To
come into this fallen world was bad enough but what was worse I had
landed into a broken home in Penang with an
irresponsible and
happy-go-lucky father and an ever self-serving mother.
Before long my
incompatible parents separated and I was taken into the home of my
maternal uncle and then to that of my paternal uncle. Quite naturally
I was often regarded as an intruder rather than as a subject of
compassion. That was the beginning of my sorrow.
In those stormy periods
of my life, my mother tried to find solace in worshipping strange gods
and idols and I had to tag along being the obedient young boy I was.
One thing that struck me was that those gods could not even eat the
fruits and foodstuffs offered to them. Moreover, I had often wondered
how they could ever lift a finger to help my mother and I meet our
needs and deliver us from our plight!
To me life was a fever
and not worth living as nothing held good for me and even the gods
were oblivious to my constant sufferings. I was lost in the world, so
to speak, and was also a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief!
I worked in the daytime
and studied at night and without any loss in time I got myself a
tertiary education in Singapore. In the University of Singapore I was
introduced to Christianity. However, without establishing my personal
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, I could not understand how He
could in any way do me good except to judge me more favourably when I
died of old age perhaps.
Soon I graduated in law
in 1968 and I determined to make good by working very hard. I further
determined to build up my self-esteem and security by taking up
martial arts of various types so that I could confidently take on
almost anyone in and outside the courthouse – with or without a weapon
as I had in my possession a gun that I had acquired through legal
avenues. In the worldly sense I did believe that I had made it as by
1980 I was already the proud owner of a large house with a swimming
pool and had several sport cars in my possession.
I had also joined the
largest club in the world and it was called ‘the night club’ where I
used to take my important clients and bankers frequently for
entertainment.
Soon I believed that
the good Lord thought that enough was enough and He gained my
attention by squeezing my finance – probably God’s method of gaining
my attention.
I quickly turned back
to Him in ashes and repentance and it was at the Full Gospel Business
Men’s Fellowship, Asian Convention in Bangkok that I found Him again.
This time I earnestly wanted to accept the Lord Jesus as my personal
Saviour and He baptised me in the Holy Spirit and I broke forth
praying in tongues. Though I was already a Christian I could not say I
had a personal relationship with God until He had filled me with the
precious Holy Spirit.
Thereafter I began to
thirst and hunger for Him by reading the Bible diligently and sought
Him in various ways. My attitude changed and instead of finding ways
to gratify my flesh like playing mahjong overnight and enjoying false
romance in the nightclub after a few drinks I rejoiced in the Lord and
praised Him unceasingly.
My business attitude
was uplifted, to do it more righteously and to follow like what John
Wellesley said “to earn all I can, to save all I can and to give all I
can.”
Soon after, the good
Lord restored me and granted me financial freedom and gave me the
conviction that I must live my life as a true pilgrim would. Soon I
found joy in helping several ministries by giving Christian literature
to various men of God. To bless others I would purchase various VOICE
magazines and even printed the book of Luke (in large print) to
evangelize to non-believers.
Now I pray to God to
continue to lead me and strengthen me so that I will be forever
faithful and fruitful bringing honour and pleasure to Him not as some
body but only as a faceless Christian as the whole of creation is
centred not about us but Him. Glory to the Lord!
