I Came from the Other Fold

Irene Chua – Singapore

IN JESUS’ NAME I thank God for the opportunity to bear this testimony.

In 1991, I resigned from my job. As it was not God’s will, I had a strong urge to go back. After a few sleepless nights, I left my new job and returned to the old one. It was only after two years that God’s reason for this became clear. A brother from the True Jesus Church joined the company and introduced me to the true gospel. It was a humbling experience… God’s intervention… and His grace.

I had been worshipping in a Presbyterian church for over 22 years. Thus it came as a shock to me to be told plainly that the baptism which I had gone through was not in accordance with the teachings of the Bible and that spiritually speaking, I was not saved at all.

While searching for the truth, I attended an evening service in the True Jesus Church at Telok Kurau. The speaker spoke on Nehemiah chapter 13 which talked about the Sabbath being profaned. It dawned on me then that my Sunday-keeping was not acceptable. The fourth commandment is clear in this regard. Jesus Himself observed the Sabbath (Lk 4:16, 31). So did the apostles in the early church (Acts 17:1-2; 13:14, 44; 16:13; 18:4). This led me to question and to search the scriptures. During my struggle, I would sometimes wake up between 2-3 am to study the scriptures and to let God speak to me through His Word.

I had always believed that once a person accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit resides in him and he is saved, and that baptism is only an outward confirmation of a professed faith. I was given two issues of the Words of Life which I read and then passed to my pastor one Sunday for his views on the doctrine taught therein. Two weeks passed without any news from him. When I managed to approach him, he told me that due to his busy schedule he had yet to read the booklets. After one and a half months of waiting, I felt the need to approach him again as it concerned my own salvation. The pastor told me that he had browsed through the booklets and felt that the doctrines were quite similar to the doctrines of his church. As for speaking in tongues, he said it was more inclined towards the Pentecostal view. I pointed out the difference and the necessity of baptism for salvation and quoted 1 Peter 3:20-21. He said, “Oh yes, I’ll have to talk to you about that.” We were interrupted at this point and the conversation ended.

I felt that my questions were not satisfactorily dealt with. Despite the advice of many of my church members to speak with the pastor, I never had a chance to do so. Thus I decided to zealously seek the Scriptures myself. There were times I did not fully agree with the Words of Life but my doubts were quickly resolved, when I discovered that they had biblical support. Searching the Scriptures convinced me that baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16) and that one does not necessarily have the Holy Spirit once he accepts Christ (Acts 8:14-16; 19:1-2).

I recall praying to God, asking Him to lead me to a church where I could grow spiritually and experience Him in a special way. The brother who preached to me had initially thought that it would be difficult to share the truth with me since I had been with my former church for such a long time. God is indeed merciful and faithful. He knows our spiritual yearnings and will always in His right time bring them to pass. Though it took me 22 years to come to the true church, I will always remember God’s grace bestowed on me, a sinner. Now that I am truly baptized into His name, my prayer is to continue to seek God’s Word and to know Him better.

For those who are presently seeking the truth, may your hearts be open to His leading. Do not study the Bible with a prejudiced mind. Compare the doctrines with what you have learned at your previous church. Let God speak to you just as He has spoken to me.

Jesus said, “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.” May all glory be given to God.

A DEVOUT IDOL WORSHIPPER

I am by nature very introspective and religious. At the tender age of ten, I was already asking such questions: Is there a God? How many deities are there in heaven? Where will I go after I die?

My family was Taoist and worshipped the Goddess of Mercy. I liked going with my parents and especially my grandmother to Chinese temples for worship rituals.

We would gather with other worshippers and chant for half an hour or more and listen to sermons from a monk. Although I didn’t understand most of what the monk said, I never grumbled about the long hours there.

Back home, I chanted three times a day and offered incense to the ancestral shrines and idols in the house. I was a staunch believer in ancestor worship even at that young age.

My first and indirect brush with Christianity came when I was twelve, and it literally ended in flames. I found out that one of my brothers had joined a very active Christian group at his college. Christian tracts were often sent to him at home, and he had to be cautious as my father was extremely anti-Christian.

I also knew where my brother hid those publications.

My father eventually discovered that my brother was part of this Christian group and lectured and nagged him daily. Seeing my father so angry and wanting to please him, I told him where the tracts were hidden. When my brother was out of the house, we dug them out and burned them. I was glad that I had pleased my father by helping him get rid of these Christian tracts.

About two years later, I had two classmates and an English teacher who were Christians. Once in a while, these classmates would talk to me about Christ, but it did not leave any impression on me.

I had been told from a young age that all religions were the same since they all taught man to do good. Moreover, I had also been taught that Christianity was a foreign religion and we Chinese should stick to the traditional religions, namely Taoism or Buddhism, handed down from our ancestors.

One time, a Christian classmate shocked me when he said that Christians are smarter than Taoists because Taoists are silly enough to offer food to blocks of wood. I knew that he was serious because his family had converted to Christianity. I was so offended by his remark that I stopped listening from then on whenever Jesus was mentioned.

TRYING CHRISTIAN PRAYER

That same year, when I was fourteen, my father’s health deteriorated very quickly and he was diagnosed with liver cancer. By year’s end, the pain was so great that he would toss and turn with each spasm. The sight of him in such agony broke my heart.

Whenever my father was in pain, I would beg the deities I worshipped to have mercy and to heal him. Oftentimes, I would plead for them to give him a moment of peace and be relieved of the pain so he could sleep well. I even hit my head against the floor as I begged. But none of my requests were granted.

One night, while my father was in the throes of pain, my Christian classmate called me. When I told her that my father was in great pain, she suggested that I pray to Jesus. The moment I heard “Jesus,” I hung up on her. She called back and I hung up when she brought up Jesus again. When she called a third time, I gave in.

Since my usual deities had not listened to me, I decided that there was no harm in trying this foreign God. So I asked her to teach me how to pray. She said, “It’s very simple. Start with ‘In Jesus’ name I pray,’ and just say whatever you want to say. That’s all.” Indeed, it seemed simple—no idol was needed, and I could pray anywhere.

After hanging up the phone, I went into my room. I prayed and begged with a sincere heart that Jesus relieve my father of his pain. During the prayer, I felt a great sense of peace that I had never experienced before, certainly not while chanting or praying to idols.

After the prayer, I went to my father’s room to check on him. He was no longer in pain and was fast asleep! Exhilarated, I told myself that there must be something special about Jesus. My request had been granted after only one prayer to Him while my repeated requests to the idols had been ignored.

I decided not to offer incense or chant to any deities anymore. I wanted to learn more about Jesus.

MY SEARCH FOR JESUS

Back in school, I began to discuss Christianity with my two Christian classmates and asked them questions about the religion. When I did that, many of my Muslim classmates, who had never talked to me about Islam before, also came to talk to me about the Quran.

My new faith in Jesus was soon shaken by my interaction with my Muslim friends. There were times when they were so persuasive that I was tempted to join their religious classes and have their teacher explain the teachings of Islam to me. But I never went. Instead, I turned to my Christian English teacher to clear my doubts. However, her answers could not completely reassure me and restore my faith in Christianity. I was left with many questions and no answers.

About two months later, the classmate who had taught me to pray was also looking for a church to join. She told me that she knew of a small and quiet church at Telok Kurau called True Jesus Church. She added that if one sat quietly in the pews towards the back of the chapel, people would not come up to ask questions or chat.

Since I am quite a shy person who does not like crowds, this church sounded ideal. We decided to attend a service together and joined a Wednesday evening service. I was quite shocked by the prayer in tongues. Still, I returned for a Friday evening service when my classmate asked me to go with her again.

During the closing prayer, I heard singing. It was an angelic sound that hovered near the ceiling, like a physical presence that swayed back and forth. It was very soothing and gave me a wonderfully peaceful sensation. From then on, all fear of prayer in tongues disappeared.

COMING HOME

I stayed in the True Jesus Church to search for the truth. I often felt that the sermons were directed at me. Sometimes, they answered my questions about life, and other times they strengthened my conviction that this was the true church of God.

I asked many questions, including those that had surfaced after conversations with my Muslim friends. Thank God that the two brothers who studied the Bible with me were able to provide Bible-based answers to all my questions.

However, many obstacles popped up after I started going to church. It was difficult to attend services because my family still opposed Christianity, and I had to lie about where I was going in order to get out of the house.

A year after I came to True Jesus Church, my father passed away. After the funeral, I was told to offer incense to his tablet on the altar every morning. I refused, which angered my family and caused them to see me as an unfilial child. In addition, I had to buy or cook my own meals during festive seasons as I refused to eat the food that my family had sacrificed to the idols. But through it all, I never saw these obstacles as a burden because I knew that I had to do what was right in the eyes of God.

I often felt that the sermons were directed at me. Sometimes, they answered my questions about life, and other times they strengthened my conviction that this was the true church of God.

Over the next few years, with increased understanding of the truth, I was even more convinced that I had found the true church. My discussions with classmates from other Christian denominations reinforced this belief because I found that they did not fully adhere to the Bible.

I was eager to get baptized but had to wait, since my family opposed my baptism and I was not yet twenty-one years old. As a minor, I wasn’t free to make this decision on my own. But when I turned twenty, I signed up for baptism because I didn’t want to delay any longer. I did not tell my siblings because I knew they would disagree with my decision. I did tell my mother, who gave me permission to proceed.

More than two decades have passed, and I still feel so very blessed that God brought me to His true church. I have had many doctrinal discussions with other Christians, even attending their services to see what their worship sessions were like. I could never feel the presence of God in these other places.

Conversely, attending worship services at the True Jesus Church is like coming home. Though I am still a shy person, I enjoy the fellowship with brothers and sisters. The truth from the sermons continue to enlighten and inspire me, and I derive so much peace and joy listening to the word of God that I try to attend all services.

Great is the Lord! He led me to know Him even though I was a sinner who once felt anger at the mention of His name. I really thank God for such deep love and mercy. All glory to Jesus!

The following is a sermon transcription that will share with you what are some of the mysteries in the world and what is the greatest of all. For example do you know how life come about? We can actually find the answer from the Bible. Why do people die? Today we will find out something crucial for all of us.

The Greatest Mystery in the World

(Pr. Peter Shee)

Mysteries in the world..

There are many well-known and intriguing mysteries in the world. For example, the Bermuda Triangle, where ships mysteriously disappeared and no remains were found; the Easter Island with its huge stone statues that appear to exist but with no logical explanations as to who created them, why they exist, and significance they hold; the NASCAR Lines in Peru which span over 80 kilometers but are only visible in aerial photos. From an aerial view of these Lines, geometric designs of animal figures like monkeys, lizards, and eagles can even be seen. How were these structures created? There have been so many speculations about these intriguing mysteries.

Yet, what is the greatest mystery in the world?

The greatest mystery is found in the bible. It may not immediately strike us as something intriguing when we hear of it. But when we consider it carefully and rationally, we will realize that this is the greatest and most important mystery in the human world.

Let us first consider another mystery which we all take for granted, simply because we come in touch with it every day. It is the mystery of life.

What is life? What constitutes life? Nobody will disagree with me that out of all the life forms on earth, the highest form of life is that of humans. What are we made of? The bible says that we are made of the dust of the earth. If we were to analyze our composition, we will realize that we really are made up of very common elements such as iron, phosphorous, calcium, and zinc. By themselves, these are common elements. So how it is that when they common elements come together, there is life? Do these elements constitute life? No. Nobody can create life. Even test-tube babies are just products of human intervention in conception, not products of human creation. We are not only unable to create life, we are also powerless in our ability to retain life.

As it is written in Ecclesiastes 8:8, “no one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit”. In this battle against death, “there is no release from that war”. Everyone faces death and hence, the battle against death is a losing one. We are unable to hold on to life because, by itself, life is a mystery. The elements that compose humans are exactly the same for the living as well as the dead. How do we explain where life comes from? We can use science to illustrate the chemical processes in human bodies just like we illustrate the depletion of energy from a battery. We can use science to describe the renewal of human cells as well as the aging process. We know of products which can aid these processes but nobody can explain why people age and die.

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Ps 139:13-14)

When the psalmist wrote this many years ago, medical technology had not advanced to the point where people were able to see the insides of their bodies the way that ultrasonic imaging does now. Through such procedures, young mothers can now see the babies within their wombs. Yet, long before these procedures were introduced, this psalmist was given the wisdom to understand this mystery. He concluded that God is great and was filled with awe at God’s creation. However, life is not only wonderful because of its design, but also because of the consciousness that comes with life. Our consciousness allows us to know that we exist, and when you think about it, what makes us conscious? It has been determined that these processes take place in our brain. It is just a few kilograms of grey matter and yet, it is the seed of our consciousness. To me, this, and life in general, is mysterious. It is also a mystery which we often take for granted.

So what is the greatest mystery in the bible?

Of course, it involves LIFE.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10). Here, the mystery is that Jesus comes to give us life. If life by itself is mysterious, the fact that Jesus wants to give us a more abundant one ought to be seen as a greater mystery. And this mystery lies in the following verse:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (verse 11)

Why do I say the mystery lies here? Because Jesus came in order to sacrifice His life for us. By His sacrifice, we have abundant life. We have established thus far that life is not something we can retain. And Jesus did not come to inject life into us. He did not claim that He will come to breathe life into us. He said that He came to give up His life for us. Indeed we know that Jesus died on the cross. He did so in order for us to have eternal life, that we may retain life forever. This is such a great mystery that it is almost unimaginable. And unless we read the bible in its entirely, it is a mystery we cannot understand.

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man. The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor 2:7-10).

What is this mystery that our eyes have not seen and our ears have not heard, nor has it ever entered into the hearts, or thoughts and imagination of men? What is this mystery of God, hidden throughout the ages, that has now been revealed to us? The bible tells us that if men knew of this mystery, they would not have crucified the Prince of life, the Lord of glory. It is evident that this mystery has to do with Jesus and His death.

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:1-2).

The greatest mystery of all time is that Jesus came to die on the cross in order to give us eternal life.

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Heb 2:14).

Through death, Jesus destroys the power of death. This is a concept that is hard to grasp – how can death and its power be overcome by dying?

We may have already heard or seen practices based on a similar concept. The traditional Chinese medical practitioner heals bones by first breaking them; radiation causes cancer but it is used as therapy for treating cancer; chemotherapy heals one of cancer by injecting poison to kill cancerous cells. Through death, Jesus destroyed death. Other therapies may come with certain risks but when Jesus destroyed death with His death, there was only certainty. It is a sure cure for human death, for sins.

God, the Creator of all things, the absolute One, because man and went through the process of birth and development like everyone else. He, who is infinite, became finite and eventually died. We may question how the source of all life can die. Yet this is why it is the greatest mystery. After He died, He came back to life, breaking the power of death. This is a plan He fulfilled. We cannot explain Jesus’ resurrection or the eternal life He give us using chemical processes. But we see that it follows a spiritual principle:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)

We die as a consequence of sins, “for the wages of sin is death”. Nevertheless, this verse also concludes that there is a way we can live forever and this eternal life is in Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 tells us that every one of us has sins, that through our Lord Jesus Christ, is redeemed. Romans 5:6-10 describes how Jesus demonstrated His love towards us that while we were still sinners, He died for us. Through His death, we are saved. He willingly laid down His life and He could take it back, hence overcoming death. We are the ones deserving of death, not Jesus. Yet Jesus planned His own death and gave up His life in exchange for ours. This is another spiritual principle demonstrated in the mystery.

Romans 6:3-7 explains why Christians go through baptism. Through baptism, we enter into the death of Jesus and are buried with Him. In the same way Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, so we share in the same resurrection. In baptism, we die with Christ, are buried with Christ, and raised with Christ. Our old sinful self dies and a new self, a new life, is raised. “For he who has died has been freed from sin” (verse 7). This brings us back to a point raised earlier about why humans face inevitable death and are unable to retain life, why science can only explain the process of aging and death but not why. The explanation is a spiritual one.

We die because we have sinned. To live forever, we would have to get rid of our sins. The bible tells us that when we die with Christ, we have effectively freed ourselves from sins and are, therefore, able to retain life and avoid death. This is how Jesus gives us eternal life through His death. We are reconciled and united with Him, both in His death and in His life. Our sins receive remission. This is a spiritual process, which we sometimes see manifested in the physical; though we cannot see when our sins are forgiven, we sometimes see physical changes.

Jesus once came to a house where many people had gathered to listen to Him. There was a man who could not walk and had to be lifted in a stretcher by his four friends to the roof top, before being lowered down before Jesus. Jesus told this man that his sins were forgiven and this man got up and walked. Some people where amazed that Jesus did not say what was expected – to simply tell the man to get up and walk. Instead, Jesus told the man, “Your sins are forgiven.” These words caused quite a stir then, with many thinking, “Who is this man? Only God forgives sins.” They did not know that Jesus was God who became man. So Jesus said that in order to prove He has the authority to forgive sins, He could tell a paralytic man to get up and walk.

When a person’s sins are forgiven, it is sometimes manifested in physical healing. Having sins is a spiritual disease and the remission of sins is likened to spiritual healing. This spiritual disease causes physical death, which explains why when one is cured of this disease, it can also bring physical benefits in the form of healing. Such healings have happened in the True Jesus Church. There are people who went for baptism in a stretcher, received baptism in the name of Jesus, and literally got up to walk back to the shore. There have been others who were told they only have a few months left to live, but after receiving baptism, felt such power within them and were healed of their incurable diseases.

There was one such family from Malaysia who heard the gospel and understood that Jesus washes away sins. Their baby boy was born with a congenital heart disease and had been told by their doctors that the boy would not survive without surgery. This family brought him to Singapore to seek a second opinion and the boy grew sicker than before. They were told by the doctors in Singapore that a surgery would definitely kill the boy. The family made a decision – they knew that with or without surgery, they would not be able to retain the boy’s life. But, they could do something to save his soul. They believed that baptism will save the entire family and even if the boy were to die, there would be no regrets; they believed that when Jesus comes again, they would all be resurrected and united in heaven.

It was with this faith that the entire family received baptism before returning to Malaysia. No surgery had been performed. By then, the boy had been without food for weeks and was depending on the drip for sustenance. He could ingest nothing and no voice could be when he cried. Upon their return to Malaysia, the boy was brought for a review at the hospital. The doctors were all amazed at how his condition had improved and asked the parents which doctor they sought help from. The boy was given a new diagnosis and the family was told that he would be able to develop almost normally.

What caused this reversal? Was it the waters in Singapore he was baptized in? No, there was nothing miraculous about the waters. But there is wonderful power in the name of Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus has the power to forgive sins and the forgiveness of sins was manifested in the physical healing of this baby.

To prove that there will be complete healing and that we will never die again, the bible holds a promise of the day when Jesus will come again. When He returns, all of us who have been baptized and have held on to our faith will come back to life. When we come back to life, we will be given a body that will never die. Those who are yet alive will see their bodies transformed and receive complete healing. This is not just the healing of souls that rids us of our sins during baptism; when Jesus returns, we will receive complete healing and continual renewal. We will never die.

Do you believe in resurrection? Our physical healing is just a foretaste of resurrection. The greatest mystery is that Jesus has come to die on the cross so that we do not need to die. When Jesus returns and we are resurrected with Him, we will have a share in this greatest mystery of all time. This is why Paul tells of a mystery that “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (1 Cor 15:51); our bodies will change and we will live forever with Christ.

Romans 8:1-2 tells us that when we are baptized and our sins are washed away, we are no longer condemned to death. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and law of death, because death comes from sins and we are freed from sins through baptism. We die with Christ and resurrect with Him.

We suffer now and our body is subject to physical pain, sickness, aging, and death (Rom 8:18). But when Jesus returns, our bodies will be redeemed just as our souls are redeemed in baptism. When He returns, the same power from God which raised Jesus from the dead will also raise us from the dead (Rom 8:19-23).

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” (1 Tim 3:16)

The greatest mystery without controversy is the mystery of how God came in the flesh, died in the flesh, and resurrected in the flesh. He was seen by angels and now preached amongst people who do not believe in Him. Yet there are people in this world who believed in what was not immediately believable but true. He is believed on in the world, and received up in glory. He will come again and we will share in that glorious resurrection.  This is the gospel that we preach.

To some it may be foolish, but for us, there is nothing truer than this.

God’s grace on my elderly parents
Ann Yeow – Singapore

This is about my elderly father. In October 1995, my dad was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. The cancer was already between the third and fourth stage(an advanced stage). The doctor prescribed 35 sessions of radiotherapy for him, from late November to first week of January 1996. The doctor also warned us that from the third week of the therapy onward, my dad would not be able to take any solid food, he would have to be fed intravenously. Moreover, they might have to make an opening at the base of his throat for him to breathe. My siblings and I were very sad that our dad, who was in his eighties, had to suffer. We were not sure if he could take the pain.

I thank God for answering my prayer. My dad did not suffer any side effects.

In my sadness and worry, I asked the church to pray for my dad. I did not inform my parents of my request because they were idol-worshipers. I prayed to God to have mercy on my parents and let them receive His salvation. I also prayed that my dad would not have to suffer the side-effects of radiotherapy. I was told by many that these could be terrible. For instance, patients would have difficulty eating. Even soft oats had to be pureed. My sister-in-law’s uncle, who suffered from an early stage of cancer, refused to go for therapy after the fourth session as it always gave him pain. But I thank God for answering my prayer. My dad did not suffer any side effects. At home after each therapy session, he could still potter around his plants. Sometimes he would cross the overhead bridge nearby his house to go shopping, or take strolls around the town centre with my mum. He did not look like one suffering an advanced stage of cancer.

After completing the course of therapy, the doctor examined him and found that the growth had become dormant. It was then that I told my parents about the grace and love of God and how He had helped my father even though my father did not know Him. However, because my siblings and I never told him the seriousness of his illness, my dad was a little skeptical that it was God’s grace which had helped him. I then told him the truth about his illness. He was very quiet for a while and then he started asking about God.

My siblings and I speak English at home. Though I’m a Cantonese Chinese, I have limited knowledge of my own dialect. I knew that sharing the gospel of Christ with my parents was going to be quite a task for me. So I prayed. I asked God to be my spokesperson and to guide me as I preached to them. Thanks and praise be to our Lord, I was able to explain how God created the universe, why He had to incarnate as a human being and why He had to suffer and die on the cross. My parents started attending Sabbath services with me. However, I could see that my dad did not totally believe. In my parents’ house, there was an altar for my grandfather. My parents felt that converting to Christianity would make them unfilial. I realised that years of upholding the Chinese tradition of ancestor worship could not be so easily discontinued. So I prayed again. This time I told God that there was only so much I could to explain about His gospel and saving grace. Furthermore, my mum, who is in her seventies, is illiterate and so cannot read the bible. I asked God to show them that He exists and that He is the only one and living God.

I asked God to show them that He exists and that He is the only one and living God.

After every Sabbath service, a few members and ministers would approach my dad and inquire about his health. On one particular Sabbath service, when members inquired about his health, my dad answered that he was feeling very well. He continued to explain that ever since he started drinking the “Lingzhi” herbal drink, his coughing had stopped and he was able to sleep well at night. Each time a member asked about his health, he would give the same answer. But that night, he coughed so much that he could not sleep. The next day, he could neither eat nor sleep. His throat was very swollen. He could not even drink water. My parents began to wonder why this problem had cropped up now when it hadn’t during the therapy, despite the doctor’s warnings. They finally realised that it was dur to what my father had said the day before. Instead of giving glory to God, he had given all the credit to the “Lingzhi” herb. My parents then knelt down to pray and asked for mercy and forgiveness from God. They prayed for about five or six times that day. The swelling subsided and my dad was about to eat and drink. I was unaware of the whole incident until my mother telephoned me that evening. She explained what had happened and that they now fully believed that God truly exists and that He is true. I then told her how I had asked God to show them that He exists. Thanks and praise be to God my parents received baptism on 30 June 1996.

However, after his baptism, my father had a relapse. The doctor advised that he undergo surgery to remove the growth as well as his larynx. This was to ensure that the tumor would not spread. Thank God, depsite my father’s age, the operation went smoothly and during this difficult period, my father experienced the warmth and care of our members. They would visit him at the hospital and pray for him. These made him realise the goodness of being a member of the household of God. Thank God, gradually my father recovered from his operation and regained his health.

Before I end this testimony, I want to take this opportunity to thank all those brothers and sisters who have been praying constantly for my parents; the ministers who visited and are still visiting them and especially the brethren who drove them to church when I had to work. Help from other brethren is very important when we want to share God’s salvation with others and bring them to church. We must work together in the name of our Lord.

May all glory and praise be given to our Lord. Amen.

The Star That Brought Me To The True Jesus Church
Lim Sook Imm – Singapore

My name is Lim Sook Imm. I was born in 1959 and grew up in a devout Taoist family where memories of my early childhood comprised episodes of religious worship and devotion. Here is an account of how I came to believe in the Lord.

One day when I was still in primary school, my teacher told us a story of a man called Jesus who lived long ago in the city of Bethlehem. He performed many signs and miracles, and healed many who were sick, including the lame, paralytics and even the demon-possessed. However, some of His compatriots did not like Him. So they crucified Him to death on the cross.

I listened to the story attentively. It was the first time I had ever heard such a story. When I heard that He was put to death, somehow I had sympathy for Him. On that very night I had a dream. I saw a kind-looking man in a brown robe standing on the clouds. His head was swathed in a piece of cloth and with a staff in His hand, He slowly descended from the air. I fell on my knees and looked at Him intently. The man said to me, “I am Jesus. You must believe Me. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” (Jn 14:14). After this, I woke up from the dream but kept this message in my heart.

My father was the sole breadwinner in a family comprising ten children, my mother and grandmother. I was the eighth child. The stress of life often led to quarrels between my parents. I still recalled how, on one occasion, in a heated argument, my father smashed a rice jar to vent his anger. Seeing the whole place strewn with rice, I quickly collected the rice with my bare hands and put it into a basin. I was afraid that I would not have food to eat. I saw for myself how my parents suffered hardships despite their piety towards the idols. My mother was so devout to her deities, yet she did not receive even the most basic of protection from them. I resolved that I would not worship these idols placed in the house. Instead, I would pray to Jesus to protect my family.

When I was 15, one of my classmates invited my to the True Jesus Church. I mistakenly thought that I was going for free tuition in the church, so I sought permission from my parents on this basis and they consented. But even after I realized there was not going to be any free tuition, I was still delighted with the invitation. After all this time, at last, I would have a chance to know more about Jesus whom I had dreamt about, and the Jesus my former teacher had talked about. So I joined my friend for a Sabbath service at the True Jesus Church in 1974. Being a total stranger, I could only observe. But I heard the prayers of the congregation which sounded like many waters, just as described in the Bible (Rev 19:6). I attended services for 15 months, during which I learnt about the basic beliefs of the True Jesus Church. From the Bible, I also came to know that –

(i) Jesus was the Word who became flesh and he died on the cross for the remission of the sins of mankind. He resurrected on the third day and ascended to heaven. He is the only Saviour of mankind, God of the universe and the one true God (Jn 1:14; Mt 20:28; Jn 20:1-8; Lk 2:8-11)

(ii)  Water baptism is a sacrament for the remission of sins (Jn 3:5; Acts 2:38)

(iii) To believe in Jesus is to fear God and love man (Mt 22:34-40)

Attending church services brought me many benefits, but I also met with trials and temptations. Believing in Jesus was considered a violation of family order by many of my family members. The love of my grandmother, the tears of my mother, the severity of my father’s wrath and the rebuke of my siblings became a powerful force to oppose my decision to believe in the Lord. Faced with such formidable opposition, I began to waver. One night I decided to pray to God for guidance. Lord, which direction should I take? Then I had a dream. This time, I saw a bright star from my backyard. Fascinated, I wanted to pick it. I went towards the star but it suddenly moved – going from my backyard to the main road, passing many places until it finally stopped before the True Jesus Church at Telok Kurau!  There, the star shone even brighter, so much so that I could not open my eyes.

Finally, I found myself in the church hall before I woke up. This reminded me of the event of Jesus’ birth, when wise men followed the star from the East until it came to rest over the place where the child Jesus was born (Mt 2:1-12).

In spite of the differences in time and circumstances between me and the wise men, I was truly convinced that the Lord Jesus had listened to my prayers and showed me the direction to take.

By His grace, I was baptised into the Lord in December 1975.

The following is a sermon transcription that will explain to you what we meant when we say
“Do we need a Savior?” We may agree that there are people around us that needed religion but do I need one myself? We like to share with you why we still need a savior although we do not have any problems in life.

Do we need a Savior?

(Pr. Chin Aun Quek)

What kind of Savior do I need?

If I were to contract a severe illness, I need a doctor to save me by healing my sickness. If I were to sink into poverty, I need a good Samaritan to help me by giving me money. But if I am neither sick nor poor, would I still need a savior? My family life is blissful; we are a loving couple and our kids are filial. Even if it were to rain, we have plenty of umbrellas. We do not have any problems in life, so it stands to reason that I don’t need any savior.

I might agree with you. If one is living comfortably and peacefully with no major concerns to be addressed, why would one need a savior? However, this is only true if one can live forever. Have we met anyone who can live forever? No matter how hated this topic is, it is a fact that death comes upon all. Regardless of one’s wealth and status, death strikes. Even good health doesn’t stop it from coming; there are cases where healthy people just suddenly die.

Since death is inevitable, how do we face up to God’s judgment after death? This is the topic that we’re concerned with and would like to address today.

“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28)

“And as it is appointed to men to die once” – we believe in this because we know it to be a fact. What about judgment after death? I may believe in it because it is recorded in the Bible, but you may not trust the Bible. So instead of looking at judgment as the Bible sees it, let’s look at what other people have to say for now.

What Other People Say…

We’ve probably heard the saying, “What goes around comes around”. We believe it because we’ve seen it happen around us.  So we are afraid of doing evil deeds, knowing that there is a chance of bad retribution. Instead, we attempt to do good deeds and help those in need, expecting good retribution to come in the future. However, we’re likely also seen good men die terrible deaths while the evildoers seem to go unpunished. When this happens, it throws our understanding of good and bad retribution off track. We start to question to point of continuing good deeds. Yet, we may continue doing good deeds because other people tell us, “Surely retribution will come one day. If it hasn’t happened, it is just because the time has yet to come.”

What if the evildoer were to die before punishment arrives? How do the evil receive their retribution? How long do we have to wait before such retribution happens? The time that has yet to come refers to the time after death, where judgment yields retribution. We believe that there is judgment after death. Some people may think that death is the end of all things and so there is nothing to fear. If this were true, we should all enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Yet, you’ll find that we are hesitant about doing evil because of our conscience. Our conscience tells us that one day, judgment will come after death. This is what other people, consistent with the Bible, say.

We need a Saviour to help us. This Saviour is our Lord Jesus. Why do we say that He is our Saviour? According to the Bible, He is the one and only true God, who will come and judge this world righteously in the future. Being the judge, He has the right to forgive men’s sins. As Hebrews 9:28 records, “Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

God loves men; He does not wish for people to face judgment and hence, is willing to forgive sins. He suffered death on the cross for all mankind, and bore the sins of men so that anyone who believes in Him shall receive the forgiveness of sins. This is the way God has taken to forgive our sins. If we believe in Him, we should repent, baptise in His name, and follow Him, so that our sins can be pardoned and there is no fear of judgment after death. If there are sins, there will be judgment. But if sins are pardoned, there is no more need for judgment. This is the greatest blessing God has given to mankind. For this reason, we need Jesus as our Saviour.

How is it that many who’ve listened to this gospel still do not believe?

Many people believe that they are not sinful. They have not committed anything evil such as robbery, womanising, or murder. They have also not done anything against their conscience. They believe that since they have done nothing wrong in the eyes of the law, nor mistreated anyone, they are able to stand tall and say that they are good men. What kinds of sin might a good man have? By this reasoning, they believe that they are without sin.

This argument is only correct to a certain extent. People who are good and respectable in the eyes of many, who have kept the laws of society, are only good in the eyes of men. It is more important to seek to be good and sinless in the eyes of God, because it is God who judges us in the future, not other men. Perhaps it will be easier if we were all judged by men instead; we are sure to do well because it is clear we have not broken any laws. However, since judgment is by God, the standard of judgment will be set by neither men nor countries; God sets the standards for judgment. It is clear then, that we should also check whether we are blameless in the eyes of God.

What are the standards set by God?

Jesus demonstrates this through an example:

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’” (Matthew 5:20-21).

It is clearly stated in the Bible, and as is consistent with our common understanding, that murderers will face judgment. Legally, if we did not kill anyone but were merely furious with someone, we cannot be punished by law; even infants throw tantrums from time to time, because anger is a way to channel unhappiness. So to men, anger is not a crime. But in the eyes of God, even being angry is a sin.

Many people find it hard to accept, much less abide by. Yet, if you were to consider the reason why men kill another, it is usually out of anger. Joyful people are less likely to kill because they are able to ignore provocations. On the other hand, angry people are easily provoked and drawn into quarrels and fights, which may end up in violence or even murder. Some may argue that it is not anger, which leads to murder. Then, at a trial for murder, can we claim that a person kills because he or she was possessed by the demon? Who would accept this? A need for justice lies in the heart of all men. Nonetheless, because one is judged based on one’s actions, people are only punished for crimes that have happened. But the true God judges people based on their sinful intentions as well as their actions.

How does one escape from the judgment of God?

Jesus gives us another example in Matthew 5:27-28 of how having lustful thoughts of a person other than your spouse is as good as committing adultery. How many claim to be faithful to their spouses, yet thought lustfully of another? What exactly is the source of family problems and divorces? Many of us can confidently deny going to bed with another person after the initial contact. But it all begins with a thought. The inability to contain this lustful thought ultimately leads one to committing the sin.

These two examples Jesus spoke of are very real issues we face in life. Through them, we see God’s standards. James concludes, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17). This is perhaps something most of us have ignored. We judge our sins by the sinful deeds we have committed but we may not judge ourselves by the actions we failed to do. If it is a sin to know what is good but not do it, then everyone is sinful.

In the future, God will not only judge the evil, but also the good. It is easy to conclude how the evil will be judged, but how will He judge the good?

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

It is clearly stated that all the works of men, be it known or secret, will be judged by God. We may all be able to proudly tell God that we have not done anything evil. But will we be equally proud and able to tell Him that we have done what is good?

Even Confucius, the one whom everyone proclaims as virtuous, can be considered sinful. How so? In one of his writings, he says that “When I know of a good thing to do but am unable to do it, and/or when I know of evil and am unable to change it, these are my biggest concerns.” He was likely aware of what is in his heart; he admitted to having difficulty controlling himself when he had sinful thoughts. He also had sinful actions, which he found difficult to correct, or knew of right things which he failed to do. Given his admission, we might observe that he was honest and to the eyes of many, he may be a perfect man. But how is he before the eyes of God. Confucius admits that he, too, is sinful in the eyes of heaven. We are sinful, even though we have not done anything evil, if we know of things we need to do but do not do it.

To conclude, according to God’s standards, everyone is a sinner and all men need a Saviour to forgive their sins. There is no other way. We may think of our own ways to reduce our sins or make them disappear but it is in vain. There are people who do nothing evil; they do not kill, not even animals, and are vegetarians. These people have good hearts. However, even if we were able to avoid taking lives, what about other sins that need to be forgiven? How do we gain forgiveness for those sins? Do we donate huge sums of money to the needy, such as the victims of earthquakes and tsunami? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could pay to make up for our wrongdoings? If this were so, money can be lauded as our Saviour. We could use ruthless means to gain money and compensate by donating some of the wealth gained through such means.

Yet, even without referring to the Bible, our conscience will tell us what is right from wrong. For example, money cannot erase the guilt of the killer in the eyes of the victim’s family. Indeed, there is no way to make up for our sins simply by our own deeds. We need to accept the one and only way, which is to gain the forgiveness of sins from God. In order to do so, one needs to repent, come before God and worship Him, accept baptism in His name to wash away sins. Only by doing so, can we face the judgment of God in the future. Our Lord Jesus is the only Saviour and we truly need Him.

This testimony is based on the one given by the late Tay Hian Siak in April 2007. Uncle Tay, as he was popularly known, was born on October 16,1925 and was baptized on December 17, 2000. In January 2006, Uncle Tay was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

In this testimony (delivered by his son, Tay Teck Kiang, as Uncle Tay’s voice box had been removed), Uncle Tay recounts his conversion and the grace he received. Although his physical time on earth was running out, he fought a good spiritual fight. Although cancer had taken away his voice, he wanted to “speak” straight from his heart to, in his own words, “share with [everyone] some of my miraculous experiences after coming to the True Jesus Church.”

ENTERING THE FOLD
I joined the church at the age of seventy-five. Actually, I had long wanted to be a Christian but often dropped the idea because of the Ten Commandments. Whenever I thought of the words, “Thou shall not do this and that…” I remembered that I had done this and that before and I felt I was still going to do this and that! I had broken so many commandments; I did not even dare to go to church. However, after I retired at the age of seventy, I gave serious thought to going to church. I had wasted so many years and time was running out for me. I decided to visit my son’s church to have a look. Not long after I made that resolution, my son actually invited me to attend a special service at the True Jesus Church in Adam Road. This was in June 1999.

I continued to attend services after that, as I enjoyed the singing and found the people very friendly. In addition, the air-conditioned chapel was nice and cool! After about a year and a half, I was baptized along with my friend, Eddie, who had been regularly attending services with me.

RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT
For a period of time after I had started attending services but had not yet received baptism, I could hardly concentrate in prayer. Whenever I closed my eyes to pray, all sorts of images flashed through my mind and distracted me. Doubts assailed me as I wondered if there really is such a thing as the Holy Spirit. So many members were praying in tongues, but it seemed impossible for me to receive the Holy Spirit. I wanted to be in the midst of the flock, but I felt like a lost sheep because I still did not have the Holy Spirit.

I started wondering whether my failure to receive the Holy Spirit was because I did not know the right way to pray or the right words to say. One day, a deacon said, “If you do not know how to pray, just say, ‘Hallelujah’ and your prayers will be answered.” I was happy and surprised to hear that. How did the deacon know that I had been looking for an answer to this question? From then on, I just said “Hallelujah” during my prayers, and I was no longer distracted by images in my mind.

After baptism, I resolved to change and avoid sin. I knew that receiving the Holy Spirit would help me, but I had not received it even after praying for it for more than one year prior to baptism. Two days after my baptism, during the prayer at the Tuesday evening service, I suddenly began to speak in tongues. I was trying to say, “May God help me”, but before I could finish saying the words, I couldn’t control my tongue anymore. Tears of joy filled my eyes as warmth flowed from my head to my shoulders. I was ecstatic. I knew I had received the Holy Spirit. It was a wonderful feeling that I had never experienced before. I was so happy that I could not sleep the entire night!

Despite my joy and excitement, I was not entirely confident that I had received the Holy Spirit. When my wife was not at home, I decided to try and see if I could still pray in tongues. When I knelt down and prayed, the tongues came easily. I needed no further proof that I had indeed received the Holy Spirit.

RENEWED AND STRENGTHENED
Receiving the Holy Spirit changed my life. I used to be a very critical person, but I gained the strength to change this characteristic. I used to gamble, sometimes staying up until midnight. I also attended dinners organized by idol worshippers to commemorate the Chinese “Ghost Festival”. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I stopped gambling and attending gatherings during pagan holidays. I was amazed that I was able to cut myself off so abruptly and absolutely. I faced a lot of criticism from my friends due to my decisions. Losing some of these old friends saddened me, but God provided a few hundred new friends—my brothers and sisters in Christ.

In June 2004, I was diagnosed with throat cancer. The recommended treatment for me was a major eight hour long operation, followed by thirty radiation therapy sessions. Surgery comprised removing my voice box and opening a small hole in my throat for breathing. I was shocked and worried after learning of my diagnosis and treatment. For a few nights after I learned the news, I lay wide awake thinking about this. During one sleepless night, it suddenly occurred to me that I should just pray to God and let nature take its course. After all, there was no alternative. I prayed day and night and subsequently was able to sleep more peacefully. Moreover, I was able to accept what was happening to me. After all, good things must come to an end, and we have to live with “the days of darkness” (Eccl 11:8).

On the day of my surgery, I was worried and anxious. The idea of reciting Psalm 23 came to me, and even though it was something that I had only seen in a movie, I decided to try to calm myself this way. I repeated Psalm 23 over and over until I was anesthetized. When I woke up, I was delighted to find out that the surgery had gone well. I immediately prayed and thanked God for His mercy. I also had a wonderful feeling that my faith in God had grown much stronger. After two weeks of recovery, I was discharged from the hospital. It was then time to start my radiation therapy. I thought it would be a breeze, but the doctor warned me that I might lose my appetite or develop a bad sore throat. Hearing this did not worry me because I knew that all I had to do was pray hard to God with all my heart. As it turned out, I really had no problems taking my meals. My doctor was extremely surprised that I was fine and did not experience severe side effects from radiation. I thank God for hearing my prayers and allowing me to complete six weeks of radiation therapy with only some mild side effects.

After completing treatment, I rested at home for four months before I started attending church services again. I wept during the first few prayers because I could no longer pray out loud in tongues. I also missed singing hymns with the rest of the members, which I had enjoyed very much. But still, I was very thankful for the mercy of God. I resumed a normal and active life after completing my radiation therapy, and I only needed monthly check-ups. I continued to play table tennis at church every Thursday, and went out like any other healthy person. I spent the year 2005 much like I had before my cancer diagnosis, but with an increased awareness of God’s love and mercy and a more mature faith.

STEADFAST THROUGH TRIALS
In January 2006, I was told that cancer cells had spread to my lungs. Although I was prepared for this possibility, I did not expect it to happen so quickly. For the next three months, the oncologist gave me oral chemotherapy medication. But because it was ineffective, he told me that I would have to undergo intravenous chemotherapy. To make matters worse, a cataract was affecting my eyesight. So on May 8, 2006, I underwent eye surgery prior to commencing chemotherapy treatment. During the operation, a blood vessel in my eye burst, which caused a blood clot that affected my eyesight. The surgeon said it would take at least six months for my eye to recover completely. Amazingly, when I went back to see him two weeks later, he told me that my eye was completely healed. He, a non-Christian, said, “Your God must have heard your prayers!” My intravenous chemotherapy treatment started on May 15. Each session involved a blood test followed by one and a half hours of chemotherapy injection. I was scheduled to undergo eighteen chemotherapy sessions, but after the fifteenth session, the oncologist stopped the treatment because it was causing my legs to swell.

In November, the doctor told me that the cancer cells had grown and asked me to start on another chemotherapy cycle with a different drug. This time, I was really sad and worried, thinking about the pain and additional side effects. I could not sleep because I kept wondering whether I should proceed with the treatment. So I asked God to have mercy on me. What a preacher once said to me came to my mind, “Uncle, you don’t have to worry, for God is in you. He will decide for you. You just do what you have to do.” Reassured by this thought, I decided to start on the new chemotherapy. However, the CT scan taken after three sessions of chemotherapy showed that the drug was ineffective, and so, the treatment was discontinued. The oncologist told me that there was nothing more that could be done. The only solution left was to pray for the cancer cells to spread slowly.

During this period of sickness, there were many times when I asked God why He put me through such sufferings. But throughout all of this, I have learned to have more faith in God and to trust in Him, and it seems that my fears and pains have become increasingly easy to bear. While I used to wonder if I was really good enough to go to heaven, I now often look forward to going to heaven. I have lived a good life, and I am ready to face death. I would like to encourage those who are in sickness to have more faith in God and let Him decide for you. Read 1 Peter 4:15-16 and you will find it easier to overcome the sadness and pain in you. May God bless you and lead you to find the true God.

Although he was confined to bed in the last three months of his life, Uncle Tay experienced no pain and rested peacefully in the Lord on August 26, 2008.

Attracted By A Book

When I was nine years old, one of my aunts, a Roman Catholic nun, gave my elder brother a Good News Bible. My brother was not interested in it; I was. Seeing that it was an English book containing many pictures, I thought it would be a great way for me to learn English. It worked.

Besides just picking up English, I came to learn that there was a God called Jesus. He was very powerful and loved children. I told myself that I was going to worship this God when I grew up.

A few years later, when the same aunt realized that I was still interested in the book, she gave me a Catholic Bible. Unlike the earlier one, this Bible had only words. Lots of words! I didn’t know where to start reading. Through the index, I found the Ten Commandments, so I started with that.

I was stumped when I came to the Commandments that boldly stated that we must not worship man-made idols. I saw many statues whenever I entered a Catholic chapel. Worse, I was taught that I could worship the true God by praying through these statues. So who was right? This nagging doubt deterred me from getting baptized in the Catholic church.

Invited By A Friend

Years later, I graduated from university and began working as an auditor. In June 1999, I went to a company to carry out an audit assignment. During our lunch break, the secretary of one of the company directors asked me whether I had any religious affiliation. I told her that I read the Bible on my own but did not attend any church because I didn’t know which one was the true church. In reply, she invited me to her church, which she said in full conviction, was the true church.

I accepted her invitation and went to her church – the True Jesus Church – on the following Saturday. Everything seemed pretty normal when I stepped into the church. Then a loud and strange sound suddenly came over the public announcement system. It sounded like human voices, but they were quite unlike what I had heard before.

I could feel my whole face turned white in fear. The sister who invited me must have seen my shock. Quickly, she explained that it was just the sound of people praying and that there was no need to be alarmed.

We then went up to the second floor and entered the chapel. The service began. When the congregation knelt down for the first prayer, I was still very frightened, but I didn’t want to leave after being there for barely half an hour.

Remembering how powerful Jesus was, I knelt down too and prayed to Him in my heart. I told the Lord I did not know where I had brought myself and what I had gotten myself into; I asked Him to come and save me quickly!  However, when the preacher started to deliver his sermon, my fear subsided somewhat because I noticed that he quoted from the bible.

Reassured By A Vision

I continued to attend services at True Jesus Church. One Sabbath in December 1999, a special fasting and prayer session was scheduled. The aim was to seek God’s guidance and abidance for the annual year-end Spiritual Meeting that was going to held one week later.

This prayer was to be held after the afternoon Sabbath service. I had intended to sneak away, but before I could get very far, the wife of Pr Chang Kuo-Ching, the resident preacher then, invited me to join them in prayer. Not exactly keen to stay, I gave her the excuse that I had not fasted. She replied that I need not worry about that since God looks at our heart.

My brain couldn’t work up another excuse fast enough so I reluctantly agreed to stay. The prayer was longer than the normal prayers. It wasn’t long before I started to feel my whole body ached with fatigue. I kept wondering, “Why is the preacher not ringing the bell to stop the prayer yet?”

Even as I wondered, another thought crossed my mind, “Why are these people praying so hard?” As I asked myself this question, I saw a cross in the distance. A figure hung on the cross. The whole vision was very dark and there was light only around the cross.

Tears started to flow down my cheeks. Things I had not read about before in the Bible were now shown directly to me… amazing love, how could it be that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus died for me? He died for all of us.

It was grace indeed that sinful man could be reconciled to Him. And prayer was the way that we could communicate directly with Him. I no longer dared, no longer wanted to wonder why the preacher was not ringing the bell to stop the prayer.

The following week, I attended the Spiritual Meeting at Adam Road Church. At the end of the first service, anyone who wanted to pray for the Holy Spirit and to experience God was invited to go to the front of the chapel. The sister who brought me encouraged me to go to the front. So I went.

At that time, I was still not baptized. I dared not prayed for the Holy Spirit, as I felt unworthy. In my prayer, I merely asked God to tell me if this was His true church.

Suddenly, my surrounding became brighter and brighter. Words fail to capture this wonderful light – so very powerful, yet so extremely gentle and comforting that it was not glaring at all. The thought flashed into my mind,

“my father on earth may not love me but my Father in heaven loves me dearly.”

My tears flowed freely again. The Lord Jesus had not answered my question directly. Somehow, I knew He wanted me to find the answer myself and He reassured me that I could find Him in the True Jesus Church.

Cleansed By The Blood

On June 11, 2000, I received baptism. After we returned to church, all of the newly baptized were told to go to the front for the laying on of hands.

A few minutes into the prayer, I still had not received the Holy Spirit. I then told God in my heart, “Lord Jesus, I have just been baptized and I am at my cleanest now. Please give me the Holy Spirit. If not I will sin again once I step out of the church, and I will no longer be as clean as I am now.”

As I was making this simple plea, my heart started to open up. Indeed, I could feel it blossom as a flower does. Although I did not receive the Holy Spirit in that prayer, the feeling of being sinless was very real and left a lasting impression on me.

A Flashback To Mops

Some time after my baptism, I finally realized how the Lord had answered my question on whether I had come to the true church.

One afternoon in late 1998, before I had heard anything about True Jesus Church, I was on a bus when it stopped at a bus stop opposite a church. What caught my eye was the “arrogant” name True Jesus Church.  Although I was not attending any church at that time, I was offended by the sign. I thought, “Hey, do you think that only your Jesus is true? My Jesus is also true!”

But the name also intrigued me. So, after my brief sighting of True Jesus Church that afternoon, in my infrequent prayers, I would ask the Lord Jesus to guide me to His true church.

One night I had a dream. In that dream, I came to a place where I felt great peace and joy. Somehow, I knew that I had come to the house of God. When I woke up, I couldn’t remember much about what the place looked like, but I distinctly recalled there was a fence on the premises and there was a row of mops hanging on the fence.

Much later, after I had started to attend the services at True Jesus Church, I went to the Adam Road church for the first time. The occasion was a truth-seekers’ gathering. We had a tea reception in the dining area. I suddenly gasped – there was a row of mops hanging on the fence exactly as it had appeared in my dream! So through a most interesting channel the good Lord has already shown me His true church.

Today, the Lord Jesus continues to guide me and bless me in many ways. Each time I look back at how He has gently called me and brought me back to Him, to His truth and His church, I can only repeat to myself  – indeed my Father loves me dearly.

]]> http://www.truejesuschurch.sg/testimony-featured/how-i-found-god-in-true-jesus-church/feed/ 1 http://www.truejesuschurch.sg/testimony-featured/friend-of-sinners/ http://www.truejesuschurch.sg/testimony-featured/friend-of-sinners/#comments Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:01:52 +0000 tjcsg http://www.truejesuschurch.sg/?p=2246

With my bad habits and nasty character, I used to tell Christians who tried preaching to me that I was beyond redemption. However, God is a truly righteous and patient Father, and His love is beyond human comprehension. The fact that I am still alive today testifies to His unconditional love.

A SEARCH FOR MEANING

I come from a Taoist family. I am the youngest of six siblings. My father passed away when I was eleven years old and my mother died seven years later. For some reason, after her death, I became very interested in ancestral worship and the worship of the Goddess of Mercy. I kept my parents’ memorial tablets in my home, which, according to Chinese tradition, was an unusual practice for a daughter. Although I was only eighteen then, I zealously observed all the festivals, performed the rituals, and offered sacrifices. One of my brothers was even forced to eat the food offered to my late mother on the anniversary of her death, in order to oblige me!

Despite my religious fervor, life did not seem to hold much for me. I was despondent and cynical. I partied a lot to beat boredom, but I still did not have direction in life. I even bought a book of 1,000 insults so that I could use them at any given time on those whom I disliked. To many, including my family members, I seemed to be enjoying myself when in reality I felt empty inside. Before I turned twenty, I attempted suicide for the first time, but I failed. I survived, not with a sense of relief but of despair. For the next four and a half years, I drifted through life. But life continued to be meaningless, so I decided again to end it. This time, I made certain that it would be successful. After locating the tallest building near my home, I wrote my suicide note. Then, a family problem suddenly popped up that I had to attend to, and I was compelled to postpone the suicide plan.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Unbeknownst to me, God had already started working in His mysterious ways. After the postponed suicide, I was introduced to a person who had been attending the True Jesus Church as an observer. We clicked. She sought my advice about going to London for further education. In turn, I invited her to a party with my friends. In the middle of the party, she asked to be excused, as she had promised her sister, a member of True Jesus Church, that she would attend the service on Friday evening. Reluctant to let her go, I agreed to attend the next service with her in exchange for her skipping that evening’s service. As it turned out, the next service was on the following day, a Saturday Sabbath service. On the following day, as was my daily morning routine, I placed joss sticks on the family altar and two other altars. I then left to meet my new acquaintance in the city center thinking that we would be visiting a church in the vicinity. I became agitated when I learned that we had to travel all the way to the east on what was a hot Saturday afternoon!

When I was told that the name of the church was “True Jesus Church,” I became even more infuriated. Although I was not a Christian, I thought the name smacked of arrogance. My acquaintance reacted quite calmly to my irritation, gently explaining that God had revealed this name to the early workers of the church. In hindsight, I think the Holy Spirit must have guided her response. Thereafter, we had a silent journey almost all the way to church.

The moment I took my first step into the chapel, I felt a pleasant light breeze, which calmed me. For the first time in my life, I experienced peace.

BREEZE OF PEACE, FOUNTAIN OF JOY

When we reached the church, just before we alighted from the vehicle, I told her, “This is my first time, but it will also be my last time coming to this church, so don’t ever ask me again!” But amazingly, the moment I took my first step into the chapel, I felt a pleasant light breeze, which calmed me. For the first time in my life, I experienced peace. I could not really understand the hymns or the Mandarin sermon even though the latter was translated into English. The whole atmosphere seemed foreign to me. And when they started to pray, I couldn’t help noticing the behavior of a lady in the pew in front of me. She prayed with such reverence yet in a very personal manner, as though she was talking to God face to face.

Suddenly, the desire to be a Christian welled up in me. I immediately chided myself and reminded myself of all my vices that would disqualify me from becoming a Christian. Then I heard a soothing male voice saying that I could be a Christian if I wanted to. I whirled round, trying to see who said that, but all those praying around me were females! As I continued to struggle with the impossibility of becoming a Christian, the same voice spoke again. He said that I could stop my vices gradually, and the first step was to stop smoking. I was really awed—I had not opened my handbag since I stepped into the church, so how could anyone have known that I smoked? I agreed immediately.

After the church service, I headed off to a pre-arranged dinner appointment with an ex-colleague. I told her about the peaceful feeling I had when I attended the True Jesus Church service. She encouraged me to continue going, but I replied that I could not until I stopped my ten year smoking habit. That night, as had been my routine, I wanted to have a cigarette before sleeping. To my horror, it tasted foul and bitter when I started to smoke! It seemed to be a sign from God reminding me of the promise I made in church to stop smoking. A great strength filled me and I threw the pack away. Miraculously, I have not smoked ever since. The next day, I called my acquaintance to tell her of my desire to go to church. She told me the next service was on Wednesday evening. I attended that and continued to attend more services. Each time, I experienced newfound joy from God. It was as if a fountain had been planted in my heart, with waters of joy springing up. It was such a wonderful feeling!

NEW LIFE AND MEANING

A few weeks after attending services in the True Jesus Church, one of my relatives asked me to take her to the temple that I used to frequent. She wanted to get a talisman from a medium for her daughter. Previously, whenever I invited her to join me in the temple for worship and chanting, she would refuse. Strangely, this time she was very keen. I refused and she got angry. While she continued to persuade me, something in me kept urging me to keep peace with her, so I finally agreed. When we met at the temple, I directed her to the medium’s room and told her that I would wait outside. I decided to walk around the temple and look at the idols that I used to worship. When I came to the biggest idol, a sudden enlightenment came upon me. These deities had eyes that could not see, mouths that could not speak, and ears that could not hear my cries for help. Even the clothes on them were made by human hands. Why had I been worshipping these idols?

The truth then dawned upon me—God was in the True Jesus Church. At that moment in the temple, I gave my heart fully to Jesus and I was wonderfully converted. I resolved to be baptized. By the mercy of God, I was baptized three months after studying the truth. After baptism, I felt that I had been given a new lease on life, a life that was now filled with hope and meaning. I have since enjoyed countless blessings from this God who called out to me and accepted me so lovingly. I strongly believe that He is living and is merciful to all. He waits to give all His salvation grace. Therefore, we should not hesitate to draw near to Him and enjoy His wonderful grace.

May all glory be given to His name. Amen.