January – February 2009 PP5872/11/2009 (022800) A bi-monthly publication of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship Berita of Malaysia NECF Editorial Will Kingdom Work Slow Down? y now, church offerings give sacrificially to would have shown signs of support and sustain No recession. Embrace the Bthe global financial crisis as Kingdom ministry Sabbatical Principle. sow, a result of retrenchment and salary whether in good or prune and gather cut among church-goers. Fear of bad times. but on the seventh, they were to the uncertain future may even By grasping the Sabbatical let it rest and lie fallow. During the cause worshippers to hold back principle, we will be able to emulate seventh year (called land Sabbath), when the offering bags go round. Joseph who made the appropriate whatever the land produced was for And for those still holding on to ‘financial’ preparation for future the poor to glean and the leftover their jobs, the real challenge for hard times. was for the beasts (Ex. 23:11). them will be to continue to give at More importantly, it will The Israelites were not to till the pre-recession level. transform and renew our attitudes their land nor harvest the produce. With smaller intakes and in order to resist or break the God gave this command to teach reduced budgets, church ministries bondage of materialism and self- them to look to Him as their will undoubtedly be affected. Some centred individualism. provider. In the long run, it was churches may even have to lay off Additionally, we will be able to intended as an encouragement to their workers or cut their salaries. stamp our Christian presence in the all His people, in all ages, to trust The world is undergoing world as the true witness of God’s Him by obeying His commands, recession, but should God’s love and charity in manifesting and to cast their care upon Him. Kingdom suffer that too? the spirit of koinonia and diakonia (providing immediate relief to Continued on page 5... Seizing the Sabbatical those who need help). Principle The Sabbatical principle Recessions come and go. How underscores the fact that God Inside this Issue then should Christians respond has already made preparations for Chairman: Allah Again 2 to each cycle of financial woes, future down times. The principle especially the present one, without refers to the provision made Israel-Palestine 3 fear and doubt but instead, with concerning the land in Lev. 25:2, Pak Lah’s Last Tea 4 Scriptural security? Let us look at “…the land shall keep a sabbath to Onward Christian Women 6 the Sabbatical principle as a way the Lord.” It is also called “sabbath Called to Politics 7 out of this fear. of solemn rest” (vs 4) and “year of Firstly, it is important to under- rest” (vs 5). No Stopping ‘Allah’ 8 stand the financial implications of Just before the Israelites entered From Change to Transformation 9 the Sabbatical principle – how the the Promised Land, God gave them Reviving Our Parched Wasteland 11 Lord has provided in the past – in specific instructions on working Transforming the Nation Through 12 order to enable us to continue to the land. For six years, they were to the Marketplace www.necf.org.my/html/berita_f.htm NECF Malaysia Council Chairman Rev. Eu Hong Seng Chairman’s Message Vice-Chairman Elder Kong Yeng Phooi Honorary Secretary Pr Tay Wah Seng Honorary Treasurer Dr Khoo Kay Hup Committee Members Allah Again Rev. Dexter Low Rev. Ng Kok Kee Rev. Richard Ong Rev. Peter Mutang n the interview last Dec. 31 on the Rev. Foo Moy Peng issue of restriction of the Alkitab, Rev. Elisha Satvinder Home Affairs Minister Datuk Rev. Simon Chandran I Seri Syed Hamid Albar assured the Pr Chan Theam Lai Christian community that there was Pr Alfred Phua Pr Jerry Dusing no “agenda to discriminate” and that By Rev. Eu Hong Seng Mrs Grace Hee the restriction was to ensure that there was “no confusion and controversy” Advisor among the Muslim community (Online confiscations of such materials. Rev. Tan Sri Prince Guneratnam Utusan Malaysia, 30/12/08). To avoid confusion and NECF Malaysia Staff However we feel that these controversy, perhaps a better Secretary-General attempts by the Government could approach would be to get Muslims, Sam Ang be more helpful if they were made Christians, Sikhs (who also use the Senior Executive Secretary by both the Muslim and Christian word ‘Allah’ in their Scriptures) and Patrick Cheng communities to explain the meaning any other religious groups to educate Executive Secretaries Lucrece Loo (Prayer) and understanding of the word ‘Allah’ their respective adherents on the Kathryn Tan (Finance) in context in their respective places of obvious elementary truth – that their Eugene Yapp (Research) worship. understanding of ‘Allah’ is not the Cheong Sze Ying (Chinese) In a multi-racial and multi-religious same as our ‘Allah’. Pr Azariah Rajendran (Tamil) society where religious freedom is Simply put, their ‘God’ is not our Alfred Tais (Bahasa Malaysia) Larry Lee (Youth and Leadership espoused and where the world is ‘God’. This is not very complicated, Development) encouraged to look at us as a ‘model’ very ‘un-confusing’ and ‘non- Simon S. Arputham (Administrator) of racial and religious harmony, it controversial’. Done in context in our Ong Juat Heng (Communications) does appear inconsistent when the respective places of worship, this will Jeff Chok (Information Technology) Government is resistant towards go a long way in promoting goodwill Confidential Secretary Ching Bee Gaik others who use the word ‘God’ (Allah) besides high respect for each other’s Administrative Secretaries in the national language, especially in faith. Yvonne Chin the Holy Scriptures. Millions of religious leaders have Leong Kit Wah If one were to accept the flawed been doing this for centuries and we Sangan Mutang argument by Datuk Seri Syed Hamid find no reason why this cannot be Administrative Assistants Sally Tan Albar, then the other religions in Malaysia done in the context of Malaysia. Jouslly Buaya may soon find themselves unable to Having said all that, we need to use the word ‘Allah’ in other places of bear in mind that the word ‘Allah’ Executive Advisor worship besides churches. predates the birth of Islam, and it Rev. Wong Kim Kong, J.M.N. It does seem logical that the Sikhs has been used by both Muslims and Editorial may be next in line as they too use Christians worldwide for centuries Editor ‘Allah’ in their Scriptures, though we and definitely before Independence in Sam Ang pray that they will not be subjected to 1957. Assistant Editor the same restriction. The Britannica (online dictionary) tells Ong Juat Heng While the Ministry would like us “the name’s origin can be traced Address the public to think that the issue is back to the earliest Semitic writings 32, Jalan SS2/103, limited to the use of ‘Allah’ in the in which the word for god was Il or 47300 Petaling Jaya Christian Scriptures, this is not so as El, the latter being an Old Testament Selangor, Malaysia the Government has consequentially synonym for Yahweh. ‘Allah’ is the Tel: 603-7727 8227 curtailed the use of the same word standard Arabic word for ‘God’ and is Fax: 603-7729 1139 Email: [email protected],my in other Christian publications, as seen in their ongoing restrictions and ...Continued on pg 5 Printed by Akitiara Corporation 1&3, Jln TPP1/3, Tmn Perindustrian Puchong 2 Batu12, Berita 47100 NECF Puchong, January–February Selangor 2009 Berita NECF January–February 2009 3 NECF Prayer Call on Israel-Palestine s an evangelical Christian organisation in harmony and justice Malaysia committed to the full authority of our for the people, be they Aholy scriptures, we are compelled to call on all Jews or Palestinians, member churches to pray earnestly and without ceasing and for the two nation for the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict in the narrow states involved in the Gaza Strip that has claimed over 1,300 lives thus far. conflict. It is indeed alarming and distressing to read, hear and We call on all see news reports highlighting the suffering and hardship evangelicals, all endured by the people, especially the Palestinians, as well Christians, and as the death of innocent civilians, many of whom are everyone of good women and children, arising from the violent aggression will to join us to pray of Israel’s military power. faithfully in the coming The Bible clearly teaches that God longs for justice days and months ahead for the following:- and peace for all people, irrespective of race, creed or nationhood. We believe that the principles of peace and That God will intervene and in His own justice, so powerfully spoken by the Hebrew prophets, sovereign way bring about a just, lasting solution of are applicable and relevant to all nations and all people peace and harmony in the conflict between the two of the world in this time of crisis in the Middle East. nation states of Israel and Palestine; The Bible also says human beings are created in the image of God and that all are vested with human dignity. That humanitarian assistance and aid in the form As such, all human beings, whether Jews or Palestinians, of food, medical personnel and supplies will directly and have equal rights to life, liberty and livelihood. The quickly reach the victims of the war and for their benefit; atrocities in this war in the Middle East have caused and much destruction and loss of innocent lives which go against the grain of human dignity.