Hokkien Testimony #47
Today we welcome you to the 47th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Mr. Ma Guang Han. Let’s listen now to his Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.
Mr. Ma Guang Han’s testimony:
I started to go to church as a child because the teachers would give us candy when we attended. And Christmas was also a very special time when we would receive treats and gifts. So I had the habit of going to church each week. However, when I was older I would hang around with friends instead of going to church. I later married and my wife little by little led me back into church. When I was young I did go to church a lot, but at that time did not accept Christ. In my 30’s I accepted Christ and I also had nose cancer. As I was going through cancer treatment I would read the Bible. When I was told that I had cancer I wasn’t afraid. I had already received Jesus as my Savior, so I had to turn it over to Christ. I really did place my faith in God. There were also a lot of brothers and sisters in Christ who were praying for me and that definitely strengthened my faith. I wasn’t afraid to face death. I knew that if I did die, my family would be cared for, so I didn’t worry. I put everything aside and turned it all over to Jesus.
I went through cancer treatment for about two months, and it was not easy. If I was awake I was in pain. At night because of the pain I couldn’t sleep, and it was even difficult for me to eat. I underwent radiation treatment for my cancer. They didn’t use chemotherapy. At first my nose started bleeding, and my wife suggested that I see a doctor. However, I didn’t think much about it and wanted to just ignore it. We prayed about it, and finally did go see a doctor. When the doctor examined me, he felt there was no real problem. However, my nose continued to bleed so I had to follow up with doctor once again. I am thankful that my wife continued to push me to see the doctor. The second time when the doctor examined me he discovered that it was cancer but thankfully it was in the early stages. So they immediately began my cancer treatment.
It was during my cancer therapy that I really began to read my Bible, pray and draw closer to the Lord. Every day people from my church would come to visit, encourage and pray with me. Going through my therapy I had a lot of takeaways and it’s really difficult for me to express all that I felt. As I read my Bible, little by little I began to grow in my understanding. As Pastor Lim said, I also have the feeling that there are times in our lives when we encounter a crisis or difficulty that the Lord uses these experiences to draw us closer to Him. Sometimes we are so busy and if we don’t take the time to rest and reflect, we may not even feel that we need God. I know that at times when I get overly busy with my work, I may have the tendency to push God to the side a bit. As Pastor Lim stated, our lives have peaks and valleys, so sometimes we are doing great and are healthy, but at other times we may encounter sickness. In the good times we need to praise the Lord, and in the difficult times we need to cling to Him. Without a doubt, going through this difficult time with cancer has strengthened my faith.
Since going through cancer treatment I have continued to pray and grow in Christ, and I am healthier now. Since I have to work on Sunday, I attend the early Hokkien service from 9 until 11 am. I personally don’t have any particular ministry. However, as Pastor Lim said, that if we make ourselves available to God then He will use us. Even though my family is Christian, my wife’s parents are not Christians. They are Buddhist.
Christ has changed my life, and one area that I have noticed is that before Christ I wasn’t necessarily positive or hopeful about things in my life. However, after accepting Christ I feel that anything is possible. When we meet Christians you can see the hope. There is a difference in their lives. Life is important, family is important, health is important and we as Christians see things differently. So now my faith is definitely stronger.
I feel that God has given me a new beginning, and I want to find ways to serve Him. I actually hope that I can change jobs so I will have more time to serve the Lord. I also want to use my testimony to help others. When I meet cancer patients who have gone through nose cancer like I did, I share my story with them and encourage them to accept Christ. Early on when I accepted Jesus I wanted to share my story with others; however, after going through this cancer diagnosis and treatment I have an even greater desire to share about Jesus with those around me. People who are in the hospital and are hurting and going through cancer treatment need encouragement and support. And of course people in their homes also need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. So I have the opportunity to partner with my church in sharing the gospel.
God has especially blessed our family in the life of our daughter. She really had trouble studying in school. And when she was about 13 a lady in the church suggested that we pray for wisdom for her. The good news is that this year she was at the top of her class. As Pastor Lim said, if we just criticize our children and keep on talking to them about their grades, they often rebel and become discouraged. However, we prayed for her and God answered our prayers.
My wife and I usually have prayer together before we go to bed. This is an opportunity to not only pray for our family but also pray for the salvation of my in-laws and friends. Prayer really can change the heart and life of a person. We can pray for people and God begins to prepare their heart. Then when we share Christ with them they are ready to trust in Jesus. My entire family is Christian. Praise the Lord. And my family is all involved in church. In fact, my younger brother is a pastor.
I grew up going to church, but I think sometimes, like my wife, when people come from a non-Christian background and accept Christ, they may be more passionate about their faith.
Pastor Lim shares:
I do believe that some people coming from non-Christian backgrounds may be more passionate about their Christian faith when they accept Jesus. However, we all know that we must first realize that we are sinners and Christ died for us and wants to be our Lord and Savior. We realize that if we just trust in ourselves and what we can do that we don’t have enough strength and power to live a successful life. With Christ we have eternal hope. When I trust in Jesus, I am blessed. This is an individual personal decision that we must make. Some may say that they believe in Jesus and are a Christian because their mother and father or someone else is a Christian. Yes, but this is not something that is just passed down to us or something we inherit. Genuine faith is one were we personally encounter Jesus. This kind of faith allows us to grow and mature in Christ. We pray for God’s mercy in the life of every person.
It’s amazing to see how God has blessed you with a Christian family and a wife that was so passionate about her faith that she led you back to church and to a genuine faith in God. I know God has healed you and I believe that in the future God will continue to use you in even greater ways.
Through Mr. Ma’s testimony we see that God is good. This Lord that we speak of is not just good for Mr. Ma and his family; he also desires to show goodness to your family as well. And Jesus also desires for you to receive a new life. Indeed in illness he walks together with us. If you would like to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then I invite you to follow me as I pray.
Lord Jesus, I am so grateful to you because you are my Lord and Savior. You want to save us not just in this moment but for eternity. We request that you now help us. Once again we come before you and admit that we are sinners. We need your precious blood to cleanse our sins. We need for you to come into our hearts. At this time we ask you to forgive our sins and come and live in our hearts to be our Lord and Savior. We want you to give us a new life and in the midst of darkness for you to bring us new hope and strength. Thank you, Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
May the Lord bless you.