|
1996 |
This is David's testimony. David is a Singaporean stationed in Bangkok. He attends Asian Community Christian Church (ACCC) in Thailand.
Life had been hard for me. I had been searching for my success in life and had yet to say, "I have arrived." In the last couple of years I had consulted fortune tellers and worshipped many gods, for I felt that with more gods, my chance to achieve success would be greater, and greater, as I add my collection of gods to my worship list.
My encounter with my God was on Christmas Day of 1995 when I went down to Hotel Taipan seminar room to collect payment form a group of Christians from Singapore. When I arrived, the Sunday Worship had already started, so I took a seat and joined in. At the end of the worship the pastor invited the congregation to come forth for ministry, I was very touched by something unknown to me at that time and also the music hit my whole being. The psalm sang was "Purify my heart," and I began to weep, I could not control myself. I tried real hard but tears just welled up and flowed down from my cheeks. When the worship was over I felt very at peace, a little strange too as I thought over what had happened earlier on.
Months went by and I did not return to the place of worship. In fact I had turned the pastor down many times to meet. However, one March night as I was watching the Ten Commandments on laser disc ( which I borrowed from a close friend ), suddenly I was touched again when I was watching the part when God spoke to Moses in a burning bush. The next day I decided to call the pastor to meet as I told him that I was now prepared to receive Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.
On 2nd June 1996, after months of yearning for the Holy Spirit I was finally anointed. The anointment lasted for almost three hours on that Sunday afternoon. On the following Monday, I confided with my pastor that when I slept, I was frequently awakened by footsteps in my room in the early hours of the morning. I told him that I wanted him to come over to bless my townhouse offfice cum home.
My pastor came on 4th June '96 night. After our Bible study we went round from the first floor to the third floor. When he was in my room he asked me where did I hear the footsteps. I told him that it was usually round my bed. He walked round my bed and suddenly he told me that God had spoken to him at that moment and told him that the evil spirits were in me. For a moment I was shocked, I really did not know what to say. My pastor together with one of the burmese brother who came for the Bible study started to pray to our Lord Jesus.
After a few moments I began to feel really strange. As my pastor began to call upon our Lord Jesus, my eyes began to blink rapidly and continously. Suddenly my body arched back with my head almost touching the floor. I was very conscious and very aware of things around me, however, I was not in control of my body. My body arched back and forth, and my stomach went in and I began to make low animal noises, and I just ould not believe the noises that came out from my mouth. My stomach was aching as air began to expel from my abdomen through my mouth. I felt angry with myself for inviting evil forces to come into my body. At that moment it crossed my mind when I thought over my innocent worshipping of other "gods" which I had invited them to dwell in me. That night I went through three hours of deliverance which ended at three in the morning. We had to stop but my pastor told me the sad truth that there were still some evil spirits dwelling in me. He comforted me and told me that it would go away as I walk with the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus.
The next day was 5th June '96. After work I went to my pastor's house for dinner. We started to pray. My face began to take funny shape as my nose went up and my mouth screwed to the left and to the right. The pastor asked me to recall all the places of worship I had been to and asked me to renounce them one by one. The list was long but each time as I renounce the evil spirits I was choked at the throat but I struggled and managed to renounce them one by one. My final deliverance came on the morning of 6th June.
I was overwhelmed with joy and I could feel the radiance around me. Today as I looked back, I am very grateful to my God who had set me free from the evil spirits and sins. I am also grateful to my pastor and his wife. I told myself that I should never forget my God who gave me freedom, freedom from the evil ones and freedom from sins.
Today, success to me is not only measured by a fat bank account, or the number of houses or limousines one has, but success is also more importantly measured by having God in us and walking with Him all the way, for death is no longer an end.
I know that with Lord Jesus, I will have my final victory and success, and it is just a matter of time.