Jesus Loves You: April 2015

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

A POCKET-SIZE BIBLE: A FAMILY OF MISSIONARIES!

Romans 10:9 (NIV) If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Life was tough growing up in a family of eight children and as I was brought up in Taoism (worshipping of many gods), I lived in fear of gods that will punish if I do not follow certain rituals required! Life was a pain and there was not much to look forward to!
When I started my first year in high school, a kind classmate of mine gave me a pocket size Gideon Bible. I read it with great enthusiasm and was very attracted to the flawless character of Jesus Christ! Through attending chapel services in school and doing a basic bible correspondence course, I came to understand that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into this world to die for all my wrong doings!
One day as I dutifully placed joss-sticks in the main altar of the gods, without uttering a single word, I said this in my heart, “I know my parents bought you (gods) from the shop down the street and if you can answer the questions that I have in my heart, then you will be my God!” No answers came from the gods that I prayed to daily. Answers to all the deep questions that I had in my heart were answered from the Bible. It was in that period of searching for the real God that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour & Lord!
God gives us as a family the privilege to serve Him in Australia. God has changed my life a lot since I became His child and He is still working in my life now as He is the Potter and I am the clay! (Isaiah 29:16) Life is worthwhile living for as we live it for Jesus Christ! No matter how difficult the circumstances might be, God is always with us and assuring us that a life lived with faith and trust in Him is all that He requires of us!

I give praise to God (who is holy) has graciously saved me (who are sinful) and had paid for the penalty of my sins when Jesus Christ died on the cross! Jesus Christ has the power to save all who comes to Him. So do not hesitate or procrastinate!

I wish to take this opportunity to thank Gideons International for their dedication and faithful ministry in the distribution of Bibles for which was instrumental in my acceptance of Jesus Christ in my teenage years.

Under His Mighty Wings,

Stephenie Chun
(married to Richard Chin & serving as missionaries in Australia since 2004 and has a son, Nathanael Chin studying his final year in Sydney Mission & Bible College)

Dated: April 2015

(Punish/Pain/Pocket/Personal/Potter/Praise/Paid/Penalty/Power/Procrastinate)

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Genesis 50:20 - Harmful Intention turns GOOD!

Amazing God At Work in Penang (2013)

As a Gideon who distributes Bibles in Malaysia, I am briefed not to give Bibles to the Muslims as the Malaysian law prohibited. For the past few years, I have the privilege to participate in Bible distributions at sidewalks near schools, placements in hotels, hospitals and old folks homes. The joy of witnessing by giving God words to people who have not known Him override all obstacles and physical hardship.

The 2013 incident in one of the school distributions in Penang had given me a great experience of our living God. It started normally from the usual sidewalk distribution of bibles for school students. Three of us held only English Testaments in our hands as they were meant for the non-Muslim students. We were unaware that someone was taking photos of us.

The next day, we were shocked to hear the news that “Malay” bibles were distributed to Muslim students with the word “Allah”. A total of 17 police reports were lodged against us and photos of us were posted in the internet. The police had also begun investigation and threaten to charge us with causing “racial disharmony”. Then, some misled “extremists” had also threatened to physically harm those who were involved in the distribution and rallying to “burn” the Bibles. The situation was terrifying and we were in great distress. Later, our Camp President was summoned to the local police station for interrogation. Thank God, no physical harm was inflicted and he was released after questioning. I felt sorry for the whole episode.

Couple days later, all three of us were being summoned to the Penang Police HQ for a second time. But, this interrogation was led by a higher ranking officer. We sensed “danger” as the matter can be twisted by opportunists to heighten racial tension in garnering political advantages as the country’s General Election was near. Though we were not well-versed with the country’s religious rulings, we desperately needed help! My phone rang just when we were about to enter the Police HQ. Two strangers called, one after another, they were Christian lawyers from different legal firms. They wished to represent us for this case and intended to be with us when meeting the officer. At the moment, I knew God answered our prayer. God, our protector, had sent His legal “angels” for us. We were totally astonished with the timing! The two lawyers were there assisting us during the entire questioning process. We knew very well that the result would be different if they were not with us. We praise the Lord! The lawyers told us, “Don’t worry, you were not doing anything illegal…” We could not thank the lawyers enough for their timely rescue and provided us free service, as they said it was already paid by God!

A week later, the police authority finally published a statement in the news to end speculation and confirming that there was no “Malay” bible distributed, and no “Allah” word in the distributed English Testament. We can only pray that the incident was closed at this stage.

Through this incident, I think it brought us some unexpected outcomes – a greater bonding among the Gideons members and gaining better comprehension of the local laws. Secondly, many local churches have come to know about the issue and pray for us; the church pastors begin to open their doors for hearing Gideon’s church reports, praise the Lord! Thirdly, the verse John 3:16 is made known to the nation through our National TVs and there are increasing curiosity among non-Christians who want to know more about God, as some may wonder how this small pocket sized book could create such a commotion! There is no doubt, our God is a living God, and He always does things beyond our comprehension! All glory be unto Him!

By Bro Ooi Kean Chong President Penang Camp

God's Word Will Not Return Void Isaiah 55:11

Testimony of Senior Pastor Tay Wah Seng

Vineyard, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior on the 6^th April 1974 in Johor Bahru when I heard the gospel preached for the first time in my life. The week before this, my childhood friend had given me a pocket size Gideons Testament containing the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. I could not put it down the moment I started reading it. Before I realized it, I have finished reading it from cover to cover, which I did in three days.

No one had shared the gospel with me until this time. As I was reading through the Bible, my desire to become a Christian grew in my heart. God had been speaking to my heart through his precious word and it was natural then for me to respond to the altar call for salvation when the time came. I surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus and I asked Him to come into my life as my personal Lord and Savior. II Timothy 3:15 talks about how, “You have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make one wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

In my search for truth, I have read many books on philosophy, psychology and religions, but they could not satisfy my heart. The Lord spoke to me as I read the Bible through Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Therefore, my search was over and I am now following and serving the Lord Jesus now. Praise the Lord!

May the Lord bless you as you continue the good work that the Lord has given to you in the

Gideon Ministry.

Senior Pastor Tay Wah Seng

THE WORD OF GOD IS REAL & ALIVE! READ IT!

I was raised up in a closely-knitted Buddhist family. My grandmother is a Chinese medium and I was taught to pray to the Chinese gods and to our ancestors from a young age. Moreover, being the eldest in the family has made me very responsible to my own family members. I studied hard in school and was well liked by my peers and teachers.

When I was 14 years old, I received a little blue Gideon testament in school. I took it home excitedly and read it on the first day. After that I kept it on the shelf for the next two years.

One day, I was robbed while walking home alone. It was a traumatic experience for me and since that day, I was living in fear. I called out to my gods but there was no answer. I was angry and disappointed that no help came from the gods. I was very troubled and had sleepless nights since that incident.

On a still dark night, while I was tossing in bed, I suddenly remembered the little blue book which I kept on the shelf. It had been there for two years and I reached out to it and began reading it. I was very fascinated with this book and my searching soul wanted to know more about this God in the Bible. My friends took me to church and I began the journey of discovery of the truth. A couple of months later, I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and signed my name on the back cover of the English Testament. My grandmother and mother objected very strongly when they knew I had become a believer. However, I just trusted the Lord to lead me as I grow in Him.

A few months later, my mother fell into a depression and was on the verged of suicide. A voice down in my heart told me to pray for her. As a filial son, I prayed seriously to Jesus to heal her and her condition improved greatly. The improvement in her life, coupled with my changed life in Christ, attracted her to the Lord. The Lord gave me the courage to take her to church and she accepted the Lord as her Savior. She was delivered from the bondage of sin and her depression ended. I was overjoyed with that victory in Christ.

I was more determined to bring my younger sister and father to Christ. They began attending church with me and a few months later, they too came to accept Christ into their lives. Now, my whole family attends a church in our town.

The Lord began to impress me with His word as I read it daily. The challenge of Isaiah 6:8, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” sounded strongly within me. Deep in my heart, I have already answered that divine call for my life, “Here am I, send me!” One day I hope to be a pastor to serve the Lord after what He has done to me and my family.

It all started with a blue testament given by the Gideon. Praise be to God!

By: Teoh Yee Chern, Sitiwan

GOD IS VERY GOOD

GOD IS VERY GOOD!

I am Lai Yek Hua from Serian, Sarawak, Malaysia. I am the eldest child of five children of whom my father is a Chinese and my mother is an Iban. I am now 24 year old and was a Buddhist before I know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

On 10 June 2004, I was married to an Iban Christian husband even though I was still a Buddhist. At that time in my working place, there was this Christian Military Officer who always shared about Christ Jesus and advised me to be a Christian. I could not accept and would challenge what was said about Christianity. I told the officer, “Religion cannot be forced upon but wait for my heart to be open to it”. I remembered what my father told me when I was a young girl, that Christianity could not save people unlike Buddhist temples which gave medicine and charms to heal the sick or troubled. I also used to go to the temple with my grandmother and mother.

In May 2007, I went for a 3 weeks jungle exercise in Sabah. I received many trials when I was there. One night, I was given a Gideon Indonesian New Testament. That very night I had a dream. In that dream, I was with my husband buying some decorative articles and was in the midst of selecting what to buy. All the decorative articles had beautiful human and animals faces, so much so I did not know what to choose. I consulted my husband who suddenly pointed out to a Cross. As I took it, my dream vanished. I seldom dreamed things related to Christianity. I now know that God is trying to show me His way.

The next day I told the dream to my husband and the officer because I believed it had some relationship with my real life. I wished to be a Christian then but feared that the charms my family gave me might be in conflict. I did not have enough confidence to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. My husband also had a dream about Christianity and realized that he had long been dormant about his religion and needed to return to the Lord. I had the desire to be a Christian but did not know how.

On 3 June 2007, for the first time my husband agreed to take me to church, St Andrew Anglican Church, Ulu Tiram. I was overwhelmed with joy. I realized that he was taking me on the right path. For 23 years I did not know the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the happiest moment of my life. In church, I asked the Lord for forgiveness and I repented of my sins. From that day onwards I attend church services, follow Bible study and join a cell group.

Having known Jesus Christ, I have changed a lot. I no longer listen to worldly music but go for spiritual songs. I have my own Malay Bible and I am reading God’s Word and Daily Bread. I no longer read unfruitful magazines and I pray that my husband will lead the family. We are also trying to reach out to other family members in Sarawak who are still in spiritual bondages. Pray that God will open their hearts that they will believe in Jesus as their true God. I thank God for His love and care for me. GOD IS VERY GOOD!

(Following 16 Sept 2007 she was baptized. She encouraged another family to return to church and open her home for CG. Lately after a terrible illness of vomiting, high fever, loss of appetite for a week, coughing out blood, her husband gave up smoking for good!)

Lai Yek Hua (Serian, Sarawak)

Dare You Challenge God!

Testimony of Mr Darshan Singh: “Dare You Challenge God!”

He was attending a Mission School during his Year 9 of schooling. But he was failing in most of his subjects. Gideons came to the school to share some testimonies about how drug addicts were saved and the Gospel message was also heard by him. He was touched by those testimonies. He received a red Gideon New Testament and was quite determined to do better in his studies. He passed through examinations and graduated Year 11 before becoming a temporary school teacher.

As a Sikh, he was quite critical about the Bible and decided to start reading the red Gideon New Testament received during his schooling days with the intention of finding faults to criticize his Christian friends. However, not long after that, he found himself in the baptism pool being baptized into Christ fellowship. Glory to the Lord!

His life changed to be better and he became a successful insurance agent who now runs an insurance agency that also does training of future and current insurance agents. He was one of the key members of his Gideon Camp.

THE LORD SAVES!

I was born and raised up in a staunch Buddhist family. My marriage was not a happy one due to frequent quarrels and fights with my husband. Our domestic family problem escalated and it got from bad to worse. It was during this time that my business failed and I was in great debts. I became a very hot tempered and an unreasonable person at work and at home. I resorted to gambling, idol worshipping and fortune telling, hoping to turn my bad fortune around. I was looking for the so called “solution” to a prosperous future but it did not materialize. I was devastated and in great despair.

In desperation, I took my two children overseas to escape from my troubles. In the hotel room, I noticed my son reading a Gideon Bible taken from the drawer. I later discovered that he had stolen the Bible and brought it home. I put it on the shelf because I did to want to read it. After a few months, our family problem became worst and I was very depressed. I decided to leave the house with my two children to stay for a few days in the Ming Court Hotel in Port Dickson.

I had given up all hope of living and I decided to commit suicide with my two children. I took my children to the sea with the intention of drowning them and myself. At that moment, there was a strong urge within me to go back to the hotel room. I left my children in the darkness of the night at the beach.

In the room, I opened the drawer and to my surprise I noticed a brown Bible similar to the one that my son had stolen. I trembled because I thought to myself how the same book could be in this room. Out of curiosity, I opened it and it fell on Psalms 46. I read the whole chapter and tears rolled down my cheek. The confusion in my mind cleared and I ran back to the beach and grabbed hold of my children. I cried uncontrollably when my children told me that they did not want to die.

A few months after that encounter with the Word of God, I left for Australia. It was during this time that my son came to the Lord when he attended a church meeting in Kuala Lumpur His life was remarkably changed and that set me to think of the power of the Word of God. I began to read the Bible and the more I read it, the more I was convinced that it is living and powerful as it says in Hebrew 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joins and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” I was ready to give my life to Christ but waited until I returned to Malaysia.

The first thing I did when I returned home was to see the pastor of my son’s church. He was more than happy to lead me to Christ

My marriage was restored and my business flourished again. My two children went for tertiary studies overseas. I am walking by faith, trusting and depending on God. All glory to God!

Susan Lam, Subang Jaya

Hainan Chinese Fishermen Testimony

In 2006, 18 fishermen from Hainan Island, China, came ashore on the east coast of Malaysia in the state of Sabah. They were arrested by the Malaysian police and when taken before the Judge they pleaded that they had been fishing in the South China Sea and were caught in a storm and ship-wrecked. However, their story was not accepted and were imprisoned for 12 to 18 months.

During this time in prison, the Gideons came and distributed testaments and witnessed to them about the Lord Jesus Christ. 14 of the 18 , including the Captain accepted the Lord as their personal Saviour.

When they were released from prison, they had no money to return to China as all their possessions were lost in the ship-wreck, they seeked the help of their Gidoens brothers. Enough funds were raised for all of them to return home.

In 2008, the local Sabah Gideons received an invitation from Hainan' fishermen to visit them in China as they had established a home church of about 100 believers.

In 2009, the Gideons in Sabah made the trip and were blessed by the sight of their effort where the Word of God never return null and void! Praise be to the Glory of God.