Living Spring 活泉-Vol8-2016

By Pete Hew
I was baptized in 2001 and like most new believers,
faithfully, I started reading the Bible in the following year,
which took me 2 years to complete. Then, after a year or
so, I read the Bible again and it took me slightly longer
than 2 years to finish. I congratulated myself and thought
that I was then qualified to be one of the true believers
and a disciple of Christ! I was wrong, totally wrong as I
was too shallow in my understanding of the Bible, despite
reading it twice. Why? Because I was merely skimming
through the contents without discernment. I thought I
could just read up the Bible like what I used to do with
so many of the self-help books that I had read for my
spiritual self-development. I may have quite a good grasp
of the Old Testament accounts and the New Testament,
but like what James 2:17 said: “In the same way, faith
by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” And
James 2:26, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without deeds is dead.”
I was in a self-contented mind-set for a period of time,
blissfully oblivious of what Jesus had commanded
me to do as one of His followers and I was merely a
Sunday Worshipper. The call by Pastor to join ministries
or Home Fellowship group had fallen on deaf ears. But
then God will not let me rest on my laurels and in His
leading through Aunty Julia, hesitantly I joined the Church
Children ministry in 2008. One thing led to another, in no
time, I was fully involved in the Sunday school ministry
as well. Sunday school ministry turns out to be spiritually
enriching and I told myself that this ministry is enough for
me and joining a Home Fellowship group is still not my
cup of tea then.
My family, Melissa, Joshua & I were among the many
GMSJ members who had participated in the Second
Liners Retreat at The Farm in Semenyih in Oct 2008.
In His perfect timing and plan, God used Mr & Mrs Ooi
through the group activities to reach out to us to join their
Mark Home Fellowship and by then, we had no excuse
but to join them. Still I had little clue as to what to expect
from the Home Fellowship? Eight years later, I can testify
that joining Mark Home Fellowship proves to be very
enriching for my spiritual growth.
Our involvement in the Mark Home Fellowship started
in 2009 and thank God for His enabling grace that we
have been faithful in attending almost every meeting.
The home fellowship meeting is held every Friday from
8.15pm to about 10.30pm except for the last week of
every month when the church monthly combined prayer
meeting is held. We have meetings at three different
locations, they are: Sis. Chiat Juat’s house in USJ4, Sis.
Yvonne Wong’s house in USJ9 and at Mr & Mrs Ooi’s
house in Bandar Puteri.
Our Mark Group leaders are Mr & Mrs Ooi, and our
members come from different places. Sis. Chit Min &
Bro. Khoo are from Klang, Bro. David Foo & Sis. Linda
from Putra Height, Sis. Chiat Juat from USJ4, Sis. Yvonne
Wong from USJ9, Sis. Shwee Yuea aka Ling from USJ9,
Sis. Annie Siew from USJ14, Sis. Helen Teh from USJ8,
Mr & Mrs Ooi from Bandar Puteri and our family from
Bandar Kinrara. Nevertheless, we are still able to meet
up regularly despite the distances. Thanks to the untiring
support and cares from Mr & Mrs Ooi.
TESTIMONY
Living Spring
11