Bethany Home Ministry

A while ago I blogged about the "Reading Bus" a program to help rural children to read. This program was pioneered by Pastor Cheli and his wife Mei who have now relocated to Kuala Lumpur.

Beside this reading project, Pastor Cheli and his wife has also started a after school centre in Kuching. This was specially to help students who are poor in their studies. Understand that a nominal fee is collected.

Since the relocation of Pastor Cheli and his wife Mei the job has been taken over by Pastor Fong Che Chung who is the product of the after school centre.

"Fong Che Chung, 25, is one of those who benefited from Bethany Home. Fong, who is now an assistant pastor with Bethany Ministries, said he had failed every subject in the SPM mock examination at school in 2003 before his friends urged him to go to Bethany Home.

“It was about a month before SPM and I had totally lost hope. But I decided to come to Bethany Home as I had nothing to lose.

“During that month, I came every day and studied mainly with my friends, who taught and helped me to understand the various subjects. Questions that I did not know how to answer previously started to make sense,” he said."

Pastor Che Chung is now a full time pastor with Bethany Home Ministry, Kuching.

To read an article on this subject click on the title of this post.

Money Video

In interesting video about how we can be controlled by money.

Alpha Workplace - KTS Kuching

The Alpha Workplace course started on 22nd July 2011 and it ended last Friday 23rd September 2011. About 58 staffs of KTS Group Kuching attended this course. It was indeed an inspiring journey with so many members of their staff attending Alpha Workplace course in one place. This could be the largest Workplace Alpha ever conducted in the state of Sarawak.

Many people were touched by the Holy Spirit in this course. Some started as nominal Christians, and now they repented and are hungry for God. Praise God that the Holy Spirit had been working in their lives!

Hosts and Helpers from Trinity Methodist, Faith Methodist, Tabuan Anglican, and First Baptist Church were there to assist KTS from the start of the course on 22nd July 2011. It has also been an encouraging journey for many of the Hosts and Helpers to see so many people being moved by the Holy Spirit.

This workplace Alpha at KTS Group was the work of the Holy Spirit and it was not work on man. Glory to God!

A note of thanks to Bro.Tony Wee for helping in recording this video, Sis Doreen for volunteering to be recorded, and Bro.Lau for recording the video.

Watch a video testimony of Sis. Doreen Sim of the insurance division at KTS, Crown Tower Kuching.

Rob Bell Leaves Mars Hill Church

Rob Bell the pastor who wrote Love Wins which created controversy in the Christian world a few months ago is leaving the mega church he founded. He was accused of being a universalist that saying everyone will be saved eventually regardless of what they believe. This did not sit well with many theologians including Pastor John Piper who tweeted "Seriously, as before, may you fare well, Rob Bell. http://dsr.gd/otctwX" after the book came out. Now Piper's prediction has come true! Other famous pastors/authors have written books countering Bell, like Francis Chan who wrote Erasing Hell.

His book created confusion and many believe he got the wrong theology that is the reason for so many people opposing it.

To read an article on this subject click on the title of this post.



John MacArthur's response

Bribery and Corruption

On 10th Sept 2011, Bishop Rev Hwa Yung of Methodist Church Malaysia was here in Kuching to address the issue of bribery and corruption at Trinity Methodist Church (TMC). He has written a book of the same name. The book has generated a lot of interest in these subjects especially in present Malaysia. No doubt corruption is an issue in many countries, but as our country is going through a political transition it seems that corruption is on everyone's mind.

Rev Hwa Yung's book was a result of a paper on corruption he prepared for the Graduate Fellowship while he was studying for a PhD in the USA in 1992. He didn't want to make the presentation but was directed by God to take up the challenge as he did not know much about the subject prior to his presentation.

Rev Hwa Yung said basically we human have 3 struggles, a)money b)sex and c)power. Many people failed because of these issues including pastors.

How can we take truth of God and make it alive in the real world? Rev Hwa Yung suggested three models :

Separation Model - separate from the world which rebels against God.

Indentification Model - Christians are salt & light of the world (Matt 5:13-16), To live simultaneously under God's law.

Transformation Model - we live in two realms but as Christians we can change the structure/systems to be God-comforming.

He suggested an integrated model of the three models that is called Incarnational model.. This model assumes that we practise identification only to the extent we allow transformation.

What can we do ?

1. Never commit or condone active corruption practices.
2. Avoid as much as possible passive acceptance of corruption i.e paying for something that no doubt is legitimate.
3.Aim for transformation –for the greater good, for better quality of service, so that lives of others may improve.
4. God will speak to us individually and He expect differently from each of us.
5. Never lose sight of God’s call for us to be SALT and LIGHT.

In the nut shell do not participate in corruption, we must be committed to change and God will help us.

Beside Rev Hwa Yung lecture, five brothers shared how they handle corruption and bribery in their work. We had a doctor, an architect, two consulting engineers and a developer sharing their testimonies from the workplace.

Overall, a very interesting and informative seminar on corruption and how as Christians we should respond to this issue in our daily lives.

Bribery & Corruption - Free Slideshow Maker

Akha Christians

The Gospel is being spread among the Akha people. Pray for them.



A short video of Dr.Aje teaching at Haggai course, Kuching.

Akha People of Thailand

Dr. Chaiyot A-je Kukaewkasem(Dr.Aje) is an Akha from Thailand. I had the honor to meet him while attending the Haggai course here in Kuching recently.

The Akha people lives in five countries, China,Thailand,Loas,Cambodia and Myamar. All together there are about 2 million Akha in these five countries.

It has been an inspiring experience to meet Dr.Aje. He is not only a PhD holder in science, he is also a pastor to his people. He and his American wife is pastoring a church in northern Thailand and have various social programs to help his people. More and more of their people are turning to God. Hallelujah! (Click on the title of this post to read Operations World report)

As soon as Dr.Aje came into the class at Haggai I could feel his humble presence and felt connected to him as a Christian brother. Indeed, it was a joy learning from him. He made the subject of pluralism easy to understand. I believe all the participants enjoyed his teaching.

He showed Christ in what he is doing and in his treatment of other people, a person we all can emulate. Praise God for such a humble person and pastor.

Here is a video of Akha people. Not all Akha people are Christians, please pray for Dr.Aje and his ministry to the Akha people.

Top: picture of praying for Dr.Aje during our Haggai course. The colorful weaving on his coat is of Akha design.



Watch this video of a beautiful song.