Hokkien Testimony #38

Hokkien Testimony #38

Today we welcome you to the 38th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Li Ya Ai.  Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Li Ya Ai’s testimony:

As Pastor Lim begins this interview he notices the sweet happy smile on Li Ya Ai’s face and it makes him happy as well.

Sister Li Ya Ai:

When I was young I had a very difficult life. At this time it was very common to value boys more than girls. I was the oldest granddaughter in my family. Life was not easy, but I can say that when I accepted Christ and turned my life over to him, my life really did change.

As I said, when I was a child my life was not easy and I started working at a very young age. Whether I fed the pigs or worked in the garden, whatever I did required a lot of strength. I know that the Lord watched over me. However, since I had a lot of freedom I also picked up some bad habits like smoking and gambling.

Some people say that to break these habits is very difficult; however, I think that depends on the person. For me Jesus enabled me to break free from these things. I just accepted Christ three years ago, and you my physical problems that I had have disappeared. Jesus has taken care of me. I haven’t even had to go see a doctor.

When I was a child I secretly ran off to church without my grandmother knowing it. I loved the songs and the stories. Later, as adults my husband and I both went to church and accepted Jesus. Formerly, believe it or not, my husband had been a medium in the temple. So when I talked to him about this, it was a big deal. He had to think about it, but I really encouraged him to leave worshiping idols and follow Jesus. This is definitely an unusual story for a medium or shaman to leave their religious practice and believe in Jesus. You know, I am sure that this was the Lord’s work for him to be able to do this. I was the first to believe, but then my husband followed me. As Pastor Lim said, he is a good man and a good husband.

For me, I think one of the greatest blessings I have experienced is the good health that I have. I can do everything, go anywhere and I feel really good. In fact I just don’t even hardly remember the worries and difficulties that I have had in my past.

I have had a lot of problems with my foot in the past and would go to doctors for help. I couldn’t stand on my feet and work for extended periods. So I had to quit working. Actually, I haven’t worked for about 5 or 6 years, and I am fine.

It’s also important in the family for children to obey parents and to have harmony. In our family we just don’t have a lot of fighting and arguing. And speaking once again of my smoking and gambling habits, Jesus really freed me from that. I didn’t experience some of the challenges that people have with leaving addictions, but Jesus helped me. I no longer had a desire to smoke or gamble or lose my temper. Formerly I would even criticize the government and try to boss and control my husband. But Jesus changed all of that. I have friends who have enticed me to gamble again, but I told them that I don’t do that anymore.

Now I am involved around the church. I am part of the welcome team and assist in other areas as well. I am so happy in the Lord and any time the church has an event I love to attend. Trusting in Jesus and living in him is really great.

Pastor Lim shares:

This is our testimony for today. It’s easy to see that believing in Jesus is definitely something different. We see how Sister Li changed. She no longer smoked, gambled and her personality really changed. She changed from a person who had a bad temper to a person who cared for others. You too, just like Sister Li, can experience this kind of change in your life. So after you pray you will see that Jesus brings change into your life.

All you have to do is with sincerity to ask Jesus to come into your heart. If Jesus comes into your heart you will experience change. You and your family will be blessed. It is very easy to receive Jesus. Whether you are in your car or house, wherever you are, you can just follow after me as I pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Sentence by sentence please follow me as I pray.

Dear Jesus, I thank you because you love me. You desire to save me forever. I come before you and ask you to forgive me of the past sin in my life. At this time with great courage I come before you and ask you into my heart to be my Lord and Savior and change me. I desire for you to change me and take away my temper and bad habits. This will enable me to be a person of peace with a clean heart, and will give me hope. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #37

Hokkien Testimony #37

Today we welcome you to the 37th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Li Wen Lan and Sister Hong Yue.  Let’s listen now to their Hokkien stories. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Li Wen Lan and Sister Hong Yue’s testimonies:

Pastor Lim: Today we are excited to welcome these two women to come and share with us. If you listen closely to Sister Li you will quickly discern that she is not Hokkien but she loves to hear Hokkien spoken, and when she speaks she combines Hokkien with her Teochew language. Today, Sister Li, we greet you with peace. I understand that you are 91 years old. So we know that trusting in Jesus is not just for young people but for the elderly as well. We are also privileged to have Sister Li’s younger daughter-in-law, Hong Yue, with us today. We look forward to hearing both of you share with us.

Sister Li Wen Lan: I actually came to Singapore through China and Japan. During this period of time we had almost nothing to eat and were very poor. So when we came to Singapore life was so much better for us. In Hokkien there is a saying that talks about how quickly in the blink of an eye that our children change into adults. All of my children are grown and married now. And it was my daughter-in-law who shared Jesus with me.

Sister Hong Yue: So why did I share Jesus with my mother-in-law? I saw her in need and struggling. She was not happy, and I wanted her to know Jesus. Seeing her like this brought me to tears, but I also prayed for her. As Pastor Lim mentioned, if someone is going to share Jesus with an elderly person they need to first of all pray about it, because God begins to do a work in their heart to prepare them. It’s like a farmer who first of all breaks up the soil so it is ready for planting.  My mother-in-law also told Pastor Lim that I am a good daughter-in-law, and I think it is very essential to be a good witness before people. So thankfully she had a good opinion of people who believed in Jesus. She felt that there was a difference in those who are Christians and those who are not yet believers.

Sister Li: It was my daughter-in-law who actually prayed with me to receive Jesus. Every day I was miserable and hurting so much. My bones just ached and I depended on Buddhism to help me. Some people told me not to believe in Jesus. However, Jesus came to me in a dream and I wanted to believe and be baptized.

Sister Hong: Of course when I heard that she wanted to accept Jesus, I was thrilled. She told me that she was leaving Buddhism and wanted me to contact the pastor so she could be baptized. I told her how much Jesus loved her. I also shared about baptism and the worship experience at church. She came with me to church. Then the pastor wanted to come and visit us and talk with my husband as well. When he spoke with my husband, he told the pastor that whatever made her happy was fine with him. My husband did object at all.

Sister Li: So last year on Christmas Eve I was baptized and many of our relatives attended the baptism.

Sister Hong: After trusting in Jesus her life changed. Prior to this she was so discouraged and downtrodden, but after accepting Jesus there was a definite change. Her heart was full of joy — and in every area that she struggled in there was a definite change. She even slept so much better. That was a gift from Jesus to allow her to sleep peacefully. Previously she was miserable and unable to sleep well. So this was indeed a blessing. Even her old friends commented that her appearance, her face, was not the same. She was different and had a glow about her. As Pastor Lim mentioned, God opens our heart.

Sister Li: In the beginning I had no idea how to pray, but I know a little more know. So Pastor Lim asked me to show him how I can pray now. Well, I pray . . . “Lord, help me. Thank you for my children and grandchildren. Cleanse my heart and help me. Help me also to sleep peacefully.” And I know that some day after I leave this world, I will go to Heaven. I pray for peace for my family. I know my work is not done here yet, so it’s not time for me to leave. As Pastor Lim reminded me, it is an opportunity at this time for me to share Jesus with my children and grandchildren. Then when the time is right, Jesus will take me home to Heaven.

Sister Hong: In sharing Christ with our elderly family members, it is important to pray, be patient AND to also live out a good testimony in our daily lives.  As Jesus said, we must also love one another. So LOVE is very important.

Pastor Lim shares:

Today our program has come to an end. However, after hearing today’s story I am sure you agree with me that belief in Jesus is not just for younger people, but for the elderly as well. So salvation is also for people such as our grandmothers or mother-in-law. We must fervently pray for them. I know without a doubt that we are all of value and precious in God’s sight, and he doesn’t want any of us to perish. So we need to pray more, love more and have more patience. This will enable us to share Christ even more effectively with our family and friends.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #36

Hokkien Testimony #36

Today we welcome you to the 36th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Bing Mei Lan. Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Bing Mei Lan’s testimony:

When I was younger, my sister and I would sing and dance. In fact as Pastor Lim reminded me, I even went to places like England, Japan and Thailand and performed there as well. We always had a warm welcome. In fact our family had a history of performing like this. I was born in Singapore but our family originally is from Shanghai.

When I was very young I would go to church at Christmas. I loved it because you got special things there. Also people were all dressed up and the church building was decorated so beautifully. I had a very good impression of church. However, when we were very young we began to sing and dance. Actually, performers like this are very much connected into the worship of idols. And we worshiped a lot of idols. Everywhere that we traveled we would also worship the idols there. Of course, we always hoped that worshiping these gods would bring us peace in our lives. We also wanted these idols to give us successful performances as we traveled. However, that was not our experience. I was very nervous and actually my sister was the one who was the leader. The more we performed the more nervous and fearful I became.  

Earlier I only sang popular songs, but now I just sing Christian songs. Pastor Lim asked what the difference is in my experience. After I performed before an audience and sang popular songs I was often very sad. However, in church when I sing I sing about God’s love and it is very different. Whenever I have a problem or need, I can immediately pray and God will help me.

There were two people in my life who influenced me to accept Christ. One was my dear mother. She was in her seventies when she accepted Christ. She is still alive today in her nineties. Her faith was very simple. She prayed for her family, friends, pastor, country, etc. She is my mentor. The other was my sister. We sang together until she married, and after that I really felt lost. I didn’t know what I was going to do. If I couldn’t sing, then what would I do?

Well I needed to do something different, so I traveled to Japan and learned how to make clothes. Then after about six months, I returned to Singapore. However, the truth is that I no real interest in that and I couldn’t get the business up and running. I also became ill. It was a strange illness that affected my neck. I felt that there was a string wrapped around my neck, and my head felt so heavy. I couldn’t sleep well at night and there was no way I could sing. I really was miserable. So I went to worship idols and beg for help. I also went to see doctors and also tried Chinese medicine to get relief, but nothing worked and I was losing weight. It was at this time that my sister told me about Jesus. She had accepted Christ and told me that Jesus would help me. I was invited to attend a small group and the pastor prayed for me. He led me in prayer for me to accept Jesus. It was very simple. I admitted my sin, asked God to forgive me and come into my heart and be my personal Lord and Savior.

When I returned home I had an amazing experience. I felt like there was a heater inside of me that gave off heat. All of a sudden I felt relief, like I had been set free and my neck and head no longer felt like they did before. I was suddenly healed. It was amazing.

After I was healed I went with my husband to Malaysia. When we returned my sister called me and said that our mother had accepted Jesus and was changed. I knew that Jesus had healed me and now that my mother had accepted Jesus, and I too must follow through and fully accept him into my life.

However, I led my mother back to worship idols, and my sister immediately fasted and prayed for the two of us. She not only refused to eat, she also had nothing to drink and fervently prayed for us. My sister kneeled and begged God to save me and our mother as well. When I saw this, my knees weakened and I told God that He is the true God and asked him to save me. I called out to God and just couldn’t stop crying. I was so moved. God had healed me, yet I was unwilling to worship him. This was wrong. My sister gave me a Bible and told me to go home and keep reading it. When I began to read the Bible, I read one sentence that really touched me. It said that we are not to kneel to idols. I looked at my idols and felt very uncomfortable. I called my sister and said that I no longer wanted to worship these idols. So my sister, along with our pastor, came to my house and removed the idols and cleansed my house. This was a new beginning for me and I truly trusted the Lord. From that day until now I have followed Jesus.

Later I traveled to Canada and during that time lost my husband and child. I was hurting so much; however, my mother told me that if someone is a believer then we will see them again in heaven. Even though I was hurting, this was a soothing word to me. The sadder I felt, the more time I spent reading the Bible. I also had a dream in which I saw my loved one dressed in bright clothing with oil on his head. When I woke I called my pastor and he directed me to a passage in Psalms that shared this same thing. I was comforted. I told the Lord that I wanted to continue following Jesus and carrying out his work. So I have had the privilege of going with my mother and sharing my testimony with others. This is such a blessing and is something you can’t buy.

A word from Pastor Lim:

Trusting in the Lord is very special. I am sure that you have been moved by this testimony and realize that Jesus indeed is the true God. This God who loves us, reaches out to us even when we are going through very difficult times. He will lead and help us. So you too must accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. Follow me as I lead us in prayer. If you are willing, just repeat after me.

Lord Jesus, at this time please come into my heart and forgive my sin. Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I want to believe in you. I know that my life will change and I will move from hopelessness into a life full of hope. I will move from a life of no peace, to a life filled with peace. So Savior Lord, at this time be with me and lead me. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #35

Hokkien Testimony #35

Today we welcome you to the 35th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Lan Gui Ming and his wife, Chen Qiao Jiao.  Let’s listen now to their Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Lan Gui Ming and Chen Qiao Jiao’s testimony:

I, Qiao Jiao, grew up in the countryside, in a rural area. My sister attended church, and even though my parents didn’t like for her to attend, she was allowed to continue. However, they did not want me to go to church. Yet, they said something that really caught my attention. They told me that after I married, I would be free to do as I please.

For me, Gui Ming, I had the experience of going to a church when I was young, but my family followed local traditions and worshiped local gods. A friend had told me about Jesus, but my impression was that this was a god for foreigners. I was not told Jesus was a bad choice, I just thought it was for foreign people. However, when I served in the military I had a friend who was a Christian and he told me about Jesus. After Qiao Jiao and I were married we felt a lot of uneasiness in our lives just dealing with everyday life. We had no peace and even in our work we just weren’t fulfilled or satisfied.

I, Qiao Jiao, often wondered how in the world could I solve my problems? Who could help me? I felt that my problems were big, and I need a god to assist me. During this time neither I nor my husband knew what was going on in our hearts. I dealt with my issues, and he was busy with his life. The truth is that I, Gui Ming, felt that we had talked a lot before we married, and after marriage we really had nothing else to say. So we didn’t really communicate much. So yes, Qiao Jiao did have many problems but she didn’t share them with me.  And as we know, many men are not prone to talking a lot, so we did have a communication problem.

At this point in our relationship, I, Qiao Jiao, decided to search for a church where I felt I could find help. When I went there I was very moved by the songs that they sang. As an adult I really didn’t sing, but when I was a child I ran around singing all the time. I had no idea that I loved music like this. I can say that ten years after I accepted Jesus, I can look back and see what a big difference there is in my life. I could pray to God and he helped me deal with life. The big things that burdened me over time just seemed to disappear. The first decision that I made was to accept Jesus because I needed him to solve my problems. However, the second decision that I made was to cast all aside and to stand with Jesus and really follow him. At first when I went to church I basically knew about Jesus in my head and wanted resolution to my problems, but I didn’t really experience knowing Jesus personally in a deeper way.

So ten years after I began attending church I truly experienced knowing Jesus as my personal Savior. Formerly in my life there were so many things that I was not happy about. I was dissatisfied. However, after accepting Jesus not only did I know him personally and better understand him, I also had the opportunity to better understand myself as well. Early in my journey I would read the Bible, but I wasn’t very consistent. However, after coming to know Christ in a genuinely personal way I felt the Bible came alive to me and I wanted to read it daily. As I read it, I was moved to tears and felt God was speaking to me. I know that our God is alive and communicating with me. It is such a warm experience for me. As Pastor Lim said, we all change over time; however, do we become better people. In Christ this is possible.

I, Gui Bin, noticed the changes in Qiao Jiao’s life. Originally, I also, didn’t spend much time reading the Bible. However, I must say that the closer we get to Jesus, the closer we also grow together with our spouse. I, Qiao Jiao, wanted to talk, but I felt Gui Bin’s attitude made me feel like he didn’t want to listen. He would just go to sleep when I tried to talk with him. We both just accepted the fact that this was the life that we were given and nothing was going to change that. It was destiny. As Pastor Lim reminded us, the closer we grow in our faith, the love between us as a couple also deepens. If we depended on ourselves to live life and solve issues, it seemed that things worsened. But when we studied God’s word and followed his teaching, then we knew better how to navigate in life. As Pastor Lim said, the Bible is our standard for living. When we follow our own standards we can face many challenges; however, when we follow God’s teaching we are blessed. He also gives us the grace and strength to live our lives on a daily basis. So today we have peace, joy and are very fulfilled in our lives.

I, Gui Bin, have to say that we have experienced something special in our lives. Before we received Jesus we didn’t really have much to do with music. However, now we really enjoy singing and now Qiao Jiao even writes songs. That for us is very special. For me, Qiao Jiao, sometimes when I am reading the Bible or out of life’s experiences, God just speaks to me and from that a song emerges. In the beginning I would just sing for God to hear, not for anyone else. Then I would call for Gui Bin to hear me sing. For me this was the greatest way for me to express my inner feelings. It can not only benefit me but others as well. After I wrote something if I felt pretty good about it, I would keep it. As Pastor Lim said, writing these songs was only to please the Lord. I need not worry about anything else. That’s true about everything in life.

In closing I, Qiao, Jiao, just want to say that none of us are perfect. The teachings that Jesus has given to us are all for our good. We must do our best to humble ourselves and with the Lord’s help we must continue. Don’t give up but trust in him.

A word from Pastor Lim:

Today this concludes our time together. As you have listened, maybe you have felt that this Jesus is indeed very special. He can provide me with a better and more beautiful way to live life. If I have Jesus, then my life would be more meaningful. If you desire to accept Jesus, then simply follow me as I pray. Jesus will clarify things for you and when he comes into your life, he will make the purpose of your life more clear to you and make your life more colorful. Follow me as I pray.

Lord Jesus, I am willing for you to come into my life. Please take the things in my life away that are not complete or good for me. I am willing for you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior and make my life more meaningful and of more value. Please forgive me of my sin and allow me to live in your love, joy and peace and be filled with these things. In the name of the Lord Jesus we pray, Amen.

God bless you.