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.

Hokkien Testimony #34

Hokkien Testimony #34

Today we welcome you to the 34th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Shen Xiu Li.  Just to look at her makes you realize what a smiling joyful person she is. Let’s listen now to Shen Xiu Li’s Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Shen Xiu Li’s testimony:

The first time I went to a church I was very curious and wanted to look around and see what church was all about. I saw the heart the brothers and sisters put into what they were doing, and I was very touched. I noticed the love that they displayed. I was indeed very curious to find out why this religion was different from others. I had attended church when I was small, but really just to enjoy and play around there. My parents told me that Christianity was for foreigners not for us. As Pastor Lim pointed out, sometimes our parents may not have an accurate concept of things. In fact when Christianity came to China, Christians not only shared about their faith, they also gave food and other things to hungry and needy families. So the phrase “Chiah kau” which means that you have enough to eat was often used in referring to Christians and the church as they provided for the needs of families.

So when I attended church, I too was given something to take home with me. Of course my parents and other Chinese families taught that Christianity was for foreigners and not for Chinese families. However once again Pastor Lim reminds us that John 3:16 tells us that God loves all the people of the world.

When I was small, one of my relatives was a Christian, so I did come in contact with the gospel and had a little understanding about it. When I was small I did go to church some. For instance, at Christmas when we attended we would receive things like candy.

I also followed my father on stage and performed. We worshiped a god and also presented entertainment at special times. This was all connected into the worship of idols. We worshiped O-Siau. As a child I didn’t really have any opinion about all of this, I just followed in the steps of my mother. Whenever we observed a special occasion, I helped to prepare for the idol worship or performance. Long ago more people would come out to attend a temple performance, but today few people seem to be interested in this. Originally these performances reflected a lot of Chinese culture; however, unfortunately little by little many superstitions and practices were added into these programs.

As a child I never thought about whether these idols were real gods are not. I just followed after my parents as they worshiped. However, when I saw people harming themselves like mediums did, I was very afraid. Although I think that most of the time I was a happy child who just enjoyed life. Yet, Pastor Lim reminds us that even though we may just drift though enjoying life, we ourselves know the difference between right and wrong. We are aware of what we are doing when we do things such as tell lies, have wrong thoughts, etc. These are all sins against God.

Growing up sometimes I was good and sometimes I wasn’t. I had a temper and would criticize and get on to people. I also later grew up without a father and it was very difficult for me. This one factor made a lot of things tough for our family. It wasn’t easy. My mother was the kind of person who would look to learn from others. My mother did marry again, but no one teased me about this because they were afraid of me and wouldn’t dare say anything bad to me. Many looked at me as though I was very strong and tough, but I personally often felt very weak.

I only studied through elementary school, because I was really not interested in school. Since I didn’t go to school, then I was to help make some money and sing the Chinese opera with my mother.  Later when I did go to church, my mother told me that I could go but I could not join the church. I was the youngest daughter in the family and my mother really loved me.

My pastor had asked me if I wanted to accept Jesus, but I told him that my mother opposed that. However, he encouraged me to take that step. I asked him how, and he said that after I made the decision to believe in Jesus that I needed to make it public and be baptized. I accepted Christ on July 15, 1990, and my mother did not get angry. I think that she saw how I had changed in my behavior. I didn’t get angry like I originally did, and she was willing to accept my baptism. Formerly I liked to play around and loved to dance and drink, and now I didn’t. So my mother could see a big change in me.

I also wanted my mother to become a Christian. I began to pray for her and also shared some truths from the Bible with her, and I told her about God’s love. She also had a dream and was afraid. I shared with her that she could call on the name of Jesus. Later when she had this same kind of experience, she did call on Jesus and was not fearful. She later had another dream and said that she saw someone standing in a white robe. She was afraid, but I explained that white is good. I also told her that she didn’t need to be afraid, she could talk with them. So through this time she too came to believe and accepted Christ.

A word from Pastor Lim:

We have had the opportunity today to hear Shen Xiu Li’s testimony. We can see that change in a person’s life is not something that just appears on the outside, but a person’s inner being changes. So we need to look at people from the inside out, not just observe their outer appearance. It’s actually easy to dress well, use makeup or whatever to appear to be a good person; however, inside in our inner heart we know that we are dirty and have done wrong. But we thank the Lord, that the blood of Jesus can cleanse the sin in our life. If we with a sincere heart are willing to believe in Jesus, he will give us a new beginning, a new life. Through this we then can be saved.

At this time if you would like to put your trust in Jesus, then pray with me. I can help you pray a very simple prayer.

Dear Lord Jesus, I am willing to accept you to be my Savior and Lord. Please forgive my sin, and cleanse me with your precious blood. At this time I invite you into my heart to be my Savior and Lord, give me peace and change my life. Allow me to have a life that is good with value and hope. We are grateful Lord. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Hokkien Testimony #33

Hokkien Testimony #33

Today we welcome you to the 33rd testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Tang Jin Hua.  Even though she has had a lot of ups and downs in her life, through Jesus she is indeed a person filled with joy. Let’s listen now to Tang Jin Hua’s Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Tang Jin Hua’s testimony:

When I was very young, my mother was a widow. We had eight children in the family. I was number five, right in the middle.  My mother had the concept that we should marry young. So when I was fifteen, I married . . . not really knowing what it was all about . . . but we all were taught that concept. Marry young. As a Hokkien idiom says, “If you have a good husband, then life will be filled with a sweet aroma.”

As was traditional at that time, I married, had children and cared for my family. We had seven children. At that time, the culture mandated that women stay home to care for the children and the home. I thank the Lord because my inheritance was my children and I am grateful. I especially doted over the youngest one, but this child was very challenging. I know that many people give special attention to their youngest, and often times because they are spoiled they may become a challenge to the family.

When my son was in the 3^rd year of middle school he experienced some teasing and taunting and he reacted to it. However, he never wanted to let me know. Because of what he had been through, he would get into fights. He even fought against his principal.

Earlier I had not really paid a lot of attention to the local idol worship. However, my older sister introduced me to the temple and how to worship there. Even though I did this, nothing changed for the better in our lives. The matter with our youngest son was a big headache for me.

Believe it or not, in our family, three of my daughters were Christians. They often tried to encourage me to accept Jesus, but I had a lot of reservations and had no interest. But they continued to exhort me and tell me that it would make a difference in my life and deliver my son from drugs and the terrible life he was living. I thought that if that did happen, then I would reconsider. So my three daughters for a year fervently prayed for me and for our youngest son. During this time I definitely could see a difference. He began to withdraw from the crowd that he ran around with and changed his behavior. Then he found a job and a great girlfriend as well. He was not the same boy. God does answer prayer.

As a result, I began to go to church with my daughter. Over time I began to understand more and even attended the family worships they had in homes. As I worshiped and listened I began to understand more of the gospel. The first time I went with my daughter to church, I felt that the people there really put their hearts into worship and loved each other. They knew how to take care of people, and how to answer questions that anyone asked. I was so happy to be there. I not only could make new friends, I would also have people who could encourage me through difficult times as well. So even from the first time that I went to worship, my spirit began to change. The Lord’s time was perfect as he directed me in all of this. After attending for about a year, I accepted Christ and was baptized. I also arranged for a family worship in our home; however, my husband was stubborn and did not want to hear any of this. In fact, he left the room and went outside. I continued to pray and God answered my prayer. My husband began to change. He eventually went to church with me and continued to change. He gave up smoking and his temperament changed too. He didn’t reflect the fiery temper that he had. He told me that this Jesus whom I worshiped is the true God and he accepted Christ as his Savior.

Being part of the church has been such a wonderful experience, and Jesus has brought peace and blessing into our family. In 2005 my husband went to be with the Lord. Pastor Lim said that people in the church admired us as a couple and we walked hand in hand together. So following his death, this was a very sad time for me. However, in Christ we know that we will have the opportunity to see each other again. Of course when we face these kind of circumstances, we are emotional and shed tears, but the Lord continues to lead our family and carry our burdens.

Sometimes in life my children will have their differences and even argue over different things. In the past I just wanted to fix these things; however, I remember what it took for my husband to come to Christ and I ask God for help. So I take all of these matters to the true God, Jesus, in prayer. We pray for, encourage and care for each other. I feel that God has indeed answered my prayers. Our family has been blessed by God as we love each other. I give all honor and praise to our God for all that he has done for us. As the Bible tells us, God will not abandon us.

A word from Pastor Lim:

Today our program has come to an end. We thank Sister Tang for sharing her testimony with us. We see how the Lord has led, changed and resolved issues in her life. We see how God worked in the life of her son and also brought her and her husband together in Christ and gave them hope. Brothers and Sisters, today the Lord also wants to bless you. Today you can believe and trust in Jesus. He is ready to bring salvation to your entire family. We see how Sister Tang’s family received Jesus, were changed and blessed and even her husband accepted Christ. This is a huge blessing as the two of them together walked the heavenly road. So maybe you yourself are a believer, but your mate has not yet accepted Jesus. Don’t give up, but continue to pray and believe that God will open a door for your mate to receive Christ. If you desire to ask Jesus into your life, then you sentence by sentence can follow after me as I pray.

Lord Jesus, I thank you. You are the Savior and I ask you to save me. Lord Jesus, please forgive my sin. Use her precious blood to cleanse me of my sin. At this time, please come into my heart, save me and protect me. Give me hope. I believe that I and my family will receive your salvation. Thank you Jesus and it is in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

The Lord bless you

Hokkien Testimony #32

Hokkien Testimony #32

Today we welcome you to the 32nd testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Mr. Wang Qi Jun. He will share with us his experience as a child and what he encountered as he grew up. Let’s listen now to Mr. Wang’s Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below. 

Mr. Wang Qi Jun’s testimony:

As I was growing up I began to notice that life was definitely not fair. My parents worked hard, but we had very little . . . basically no money. As I observed this, it really influenced my thinking. In Singapore my father ran a coffee shop. So as far as the people who came to the coffee shop, there was any kind of person who you could imagine. These were our customers from all areas of life. I was a young teenager and was definitely affected by their lives. I noticed the people who were outspoken and had strong personalities, and some of these were part of the criminal element in our city.

Eventually I went to serve in the military for two years. After I got out of the military I was trying to figure out what I would do to make money. Actually, I had the desire to make a lot of money. I noticed that people who were involved in prostitution made a lot of money. I was interested. However, at about the same time I was not doing well physically. I was about 27 or 28 and my foot was really hurting. After about three years I couldn’t stand the pain any longer. That was 19 years ago. I am 50 now. I went to a lot of physicians but that didn’t resolve my problem. So I went to see a specialist. He told me that I could take some medicine and that should take care of my problem. But I still had terrific pain, and even at night the pain would not subside. Even taking the medication that I was given, after just a few hours of sleep I would awaken and be in such great pain.

My doctor told me that I needed surgery, but I was hesitant and told him that I would have to think about it. The following week as I rested, I began to look through different books including the Bible. As I read the Bible I prayed and asked the Lord for healing, and the pain went away. Not only that, I was a different person. I no longer had the desire to think about prostitutes. Instead I would cry over their plight. People told me that was because Jesus was now in my heart. As Pastor Lim reminded me, when a person accepts Jesus he is a new creature in Christ. Old things have passed away, and you have a new beginning.

My story is that the Holy Spirit came into my life and changed me. My thoughts and my behavior all completely changed. From the time that I was a teenager I could see the difference in families that were involved in crime and illegal things. However, I saw in the church how people came together to help others. We have two sons and a daughter. Sometimes as I was busy doing ministry, I know that God took care of my family. My kids have done well in school and I know that God has made a difference in our family life.

In my business I encounter homeless and others in need. This provides me with opportunities to help them and even provide some work for them as well. There are also a lot of workers who come from China and we are able to assist them too. Amazingly enough as we help others, we always have enough money to meet our needs.

Pastor Lim shares:

As we see in Mr. Wang’s life, God has really made a difference. He comes from a very complicated  background with a lot of challenges, but God has blessed him through all of this, and enabled him to help others as well. We know that God will continue to use him in the days ahead and greatly bless his family.

After hearing today’s program, maybe you too would like to ask Jesus into your life just as Mr. Wang did. If you feel moved to ask Jesus into your life, then follow me as I lead you in prayer. I will lead you  sentence by sentence, and then you with your sincere heart can ask Jesus to come into your heart and you will receive a big change in your life. Please follow me in prayer.

Dear Jesus, I thank you. You love me and are my salvation. Lord Jesus I am a sinner. Please forgive my sin. Lord Jesus, allow my life to change and give me a new direction. Give me a future with hope. Thank you, Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #31

Hokkien Testimony #31

Today we welcome you to the 31st testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Pastor Tiu Sui Hai. Formerly people would view him as worthless, but God does a work in this life. Let’s listen now to Pastor Tiu’s Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Pastor Tiu Sui Hai’s testimony:

Before I accepted Christ my family worshiped idols. My father was killed in the war with Japan, and my mother then remarried. Of course he was not my birth father, and he treated me very badly. Even when I was just 6 or 7 years old he beat me. At that time we had a neighbor who saw what was happening and told him that he shouldn’t be treating me that way. From that time forward I began to hate him and hope that he would die an early death. The way he treated me had a huge effect, and I had no desire whatsoever to go to school or study. So from the time I was just 10 years old or so, I got into trouble. I gambled, smoked, robbed and joined fighting groups.

When I was just 13 years old my step-father died, and I was very happy about that. I thought that now I would be free to do whatever I wanted to do without having to deal with him. However, I was not free. I was involved in a lot of bad things and eventually I was imprisoned. After my step-father’s death I got involved in business by selling things in the market. Instead of going through proper authorities to do business, I connected with the underground and thought I could make a quick buck. I also continued to participate in fights in our area. Unfortunately on one of those occasions I ended up killing a man, and was apprehended and imprisoned.

There is a thought that by putting people behind bars, that we will change their behavior. But this is not really true. My mother loved me and came to see me in prison, but she couldn’t change me. Friends also came to visit and made an effort to change me, but that didn’t work either. My mother begged the idols that she worshiped to change me, but nothing made a difference in my life. Even while I was in prison I would not cooperate and did bad things.  I would fight and even gamble inside the prison. Believe it or not, people gamble inside the prison and expect the family on the outside to pay their debts. Things inside a prison are very complicated.

Inside the prison there were Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus. I began to notice that some people, Christians, began to change. I really did have the desire to change and so I wanted to know what was going on among these Christians. However, I didn’t join their group. There were three men in my cell and one of them was a Christian. When he was ready to be released from prison, he gave me his Japanese Bible. One of the men in the next cell saw that and made fun of me and tried to shame me telling me that I was afraid to die. I immediately denied it, but I was lying. I just said that I was trying to learn a bit of Japanese and was using the Bible to help me. I told them that I had no intention of becoming a Christian. It was all a lie.

First of all I began reading the book of Matthew and was very touched by the story of the leper who followed Jesus and wanted to be healed. Jesus told him that if he was willing that Jesus would heal him and make him clean again. I couldn’t believe that Jesus was willing to touch him, and I thought that this Jesus was really good. So that gave m the courage to know that I could go to Jesus and he would receive me and change me. I wanted to believe in Jesus. I saw scripture that talked about taking oaths and the truth and I was very convicted and started to cry. (Matthew 5:33-37) I saw my sin more as Jesus saw it, and was so sorry for the things that I had done.

At that time there was no person around to help me pray or tell me anything. I just cried and didn’t know what to do. I went downstairs in the prison and ran into a man who told me that I needed to join a small group where we would sing together and study the Bible. My first response was that I didn’t want to go. I told him he could go, but not me. I was afraid. However, the man wouldn’t give up and convinced me that I should attend the small group. I attended the group and as I listened to the song they were singing I was convinced that I was a sinner and had done wrong. They asked me if I wanted to become a Christian and I nodded my head yes. Then he led me to accept Jesus. He prayed sentence by sentence and I followed after him. I asked him to wash away my sin and come into my heart to be my Lord and Savior. It was amazing.

I can say that my greatest blessing in receiving Jesus was that my sins were forgiven. Before I received Jesus I didn’t know the difference between God and the devil, heaven or hell or any of these things. However, after becoming a Christian God gave me this understanding. After I accepted Christ I began going to church. After making this decision I really did have peace and was able to relate to other people and do what was right.

After I was released from prison God gave me a wonderful wife and three adorable daughters. I had nothing to give, but God blessed me. My children are in school and I do have a great wife. I lack nothing. God has blessed me. We have a house and I pastor a Gospel Church. The last thing I have to say is that I hope everyone will make the decision to follow Jesus.

Pastor Lim shares:

As we have listened to this program I am sure that you have been moved in your heart. What an amazing story to see someone who seemingly cannot be reformed and is imprisoned to find Jesus inside the prison walls. And in the end God greatly blessed him with a wonderful wife and three adorable daughters.

You too can be changed. Please follow me as I lead us in prayer. I will lead one sentence at a time and you just repeat after me.

Dear Lord Jesus thank you for loving and saving me. Lord Jesus I am a sinner. Forgive my sin. Use your precious blood and cleanse me. At this moment I invite you into my heart to be my Lord and King. Change my life. I know that you will never leave me. You will give my hope and cleanse me. Please Jesus. And it is in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #30

Hokkien Testimony #30

Today we welcome you to the 30th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Mr. Lim Ke Hui.  Listening to Mr. Lim’s testimony once again reminds us that God indeed loves us no matter who we are or where we come from in life.Let’s listen now to Mr. Lim’s Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Mr. Lim Ke Hui’s testimony:

I traveled a long way to come to Singapore. I am from the Hokkien province in China and grew up in a Christian family. Very early on my grandmother accepted the Lord. When she was first married and before she accepted Christ, she had children that died, and it was at that time that friends encouraged her to believe in Jesus. She did accept Jesus, and she also took in a little girl to raise as her own.  My grandparents had five boys and one girl. My father was the oldest son. His name was Chu Un (The Lord’s grace). And each of the children’s names had this Christian tie, the word “Un” which is part of many Christian words such as gift, grace, etc. My grandmother is still living and in her 90’s.

About twenty years ago my grandmother encountered a huge problem. At that time she was in her 70’s. One morning she woke up and as usual went to brush her teeth. She had false teeth. However, all of a sudden her teeth went down her throat, but she didn’t spit them out. Instead, she swallowed them. As a result, she had to immediately be taken to the emergency room. The false teeth had lodged inside her intestines so told them that they must perform surgery to remove them. Our family was very concerned and we gathered together to pray. Then the doctor told us that it would be better not to operate. They waited and two hours later they were able to retrieve the teeth. We felt that the Lord had really given the doctor wisdom in how to resolve this problem. God answered our prayers.

As I grew up I followed my father and was always in church. My impression of the church was that it was filled with loving people. In typical Chinese worship we not only have worship services, but we also have small groups as well as family worship times where we invite others to join us. Our church is quite large. When we gather together for worship we have more than 2,000 people in attendance. So this is the kind of church in which we had the opportunity to grow and learn. The most meaningful part for me has always been hearing truth preached by our pastor as well as testimonies that are shared. This is a great encouragement for us to continue to live in the right way and not go down paths that are bad for us. Jesus has also given us peace.

I accepted Christ when I was young, but I wasn’t baptized until I went to Japan. As a young child I went to church and of course heard about Jesus, but I didn’t have a deep understanding. As children we enjoyed playing and being together; however, as I grew up I began to listen to the truths that were taught, studied my Bible and little by little I began to understand about Jesus. The first time that I left China I traveled to Japan. I was very young and didn’t know anyone. Life was pretty empty, and I was all alone. I decided that I would try and find a church. I felt that Christians would show love and kindness. The first church that I found was in Japanese and that was tough for me because I really couldn’t communicate much in Japanese. However, in this church was a man from Taiwan who introduced me to a Hokkien/Taiwanese congregation. So I started going to this church, made friends and also had the opportunity to serve with them. The pastor asked me if I had ever been baptized, and I told him that I had not. He took the time to teach me from the Bible about following Christ and baptism. So at Christmas time I made the decision to be baptized. I was so joyful and happy and felt like a new person. I gradually began to grow spiritually. I lived in Japan for six years. After six years I went back to China to get married. I had a bride waiting for me.

After we were married we began a business, but it wasn’t long before we felt that we were not suited for business like this. We just didn’t have true understanding about the business market and procedures. After six months we already were in debt for several hundred thousand dollars. We were in the food industry. We had borrowed the money from the bank and were in real trouble. This was a huge burden. However, during all of this time my parents continued to encourage us so we never lost faith or felt badly toward God. The truth is that in life we will all face discouragements and failure so this is something we must realize. We were very fortunate in that my parents each month began to pay back the money that we owned.  My wife and I also worked to pay off this debt. In 2006 we moved to Singapore.

While in China we also had children. One of our children was born with extra toes and fingers. We were really stunned. My parents encouraged us and said that this child was a gift from God and that we could rest in that and trust in God. Later we took our child to the doctor and they operated and removed the extra appendages. We praise the Lord that everything went well and our child was fine.

Right after we moved to Singapore we were challenged. Our child had a problem and the doctor said that it was a heart condition. We were really in turmoil. We were new to Singapore and faced so many challenges. We also looked for a church. We shared with the church about our child and our struggles. Immediately the pastor gathered people together to pray for us. Our child had heart surgery and everything went very smoothly. Also our church from Xiamen, China also gave us $5,000 to pay for the surgery. We are grateful to God and to the churches for all they did. We were able to pass through this difficult time with peace. The Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow, because the Lord will lead us. We are grateful to the Lord for all that he has done..  

A word from Pastor Lim:

This is the end of our time today, but before we close I would like to lead us in a prayer. If you have been moved and would like to accept Jesus into your heart, you will be truly blessed. Please follow me as I pray.

Lord Jesus I thank you because you came into this world to save us. At this time we ask you to wash away our sin, save us from evil and come into our heart to be our Savior and Lord. We know that you will never leave us. From today forward we will experience your love, as well as the miracles that you perform in our physical bodies. Thank you, Jesus. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

The Lord bless you.

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.