Berita NECF Newletters

A Transformed Nation

Description: Will this ever happen?

A Transformed Nation

Will this ever happen?

As the year draws to a close and the activities of NECF Malaysia taper off, the thought of whether our nation will ever be transformed stalks the minds of those of us engaged in this ministry of nation-building. How did NECF fare during the year and what's the next installment?

Of course, without being cynical or too negative, we can always say that God is sovereign and the future is safe in His hand. But do Christians really believe this and 'walk this talk'? And if so, does this mean that we Christians idle by the wayside and let God roll out His plans for the future of our nation?

Well, let's look to the future by taking a journey back to the past.

The year started with the gloomy and sombre news that Malaysians will undergo the worst-ever recession. The economic downturn defied all fundamentals and stumped analysts.

It was in this atmosphere of sobriety and also trust in the Lord that we spoke of nation building. To communicate our conviction that the Church must be actively involved in the welfare of the nation, we conducted several road shows throughout Malaysia calling on Christians to rise to contribute to the well being and future of Malaysia.

Then in March, we held a special prayer week to pray for the nation. That excited churches and on May 12, churches in Malaysia were inspired by Mark Geppert to forge ahead after 40 years of the tragic May 13 incident and to strive for a new beginning with a new generation.

In July, we kicked off the annual 40-day fast and prayer in conjunction with Merdeka (Independence). The theme of the event was 'Love our Neighbour' and churches united to pray for and demonstrate mercy to people of all walks of life who are our neighbours.

This was followed by our national Transformation conference where Christians were encouraged to live out an authentic discipleship demonstrating social concerns and care to the needy.

The 40-Day Fast & Prayer culminated in the Merdeka Prayer Rally where Indonesian pastor Philip Mantofa called on the Malaysian Church to awake the 'sleeping giant' within us to take possession of this land and to march forward in faith.

How do all these events and activities measure up to nation building? On the surface, it appears just like another activity. One pastor remarked, "Yes, we know about this nation building thing, but what else do you expect us to do? After all, we are already busy with our church programme."

Such thoughts are not uncommon and it begs the question, "What's next for NECF? More talks, rallies and road shows?" We think not.

Scripture informs us that the task of the Church is to be church. As the church of Jesus Christ, we are witnesses to the realities of God's redemption and salvation to all mankind and all things. As His instrument, we are called to proclaim this good news and live out this Gospel everywhere and for everyone.

Hence, NECF is calling upon churches to arise and awake from our slumber to fulfill this God-given and constituted divine role for the good of all people and for Malaysia.

In practical terms, it involves Christians whom God has placed in every sphere of society - be it in the household, our neighourhood communities, our profession and place of work - to arise and be an agent of change to the social ills, the corruption, the wrongs and injustices we see around us.

Our concern should also extend to areas of politics and governance, human rights and justice and the restoration of morality and ethical conduct in both private and public life.

This nation needs repentance, forgiveness and healing. Where can she find this beacon of light and solace but in the Church?

Often, such maladies in society and our nation escape our observation for one reason or another. Perhaps it could be due to ignorance or apathy or for some reason within our implicit and unspoken assumption in the way we perceive or see the world around us.

Whatever it may be, NOW is the time to arise and 'awake the sleeping giant' and ACT.

We can:

  • Pray transformational prayer - praying for issues and concerns that are not so much relating to ourselves or our church, but for justice and righteousness that affect the place that God has placed us in and society as a whole.
  • Live authentic discipleship - that sort of discipleship that demands we move away from our comfort zone and embrace the willingness to deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Jesus.
  • Do intentional mission - when Christians deny themselves, take up the cross and follow Jesus, we will immediately move into public life - whether in the communities or marketplace - and wider society to proclaim, involve and engage for the good of all people and society.

We seek your prayer as NECF acts as catalyst and facilitator in awakening churches to the above. May you be inspired, encouraged and willing to be mobilised to ACT. In the next issue, we will share more details of our vision and direction ahead!

God bless the Church and Malaysia!



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