World Revival Prayer Fellowship » Testimonies

Beautiful Testimony

Sharon Lee — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:31:45 +0000

When I was reading through Ben’s testimony, it really encouraged my heart. Hope his testimony would encourage the youths and young adults in their pursuit for God too!

Go forth and be a blessing too!!

Sharon Lee — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:49:01 +0000

As we read this inspiring testimony of one of our young adults, may we be consciously aware that God is always at work!

Be a blessing this day and walk across the room!

Hear ye, hear ye!

Sharon Lee — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:52:25 +0000

Brand new updates for the Young Adults Ministry! Been wondering what we have been up to?

Check this out!

Young Adults Hi-Tea

By: Joanne Tey

Date: 6 June 2009

Location: Holland Village

‘Ice’-melting Time

The Hi-tea event marked the first get-together/chill-out session for the young adults of our church and their friends. The event kicked off by starting with the food first (but of course!), and indeed, there was a sumptuous spread to feast on, prepared and contributed by kind volunteers as well as the young adult cells themselves. Over the course of the delicious food, we were able to catch up with people from the different cells, an opportunity that seldom presents itself in the rush of church on Sundays. It was also a good time of meeting new people and letting or pre-believer friends get to know the cell groups on a more personal level.

Just WHACK! Time

Following the food and a round of games to work off those calories, we also had a wonderful time of worship. With the 40+ young adults worshipping God together in the function room, it was almost like a mini-young adult service. It was very encouraging to see our friends participate not just in the food and games, but also being so open during the time of worship. All in all, it was definitely a great time of eating, fellowshipping and worshipping together

Soaking Time

Kelong Trip

Shu En’s Reflection

Date: 12-13 September 2009

The only bad things about our weekend on the kelong were that two days were too short and that I had a hard time staying awake during service on Sunday. Sharon was not particularly fond of the toilets and the beds, but I would argue that those were an essential part of the entire experience and ‘kids’ like us who have lived in a modern city all our lives ought to go back to basics once in a while. (The two youngest ones were squeamish about showering intially but after her first dose of cold bath water, Charissa declared, “Hey pal, it’s quite nice actually!”)

It was a good time of bonding among the cell group — Jo and I made everyone play stupid games and I particularly loved Hannah’s enactment of a ‘fridge’! We also got to know some very interesting things about the three new friends (Francis Ng’s colleagues- Tan Heng Ai, Chan Mei Mei & Tango Chan) that joined us.

But more so, it was a great time spent with God. It’s hard to ignore Him when you are surrounded by the beauty and splendour of His creations (and when you don’t have the tv or Facebook to distract you).

Testimony

Contributed By: Justin Lim (Cell Leader of Braddell’s Cell)

Blessed and Encouraged

More often than not we hear stories about people falling away due to their hectic schedules, be it at work or in their personal lives. As I write this testimonial, I reflect on the truth that is brought even more so clearly in the lives of my cell. Change happens frequently in our daily lives. We, however, as young people, fall prey more so to the rapid changes in our lives than the rest. It could be due to many reasons, such as the increase in responsibilities we face as we walk this path into adulthood, or the need to handle more relationships from all aspects of life which just seem to overwhelm us. Much as we think we are able to handle this effectively, we find that we fall prey easily to the temptations of the outside world.

The Braddell Y.A. Cell was formed in March 2009 after some changes to the Young Adult Ministry. It comprises of some members from the old Bright Ones that used to be held at Bright Hill Drive (henceforth the old name), as well as some of the younger ones from a youth cell that just moved up. For a few times in a month on Fridays, we meet up, talk about life, and try to be pillars of encouragement and support for one another.

I must say I have had my concerns when asked to lead this cell. The dynamics arising from the difference in the age group was one main concern of mine, as well as several others, including the day and time we were to meet up weekly. It was indeed a step of faith that I had to take to see what God had in store for me, and of course the cell.

Now, six months down the road, I can stand and say that I am proud of this cell of mine. Sure, I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs with this cell, but what’s encouraging is that we’ve grown from a state of ambiguity to a state of certainty.

Personally, the transition from university life into the working world was one hard nut to crack. Sure, we’ve all heard of problems at workplaces, watched them on TV or in the movies, or even experienced it personally during one or two holiday stints. Who would’ve thought that it would be so different when you experience it yourself in your career? For the rest of us, we face problems such as project management in the polytechnics, dealing with tough coworkers or bosses, or even challenges at work! Boring as it may sound to everyone else, you get your airtime to a crowd of faithful listeners who are genuinely concerned about you, sometimes offer solutions to you, and even pray for you! Their testimonies or sharing about the week uplift you because you finally hear something positive after a terrible week, or even provide an outlet for you to vent within those four walls where nothing gets out.

I’m grateful for this cell group that has brought me through one tough transition in my life. The support and encouragement has helped me make better decisions in my life. I trust that God has great plans for each and every one of the cell group, and thank God for the level of trust and intimacy shared in the cell group today. May God continue to grow and bless this cell to draw deeper to Him. All glory be to God.

Tune in with us again in 2 weeks’ time!

Till we meet again, God bless!

Healed in Jesus’ Name!

Kenny — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:34:42 +0000

Thank God for His grace! It has been 7 years since I was diagnosed with having left ovarian cancer, and God has given me a clean bill of health every year.

Recently I went back for a routine check up. My doctor was shocked because he found a 5cm cyst on my right ovary. To be safe, my doctor advised me to have a key hole operation to remove the cyst due to my medical history. I was very reluctant at that time, because I do not wish to go through another operation. Furthermore, as I am a dance instructor, I did not wish to stop teaching dance classes for at least 2 to 3 weeks. After much negotiation with my doctor, he agreed to let me have 2 weeks grace period before going back for a review. If the cyst is still there, I will have to agree to go for the operation.

During these 2 weeks the only hope to let me avoid the operation is to pray and really learn to have faith and to trust in God. Daily I told God my real feelings. I was unwilling to go for the operation. It was interesting that before my check up, the Lord had been showing me Mark 6 “Jesus walks on water”. In addition, verse 50 in Mark 6 spoke to me so loudly, “Take courage! It is I, Don’t be afraid”. During the two weeks of waiting, I had to learn to lean on this promise of Jesus.

Two weeks later, I went back to the clinic for another round of ultra sound scan and to my surprise, my cyst had reduced to 2cm. Praise the Lord! God heard my prayers. I was elated, because it meant no operation for me. However, my doctor still wanted me to go back for monthly check ups. This time round, I learn to pray by faith. When I left the clinic, I told God the next in the next appointment, the cyst will be gone in the name of Jesus.

Just a few days ago, I went back for a scan. The doctor found no cyst in my right ovary. God has removed the cyst completely. Indescribable joy exploded within me on hearing the news.

In the last few weeks I have learned that God will answer prayers and He is always there for me. I seriously thought that the cyst would not be gone, and at most maintain its size, but God surprised me by removing it completely!

I now have a stronger faith within me when I pray for impossible things. God reminded me once again that He is a faithful God who will answer prayers and always wants the best for His children.

I worship a faithful God and He will always be my best friend. (by Gracee)

Why am I leaving for Melbourne?

abechan — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:28:56 +0000

Some of you asked why I am making such a decision. Some assumed is for the sake of education or better quality of life. No, my decision was not based on these.

My son is attending Hwa Chong’s gifted program, which many admire. My daughters are doing reasonably well in school too (without tuition, so their results are acceptable, dare not complain…). Though at times all are feeling the stress but it is manageable. As for me, work used to be stressful but I was still coping. Now it is a bit boring but I can live with that. If not leaving, I would have asked for more work. Then why leave?

It all started in Feb 07 when a head-hunter called. Although it did not work out but I have begun to ask God if it was time to move on. Two months later, Andrew (church-mate) prophesized saying I must not leave my current job, that God will move me in His time. Andrew did not know that I was praying about job change. At that point, I knew God was involved.

In Jul 07, during our company’s distributor meeting, I met Raymond, GM of CAPS Australia (our distributor) then. He said CAPS could offer me a job should I ever consider migrating. Raymond also proposed that I go CAPS take a look if I was serious to discuss further. I started asking God if migration was His idea and was this offer initiated by God.

In Oct 07, Jeremy (my GM then) suggested that my colleague and I go learn more about the blower business from our Australia office and CAPS. I asked myself was that a sign cum gift from God. I went in Nov 07, all fully paid by company.

After the trip, I asked for confirmation one Sunday morning. Shortly after that, I went to Geylang library. One table caught my attention and on it were 7 books stacked up, all about Australia. I sat down at another table and picked up a small poem book. I sensed God saying (in my heart), ‘You will find Australia in it’. I started flipping through, wondering how could it possibly be since the writer was British. Finally I found it on the 2nd or 3rd page. The book was printed in Australia.

One night, while I was spending time with my kids reading a bible story concerning pearl, I felt God saying Australia has something to do with pearls. I googled and found out that Australia is the second largest pearl producer.

On another occasion, while I was on my way to bible study, I asked God for more confirmations. I met Joy (church-mate) and the first thing that she said to me was, ‘I am going Sydney next Friday to visit my sister’.

Since this was a big decision, I wanted more solid kind of confirmation so I asked Him again. Then during my time alone with God, I was drawn to the issue with regards to counting the cost of being His disciple since I was faced with a major decision about migration. I asked God where is that bible passage and I heard (in my heart) Luke 14. True enough, it was there. Previously I always understood it as if one is not ready, he should not commit to it. I suddenly realized if that was the case, few would become His disciples, while He actually commanded us to go and make disciples! It did not make sense. Rather, Istarted seeing what Jesus meant was we must know the cost involved, know what we are getting into, prepare for the difficulties ahead and stay committed.

Couple of days later, I read a short email bible teaching. Guess what? It touched on the same subject and confirmed my latest understanding of that bible passage!

With all these signs, I was getting fearful; fearful that I may have heard God wrongly or it was only my own imagination, anxious about leaving my comfort zone, Singapore, cum drawing a lower salary. But then how could it be wrong with so many signs? Would God allow his children to be misled when we seek Him earnestly? Questions like these flooded my mind. Then I remembered some bible verses that said God is our Father who gives good gifts to His children. I asked Him where is that and I heard (in my heart) Matthew 7. True enough, it was there. He asked me not to doubt and assured me that He would not allow the devil or my own imagination to lead me astray so there was no need to fear. I decided it was time to discuss with my family concerning this matter. All these took place in mid Dec 07.

One month later, fear again troubled me. My family wondered if we would be able to survive with the lower salary. However, I reminded myself that God who has told me to do this would take care of my family needs. To counter the fear, I went ahead to engage a migration agent to begin the permanent resident visa application process.

In Mar 08, I received a promotion and that helped to offset the agent fee with some leftovers for expenses during our Melbourne’s schools and housing exploration trip in Jun 08.

In Apr 08, when the financial concern became more severe, I had my first dream from God, after being a believer for over a quarter century. All I saw was a black background with ‘Mark 8:4′ moved across it. The next morning, I flipped my bible to check what it was about. Lo and behold, it was the disciples asking Jesus how could they feed 4,000 men with so little food. The verses after that spoke on how Jesus proceeded to feed the 4,000 with 7 loaves of bread plus a few small fish. At the end, there were 7 baskets of leftover. He also recounted the miracle of feeding the 5,000 men not long ago, asking why the disciples still do not understand.

The next 14 months was filling forms, preparing documents, obtaining lost documents and waiting. God was quiet; the excitement was gone as nothing was heard from Him on this subject. I have to constantly remind myself of all that He has already revealed and stay focus.

In Jan 09, some friends were concerned if the job offer was still there since the financial crisis was bad. My reply was if it is God’s will for our family to be in Melbourne, we will be there no matter what.

Three months later, in Apr, Raymond (CAPS Australia’s MD) was planning to come to Singapore to meet Michael, my GM. He requested that I share with Michael my intention to migrate soon. He did not want Michael to mistaken that he was poaching IR staff. Some of my church-mates were concerned as this may affect my future in the company if migration plan did not work out. I struggled for 2 weeks. As Raymond’s trip was drawing near, I knew it could not be delayed further. However I just needed assurance that it was the right thing and time to break the news, so I asked for some confirmation from

God one morning. That morning, I needed a recycled envelope from my home so I pulled out one from my bookshelf before leaving for work. When I reached office, the address on the envelope ‘stared’ at me; it was ‘CAPS Australia’. It happened to be the one they used to send their calendar to us a few months ago, and it was the only CAPS envelope I have. With this assurance, I went to break news with Michael that same day. The meeting with Michael went well and he also suggested that I should consider approaching CAPS for work.

The visa approval finally came in early Jun 09. Instead of being excited, I had mixed feelings. Happy it was finally approved but sad as I have to leave behind family, relatives, friends, job, etc. While I was in that mode, Joy (church-mate) felt inspired to read out loud Isaiah 43 from the bible during one church service but it did not catch my attention. A few days later, Rinda (church-mate) sms me, saying she felt Isaiah 43:1-7 was meant for me while she was praying. I wanted to read it and see exactly what it says. I flipped open my bible and guess what? It opened at Isaiah 43! All these happened just before and after my 43rd birthday.

The passage basically says how God will protect, care, honour and treasure me.

Isaiah Chapter 43 – (1) But now this is what the Lord says – He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. (2) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flame will not set you ablaze. (3) For I am Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I give Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your stead. (4) Since you are precious and honoured in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. (5) Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west. (6) I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth – (7) everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made”.

Are all these events over the last 2.5 years simply ‘coincidences’? With so many of them, do we still term them as ‘coincidences’? I prefer to call them ‘God-incidences’, for God is still very much involved with humanity and He will go all the way out to lead those who truly want to follow Him. You should have noticed by now that I did waver and had my moments of weakness because I am just an ordinary guy, like many of you I suppose. What is happening for me now can happen for you too.

So what is next in Melbourne? Am I going to work for CAPS till I retire? I do not know yet but it will be something great for my family… because I serve a great God. I hope I do not sound like bragging; that is not my purpose. I just hope you would see that it is possible to have a very personal relationship with the God who created the heavens and the earth and us. I urge you to get to know this God better if you are not a believer yet. One of His well-known names is ‘Jesus’ (Yeshua in Hebrew). May all who read this be inspired to get close to Him.

Shalom,

Eliam (Eric Low)

Eliam Low has been a faithful and active servant of the church for decades and has served in varying capacities in the home church and in our church plant. He is best known and anointed by God in his role as worship leader and singer and reliable supporter of his cell group. Joanne has been a great mum and stalwart in the growing up years of three young kids now more grown up. We will miss them deeply. Eliam leaves soon to prepare the way for the rest of the family to settle in at the end of the year. Pray for them (children in photo- Hazel, Darren and Amanda). -Pastor Kenny

LOVED LIKE A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY

Kenny — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:15:08 +0000

I am Ruth, a Filipino who came to work in Singapore in 2005. In my second week after arrival, I searched for a church. After several failed attempts and I had almost given up, God brought me to World Revival Prayer Fellowship in a most unexpected and awesome way. I met Pastor Kenny and Jenny in West Mall!

They immediately introduced me to the Bukit Batok cell group (before it grew big enough that it had to be restructured into two groups). For the past four years, the cell group has been more than a spiritual family for me.God manifested His Love and Faithfullness through the cell group. It became more evident when I was hospitalized and had minor surgery on March 19, 2009 due to multiple abscesses. The Bukit Batok cell groups were instruments of God in meeting every detail of my needs.

My experience is a testament to the importance of belonging to a spiritual family. I cannot imagine how I could have managed without the help of the members of the Bukit Batok cell groups as I am away from my physical family. Each one gave the greatest gift that you can give someone…your time.

Thank you, Adeline and Steve: for support in transferring my things; Angela and Joshua: for providing logistics and support; Annie and Sunny: for ensuring I have hot drink for breakfast and the gracious hospitality at your new place; Kay and Shaun: for providing homecooked meals and taking care of domestic details; Jane and Titus: for providing temporary accommodation; Jenny: for ensuring I have milk for breakfast; Madeleine and Raymond: for coordinating and support; Mahal, for words of encouragement; Martha and Zach: for providing logistics and support; Michael: for words of encouragement; Pastor Newman: for providing logistics and support; Pat Tay: for helping out in personal needs; Ruby: for words of encouragement; Sharmaine: for words of encouragement; Shirley and Yang Kwang: for taking care of domestic details; Stephen: for words of encouragement. (by Carmen Ruth Rayel)

From Feeling Scared to Being Surprised

Kenny — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:41:06 +0000

The boss called us in and we had a premonition that it would be bad news. While the company bosses had been saying otherwise, numerous rumours had been circulating for some time now that Swissport, the ground handling company I work for, would close operations and pull out of Singapore. My worse fears came to pass when I heard with my own ears that 320 jobs including mine will take flight and be gone by midnight of 31st March. Coming at a time when the recession was closing in and unemployment was rising was real scary.

I received many encouraging sms and prayers from church friends and they were such a comfort to me. Thank God my struggles were to be met by God’s grace through answered prayer. I have been offered a job. And it pays $500 more than the job that I lost. My job flew away but God landed a new one just for me. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

by Daniel Cheong Tat Loong

Visit to Heaven, Miracle on Earth

Kenny — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:30:08 +0000

Mabel, Sunday 15^th June 2008

My husband, David & I went for breakfast before our church service. David began feeling unwell so we decided that he should go home to rest while I went on to church. That day, I had a bad headache so I went home for a nap after church. David was not in and messaged that he was in Changi General Hospital (CGH). At 7pm, David returned from the hospital. However, he still felt very uncomfortable so we hurried back to the hospital where the doctor decided to ward David for further observation.

Mabel, Monday 16^th June 2008

I went to CGH the next morning to find David shaking in a fit. He said he could not see and then suddenly he lost consciousness. The doctors attending to him decided to transfer David to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) where they had more experience in dealing with liver problems similar to that which they had diagnosed David to suffer from.

David, Monday 16^th June 2008

I was at CGH when I must have passed out. One moment I was in hospital, the next, everything around me became a blur. Then I suddenly became detached from my body. A bright, big doorway was before me and I walked through. On the other side of the entrance, an angel met and led me to be judged by God. He explained about the Book of Life, saying that those who backslide and denied Him would be condemned to the Hell. Those who accepted Jesus as their Saviour, are faithful, and fear God, reading the Bible and worshiping Him will go to Heaven. Their names are found in the Book of Life and will be accepted and welcomed by God himself, into Heaven. Then I met Jesus! I could not see His face as it was dazzlingly and shining but I knew it was Him.

Mabel, Monday 16^th June 2008

David was at SGH’s ICU (Intensive Care Unit). He was in a coma and in a critical condition. Many tubes were plugged into him. The breathing support machine sucked air into his body and in the background, the heart-monitoring machine beeped, ticking the time he had left on earth. Doctors explained that his liver had failed and toxin had spread to all of his body. They told us to prepare for the worse. David, according to the doctor, was brain-dead. My whole family, mother-in-law and relatives all were weeping. Many people prayed earnestly for David.

David, Nil date

Heaven is amazingly beautiful. It is bright and shining, singing and worship music filled the atmosphere. Angels are everywhere. So are many happy people who had accepted Jesus. There is no need to have any food and there is no sickness. Our spirits feed on the word of God. The words “Holy, holy, holy” seemed to resound in my head. The angel beside me told me that Hell is drastically different. It is a heavy, dark and burdened place. None can see through the blinding darkness of hell.

Mabel, Tuesday 17^th June 2008

David was in a coma and did not wake up. His condition did not improve but became increasingly worse.

David, Nil date

I met four people/groups of people face to face in Heaven. I could see their faces only:

1) Bro. Lai – a deaf brother from Deaf Faith Fellowship

2) Former Senior Pastor P. Johnny from World Revival Prayer Fellowship

3) My father and sister

4) My relatives.

Brother Lai told me more about Heaven. He said Heaven is a beautiful place. In the back, I could see a cross. Those who accept Jesus would be at Heaven. Hell is terribly different from Heaven. It is a place of suffering where backsliders and those who deny Jesus who are judged, are sent. Brother Lai explained that God would clean our unclean and sinful hearts, leaving cleansed hearts in us if we confess. It is simple to confess our sins to God as He forgives us easily and readily.

Brother Lai asked for a favour from me. Could I tell Caroline Phua-Wong that he is happy in Heaven? He said that Caroline used to visit, care for and clean him for a very long time when he was sick in a nursing home.

I realized amazingly that we talked without using sign language! In Heaven, we do not need the sign language for we could all talk like normal people. Brother Lai looked younger and very different from when he was alive.

Former Senior Pastor P. Johnny looked wonderful. He was happy and very much younger in Heaven. His face was filled with glory and shone. I was again aware that I could talk to him normally.

Mabel, Wednesday 18^th June 2008

David was still in a coma. Doctors approached us about possibility of removing him from the breathing support machine. There was no improvement in his condition and he was beyond the doctors’ abilities to save. It would be useless for David to have a liver transplant, as there was absolutely no hope for recovery. Doctors explained as kindly as possible the expensive cost of keeping David alive on the breathing support machine. It would be a pointless financial burden for us. About 5pm that day, doctors again suggested that the family consider removal of the life support systems from David. I stopped them. I wanted my children and relatives to have a chance to be with David while he was still alive even though he was in a coma.

David, Nil date

I met my father, sister and relatives who were Christians – they looked younger and happy too. They encouraged me to walk the straight path of Jesus, be faithful to God and not to backslide. God spoke to me. He said we look old on earth but we will look young when we are in Heaven! He even showed me how young my wife, Mabel, would look when she is in Heaven one day. I was astonished.

Mabel, Wednesday 18^th June 2008

Our children, relatives, friends and pastors came to pray for David. The decision to remove the life support systems from David twisted like a strangling cord round my heart. I cried continuously, frightened to make the life and death decision for David. My daughter, Christine, Senior Pastor Kenny Chee and Pastor Barnabas Phua discussed funeral arrangements for David by both her church and WRPF in preparation for his passing on. Kenny, Barnabas and a few members of WRPF gathered inside David’s ICU room to pray for the trust to let God to take over the situation. Tubes from David’s mouth were smeared with blood – he had lost a lot of blood. It was time for me to make the final decision on the removal of all life support systems from him. My daughter, Christine, and son, Jeremy, agreed to let their father go and I consented. At around 11pm, doctors removed the oxygen mask. They expected David to pass on within 48 hours. My children and I stayed by his side praying and crying for him all night.

David, Nil date

While I was in Heaven, I could see my body in the hospital bed. My wife, son, daughter, mother, siblings and relatives, my daughter’s church pastor and her church friends, WRPF church Pastors Kenny Chee, Barnabas Phua and church friends were all praying for me. Jesus told me to go back to my family and take care of my liver. He asked me to control my hot temper and anger. He said the Bible is the truth. I must read it to keep close to Him. He gave me a last reminder about the Book of Life before sending me back. I said goodbye to Him and the angel led me to a small door. I walked to open it. The next thing I knew, I had woken up. I am still alive.

Mabel, Thursday 19^th June 2008

When the morning came, three doctors checked on David and found his eyes opened! His breathing was completely normal. The doctors were extremely puzzled and asked me how David woke up alive and well. This was something they never expected. Christine and I immediately told them that our God healed him. It was unbelievable to the doctors. A complete check was made on David and they pronounced him well. He was transferred to ICA for more observation. Drips and the feeding tube were again attached to him. David could recognize all of us; his family, relatives and friends. When many came and saw him, thanksgiving and praises to God overflowed. I am very grateful to God for bringing David back to us safely.

David, Thursday 19^th June 2008

I am thankful to God for those 3 days of coma and the unbelievable and enriching experience of Heaven.

Mabel, Friday 20^th June to Saturday 5^th July 2008

Daily, David showed physical improvement. Doctors monitored his liver and high blood pressure condition. He was finally discharged on 5^th July 2008, after 2½ weeks in hospital. When David shared his experience of heaven with us, we were amazed. Caroline Phua-Wong was shaken to hear Brother Lai’s words for her. Her visits to him had been done in utmost secrecy and no one could have known about it. We give glory and praise to our real and Almighty God. We would like to thank all their prayers for him and all of us. Hallelujah!

(Interviewed and written by Caroline Phua, edited by Aileen Wee)

Pastoral note: David and Mabel Chang are faithful deaf members of the Deaf Faith Fellowship, a ministry of World Revival Prayer Fellowship. Experiences like what David had are not equal in authority to the Bible, and like prophecies, are not to be despised, but to be discerned. Take what is good.

From Penang Gangster To Pittsburg Preacher

Kenny — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:33:01 +0000

from Penang gangsta to Pittsburg preacher from Blogpastor on Vimeo.

Having It All Is Not Enough

Kenny — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:29:52 +0000

Jacelyn Tay entered the 4th bi-annual Star Search Competition organised by MediaCorp while in her freshman year at the National University of Singapore in 1995, and won the female category of the competition and the top prize of an acting contract. Her big break came when she played He Xiangu in the Singapore TV series “Legends of the Eight Immortals” in 1998. Thereafter she acted in various roles ranging from a girl-next-door, to a member of a hotel staff to a psychiatrist. Tay’s screen performances in period dramas were so well-received that she won the coveted award of Taiwan’s Most Popular MediaCorp Female Artiste in Star Awards 1999. She also performed theme songs and intermediary songs for several drama serials and released a compilation album with Mediacorp Music.

When it seemed that her success had no bounds, a twist of fate took away almost all that she had worked for. She was forced to declare bankruptcy after owing $300,000 to a stockbroking firm. This event tarnished her image and made many sponsors shy away from her. Instead of letting this get the better of her, she worked hard to put her finances back in order. She then went on to produce a magazine show, write 2 books and hosted a health and beauty show entitled A New You in 2005.

In 2006, she became the founder & current chief executive of The Health Club, a medical spa that holds the vision of restoring the body’s natural ability to heal itself and bringing health to greater heights. She is presently studying to become a nutritionist.

You were rising in your career when you became a Christian. What led you to consider Jesus Christ?

Before I knew God, I only believed in myself. I believed that all gods were the same. Handling pressure was basically part and parcel of life.

I am a very strong person. I thought I didn’t need God and I could survive very well. A lot of people think that somebody becomes a Christian because he is weak or has problems. In my case I found God when everything was going well. My career was fine. My relationships were fine, but there was still an emptiness in my heart which I didn’t understand. I was actually pretty lost when I had everything.

At that time I was actually a staunch Buddhist. I had my Fai Ming (a Dharma name acquired during a Buddhist refuge ceremony, traditionally given by a high- ranking Buddhist monk.) and the black and yellow-coloured robes. I was ‘baptised’ into Buddhism. I even prayed in the Japanese temple. I also believed in Feng Shui.

You would think I had no need for all that since I was doing well. But as a celebrity, you depend on so-called luck. When you have fame, you have money, but you are also afraid of losing what fame you have. How do you get fame? Hard work alone is not enough. It’s by luck. You are dependent on luck, so you pray to all the gods, in the hope of becoming popular and famous.

In January 2006, I was injured during a Renci Charity show. I took that opport unity to speak up for the performers. We should not have to do dangerous stunts to get the funds or donations. There are better ways to raise funds.

As I was recovering at home I received a letter from a lady, who wrote that she had a dream of me. She said she was not a fan, but on her 57th birthday, she dreamt of me. In her dream, her husband tapped her on the shoulder during the altar call in church and asked her to pray for the person in front of her. Since she didn’t know who that person was, she was a bit shy. After that she woke up. It was about 3 am. She felt very guilty that she hadn’t prayed, so she asked God to reveal who the person was and what to pray for. When she went back to sleep she saw my face! She began praying for me, and continued to do so until the day that she wrote the letter. But to me, she sounded like another preacher and I threw the letter away.

After that, I kept meeting people telling me about God. The first one was my friend Ricky. I asked him, “So, you are a Christian? But why? Why do you believe that there is only one Almighty God?” He explained to me and somehow I could understand it; I could accept it as logical. From then on, God brought many people to me. Everyday I would meet people telling me about God.

It also happened that the father of the chiropractor who treated me was a retired Bishop worshipping at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, which is my church now. I wanted to go there to challenge him. I wrote a long list of questions and told my chiropractor,”1 am going to ask your father questions and see whether he can answer me.” I went to church not looking for God. I am quite stubborn. When everybody was standing up, I refused to stand up, and instead, remained seated and disrespectful. I took the Bible from the pew and it opened to Revelation chapter 12 about the woman and the dragon. I suddenly realized I had dreamt about that before, even though I had never read the Bible. How could it be?

In my dream, Revelation chapter 12 was actually in three parts. I dreamt of the first part on one night, and two weeks later the second part, then three weeks later the third part. That is not normal! In my dream I was chased by a dragon. As I read Revelation 12,1 realised the scenario was similar to my dream. It was impossible. There must be a God. How could I have dreamt of something in the Bible that I had never read before? That was 19 February 2006.

That night the retired Bishop led a prayer, saying,”If you decide to receive the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ, then you should say these words.”

In my heart I said, “Okay, I don’t want to decide now:’ But after I went back home, I thought about it and was convinced there must be a God. So I said the sinner’s prayer.

What is the biggest change in your life since you became a Christian?

The biggest change is that God is above everything. So, in my life, God is the most important. God is more important than my mother, and even my future husband or anybody else, anything on earth. God is number one. This is my choice. I choose to commit and be faithful to God because He is really faithful to me. He has been really good to me. Good as in,

I have gone through rough patches, but it always turns out to be good. Those rough patches are for me to learn. When something bad happens I know it is another test. It is to sharpen my character. So I don’t see bad things as bad things anymore. Before I knew God, I was actually very lost. You don’t know why you are here. You do everything and everything is meaningless. But since I came to know God, I know why I am here and I know everything is meaningful. Even when I just bump into somebody, I know it is not by coincidence. It must be God’s arrangement So, I am always looking forward to each new day.

How did you overcome the objections you have to face over your conversion?

My mum is now a Christian. But when I wanted to get baptised in April, which was two months after I received Christ, she objected. Everyday she would call me, cry and threaten me, saying that I was not filial, that I was deserting her, since I was not going to pray to her after she died. She didn’t want me to get baptised, and forced me to speak to a monk, saying,”You must speak to Shifu (Master). If you want to be a Christian, that’s fine, but you cannot be baptised.”

I replied, “If you want me to speak to Shifu, I shall. But if he cannot answer some of my questions, then I’ll go ahead and get baptised.”

The monk called me and said, “Christianity is actually something lower than Buddhism.” He believes in the wheel of reincarnation. The six levels of the wheel of reincarnation are: hell, all the lost souls, the animals, human, deity and the Buddha. You have to work hard for millions of years. For instance, if you are a pig, then in the next life you become a human, and then in the next life you become something else.

I replied, “Okay, as a Buddhist, I have to work very hard. I have to do good so that I can earn the points in my report card, hoping that my next life I may be able to become a Buddha. And then as a Buddha, I have to work some more because I want to go to the world of ‘nothingness’ – Nirvana. If that is the case, who decides what I have done so wrong to fall into this wheel of reincarnation. What have I done wrong? Who decides my first life? What did I do to come into this world? Where do I come from?”

He answered, “From the world of nothing¬ness.” But if I come from nothing, which is the ideal state, what wrong did I do to fall into this wheel of reincarnation? He could not answer me. So, everything is meaningless. I came from nothingness and I have to work so hard to go back to the world of nothingness. Because he couldn’t answer me, he told my mum to let me become a Christian.

The night before I got baptised, my mum was still crying and threatening me. Although the monk had said “Let her go”, I think she was controlled by some satanic force. She was like two totally different persons. My mum has never been an aggressive person but during that period she was so aggressive that it seemed she was not being herself. It’s a little strange. My sister who has been a Christian for the past 20 years advised, “Don’t listen to the devil, just go ahead. It will be fine.” So I went ahead. After I was baptised, she became normal again.

How did undergoing the early financial troubles strengthen you as a person? What helps you face the inevitable ups and downs of being an entrepreneur?

I have gone from ‘plus’ to ‘zero’ to ‘minus’. When I was a ‘plus’, I experienced the life of a ‘plus% I was 19 and had more than 100 thousand dollars. Suddenly I was popular. And then after that, I became a ‘minus’. I owed people money. And I realised I could still survive as a ‘minus’. So, what else was there that I couldn’t do? What actually strengthened me was that I didn’t think that there was anything that was impossible, as long as you are positive.

But that philosophy was before I became a Christian. That is why I told you I didn’t believe in anybody else but myself, my own strength. Now when I think about it, I thank God. By my own strength, I actually climbed from ‘minus’ to ‘plus’ but I was still lost. Everything was still meaningless without God. I used to say,”If you have money, if you don’t have money, it’s still the same. You don’t know why you are here and where you are going.”

How do you face challenges in the marketplace, for example, deciding on what type of products to sell as well as the competition involved in it?

When I first thought of opening the health club, it was supposed to be just a slimming centre. My father died a sudden death in 2004. But two weeks before his death I had a dream that he was going to die. I told my mum and so she prayed and got him to drink burnt talismens, but he still died. The death certificate stated that he had died of heart disease. That prognosis is so general and I couldn’t understand it. I started to study more about heart disease, wanting to know why my father had died so suddenly.

I met a Chinese physician when I was in the process of opening a slimming centre. He was actually treating a lot of stroke patients and those with cholesterol problems. I found out that actually heart disease can be prevented and there are good Chinese herbs that can help. I wanted to help people to have healthier bodies and help those who are very depressed about their figures. They needed some counselling. So I decided to incorporate this into a health club.

When I started the health club I wasn’t a Christian yet. After I became a Christian I changed my plans because God gave me a new direction. In the marketplace, everybody just wants to make a sale. It is not easy to train the staff to sell something that people need and not sell things that people don’t need. It is still a challenge now. Whenever there are new staff members, we have to retrain them.

The way I do business, I am not answerable to people, but I am answerable to God. I always tell my staff that if they don’t care for their customers, if after selling them something they just say ‘bye’, then God will not bless them. That is something that they probably don’t understand right now. They don’t care if God will not bless them, but they care whether I will fire them!

What advice do you have for people considering becoming entrepreneurs?

From a business point of view, I could give you a lot of answers but because I presume I am talking to Christians, I would tell you to do whatever God plans for you to do. Some people do business and succeed, but some people fail because God never intended for them to be entrepreneurs. For some people it is clear that God planned for them to be entrepreneurs. I have no answer to that. Only God knows. He will provide all the resources for whatever He wants us to do.

Just to give an example of myself: I am not a doctor, I am not yet a nutritionist, I don’t even have a degree but I have opened a clinic with two dieticians, two Chinese medicine physicians, a microscopist and several therapists. God provided all these people. How do I get all the herbs? You know our herbs are not all Chinese herbs. We have other herbs from elsewhere. God enabled me to meet the right persons, so that I could find out which herb cures what. I have faith that it will just happen. If God asks me one day to close the Health Club down, I will close it. I have no secret for success, no formula. I just want to do what God wants me to do.

Interview with Jacelyn Tay as published on pages 24 to 27 of Impact Magazine, Dec 2008/Jan 2009 Edition