Me, the young innocent one
First of all let me share about how I got saved by the Grace of God. Back in 1984 I was still a seeker for Truth. I was raised up in a non-believers' family and strictly taught to adhere to Chinese Ancestoral Worship. Well. each child should be filial to their parents and that was it. I went through 25 years of being filial but my soul was empty. I found no peace in my commitments. I saw all kinds of "Christianity" but none appeal to me as the people who professed themselves as "Christians" did not show any difference in their lifestyles compared to mine. When I was in secondary school, I was forced to follow the rules to go to church yet I was not really there with the "congregation". I always had my own agenda. I looked at the Crucifix and thought to myself, "Why worship a crucified man..still hanging on the cross?" After night study or private study, we would be asked to go for evening prayers before tea time or supper at the school hall. The priest will lead us in saying the prayers. I usually sat at the back pew so that I would be among the first to rush out for tea. Being a boarder staying in the school's dormitory, I had my fair share of duties for Sunday's altar boys. I was the clumsy one...always making mistakes at very important periods of the mass...either I wore the altar boys' robe wrongly or I would ring the bell at the wrong time ; sometimes even the timing went wrong. There were times where I would be "punished" for such mistakes. To cut the story short...all through those junior years, I was just pretending to be what I was not. Then I continued to upper secondary school and my cousin introduced me to a "charismatic Christian Fellowship". At first I thought, "This is it! The Real Thing!" They boldly share about JESUS CHRIST and that I can only be saved by Him. Sadly, the very same year my dearest beloved mom fell very ill. My cousin told me to pray and I did. Nothing happened. My mom's health deteriorated and she was not getting any better. I longed to tell everybody in my family about Jesus Christ but they just ignored me and called in all kinds of witch doctors to bring healing and cure to my mom. I was very sad...and sometimes I just went jogging to release my tensions. I argued with people who said they were "genuine" christians and they told me off that I am just an imitator or not original christian. At that time I was wondering why these things happened and yet I could not erase the Name of Jesus Christ from mind or heart.
In my upper secondary school years with some buddies(I am the one who is 2nd from the left)
My heart broke as it was in the very same year my cousin left for Taiwan. I had nobody to turn to. I left the group because I saw some unacceptable things or activities being carried out too extremely. I didn't see these are the Truths from the Bible. I drifted away yet deep inside I seek for the TRUE LIVING GOD! So I worked on a small ship for a while. Everyone around me called themselves, "free thinkers". Indeed they were too free in every wrong way I could observed. Deep in my heart I long to know Jesus Christ. After my initial training as a school teacher, I was posted to an interior school. During my first year teaching debut, my mom passed away. I couldn't face the truth that she was gone! I cried so much that my eyes swelled. I had to accept it when I realized that the cascade was hers and after the funeral...I was remorse and empty. The only question I had was "Why?" Why my mom had to go so early? She was a good woman..a loving wife to my father...a caring and loving mother to me and my siblings. The question "why?" kept ringing in my mind. To me, she was still too young...54 years old. Well, may be to some people...54 years old is the right time to go. To me it was not so because it was my first year in my teaching career and my mom left us so soon and for good! I was not even able to repay her love, care and kindness...and everything she had done for me! How mouch had I done for her all her life? Time waits for no man and soon ...I had to face the truth and accepted the fact that my mother had gone from this world. The following year, my youngest brother and another cousin of mine told me they were "born again" believers of The Way. I just respected them and told them how long would they go on in their new found lives. I was sceptical about their Salvation. The same Name was mentioned "JESUS CHRIST" . I thought to myself...I was with a group who were "charismatic" as Christ's followers and there I was...powerless and confused. It was during that meeting that my cousin and brother prayed for me. To tell you the Truth I just obliged at that time. I continued to live in fear and pretence...I was missing SOMETHING REAL! I was a decent young man but I was not free of sins...in my mind, words and actions. Together with my youngest brother and cousin, as well as another cousin who had accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour continued to pray for my salvation(I found out later after my conversion). Thanks to all of them. Since the day my mom passed away, I didn't really care about myself...I was a snob in my own shell. Later I had pains in my abdomen, I went for medical check up and was diagnosed with UTI and kidney problems. I went for treatments and when I was okay I forget about myself and God. I lived a sinful life and was known as a very bad tempered young man. At the end of 1984...I was hospitalized to be operated for kidney infection and to get rid of the renal stones from one of my kidneys and urinary tracts. I was on drip for three full days without food. On the eve of my initial scheduled operation, a spirit of fear got the better of me. Ironically, I found myself began to call the Name of Jesus Christ. Right in the hospital bed opposite me was an old bachelor..he was joking with the nurses. A few minutes later I saw him grasped for air and the nurses called for emergency doctors to attend to him. In a short while he was pronounced "dead". As this scene unveiled before me, I was deeply disturbed..I recalled all those words of Truth shared by my cousin and youngest brother. "If you die today, where will you be?" I recalled I was not able to give them a proper answer. But then, that very evening on my hospital bed, I cried and called on Jesus! It was the first genuine cry of repentance! I feared death! I saw the Truth of Death right before my eyes..that man didn't know Christ and he died a terrible death. When I cried to Jesus Christ, the nurse in attendance came to my bedside and asked whether I was in pain...I just waved her away. I continued to pray my prayer of repentance authentically and genuinely from my heart.My soul was in anguish and grief over my sinful self. As I cried sincerely to the Lord, I felt something strange happened to me! It felt like a piece of heaviness fell from me. I sensed a bright Light shone upon and around me. I remembered asking Christ to cleanse me by His Precious Blood and asked Him to heal me. I honestly told Him I did not want to go through those sharp knives. As I believed by faith upon His Divine Healing power, Jesus Christ healed me that very night! The next day the doctors and surgeon came to check on me before the operation. I was not in pain anymore. They were puzzled and asked me to go for another x-ray. After the xp-ray...the result was positive! I was healed! My kidneys were clean as new! When I heard that I shouted my first genuine "ALLELUIA!"..those doctors and nurses shook their heads. I couldn't care but gave my Dearest LORD JESUS CHRIST all the glory due Him! From then on, I found The Truth and The Truth had set me free! That's why I write this blog to tell you the Truth! I dare you to tell the Truth!
With my beloved wife & first born son(taken in 1994)
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