“Lord, write Your story through me. Use my life, my gifts, my testimony, and even my pain for Your glory. Let my story be Yours.” This was the appeal shared by guest speaker Pastor Johnny Wong on the last day of the Spiritual Emphasis Week held at Eramus Hall, Malaysia Union Mission Headquarters.
The Malaysia Union Mission headquarters annually organises a Spiritual Emphasis Week in conjunction with its Midyear Meetings. This year’s gathering brought together staff members and their families for a meaningful time of worship, reflection, and spiritual renewal. Throughout the week, Pastor Johnny Wong, church pastor of Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Director of Adventist Mission at the Singapore Adventist Conference, delivered messages on the theme “When God Leads Beyond the Ordinary,” focusing on strengthening faith and deepening commitment to God’s mission.
Through practical and Christ-centred messages, Pastor Johnny challenged attendees to remain faithful amid the uncertainties and pressures of life. Drawing from personal experiences of God’s leading and faithfulness, he emphasised total dependence on Christ. On the first day, he spoke about Peter, who obeyed Jesus even though he did not see the full picture. Pastor Johnny stressed that obedience comes before understanding because God rarely reveals the entire plan before asking us to take the first step. He further explained that God responds to obedience, highlighting the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to guide both personal life and ministry.
The messages encouraged attendees to step out in faith even when God’s plans are not always fully clear, trusting that every act of service ultimately brings glory to Him. Charlene, one of the attendees, shared that she found Pastor Johnny’s messages very inspiring. “His sharing was deeply personal and intimate. You could see how the Holy Spirit used his personal struggles to reveal how extraordinary our God is and how He can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things beyond what we can ask or imagine.”
A highlight of the Spiritual Emphasis Week took place on Wednesday, 13 May, when, for the very first time, the organisers shared the worship service live on social media. This move came in response to the positive impact of social media in advancing the gospel work in the region and the growing efforts of the OneVoice27 initiative. Since then, the telecast has reached over 2.2k viewers and continues to grow.
Pastor Johnny’s conviction and passion in delivering God’s word served as a reminder to continually return to Jesus as the true source and provider. His culminating message highlighted that miracles happen when individuals choose to reconnect with Christ, even during the busyness of ministry, which can often leave workers spiritually drained. The timely emphasis encouraged attendees to prioritise intimate time with God to serve more effectively and meaningfully.
The Spiritual Emphasis Week also reinforces the mission focus in Malaysia as the church continues to advance its evangelistic and discipleship initiatives for 2026 and beyond. In harmony with the church’s broader mission, the event reminded attendees that spiritual growth must remain the foundation of effective ministry and leadership.
The week concluded with renewed commitment among staff members and attendees to serve faithfully, support one another in unity, and continue sharing the hope of Christ throughout Malaysia.
Reported by Hazel Wanda Ginajil-Gara, MAUM Communication
15, May 2025, Friday.