Hokkien Testimony #29

Hokkien Testimony #29

Today we welcome you to the 29th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Mr. Bun Ka Sheng and his wife, Sister Tan Su’e.  Let’s listen now to their Hokkien testimonies. An English summary is also provided below.

Mr. Bun Ka Sheng and his wife, Sister Tan Su’e’s testimony:

As Pastor Lim introduced me, Bun Ka Sheng, he mentioned that I am not Hokkien, but Cantonese. However, Pastor Lim also mentioned that my Hokkien accent is that of a Hokkien person, so today I am sharing in Hokkien. Pastor Lim shared that we often talk about things that are in our past; however, today we want to talk about how real God is in our family, finances and life. That is our main point.

We have been married for 27 years with two children in their twenties. Actually our older son was the first person to become a Christian in our family. My wife’s sister took him to church with her. Formerly he was a kid who liked to play a lot, and not so serious about his life. After going to church with his aunt, we noticed that he began to change in good ways. This was the first evidence that God loved us as he spoke through our child to speak into our lives. He began to pray for us. After our son, I, Ka Sheng, was the first to accept Christ. My wife was not happy about that. However, when people are first introduced to something new like this requires us to first understand.

As Pastor Lim shares, sometimes when people first accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they may be very zealous and passionate about their new found faith and attend just about every meeting there is at the church. For me, Ka Sheng, that was also true. I was there on Sunday for worship, Tuesday night for the prayer meeting and Friday night for my small group. My wife was very frustrated as she was trying to juggle all the responsibilities that she had at home, but I was spending a lot of time at church. So this resulted in some misunderstandings and unhappiness in our family. However, I continued to go to church.

Originally I participated in the English ministry of our church; however, not long after I started attending, the church began a Chinese ministry section. My wife received her education in Chinese, so when ministry began in Chinese then she was willing to go.

I, Sister Tan Su’e, did change. I formerly was unhappy with all of this, but when the Chinese ministry began I started going and I too changed. I realized that I couldn’t do things on my own. I began to study and better understand and was also baptized. After I made the decision to follow Jesus and was baptized, I really did begin to change. I also studied my Bible to better understand. God began to work in our family to draw closer together. As Pastor Lim said God spoke into my husband’s life and he realized that he needed to be a better father and husband.

As we began to serve the Lord, it seemed like we began to face a lot of challenges. I had grown in the Lord and was serving as a small group leader. However, the first thing that happened to us concerned my son. He had a serious fall, broke his arm and they put it in a cast. At that time we also sought other opportunities to serve; however, at this time our younger son also had a fall, injured his foot and was also put in a cast. And that’s not all. Later, while it was raining my wife had a fall and also injured her foot.

So people who are not yet Christians looked at this and said these are bad things happening to you and that is the result of the fact that you are following Jesus. It’s bad luck. However, we listened to our Christian brothers and sisters who encouraged us to have faith and not follow after non-Christian traditions. We were not afraid. In life we certainly have times of testing and these are deep life lessons for us.

I, Jia Sheng, think that the greatest lesson that I learned during these times was how to trust in God. Just like in our situation, the people of this world viewed things as bad luck; however, in the Lord we know that God has meaning in what is happening in our lives and we can trust him. For instance, when my wife hurt her foot, we thought about it. She was working way too much and really did need to take a break and rest. So as we look at opinions in this world, they often do not coincide with the Bible’s teachings. So through our journey I learned that no matter what we face in life, the Lord will direct our steps and lead us.

Our finances are another example of how God has helped us. Whenever I was involved in business and things did not go well, even losing money, I found that it was important to not give up but to have hope and keep going. The truth is that during the times that I had financial problems I would change my work and do something different. To my amazement, things ended up more successful and making more money than before. It is important to not just look at the current situation but also keep my eyes on the future as to what the business can become. So when I met with difficulty, I would have to work through that and found that I came out better with God’s blessings than I ever imagined. As Pastor Lim said, sometimes what looks like the end of the road may actually be the beginning with God’s blessings. So we as a family have definitely experienced God’s blessings.

Today I, Jia Seng, oversee the Cantonese ministry in our church. I now look at my life much like I viewed myself when I served in the military. When in the military my time 24/7 was for my country. Well, now, I feel that my life is for the Lord and 24/7 my purpose is to serve him whether at work or in church ministry — no matter where I am. So whenever our brothers and sisters in Christ have needs I am there to serve. No matter what we face in life we can come before the Lord in prayer and bring it to Him.

As Jia Seng’s wife, I also want to partner with him in ministry. I trust the Lord to lead me as I go to seminary and receive more training. I currently am studying and preparing myself. And you know what is amazing is that when I, Jia Seng, have questions regarding my Bible study, I can ask my wife and she is able to help me as I prepare. Her memory is really good.

A word from Pastor Lim:

So from their testimony today we are able to see things from a different perspective regarding business, finance, service in ministry and family. We see how God blesses us and leads us. We can put our trust in the Lord. As we journey through life no matter what we face we can know that God is real and never abandons us. Through the storms in our lives God walks with us and gives us strength and the grace that we need. So as this family continued to follow the Lord, they were even more filled with joy. In every situation God used different ways to lead and bless them. The same is true for you. You too can experience God leading you and blessing you in your life. Let’s pray together.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you because you give us the opportunity to know you as our Savior and Lord, the true God. You also afford us the privilege of coming before you to serve you no matter what we experience in our finances, family, ministry or work, etc. In every area of our lives you want to be our Lord. In every area of our lives you want to help us, so that in every area of our lives we can glorify your name. So Heavenly Father we ask you to help our friends who are listening to this program to also experience you and know about this colorful and wonderful life that you offer us. Knowing Christ gives us a more meaningful and fulfilled life.  Lord, thank you for hearing our prayer. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #28

Today is the 28th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. We have shared many different kinds of stories that reflect different people, different circumstances and different outcomes. Today Pastor James Lim continues the interview with Mr. Yang Liang Ming.  Let’s listen together to the conclusion, Part 2, of his Hokkien testimony. An English summary is also provided below.

Yang Liang Ming’s testimony – Part 2:

Last week I told my testimony and I shared that I was in ICU for 15 days after trying to kill myself. Even during the time I was in ICU I was aware that there was an evil demonic spirit there in the room with me, very bright, and it never left. However, one of the nurses prayed for me and the evil spirit departed. The nurse told me that I should believe in Jesus, and I prayed to receive Christ. It was at this time that the demonic spirit left. Pastor Lim mentioned that the presence of this evil spirit probably was related to me earlier having contact with demonic spirits.

Pastor Lim emphasized that Jesus is a victorious and living God, so that when we pray in the name of Jesus he will drive the strange demons away. However, after I left ICU I couldn’t eat, drink or even move. All I did was sleep, and since they had performed a tracheotomy I couldn’t even speak clearly. So in order to communicate I had to write everything down. During this time I couldn’t imagine that I would get better. I had to learn to talk again, sentence by sentence. I also had to learn to eat as well. They taught me how to use my mouth and slowly swallow my food. The same was true for drinking water. I had to start from the beginning and relearn all of these things. It was like starting over as a baby or small child.  Talking, eating, drink or even eliminating waste was all challenging for me. However, I can say that God gave me a new beginning, a new life.  For two months I had to learn to do everything all over again, but look at me now. When I was sick I couldn’t use my arms and legs, and now I play tennis. Like Pastor Lim said, for any of us to look at this situation, this is impossible and is indeed God’s grace.

However, when the doctor told me that I could leave the hospital I could not accept it. I had been through so much, and once again the thought of suicide entered my mind. I knew that I had not been successful before and thought of ways to make sure this time I would die. But mingled with these thoughts were also feelings that my family and this church family loved me. One of the men in the church Long Sun was so good to me. He had to go to work, but every Saturday he came to check on me to see how I was doing.  He and his wife were very loving and didn’t ask anything of me. They just wanted to be with me and make sure I had all I needed including food. They really reflected the love of God.  

After I accepted Jesus Christ I felt so much more relaxed because my sin had been forgiven. I had worshiped idols for so long and had committed many wrong things in my life.  But Jesus died in my place and forgave me and washed me clean with his precious blood. Pastor Lim reiterated that Jesus had taken all of my wrongs, everything, and made me clean. This is so refreshing because the generations after us can be free to receive God’s blessings. Almost everyone in my family has accepted Jesus.

There is more to my story. After I left the hospital there was still so much that I couldn’t do. For three months I really struggled and often just cried because things were so difficult. I also had a lot on my mind. I was aware of how I had hurt my mother, wife and children. I prayed to the Lord for him to help me. I focused on one thing at a time, eating, bathroom habits, walking, etc. and God gave me the strength that I needed. The doctor couldn’t believe it. Like Pastor Lim said, from the perspective of a non-believer they think this is strange, but as Christians we think this is amazing. The doctor was puzzled and was trying to understand how I would be able to walk. Even though he was highly educated, he was taken back by what he saw. Today I walk with no problem at all, and I can even sit down and play a game of mahjong with steady hands. Now all of those challenges and problems that I had in my past are gone, and I praise the Lord. I must also add that God rekindled the relationship between me and my wife and I am so grateful. I prayed and asked the Lord to do that.

In closing, I would like to encourage those who are listening to or reading this testimony. We as people should not be jealous of others and should trust in the Lord. Avoid these demonic spirits, and place your trust in Jesus. I myself have already been saved and I know that whatever problem we have, we can take it to Jesus.

A word from Pastor Lim:

After hearing Mr. Yang’s journey you can see that no matter what problems we face in life, Jesus is there to help us. Because Jesus loves you, he definitely will help you no matter what you face.

Today you may be thinking that you too would like to believe in Jesus. If so, we invite you to ask him to come into your heart. You can follow me in praying a short simple prayer, sentence by sentence.

Dear Jesus, I thank you for coming to save me. I am a sinner. Please forgive me of my sin. Use your precious blood to cleanse me of my wrong doing. Lord Jesus come live in my heart, solve the problems that I have and give me peace and joy. Please allow me to be released and freed from the challenges and problems that I have. Thank you Jesus and it is in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #27

Hokkien Testimony #27

Today is the 27th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. We have shared many different kinds of stories that reflect different people, different circumstances and different outcomes. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Mr. Yang Liang Ming.  He has a very special story to share with us. Let’s listen together to his Hokkien testimony. An English summary is also provided below.

Yang Liang Ming’s testimony:

I came from a large family and even from my youth I really didn’t care much for school. I actually started earning money when I was just ten years old. As far as I was concerned, making money was much more important than going to school. I dabbled in a lot of different things, worked in a coffee shop and also had work in sales. From childhood I also liked to gamble. That was just another way to make a little money. In my family situation, I also didn’t feel much love from my parents. Finally my mother led us children out from the rural area into government housing.  That was not easy for her to make that move.

At this time, gambling became like a second job for me. Pastor Lim reminded that there is a saying that if you gamble ten times, nine times out of ten you will lose. I can say that I definitely lost a lot. It got so bad that I had lost more than $400,000. Believe it or not, my maternal grandmother was a Christian, and when I was small I actually had gone to church. I wasn’t there to hear the gospel. I was there to enjoy all of the goodies that were provided, like candy, etc. They would also give families things like a bag of rice or other helpful items for needy families. This was all very enticing. Candy was only distributed at Christmas, a very special time. As Pastor Lim reminded me, many children have a good impression of the church because they had such a happy time there when they were small.

I had not gone to church in a really long time, and because of gambling I was in a bad place. I owed so much money and had no hope at all. The future looked really bleak. I got involved with the underworld and got involved in some pretty strange things for about four years. Then I got involved with a local religion and actually had some scary experiences. However, for about two years I suddenly was very successful with everything going my way and was able to pay back money I owed.

However, I ran into a problem. I went away for a bit and one day I woke up and found myself in real trouble. I had something demonic happen to me and I was afraid. I called my wife to come and rescue me. We had already been married for many years. When my wife received my phone call she knew something was wrong. I told her that someone or something was trying to harm me, and I told her I didn’t know what it was. She told me that she couldn’t save me, but told me that I should call on Jehovah God . . . Jesus. I discovered I had no passport, no personal ID card and no money. I had no place to turn. I heard a voice telling me to return to Singapore. I headed to Singapore without a passport or ID and contacted my wife and mother. I actually lost my memory and the next thing I knew I woke up in the hospital. The police told me that I had fallen down from five stories and I was in ICU. During this time, I also saw an unusual bright light in my room. While in ICU, my wife was in the waiting room with others praying for me. My left arm was badly injured and shattered and my whole body was hurt. I was in bad shape with internal bleeding which required surgery. My intestines were also exposed for several days outside of my body. I was in critical condition. My wife was really hurting to see me in this condition. After going through this horrific time, the relationship between my wife and I really improved. I could see her love and care for me during this experience. For about eight days my body was badly swollen. Truthfully speaking, most people thought that there was no way for me to live in this condition, and thought I would surely die. However, if you saw me sitting here today you would know that God healed me.

A word from Pastor Lim:

Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to hear more of Yang Liang Ming’s story, then join us next week as he shares God’s miraculous work in his life.

God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #26

Hokkien Testimony #26

Today is the 26th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Chheng Im.  She has discovered in her life that with Jesus is with us every day. Let’s listen together to her Hokkien testimony. An English summary is also provided below.

Sister Chheng Im’s testimony:

I would like to share with you the story what some people would say is my sad life story of what I experienced in my past. It reflects how God helped me through this time. My husband and I knew each other a long time, since I was in my 20’s or so. We met at church and fell in love. My husband was a church pastor. We began to notice that he was losing weight, but we thought he might just be having stomach or liver problems. So he went to have the doctor examine him, and discovered that it was liver cancer. When the doctor shared with us he told us that he was in the final stages. I was really worried. I didn’t know if he had 3 months, 6 months or how long to live. Caring for him was not easy. He continued to lose weight, but his stomach grew larger and larger. He couldn’t eat and was in a lot of pain. So I decided not to dwell on his illness, but instead to just try and keep him as happy as possible.

Things were so difficult and he would cry out not knowing what to do. However, during this most difficult time one day when he went for a chemotherapy treatment, he encouraged his mother to trust Jesus. His mother did receive Christ and went to church as well. During this time we wondered why all of this would happen to him. We couldn’t understand, and when he passed away I just couldn’t accept it. Since things were so difficult for me, I stayed at a friend’s house. However, another friend told me that I needed to face reality and go back and live in my own house.

At this time one of the men in the church reached out to encourage me. I told him that I had no idea what I should do and couldn’t really handle this situation. He told me that I shouldn’t think so much right then about all of these future decisions, but instead to just take one day at a time. I kind of understood what he was telling me and strived to live one day at a time looking for things that I could be thankful for.

After my husband’s death I did return to my house, but I didn’t want to go downstairs or even go to the market. However, I told Jesus that I didn’t know what to do and just shared my heart with him. I also wrote letters to God and to my husband expressing my feelings. I told my husband that I loved him, but I didn’t know how I would go on living. I also told God that I really didn’t know how I could keep going. But I must say that as I wrote out my feelings to God, He gradually began to give me peace and strength to keep going.

About 6 months after my husband’s death I left the company where I worked. I just couldn’t continue working. I cried and cried and was really hurting. Pastor Lim reminded me that during this 6 month period, God provided this time for me to face my husband’s death and deal with this situation. I am grateful that I was able to overcome these feelings. I also was able to go through my husband’s office and take care of things in there. It wasn’t easy, but I kept going and had the courage to deal with it. As I cleared things out I would cry, but I had the resolve to continue what I was doing. Facing all of this strengthened me and I was finally able to get out and go to the market.

Behind our house was a bridge, a very beautiful bridge. My husband loved it, and eventually I was able to go over the bridge on my way to the market. One thing that I can say about my husband is that he also loved durian. However, since his death I had not eaten any at all, but little by little God helped me to deal with all of this and gave me the strength I needed to face my hurt and fears and begin to enjoy life again.

About two or three years later I decided that I needed to paint my house. I painted it a really bright yellow. A friend suggested that I sell the house, but I just didn’t want to do this. My husband and I had lived in this house for about 10 years and I just didn’t want to sell.  However, I began to think about it and talked to God. I shed a few tears too. I felt that if God really directed me to sell, then this would be a new beginning for me. Amazingly enough when I sold the house and moved, I was not sad but joyful. I called one of the pastors and told him about it.

I am so grateful to God that through this process He led me and helped me deal with this tragedy in my life and showed his love for me. He indeed led me through this most difficult time and let me know that he loves me very much. I knew that the Lord held my hand and led me through all of these trying times following my husband’s death. This was a new beginning and a new life for me. He never abandoned me. Even though I was hurting so badly, he never left me. As believers in Jesus Christ we can depend on him to lead us and take care of us.

A word from Pastor Lim:

Today listening to this testimony we can see that in life as we encounter impossible situations that are so hurtful, Jesus is our best friend. He doesn’t abandon us. Some people may feel that at times he doesn’t hear our prayers, but the truth is that he knows each of us and uses different and unique ways to help every person. Sometimes he speaks into our hearts, or he may use dreams to communicate with us, with others he may gradually build their strength, faith, courage and grace just like Chheng Im. Of course when loved ones pass away from this world we grieve their loss. However, God doesn’t leave us alone to deal with these challenges. May the Lord continue to bless Chheng Im so that her faith and strength will continue to increase as she faces the days ahead.

Friends, you today can also have Jesus as well. There is a Lord who can help you as you face these dark days of your life. All you must do is place your trust in him and he will be with you. Just as Chheng Im said, Jesus will not leave you. Are you willing to believe in him? If you are willing to believe, then follow me in prayer.

Dear Jesus, at this time I come before you in prayer. Please come into my heart and forgive me of my sin. Please take away my worries and my broken dreams. At this time I do believe in you and ask you into my heart. Please give me hope and the ability to depend on you. As I trust in you I know that you will help me, give me strength, courage and the faith that I need. Indeed I know I must face the challenges in my life today, but I also know that your grace is sufficient for me. Thank you Lord. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

God bless you.