of both the blood and X-ray tests. It was about a half-hour wait but it seemed very long as we were anxious about the results, even though we knew that we could trust God and that God was in FULL CONTROL. He is sovereign.

Finally, the doctor called us in and the results of both tests were made known to us. Praise God that the blood test and X-ray showed that everything was normal. But why was the pain still there although it had subsided? The answer to the puzzle was costochondritis, a condition where the chest wall is inflamed but it is not dangerous. The cause of costochondritis is strain from repeated exercise or sudden exertion that you are not used to. My daughter related that the day before, she had been running very fast in the playground chasing after her younger brother. She did experience a little pain on the chest but it wore off immediately. Knowing that my daughter was not in danger and she did not need to go for any surgery really calmed our hearts. Praise the Lord! She only needed to take over-the-counter Paracetamol if the pain persisted.

This whole experience taught me and reminded me that God is always with us no matter what happens and how we feel. He is always present and we never walk alone. I need not be afraid but I can experience His supernatural peace. Even when the whole world seems to turn upside-down and my emotions are running wild, I will never feel abandoned because I am His child, His treasured possession. You belong to God too, and He never leaves you. You never walk alone! Because He is always there carrying you, instructing you and guiding you although you may not feel so.

Hebrews 13:5b says

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

TIME OUT

MEN’S ENCOUNTER WEEKEND

By Lee Kha Loon, PJS1

A PERSONAL REFLECTION

Iam relatively new to DUMC and joined MenAlive fellowship in 2022. The highlight for me was the Time-Out weekend retreat to Ipoh with about 30-35 men in August. Ever since my youth, I have always enjoyed fellowship and time with God at Christian camps but it had been a while, and I was really looking forward to it. Let me share a few memories of my experience.

The treasure hunt (our group was last, pretend you do not know) was the most fun part. I am usually hopeless at this, how to find answers to the clues. But this time it was different, I found three of them to help my team finish the race. Hallelujah, I was overjoyed, and thought we won until the results were announced.

We also had a time-out alone session one morning, sitting in the park nearby by ourselves (alone) to meditate and converse with God for two hours. It was looking very stormy at 7am as we walked to the park (about 15 minutes) and I prayed that the wind would blow it away, and praise the Lord, the sky cleared. Each of us sat in a quiet corner to reflect and pray. The next day, there were many testimonies of how God spoke to each of us during that session; the sharing was personal and transparent.

Another highlight was a 2019 Christian movie, Overcomer, the story of a teenage girl, Hannah. Could she overcome her fears, lack of confidence, and insecurity to achieve her dream as a runner? The movie was about her struggle and how she overcame all odds to run the three-mile race in under twenty minutes. Her previous best had been twentyfive. Her achievement was a testimony of her trust in God when she finally realised who she really was, “I am a child of God”.

The speakers, testimonies, worship, the meals together and Pastor Timothy Lam’s message from Mark 4, Jesus in the storm, completed the three-day event in Ipoh. I was much blessed throughout as I met men, young and old, DUMC members and guests from other churches coming together for a time of fellowship and encouraging one another. Jeremy, my brother and fellow cell group member shared with me how blessed he was to be there too and that he was very moved by the movie as well.

If you missed it last year, do not miss this year’s DUMC men’s retreat in October 2023. Stay tuned for the church announcement and see you there this year.

fulness Faith

By Alice Hoo, PJN4

At the end of 2018, after praying for direction in my life, I decided to resign from my full-time employment, preparing myself to be a homemaker. It was a most difficult decision to make. However, after tendering my resignation, I felt relief and peace. I did not expect what I was about to go through in the following year but God already saw what I would experience.

In January 2019, I had my first miscarriage just after a few weeks of pregnancy. The news broke our hearts. I took a few months to recuperate and to heal. I thank God that my husband, Yew Yi spent a lot of time to accompany me during my recovery phase. By September, we received good news, I was pregnant again! To our disappointment, the pregnancy turned into miscarriage again after a few weeks and this again broke our hearts. I felt so lost and was wondering why God did not give us what we desired despite our unceasing prayers. That was a most challenging time for us.

During my recovery period after my second miscarriage, I took time to ponder and reflect rather than hasten into trying to conceive again. I earnestly sought the Lord for His guidance. And one night during the usual prayer time with my husband, I felt the Lord impress upon my heart, “Rise up and fight (to pray earnestly), because the holy seed that you conceive will shake the kingdom of darkness.” I was led to read Psalm 127: 4-5 and Revelation 12:17. I was puzzled over what I heard. Hence, I sought counsel from my husband and my accountable prayer partner for more clarity and understanding.

I began to fast and pray earnestly. During my fast, I thanked God that He surfaced the bondages which were entangling my life. This included the generational bondages (ancestral worship, occultic practices involving fortune telling and seeking mediums) in my family. In addition, I began to have vivid dreams at night that revealed what I needed to pray for. In one of my dreams, God pointed out a photo album I needed to throw away. I took heed of the message and searched for this album. To my surprise, I found that I kept many photos from my childhood which included the ones when I was dedicated at the altar of an idol. I had forgotten about those moments but not God, He saw them.

Two months later after my fast had ended, I continued to wait upon the Lord for His timing in granting us children. On 12 March 2020, I was just about to open my Bible to begin my daily devotion, and this verse leaped up before my eyes.

“About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.” 2 Kings 4:16

I silently prayed and ask God not to allow me to feel the disappointment again as I had just recovered from both the miscarriages, and I took this verse to heart. The next day, I felt very nauseous and unwell. I remembered the verse I received the day before; hence, I took the pregnancy test and Hallelujah! it was positive. After we got confirmation from my gynaecologist, I thanked God for His Word that came into reality.

During week eight of my pregnancy, after we confirmed hearing our baby’s heartbeat, we asked God for a name for our baby. That same night, God spoke in my dream, that we were to name him Jonathan (a Hebrew name meaning ‘God has given’). Although we did not know the gender of the baby, through this dream, we began to pray by faith for our baby boy. Lo and behold, we gladly received the news through the prenatal check-up in week 14 that indeed it was a baby boy! Again, I witnessed the faithfulness of God. It is a baby boy just as He revealed in my dream.

Fast forward to today, our son Jonathan is almost three years old and has just begun going to school. Each night when we pray for him, I marvel at the goodness of God. We are truly grateful that Jonathan came into our lives. God is so faithful and real to both of us. In the coming days, we will share this testimony with our son, let him know how he into this world, simply because God loves us, and He is faithful. God remembers His promises and His covenant with us and He will bring it to pass just as He has said so.

café The GOSPEL

By Ricky Ser & Vicky Soh

Iam Ricky, I grew up in a Taoist family, and there was no church in my hometown, so I never had the opportunity to hear the gospel. It wasn’t until I met brother LCW, who tirelessly shared the gospel with me for more than a decade, that I began to understand it. However, my heart was hardened, and I was indifferent to people; I worshipped money.

It wasn’t until March 2022, when my wife and I went to church for the first time, that I was touched by the power of the Holy Spirit for the first time and came to know Jesus. My wife and I were baptised during

Easter in April 2022. After baptism, God gave us the anointing of the Holy Spirit, making us closer to Him and allowing us to better understand His will.

During this time, God arranged for many of my customers to come to my shop and many poured their hearts out to me. Among them were people who had attempted suicide multiple times, suffered from depression, were on long-term medication, had significant life stress, and much more. God allowed me to interact with many people who needed care and a listening ear, and as a new believer, all I could do was pray for them and ask God to have mercy on them. In this process, God used me as His vessel, allowing them to feel God’s love, peace, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and increasing my faith in Him without me realising it. However, I started to feel afraid and conflicted because I had been constantly receiving other people’s negative energy and burdens, and this unknowingly became a heavy burden in my heart.

During this time, I began to feel the “call of God” coming with purpose to my heart during my quiet time. I felt that He wanted me to start a gospel coffee shop (café) because I believed that it was not easy to bring people to faith and invite non-believers to church. However, a gospel coffee shop (café) could become a sanctuary for those in need: a place to rest, reflect, and share their thoughts. Through a cup of free coffee and a sincere greeting, people could feel God’s love, have the opportunity to hear the gospel, and even change their thoughts and lives. The gospel coffee shop (café) would be a place where seeds were sown for the Lord, and bridges built leading people to church.

However, when I heard God’s will, my heart struggled greatly. I began to make excuses to “challenge” God, such as telling Him that I lacked funds, manpower, and time. But every time, He miraculously solved these problems one by one. In the end, to be more certain whether this was truly God’s will, I challenged God, “Only my wife and I in my entire family

are believers; the rest of my family still worships idols. How can I serve You when my own family have yet to receive salvation?”

Soon after I issued this challenge, a miraculous thing happened. In a short period of time, nine closest family members came to believe in Jesus because my wife and I shared the gospel with them. This made me very excited, but at the same time, it caused me to struggle. I stopped praying, reading the Bible, and sharing the gospel for a whole week, thinking that this would make God’s call disappear. But the more I thought of doing this, the more guilty I felt before Him, and the more ashamed I became, until one day, I could not sleep.

This made one thing certain - I should not and cannot resist God. I have finally chosen to submit to Him with all my heart, soul, and strength! I have made up my mind to fulfil His will for me.

During the process of building this Gospel coffee shop (café), I felt that He was exercising my spiritual growth, teaching me to love people with God’s love and teaching me about my mindset of money. I know that in serving God and serving people, the one who benefits the most is actually myself.

Now I am a one-year-old Christ-follower, learning to fast and pray, in anticipation of the Holy Spirit revealing more to me, so that I can live more in Christ and make Christ my life. I want to live out and model Jesus Christ in my daily life, in my workplace, and in my family.

Now my wife and I do quiet time and spend time with God every day. We are very eager for the words and knowledge of the Bible, and we want to know our Heavenly Father intimately, and walk closer with Him. We will act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. We will walk with the Lord and rejoice with Him, becoming His vessels and spreading the gospel, so that all nations will turn to the Lord, because God is love. All glory belongs to Him!

MY COMEBACK TO FIRST TOUCH MINISTRY

By Adeline Loh, KL

About four years ago when I decided to end my time serving in the Security Ministry, I never imagined that I would return to serving. The pandemic made me feel the isolation and loneliness of being separated from our church family. Even though I was attending cell group faithfully, I sensed that I was missing something. Towards the end of last year, I decided to seek God for an answer. He reminded me of Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. At our annual Women2Women (W2W) camp in October the answer came through the fellowship and I heard the Word of God. God said to me, “Return to the Security Ministry. I have heard you and will show you I am with you”.

Immediately the same week after the camp, I contacted the Ministry Head and informed him of my intention to return to serve. Without many questions, he welcomed me back. That same weekend, I was informed that I would be serving. God assured me that this was the place where He wanted to work in my life and He would send a few signs of confirmation to assure me of His promise. The first surprise I had was when one of the head ushers called out to me by name and

welcomed me back. After so many years of not serving together, it must be God who could bring such a reminder. Another surprise came a few minutes later when one of our pastors said that it was good to see me serving again.

What has changed since I started serving? I have the opportunity to serve the very young by ensuring they do not hurt themselves while climbing the stairs and running. There is also the opportunity to serve senior citizens by helping them get to their seats safely. You never know who you touch, they could be strangers who are visiting the church, or a needy individual who needs some care. Even though I am one of the only two females in our team, the brothers have always been so encouraging and I have fun learning together. We have just completed our firstaid course together. In this short time, I learnt an important lesson. When you meet the need of others, God will meet your need. I am still a work-in-progress and I thank God for this opportunity to learn to be Christlike. To end this, I would like to encourage those who want to see God do more in your life, to come and serve others. When you put Him and people first, He will most certainly take care of all your needs according to His timing.

Loving GOD, Serving PEOPLE

By Hong Le On, PJN8

Ibegan serving as an usher as a 15-yearold in 2008, a year after DUMC made the move from Sea Park to Dream Centre, and we as ushers/greeters were still donning red jackets as our official ushering uniform. Today, I still have the privilege to be a child and servant in my Father’s house and playing the role of a host in His house.

For the past 15 years, I have experienced God’s tangible presence in my life and would like to testify of His goodness to me in serving as an usher.

I used to struggle serving as an usher. I was very conscious of my choice of words, body language, and whether my appearance was neat, tidy, and proper. I would make frequent trips to the restroom in the middle of service just to make sure that my hair or my clothes were all in order. At the same time, I was very concerned to ensure the safety and security of worshippers, ensuring the security of offering bags logistics till we reached the vault, and ensuring that at the end of the service nothing was left behind in the auditorium. If things didn’t go according to plan, I would get frustrated.

Perhaps the reason I struggled was due to not grasping the meaning of DUMC’s tagline ‘Love God, Serve People, and Make Disciples’. One of Pr Chris Kam’s sermons reminded us that serving others including serving our team members was a necessary part of our discipleship development. One cannot grow without serving, and one cannot serve without growing.

The scriptural verse that captures the above message is from Matthew 20:28, and says:

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I thank God for His Spirit Who reminds of the greater purpose for me as an usher in His house, just as Jesus knew of His greater purpose on earth than the way others perceived of Him. Jesus gave an example in Matthew 9: 9-13 that He connects and communes with tax collectors and sinners. Serving teaches me to be not judgmental.

Another verse that resonates with me is Colossians 3:23:

“Whatever you do, work at it with your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

There are times when people do not appreciate or see the hard work put into this ministry of service to others. What matters is that God sees, God sees every detail, no sacrifice is too small for God to notice, God sees every greeting/fist bump at the door, God sees every seat filled by His disciples worshipping the LORD. God knows even the way we answer every question that is asked and the way we connect with everyone who enters His house.

I am reminded that the important thing is God knows.

Serving has helped me with my spiritual growth. I have learned to deal with my own self-centeredness, to place Christ in the centre in this ministry, to serve the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost in His house and then to serve as Christ would serve. God has transformed me to a different level of humbleness through serving His people.

Let us leave a legacy, led by the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

DUMC CONGREGATIONS & MINISTRIES

CONGREGATIONS & FELLOWSHIPS

ENGLISH

Pr Chris Kam english@dumc.my

BAHASA

Pr Eddy Marson bahasa@dumc.my

CHINESE

Pr Dr Ling Shui Nyuk chinese@dumc.my

NEPALI

Adrin Sant nepalese@dumc.my

MYANMAR

Pr Sarah Aye myanmar@dumc.my

TAMIL

Sarah Krishnan tamil@dumc.my

FILIPINO (Fellowship)

Marilou Retrato filipino@dumc.my

PERSIAN (Fellowship)

Pr Kelvin Yong persian@dumc.my

YOUTH

CHILDREN’S CHURCH

Pr Mike Ngui children@dumc.my

NEXTGEN

Pr Terry Yeow (Teens) nextgen@dumc.my

Pr Sara Leong (Campus) nextgen@dumc.my

ADULTS

MEN ALIVE!

John E men.alive@dumc.my

WOMEN2WOMEN

Stella Hoh w2w@dumc.my

MISSIONS

CROSSFIELDS

Pr Kelvin Yong missions@dumc.my

COMMUNITY

BREAKTHROUGH DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRE

Titus Wong bdrc@ces.org.my

CITIZENS NETWORK FOR A BETTER MALAYSIA sccd@dumc.my

EXCEL TUITION CLUB

Yuen Ting Ai sccd@dumc.my

GOLDEN CLUB

Rupert Ling sccd@dumc.my

FOODBANK

Tan Hong Looi foodbank@dumc.my

S.T.A.R YOUTH (Ministry for IntellectuallyChallenged Youth)

Tracey Chan micy@ces.org.my

STREET MINISTRY (Ministry to the Homeless) Jerry Teo sccd@dumc.my

URBAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Sophy Lim sccd@dumc.my

HELP DESK

Josond Lee & Elizabeth Lee helpdesk@dumc.my

BOYS’ BRIGADE sccd@dumc.my

SPECIAL SERVICES (Let’s Chat & Legal Services) sccd@dumc.my

FIRST TOUCH

CONNECTORS

Pr Mike Ngui connectors@dumc.my

SECURITY

Pr Adrian Chong security@dumc.my

USHERS

Pr Mike Ngui ushers@dumc.my

FAMILY

FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY

Kay Yeow & Rachael Ling family.life@dumc.my

PREMARITAL COUNSELLING

Bob & Ruby Chee pmc@dumc.my

MARRIAGE

Adrian Chen & Susan marriage.course@dumc.my

PARENTING (Children)

Ronnie & Ivy Khoo Dennis Ngai & Joo Wei parenting.children@dumc.my

PARENTING (Teens)

Vincent & Lily Wong parenting.teens@dumc.my

WEDDING PLANNING weddings@dumc.my

CREATIVE & MEDIA

DEW CREW Pr Gilbert Tan 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

LIBRARY library@dumc.my

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.