My personal testimony Part 1 - Dedicated and Rededicated

Received a call from a Presbyterian church youth pastor. He came to visit FCC 3 weeks ago and I have shared my testimony to his group that day. He called me to ask me whether he can share my testimony, and I can write it to him. I said okay because if he feels that it can help his youth and edify his youth to serve the Lord, why not? As I was writing the testimony, I kinda being refreshed of what the Lord has done in my life. Indeed, he is a faithful God.I decided to share it in my blog here. I will divide it into few parts (I do not know how many parts are they :D). Here is the first part:

I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and saviour personally in 1998 when I started to join youth meeting in St. Patrick Church, Tawau. My faith in Christ grew since then as I continued to experience God’s grace in my life.

However, I have backslidden, ran away from God in 2001. Even though I was still gone to church that time, but my heart was away from God. I could not figure why my heart was not with God anymore, all I know is that this life is getting bored because it seems like a routine for me to go to church and cell group without any purpose. Perhaps one of the reasons is, I got tempted with what the world offers to me that time – cybercafé life, hanging around with friends, and all that can fulfill the desire of my flesh. I ran further from God when I leave my family in 2003 for business foundation study in Kota Kinabalu . It was my first time leaving my family. I thought I got the freedom I wanted when I stayed away from my family, but it wasn’t true. I filled my life with alcohol and wasting time around – hanging around with friends. Thank God that my study was not affected. Before I went to Inti Nilai for my degree, I have started a relationship with my course mate. We went to Inti Nilai together. Our relationship did not work out well. It started to break before the semester itself.

I felt so miserable, and I was depressed because she was my first love. But through this broken relationship, I have come back to God. I was invited to an Alpha Course during my third or fourth week there in Nilai. In fact, this person, Nickson, a fulltime staff in the church that I am currently serving, has been calling me even before I came to Nilai. It was their Holy Spirit weekend. I joined it, and God ministered me. I told Nickson what happened to my relationship, and he prayed for me. When he prayed for me, I felt so guilty because I have run away from God who is faithfully loves me all the time. God loves can really never fail us! There, I re-dedicated my life to God in May 2004.

Isaac

Holding the right thing

I saw the "washing machine"

kaabooooo....

I'm back in STM and the so-called retreat has over. The semester will be starting tomorrow. Nervous! Thesis!

Just want to share some thoughts which is in my mind now. Yesterday, in a small group discussion, we were discussing things that we can give thanks for; so I shared that I give thanks because I'm alive today because 4 years ago I nearly drowned during a water rafting game. After sharing this, I kept on thinking back on the incident.

In 2007, I went for water rafting at Padas River during a staff retreat. Thank God that all of us were safe under His grace. We rented two boats and we were the only two boats that prayed before we started the game, and we were the only two boats that capsized! I sat in front of the boat, and we went into the "Washing-Machine" section. Once our boat hit on the water current, the impact was so great at the place where I was, so I flew few meters away from the boat, but because of the current which was so fast, I was pushed near-by the boat but that time I was in the river already. I went down to the water, I came up and saw the boat and I was supposedly to hold the rope at the side of the boat, but instead of holding it, I hold back my pedal!: I went down into the water and came up, the boat had gone far from me. I tried to yell for help, but the voice just couldn't come out from my throat! Cut the story short, I was saved.

In our lives, we sometimes hold the wrong thing to secure our lives. We thought that what we are holding now will secure us, but it is actually a burden in our lives that caused us into depression, stress and lost our focus in our lives and eventually find that life has no purpose. I was supposed to hold the rope, but I hold the pedal which could not save me from being drowned! Only the rope can. I missed the robe and I was saved because someone on the boat throws the robe back to me. The decision I have to make is to hold the robe so that I can be saved from drowning.

Today, for those of you who are reading this post, if you have missed the first rope, there is the second chance. The rope is from our Lord Jesus Christ. Now your decision is just to accept the rope and be saved for eternity!

Isaac

Some testimony