Hokkien Testimony #90

Hokkien Testimony #90

A little grass, a little dew. God will take care of you. Rely on him, avoid troubles. There is always a way out.

Today we welcome you to the 90th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Everyone has their own special story of how God has changed their life. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Brother Si Chheng Hai who will be sharing about God’s work in his life. Let’s listen to his story as he shares with us. An English summary is also provided below.

Brother Si Chheng Hai’s Testimony:

I have lived in Singapore since my childhood. I was lazy and didn’t have much interest in school. I would rather go out and play, swim or play ball. You could say that I was definitely influenced by those around me. I didn’t live in a good environment, and many times the parents in our neighborhood had free time they were involved in things like gambling. As children we saw what the adults were doing and followed in their footsteps. So even young children were involved in gambling.

As young as ten or eleven my father and grandfather both had radios. I would sneak in and get some of their cigarettes and smoke them. I would also use money that my mother gave me for school to buy my own radio. A few years after that I began drinking alcohol. Actually my father started drinking when he was just eight or nine and he would let me taste some for myself when I was young too.

Of course drinking and smoking also led to fighting as well. By the time I was thirteen or fourteen I had no desire to go to school. My family’s living situation at this time was really tough, and I was the oldest child. My father worked hard outside the home, and my mom was a stay at home mother and at this time my father became ill. He had rheumatism in his feet and was unable to walk. So I felt that I just needed to leave school and go get a job to earn some money.

At that time there were a lot of bad influences around me. On the one hand I was working to earn some money; however, on the other hand I was getting into trouble and influenced by people around me. I even earned a bad name for myself and was respected by those around me. So in a tough group like that we took care of each other. If someone had a problem they would let us know and we would take care of it. Not a good life.

When I was seventeen I ran away from what I was doing and got a job on a ship. I did this for a number of years. During this time England was in control of Singapore. So if a person was involved in trouble in Singapore and ran from it, they didn’t want to get into any more trouble when they returned to Singapore. Even though I had done a lot and knew a lot of people, the truth is that I felt empty and alone. Also since I had been in trouble before, there was always the feeling that someone was out to get me. So I really lived in fear. At night when I began to think about all these things I would really be afraid. After I married, things were a little better, but I carried my past with me. I also continued to gamble, and not just a little. I was gambling all the time and my relationships were just superficial.

In 1986 my health was not good. My youngest daughter suggested that I go see a doctor, but I told her that there was nothing going on and I didn’t need to see a physician. However, she insisted and took me to a doctor. The doctor told me that my liver was inflamed (sclerosis) and he told me that I could not longer drink alcohol. He wanted to see me again in a couple of weeks. My daughter told me that she would pray for me. When I went back to see the doctor, he said that they couldn’t even find my report; however, I was better. I began to think that this Jesus may be the real thing. My daughter and my wife were praying for me. Once again when I went to see the doctor, he told me that my liver was fine and I had no problem at all. My daughter told me that they had been praying for me for twelve years . . . praying and fasting.

When they suggested that I go to church with them, I was ashamed because of all that I had done in my life. My wife told people at the church that I was opposed to going to church, but they wanted to come and visit and eat with us. I told my wife that they were welcome to come and eat, but I didn’t want to hear anything about Jesus. Well they came and shared, but I had no desire to hear this. That night I had trouble sleeping. Actually I could go three or four days without sleeping. I also saw a brilliant star. I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn’t. I talked to God and told him that if Jesus is real, then I needed proof and asked him to help me sleep. And you know what, I went to sleep and slept like a baby the rest of the night. I was rested and got up and went to work. That night I had a dream about a very beautiful mountain. It was like going to Israel and seeing things there.Then I saw a man who spoke to me and told me that I didn’t have a lot of time left. I wondered why I would dream something like this. It seemed like a story that a westerner would share. It was so strange. On Saturday I asked my wife if she was going to attend church the next day, and she said of course she would. I told her that I might go check it out. Her response was like she just half believed me.

Sunday morning we went to church. As we arrived at the front door, the pastor greeted me and said “Oh there’s that stubborn person coming along day.” I just laughed it off. When we went inside, the worship service began with singing and I just slept through it. My whole body felt uncomfortable and I stepped outside. However, following that experience I went to church every week. The songs were so beautiful and little by little I studied and better understood the Bible. I completed all the lessons and then was baptized during the Christmas season. So over time I became more clear on the Bible’s teachings, and I especially loved the songs. Usually after hearing the songs just two or three times I am able to sing them. After so many years I have not returned to my life that I had before. Now if I see my former friends we just give a quick laugh to each other and that’s it. Prior to this I could drink all night with my friends. I am not like that now.

As we close out our program today I would encourage any of you who are trapped in a life with organized crime and living a life that is really tough, to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. To live a life that involves gangs and the syndicate is so hurtful and damaging to our family, and Jesus can free us from that kind of life. Some people have run away from their family and some are even homeless. If we don’t change our ways, we will forever live in this hopeless criminal community doing things that will not bring us peace. So I hope at this time in your life that you will believe in Jesus and trust him. Only Jesus has a way to help you leave this kind of lifestyle, live a good life and find freedom. This will also influence the next generation. In our society we see that each year is different.  So this is an opportunity to make a difference and affect this generation to live a better life and solve the issues we deal with. I certainly hope that you will make this decision to follow Jesus. I hope that the people whom I know will carefully listen and make a decision to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

Pastor Lim:

Today our program has come to an end. However, as our listeners have heard this moving testimony, we hope that you will make the decision to accept Jesus and his peace. If you have the desire to believe in Jesus, then follow me as I pray.                                                                      

Lord Jesus, I thank you. You want to save me. I am a sinner, please forgive me of my sin. Use your precious blood to cleanse me of my wrong doing. At this time, I invite you to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior and give me a new life and transform me.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Hokkien Testimony #89

Hokkien Testimony #89

A little grass, a little dew. God will take care of you. Rely on him, avoid troubles. There is always a way out.

Today we welcome you to the 89th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Everyone has their own special story of how God has changed their life. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Ming Zhi who will be sharing about God’s work in her life. Her testimony has touched many lives. Let’s listen to her very special story as she shares with us. An English summary is also provided below.

Sister Ming Zhi’s Testimony:

As I begin sharing I want to thank the Lord for his grace and mercy, and I also want to thank Pastor Lim for this opportunity for me to share with you. When I was very young my mother was ill and went to worship the Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin to get help. My mother insisted that I join her in worshipping this idol, but I was hesitant because I had no idea had to do this. This was my introduction into worshipping idols. I would later worship many additional idols, and was also involved in connecting with mediums in the temples. They supposedly would be possessed with spirits and speak to you. However, I quickly found out that what they prophesied or spoke was not necessarily accurate. But then they would burn a special paper, take the ashes and mix it with water and have me drink it. They said that I then would understand the message, and indeed it worked. If I didn’t understand I would ask him to explain it, and he would.  I also assisted on the temple for many years.

Even though I spent a lot of time helping in the temple, I didn’t have peace in my life. The Bible talks about worshiping idols and not knowing what we are doing. Well that was true for me. I really had no idea what I was doing. I just followed what I saw others doing. On one occasion we were preparing to move to another house, so I asked for a person at the temple to give me 3 pieces of paper that would insure that our house would have peace. But it didn’t. There was a spirit that sought after my husband. Why my husband and not me? I went back and asked at the temple and they said that someone had died and so the spirit would only try to attach itself to a man, not a woman. I went back to the temple to try and deal with this, and they told me what I should do and say. However, I told them that I was just a person, and I had no idea how to talk with a spirit like this or handle this situation.

After dealing with the temple over this whole situation, I was angry and had no intention of going back to worship there. Later, my friend’s husband was sick and in the hospital and I went to see them. She talked about trusting in Jesus, and I just criticized her for saying that. But they shared with me about Jesus and told me that he is really good. So they no longer went from place to place worshiping idols and trying to find peace. No, they only worship Jesus. I told them that this wasn’t for me. I wasn’t willing to give up my traditions. However, they invited me to church, but I told them that I couldn’t do that. Then I looked out the window and shed tears, because I really didn’t know what to do. I cried out to what we call the supreme god head, Thi-Kong. I was really hurting and didn’t know what to do. My friend and her husband had come to Jesus Christ because her husband was diagnosed with cancer. They asked me to go to church and I tried to put them off but they really wanted me to go with them. Originally I was going to play Majong with friends, but instead I went to church.

When I heard the gospel that day I understood it. The pastor talked about trusting Jesus and going to Heaven and not being separated from God in Hell. That caught my attention, because this was what I was searching for in my life. So the pastor led us to pray to receive Jesus. After I prayed that prayer I felt that a huge rock had been taken off of me and set me free. After this I had a dream and felt that God was speaking to me. I talked with the pastor and he told me that it indeed was God. That was amazing. The Lord enabled me to rest in him and sleep and would not allow Satan to pull me away.

About three weeks later my husband told me that he wanted to go to church with me. At first I told him that he couldn’t because he had been drinking. However, he said he wanted to go see for himself. Consequently, he too accepted Jesus. Friends from the church came to our house and prayed, and that evil spirit that had bothered my husband was cast out. We no longer had the trouble from this ghost. He was gone.

The biggest blessing that life in Christ has brought me is the peace that I have experienced in my family. Previously I was often really angry when my husband would drink. That would lead to us getting in an argument. However, after he accepted Christ he didn’t want to be like that anymore. He wanted to change all of these bad habits. It was like the Lord took the desire to drink away from him. He thought it smelled horrible and no longer had a desire to drink.

For me, I was not able to read, but I really wanted to read the Bible. A friend helped me buy a Bible and I prayed to the Lord and he heard my prayer. I now am able to read the Bible. Through reading His Word I was able to acknowledge my sin, and receive His forgiveness. So the Lord has provided for us a way to accept him and have eternal life with him in Heaven. We don’t need to be separated from God in Hell.

 I admit that I have had a really bad temper. Some might say that I have had the temper of a man. We as people are not able to change ourselves, but God can change us. Thank God for that. He has changed my life and the life of my family.

Pastor Lim:                                                                 

After hearing Sister Ming’s testimony I’m sure we all have been deeply touched and have a lot to think about as well. Through this we know that there is a God who has created Heaven and Earth. Because God loves us so much, he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to this world so that people who believe in Him can be forgiven and experience a transformed life. Through Ming Zhi’s testimony we know that she was a very superstitious person who was living in a world that was full of fear and had no peace. After believing in Jesus, her fear was taken away. The Lord replaced that fear with peace. Maybe some of you are thinking how great it would be if you too could have this in your life.  If you desire to ask Jesus into your heart, then this is a blessing for you. How can you do this? Well, you just follow me sentence by sentence as I lead you in prayer. Follow me to ask Jesus to come into your heart.

Lord Jesus, I thank you. You love me and are my Lord and Savior, and I want to follow you. Lord Jesus forgive me of my sins, and use your precious blood to cleanse me of my wrong doing. Lord Jesus, from today forward I want the sins in my past and the things that I have done wrong to be taken away. Please come into my heart, live with me forever and never leave me. Please transform my life and give me peace. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #88

Hokkien Testimony #88

A little grass, a little dew. God will take care of you. Rely on him, avoid troubles. There is always a way out.

Today we welcome you to the 88th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Everyone has their own special story of how God has changed their life. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Ang Kim Chu who will be sharing about God’s work in her life. Indeed our lives can experience a lot of difficult things, but in Christ we can also experience peace.Let’s listen to her very special story as she shares with us. An English summary is also provided below.

Ang Kim Chu’s Testimony:

If you just listen to me talk, you can tell that I grew up in Malaysia, actually in Padu Pahang. My childhood was not a happy one. I had a lot of siblings and I was the third child. Since there were so many children, I had responsibilities at home, so I never really had the opportunity to get an education.  Also at a very young age I went to work to earn money. I worked in a beauty shop to cut and style hair. That is actually a very good occupation. It was there that I met my future husband, and I married at the age of twenty-one. At that time it wasn’t unusual for a person to marry young. Of course, if a person had a difficult childhood they may also think that by leaving their family to marry might be a better life.

Not long after my husband and I married we moved to Singapore. It was difficult to find good work in Malaysia at that time, so that’s the reason we moved. My husband was able to find a good government job which provided a stable life for us. So I was at home serving as a housewife and taking care of our children. This certainly is a big responsibility and not easy. Raising our son was very challenging for us. However, it was because of our son that I came to know Jesus.

Even from the time that our son was very small he couldn’t talk. The doctor told us that he couldn’t hear so that was why he didn’t talk. I wanted to help my son, so I went to the temple to worship local gods and beg for help. I also consumed a lot of ashes to follow local worship customs. I kept this up for many years. The medium at the temple did all kinds of things to our son to rid him of this problem, but nothing worked. Of course later we discovered that from birth he had deficiencies. He was not like other children. But we are so thankful for Jesus and for the help that our pastor and others have given to us. Later we found a special place for our son where they could give him the help that he needed. That really was a point of respite for us, and we were able to be a little more relaxed.

At this point I put my trust in Christ, but I waited 8 years before I was baptized. And I must say, this was a very difficult time for me. I found that whatever difficulty or challenge I faced, that I could take it to Jesus. Previously when I worshipped local gods, the more I worshipped the less peace I had. Life in Jesus is not like that. In addition, I had to pay a lot of money for all the requests that I made. After trusting in Jesus, he is the Lord of our lives and we can trust him to lead us as we journey through life. Trusting Jesus is actually quite simple. He lives inside of us and any time we have problems or challenges in our life, we can trust them to Jesus.  

When we carry around a lot of burdens and worries, then this can also affect our health. I found myself being very tired and out of breath. I really was exhausted and had no appetite. Of course I was very worried. I felt terrible and had no peace. Consequently, I went to see the doctor. He told me that my heart was weak and that I needed a heart transplant. When I heard this at first I was afraid. This is a major surgery. However, I trusted in Jesus. Amazingly enough I only had to wait a few months to receive a new heart. Instead of worrying about all of this, I just put everything in God’s hands. As a result, I didn’t worry and had peace.

I arrived at the hospital, was preparing for surgery,  and began to change clothes. I continually prayed as I was getting ready. Before surgery and through the entire process the Lord was with me. In the hospital during surgery I also had a special vision. There were angels surrounding me and they told me that I had a new heart. I was so happy. When I woke up I felt so much at peace. I was only in the hospital for about two weeks. All I did was to trust the Lord. I couldn’t do anything, but I put my trust in Him. Now my heart is normal, and I don’t have that weak breathless feeling. Indeed God has taken care of me. My heart gets happier and happier as the days go by. We all know that even though we have these mountain top experiences, we also still deal with challenges in our lives and in our families. But God is with us and we must continue taking our troubles to Him and not just depend on our own strength to solve them.

I have to say that one of the greatest things that Christ has done for me is to change me as a person. Earlier in my life I never smiled and my family had no peace. The Lord changed me and after I made the decision to follow him and was baptized, I was a different person. God gave me peace and filled me with joy. I really was a new person. I can love others now, forgive them and have the patience that I need in my life. Earlier in my life I would criticize our children, lose my temper and hit them as well. Now the Lord has changed me and given me the control I need in my life. I’m not like that anymore. Without the Lord there was no joy or peace in my life. Before Christ I think many people just really want to give up when they face troubles. They think why should I try and be a good person when there is no hope. And of course some people have thoughts of suicide as well, because they give up. Jesus has taken all of those dangerous and bad thoughts from me. Praise the Lord. When Jesus is in our life He will make a way for us.

I appreciate Pastor Lim saying that he believes before long that my husband and children will also follow me and trust Jesus as well. I believe that Jesus will make a way. As Pastor Lim said, I must not give up and continue praying for their salvation. The Lord will bless us. The Bible tells us that we will have good times as well as challenging times in our lives; however, the Lord is always with us. No matter what we face, the Lord will direct our steps. In closing I would like to say that for those who are listening today and are not yet Christians, I pray that the Lord will touch your hearts and draw you to himself. I also pray that Satan would no longer influence or seduce you with his evil ways, but you will put your trust in Jesus. If we don’t follow Jesus we leave ourselves open to challenges of this world with our money and other things as well. God does not harm people, but loves all of the people in this world so very much.  Jesus had no sin and gave his life for us to forgive us of our sins. So I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

Pastor Lim:

I’m sure you have many thoughts about what has been shared today. No matter what difficulties you are experiencing Jesus can deal with your difficulties and bring you peace and real blessing. Trusting in Jesus will bring big changes into your life and the life of your family. At this time you can ask the Lord to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior. Allow me to lead you in prayer so that God can change your life. Please follow me sentence by sentence as I pray.

Dear Jesus, I thank you. You are our Lord and Savior. Please forgive me of my sins. I invite you to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Lead me so that my life will change. I believe that my life will greatly change and my spirit will have eternal life. Thank you Lord. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

The Lord bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #87

Hokkien Testimony #87

A little grass, a little dew. God will take care of you. Rely on him, avoid troubles. There is always a way out.

Today we welcome you to the 87th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Everyone has their own special story of how God has changed their life. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Miko who will be sharing more about God’s work in her life. Let’s listen to her share her story of God’s healing power. You will see that God has definitely shown his great love to her. An English summary is also provided below.

Miko‘s Testimony:

Pastor Lim asked me to share my testimony with you. Well, one day when I was at work I suddenly had a pain on the right side of my chest. I didin’t know if I had done something in my sleep or strained a muscle or what. So after massaging it a little I left for home, but about half way there it began to hurt again. As I walked I continued to massage it, but the pain got worse. I began to pray and ask God for help, because I didn’t know what was happening. I safely arrived at my house, but I was in so much pain. I wanted to lie down, but it was too painful. My mother saw how much pain I was experiencing and she wanted to immediately take me to see a Chinese Medicine Doctor. When we arrived there they were closed so we went to the hospital to see a doctor. At first they thought it might be a heart attack, but after examination they confirmed that it was not. He told me that I had a muscle that was cramped and was causing the pain. However, they all saw how much pain I was having, and my mother suggested maybe that they could X-ray or scan to really see what was wrong. The doctor agreed. They quickly discovered that I was hemorrhaging and required surgery. I told the doctor that the pain was not so bad now, so maybe I could just go home. I really didn’t want to have surgery. However, the doctor told me that the situation was life threatening and I must go through with the operation.

I asked the doctor to tell my older sister to come in because I wanted to speak with her. We prayed that the Lord would be with the doctor as he performed this surgery. I was told that following the operation I would be in the hospital 4 or 5 days in a regular hospital room and then could go home. There should be no problems. I told my family that we could indeed praise the Lord, because if we had depended on the doctor at the Chinese Medical Office, we would not have really known about my problem. Christian friends from my church came to visit, and I also told them that I was so grateful that God had taken care of me.

Following surgery the doctor came in and told me that he was going to have to operate one more time. The X-ray had not shown the bleeding area very well, so they wanted to do a sonogram. After hearing this I was very frightened and began to cry. At this time my husband came in and and encouraged me. He told me that I didn’t have to be afraid, and that I should pray for peace. At this time my husband was not a Christian, so it was amazing to hear him tell me to pray for peace.

After the sonogram, I noticed my family and friends outside were crying, but I was very much at peace and didn’t know what had happened. They all told me that I didn’t need to be afraid because people were praying for me. Then the doctor came in and told us that I did need surgery, but we would have to wait on a  specialized doctor to arrive in order to do that. We waited, but the doctor came in and said that we really couldn’t wait any longer to do the surgery because I was continuing to have internal bleeding. But at this point no operating room was available, so we would definitely have to wait for a few hourse or possible the next morning for an operating room to be available. So my sister contacted our Christian friends and asked them to continue to pray, and God did answer our prayers. Not long after 11 pm they informed us that an operating room was available and they could operate. Prior to the surgery the nurse came in to prep me and it was so painful. I just prayed to the Lord to help me. When the nurse continued to work, I thought of Jesus on the cross who died for me. It made me so thankful for what Jesus had done for us. Just as I was thinking this, the nurse told me she was finished.

When they took me into the operating room, I really wasn’t afraid and was very much at peace. My family and friends were outside in the waiting area. I asked the Lord to take me by the hand and not let go. I thanked the Lord for giving me a good doctor and helping me deal with the pain. The surgery took about 6 or 7 hours. One of my church pastors and friends asked me how I was doing, and even though I couldn’t talk I motioned that God is good.

As I was recovering in my room, there was a person who kept staring at me. She asked me why I was so happy, and I had the opportunity to share with her that I had Jesus. She couldn’t understand how I could be joyful after all I had experienced, and I told her that it was because Jesus is with me. The doctor did come in and tell me that since I did not have a common blood type, that is one problem that they had to deal with. However, he said that I should be able to go home in a few days. The lady in the room also told her husband about me, and just couldn’t believe I had the positive attitude that I did. Actually, I am a introvert so to see me so joyful and engaging is definitely from God, not me. My sister also continued to bring friends to see me. They definitely encouraged me. For me, in the Lord I had joy not pain.

The doctor once again told us that I might need additional surgery. My sister once again encouraged me to trust God and not be afraid. I just prayed for God’s will to be done. Then a Christian brother came and shared a song with me, “You will abide in me.” Listening to that song made me feel like Jesus was talking to me and I just started crying. The next morning the doctor came in and said that I didn’t need to have any more surgeries. I knew that God had answered my prayers. Jesus really loves me.

I learned two things: First of all that I must have faith, and second of all that I must pray. God is a God who answers prayers.

Pastor Lim:

As we have listened to Miko’s testimony we have seen that God loves her and loves us. God does not abandon us, but prepares his very best to help us. As the doctor prepared to perform surgery, we definitely believe that God guided his hands as he operated. All is in the hands of the Lord. In the Lord we have joy. Nikko experienced peace and joy, and you too can have this in your life.  You only need to believe and accept Jesus. Would you like to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord? If you desire to receive Jesus, follow me in prayer.

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you. You are the true and living Lord. Now at this time, I look to you and pray. I beseech you to forgive me of the wrong things that I have done, forgive me of my sin and use your precious blood to cleanse me of the bad things in my life. Please give me a clean heart. I believe that you abide with me, and I also believe that you will come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior and direct my life. No matter what the future holds for me, I know that you will not abandon me. You love me with an everlasting love. Thank you Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

God bless you.