Listed below are articles abstracted from past issues of PELITA
SCAC 40th Session Report
The Opening Ceremony for the 40th Annual Conference of Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC) was held at Wei Kok Hall on 25 November. The opening address was given by the Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, Rev Dr Ong Hwai Teik.
In the opening address, with the Bible text taken from Numbers 23:13-26, Bishop Ong reminded us that we are living in a reality of unseen enemies and “unknown” powerful encounters. King Balak, the king of Moab, was terrified of the Israelites. The desperate king sought a way out - by summoning a dangerously powerful sorcerer named Balaam, to curse the Israelites.
But Balaam never could do so. Instead, that dangerously powerful sorcerer became an instrument of an undefeatable Sovereign God. Balaam might try, but he could not do what he was paid to do. He couldn’t curse but bless because God had spoken (Isaiah 40:8) For us today, despite the situation happening around us, Bishop Ong reminded us not to live with a “victimised mindset”.
We should focus on God because God takes pleasure in His people. God will protect us because we are His people. God can use evil for His own holy purposes. He still rules, watches over, provides for His people in this fallen world.
By Rev Candy Liong,
Faith Methodist Church
The ordination service was held at 7:15pm, Masland Methodist Church on 25th November, 2015.
Six deacons (Jacqueline Yeu, Lau Ong Heng, Lim Soon Khai, Kong Choo Chiang, Simon Kong, Sia Pik Hao), three local deacons (Sency Ling, Nancy Yu, Phang Liong Eng) and five elders (Ling Nguok Sieng, Nicholas Tan, Wong Ling Kee, Lu Ai Ling, Nguang Ung Soon) were ordained.
In his sermon, entitled “A Call Connected”, Bishop Ong Hwai Teik reminded the newly ordained pastors of the importance to be connected. We can see this from the example of Timothy’s life.
Timothy grew to be a faithful servant of God through a prophetic message and by the laying of hands of the elders at Ephesus (1 Timothy 4:14). The prophetic message, the laying of hands of the elders, and Paul functioning as his mentor reflect the communal roles of the Christian community in Timothy’s ordination. Ordination is a communal affair. Bishop Ong cautioned that the pastor represents the entire local faith community. The pastor’s private life builds his public life. Therefore, humility, teachability and growth are to be demonstrated, as recorded in Micah 6:8. This verse marks the standard of a person growing spiritually in life and in ministry — through responding to God by acting justly, rightly and loving mercy.
We are to be “blameless inside, well thought of outside” because God has called us to deal with social creatures: people. We need to be blameless so that we can influence people for God’s kingdom. Being blameless is being effective for God.