The Coming Economic Flood (Chinese Version ) 经济洪灾的到来 Chapter 1 第一章

第一章
第一个异象

只等真理的圣灵来了,他要引导你们明白(注:原文作“进入”)一切的真理,因为他不是凭自己说的,乃是把他所听见的都说出来,并要把将来的事告诉你们。
约16:13
2001年9月3日

我正在新加坡国际机场要前往美国纽约市出席季度例常全球销售会议。我当时是受雇于新视野电子企业(Nu Horizons Electronics Corp.),是一家在美国科技版上市的公司,是全球性的电子配件代理商(公司在2010年被Arrow Electronics Inc. 收购)1,我是远东子公司的首席执行员。从新加坡经中东迪拜飞往美国纽约的纽沃(Newark Airport)机场共花24小时的飞行时间。往常我都是带销售主任一同出席,但这次我却把亚洲子公司所有的经理都带去出席会议,因为那是一个非常好的财政年,所以我要奖赏他们的功劳。

其实这远东子公司是总公司与我个人一同合资的。我早在1993年就成立了一间公司来代表东南亚电子配件厂商。当1997年亚洲金融风暴来袭时,我需要从美国厂商中找寻新的生意伙伴。我当时与新视野电子企业及她的子公司NIC Components Corp.及在亚洲的Titan LogisticsInc.合作而获取了一份业务订单。在1999年,因着在亚洲的业务有实质发展,我就向总公司提出合资建议,同年合资子公司就此成立了。

在9月4日至7日我们在总公司有季度的销售会议。与往常一样,当几天从早到晚的会议之后,来到周末我们就会到曼哈顿松懈身心。

这实在是那么的美妙的欢乐时光;那些第一次到纽约的人就会有机会游览曼哈顿、自由女神像,与及自然历史博物馆。到了晚上,我们就会在最好的餐馆享用晚餐,借着就是到百老汇看演出。

2001年9月7日

9月7日下午,我们入住与世界贸易中心比邻的酒店。牛排晚餐之后,我们到百老汇看演出,接着就到爵士酒吧消遣一整夜。到了深夜才回到酒店。
2001年9月8日

早餐过后,我们各自分散。负责台湾市场的经理约了她在曼哈顿工作的要好朋友,其他人选择逛街去。在我们酒店的对面街就有一间厂商直销店正在促销上一季节的雨果波士(Hugo Boss)的外套。

我也跟着大伙去购物。下午我们来到了世界贸易中心地面层的咖啡座,其他人后来也到来。当时与我同在一起的经理有:新加坡市场经理、亚洲销售主任、我另外一间公司的销售经理、与及负责台湾市场的女经理。负责香港与中国的两位经理已回国。

当天早上我已经有所预感将会有恐怖袭击这个城市,所以当我们在咖啡座聊天的时候,我就向他们透露了这个不详的预感。我告诉他们不要上了望层去,万一哪里发生恐怖袭击。

我的这些经理们难以接受我说的事情,他们也不知道在1993年世界贸易中心曾发生过炸弹袭击。根据一些的报道,该次的袭击原先是针对联合国大厦的,但因着哪里的戒备森严。我也讲述了美国动作影片“和平之子”的情节(“Peacemaker”starring George Cooney and Nicole Kidman)。故事讲述一位南斯拉夫人认定联合国必须负起该国战争的全责而向她采取报复,因为他的妻儿都在战争罹难。男主角仿冒波斯尼亚外交官一员成功的将一颗细小的核子弹走私进美国。

当我越是叙述恐怖袭击,我的经理们也开始感到不安。我甚至建议采取可能的对应措施,如若是见到一辆卡车高速的行驶过前面的街道,我们就立即跑到附近的21世纪大厦。又或者躲藏在坚固的建筑结构中或是跑到空旷之处以避过倒下的建筑物。在当时我有强烈的预感世界贸易中心将会倒下。

我们过去都不携带照相机出来,但这一次我的女经理携带了一架。我想大概她是要与她的要好朋友留影而携带照相机。我的另一位建议我们以世界贸易中心为背景而拍照做个纪念万一它真的有一天倒塌了下来。他躺下帮我们拍了以整座世界贸易中心为背景的照片。

当晚我们出席了美国东岸销售经理的喜宴,餐厅地点位于岸边的一座大厦第四层,正好面向世界贸易中心。我当时因着预感将要发生恐怖袭击而感到紧张;当我站在露台面向着世界贸易中心一边品尝着鸡尾酒时,我看见了一幅异象:一架载着弹药的飞机撞向世界贸易中心!我当时就知道了将不会是装着弹药的大卡车而是飞机!
2001年9月9日

喜宴之后我即刻回到酒店,因为我对所见到的异象深感到不安。我祷告。我失眠。凌晨三点,我致电我的秘书为我们所有人确定回国的机票。那是新加坡时间下午三点钟。

我安排了酒店服务员叫醒各人。我们用完早餐就即刻前往机场。这么短时间通知就把各人送回国实在不是很好受的。我相信我的经理们肯定想在曼哈顿多留一两天。

我们抵达新加坡已是9月10日的深夜。
2001年9月11日

我早上九点钟踏入了办公室,我的办公室员工给了我一个惊喜,因为他们为我办了一个生日会,那天是我的生日。晚上我和妻子在家附近的咖啡座。大约是在晚上十点钟或是十一点钟,我接到妈妈打来的电话问我是否还在纽约?她通知了我电视突发新闻,我当时无法听明白她想告诉我的事情。当我们回到家扭开电视机收看美国CNN新闻频道,我目睹了惊人的新闻事件!神要告诉我什么?

接近三千人丧命于这次的恐怖袭击!

若我们没有回家而还在美国曼哈顿,当世界贸易中心遭受袭击当时我们应该不会在那里。首先,我们在早上九点钟用早餐,若我们要到世界贸易中心购物,最早也要等到下午的时间。若有空闲,我们大概会在上午的时间前往博物馆参观。第二,我们已经决定不会上到世界贸易中心的了望层。

这样,神到底要告诉我什么?

早期是工程出身的我,曾经天天都离不开统计学及或然率。我们设计实验的过程,然后根据实验收集到的数据得出最大或然率的结果来制定应用系统。我知道我所见的异象与实际发生的事件难以相信是纯属巧合,尤其是考虑到以下非常独特的事件同时发生:我刚在前几天看见这异象;我刚在前几天身处事发地点;我在异象中准确的看见飞机被利用来袭击世界贸易中心(而非联合国大厦),这是未曾有过前例!并且是发生在我的生日。这些事件若是纯属巧合的话,那可能性是的多么微乎极微。

我很肯定神是在给我一个信息。

在接下来的几天,我从报章中阅读了几位新加坡人在那里的亲身经历。任何的亲身经历都具备了新闻价值。我也有种冲动想向报馆分享我所见的异象,我的经理们都可以为我的陈述作证。我当时还在为着所发生的事感到困扰。有好几个问题盘旋在我的脑海中,以致我放弃了向报馆透露:我要达到什么目的?我是否向人夸耀具备的特殊恩赐?藉着见证分享来发展神的国度不是我当时的考虑,虽然我肯定神已经给了我一个信息。

自从我在七十年代受洗,我一直以来都是个主日基督徒。我有非常体面的执行主管的装扮;我在事业上的成就令人羡慕;我赚到非常可观的金钱。在当时新加坡的社会,我是每一位母亲的梦想。我就读最好的中学、最好的工艺学院、最后以电子工程的荣誉学位毕业自本地顶尖大学。我谢绝了荣誉奖学金。才步入企业短短的十五年,我已经是企业界中的成功人士!

看来基督并没有叫我放弃一切来跟从祂。

这异象成了我的转戾点。我知道在特殊的时刻看见特殊的异象不可能是巧合。圣灵每一天在我里面的催逼使我无法继续在企业中生存。

在2002年底,我毅然辞职并把一切股份售卖给母公司。我开始寻求神并诚心的研读神的话。我早就知道无知的财主的故事,但却未发现自己也成了无知的财主2。我虽然在过去也曾捐献给贫穷人及慈善机构,但我脑海中一直都满了如何为自己的建更大的仓房来堆积我可观的收成,且告诉自己好好的安逸并沉溺在享乐中。

2003年至2005年期间我花许多时间默想神的话并祷告。圣灵透过祂的话语让我看见自己过去如何虚度了生命。我没有遵守主的吩咐去分享福音、叫瞎子得看见、叫被掳的得释放、并且叫被压制的得自由。3我就好象那五个愚昧的童女没有预备好迎接新郎的到来。4我自以为是主的门徒,然而许多东西较神的国度更加的占据了我的心,就如:我的家庭、自己、及我的拥有。5

我很年轻就结婚了,但我的第一个男孩是在婚后第七年(1994)才来到。因着神的恩典,我后来分别在2003及2004又添了两个孩子。他们是神垂听祷告奇迹般的结果。我妻子罹患了子宫内膜异位,她的妇科医生建议她再次怀孕已确保完全得医治。我妻子之前已把子宫里的囊肿切除,但它又再次长回。她当时的年龄已38岁,怀孕的面对的危险性比较高,然而,这位基督徒医生是极富盛名的医生,她建议我们采用试管受精的方式。

我不是很愿意的情形下同意了试管受精的方式,虽然我心想不会成功的。我告诉她神会垂听我的祷告,若神愿意,就无需试管受精这方式。(我不是反对神可以透过试管受精来使不孕的夫妻获得孩子,我乃是觉得这不适合我们的情况,我们把这事交托给神。)我们进行了两回卵细胞浆内单精子显微受精的步骤但都不成功。我和大儿子一起恳切的为我的妻子的得医治祷告,而神真的医治了她就是当她再次的自然受孕。感谢赞美神!

虽然我妻子的健康问题及多两位孩子的到来占据了我的关注,但神垂听祷告的福坚定了我对神的信心,也得着了我生命的委身于祂。

我所看见的异象对我产生非常大的震撼,使我认真的考虑生命的意义。圣灵感动在我内心使我察觉到自己还没有重生。我还没有一个新的心和新的灵使我舍己、背起十字架来跟从主,作我生命的主。6 放下企业的人生及物质上的丰富是在基督里新生命的起点。接下来殷勤研读圣经及圣灵的引导帮助我真正的找到在基督里的道路、真理与生命。

我继续求神向我启示异象的信息而恳切的祷告。当我在2005年第二次看见异象的时候才对异象的信息有了眉目。

The Coming Economic Flood (Chinese Version ) 经济洪灾的到来 Preface Page 序言

All thanks be to God for availing a brother to translate this given book message into Chinese.  Over the next few weeks,  I will be posting the translated version here in installments as soon as I receive the translated installments.

献给

这本书首先要献给我挚爱的救主耶稣基督,因祂把我从引致毁灭的道路中拯救进入在祂里面的生命中。愿一切的尊荣都归于祂直到永远!

我也要把这本书献给我的妻子安妮及我的三个孩子阿尔万、阿蕾娜及亚设,他们是我的爱与喜乐,当我们需要一同过简朴的生活时,他们都一直支持着我。我也要将这本书献给我亲爱的朋友,他们以各种的方式鼓励并支持我的事工,特别是陈金伟、杨格里、张彭顺、吴彼得及已故万保罗文生。
目录

序言
1 第一个异象
2 产痛的开始
3 第二个异象
4 基督的宣告
5 全球金融体系的崩溃
6 洞见
7 预备

注释
关于作者

序言

弟兄们哪,可见你们蒙召的,按著肉体有智慧的不多,有能力的不多,有尊贵的也不多。 神却拣选了世上愚拙的,叫有智慧的羞愧;又拣选了世上软弱的,叫那强壮的羞愧。 神也拣选了世上卑贱的,被人厌恶的,以及那无有的,为要废掉那有的, 使一切有血气的,在 神面前一个也不能自夸。 (林前1:36-29)

经历了十年全时间的事奉,我发觉到“敬虔”的意义竟然被属灵的骗徒扭曲为财务上的获利、名望、及权势。如雨后竹笋般冒起的假师傅为了私利而窜改了福音正是主耶稣所说的产痛的预兆的起点。几乎每一天都传出神迹奇事的报道。先知性的事工也茂盛了起来,针对一般或个别信徒发预言。

在这样的一个背景下,我有两个考虑因素在我书写我所领受的异象及神在好一些日子以前赐给我的信息时感到踌躇。第一、这些事看起来是那么的不可思议,第二、我不是在传统主流体系下培养出来的基督工人,因此我所发表的应该不容易被接受。我可不想被视为另一个属灵骗子要利用我的事工来捞取巨富。靠主的恩典,这些年来事工的经费及在亚洲一带的宣教旅费都全是借着主内的爱心奉献及个人过去的储蓄。若我有所夸口的,我情愿夸自己的软弱。

神不断的提醒我,若我不把信息分享出来,我的双手将沾满了血。无论我的信息是否太过奇异?又是否会被接受?都不应该是我所应当关心的。我因此愿意顺服神的心意,近年来神也很奇妙的带领我到区域性的牧者聚会中分享信息。也因此感觉到应该把信息写下来,这远比在聚会中一、两个小时的分享来得仔细。

神透过祂的话来鼓励我。祂提醒我重要的不是我是否有能力去办这事?乃是要忠心。不是我的资格,也不是这事的大小。神故意拣选世上看为愚拙的,这样无人可以在祂面前自夸;祂故意拣选软弱的,叫哪些自以为强壮的蒙羞。1

在我阅读了一些有类似的异象与洞见的美国牧者的著作,如约拿单坎的“预警”(The Harbinger)及约翰哈吉的“四个血月”(Four Blood Moons),使我深受鼓舞来分享自己类似的信息来显明神的启示临到东方的信徒如同临到西方的信徒。

我要分享的信息是神将要临到的审判。

我祷告这本书能帮助我们看到神的审判是神临到我们的怜悯,叫世人回应祂的怜悯而悔改。人类已罪大滔天,都心骄气傲,粮食饱足,大享安逸,并没有扶助困苦和穷乏人的手2
。这些是所多玛的罪根如今更是在全世界滋生开来,我们可以看到同性恋、违法及残暴的事在各地越来越猖獗。神大可以放弃我们,任凭我们自我中心、堕落、随心所欲,以致永远的沉沦;又或者祂采取怜悯的方式,就是借着迫近的审判来警告我们悔改3。我们应该谦卑、祷告,寻求祂的面,转离我们的恶行4。我们应该恳切的向祂求智慧来为迫近的审判做好准备。

挪亚从神领受了预警而起了敬畏的心,就准备了方舟叫一家人得救,然而其他的人却继续的吃喝玩乐5。我们如今就好象活在挪亚的时代6。若我们也像挪亚一样的做好准备,就算所谓的审判不见到来,我们也不会有所亏损;但若是审判真的到来而我们却完全没有做好准备,我们就会身心都承受极大的苦难,我们就会经历审判所带来的灾祸:哀痛、饥荒及死丧7。

以下的段落摘自奥利根信心报告(OregonFaithReport.com),文中记录了基督徒的高自杀率说明了在情感上做好准备来面对失业及其他困难的急迫性。

根据约翰侯金大学(John Hopkins Universary)的哈维布仁纳博士(Dr. Harvey Brenner),失业率每增加一个百分比(针对美国而言)自杀的人数也跟着增加一千二百个人数。其中发现基督徒并未幸免。信仰承受力(ReligiousTolerance.org)的报告指出,在不同宗教群体中,基督徒—虽然他们的立场反对自杀—的自杀率是最高。

“这是不幸但却是可以理解的”帕拉索事工的执行主任劳拉巴克如此说明“许多人虽然一生大部分时间参与教会,但当经济萧条带来失业或经济上的亏损时,他们的信心还是因此被打倒了。”8

 

 

 

Testimony (8)

Mark 10:27. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

It is difficult for me to share this episode of my life. But it had a very happy ending by the amazing grace of God. I am sharing this testimony in the hope of helping fellow believers who are going through such hurt in their relationship with their loved ones.

I grew up having a terrible relationship with my father. He was always quarreling with my mother over financial woes. We were impoverished because of his indolence and gambling habits. I never knew a day of peace growing up.

When I started my career, I contributed towards paying the mortgage of our Housing Development Board (HDB) apartment. One evening, I blew my top when I learned we might be evicted because we were in arrears of 13 months of mortgage payment. Later the HDB added the arrears due to the principal sum and recalculated our monthly mortgage payment after we had settled part of the arrears.

I just got married then. At the wedding dinner, I went on stage to thank my dad for bringing me up. I felt so hypocritical for making that speech in front of relatives, friends and colleagues.

Despite the sour relationship with my dad, I had always hoped to do well in life to support him and my mum.

I prayed often just for a stable career and improvement in our relationship. What seemed so impossible to me had become possible with God. He blessed me way beyond what I had prayed for.  All thanks and glory to Him !

I went on to do well in my career and I could pay up both the mortgage of my parents’ apartment and mine too in full.

Growing up with so much hurt, it is impossible to work on the relationship on our own effort. Many who suffered such hurt could testify to what I was going through.

I prayed often for the salvation of my parents too. I would sign up for any evangelistic dinner organized by any church to bring them along.

When my first son came after 7 years of marriage, things began to change. My wife and I would bring him often to see both his paternal and maternal grandparents over the weekend.

I really did not know when my relationship with my dad began to mend so much that I could really love him and care for him. All past hurts were not only forgiven but forgotten as well.

God is indeed faithful when we ask Him earnestly in prayer. What seemed so impossible to me had become possible with God. I am sure His Spirit has been working on my heart since as promised – when we come to Him with contrition acknowledging our helplessness and allowing Him to work on us. Praise His holy name !

It has been 11 years since my dad went to the Lord and I can still remember fondly the good times we had together.

Testimony (7)

My dad had a heart attack in mid of 2001. After being warded in the hospital, tests revealed 80% of his arteries and veins were blocked. The consultant surgeon briefed me on 2 options. One was to do nothing at all and the other was to opt for triple bypass heart surgery. The risks were high as my dad was diabetic and advanced in age at 70.

When my wife and I prayed for him, we knew in our spirit that God would heal him this time to hear the gospel and make the decision to accept Jesus as his personal Savior and Lord.

My wife shared with him the Good News and assured him that God would heal him. But she added that whatever was the outcome of the surgery, which he had already decided to go for it,  it was a wise decision to make peace with the one true God who is the Creator of this Universe right away. He readily agreed to receive Jesus into his life. And I sought the help of a pastor then to baptize him immediately.

The triple bypass surgery was not exactly smooth sailing. The surgeon told me later that he could not find a good vein at all. As he had to take a vein at the back of his rib cage, another surgical procedure had to be done. And he could only do the bypass for 2 of the arteries as the vein was short.

The surgeon was very experienced as he had done over 300 bypass surgeries and he told me that my dad’s case was the most challenging so far.

Over the next few days recuperating, the skin graft to close up the gaping hole in my dad’s chest was not healing at all and another skin graft had to be done. Yet again, it failed because of his diabetic condition. The surgeon told us to expect the worst as infection would set in. Meanwhile, there was the constant fear of other organ failure due to his diabetic condition.

The surgeon later suggested trying a revolutionary idea of running antibiotic solution over the wound all the time to see if it would heal by itself. There was hardly any more skin on his arms or legs for further skin graft.

We prayed and we knew God would heal him.

Then the amazing divine act of God’s providence happened. Skin started growing little by little, millimeter by millimeter, from 3 corners as the gaping hole was triangular in shape. It took another two or three months in the high dependency ward before the hole was closed up. Hallelujah ! Praise the Lord for answering our prayer then ! My dad had another 2 and a half years of quality life till the next heart attack on Christmas Day of 2004. The church pastor and several brothers and sisters, of the church I was attending then, were able to pray with him one after another before he went to the Lord that very day. He was conscious all the time till his heart just stopped. The next day, the massive earthquake and tsunami happened near Aceh, Indonesia.

My 89 year old father-in-law who witnessed this divine act of God’s providence was also ripe in his heart to accept Jesus into his life. Praise the Lord. The Lord is good.

Testimony (6)

God is good. God had healed me several times miraculously in the past. He had also bailed me out of business failures twice. (See my post on blog sub-category Ramblings http://www.jcmanifesto.org/dealing-with-trials-in-life/ ). He had granted several of my desperate petitions for which I pleaded with importunity. I shared these testimonies in my book, The Coming Economic Flood.

Since I gave up the lure of the world to serve Him full-time some 12 years ago, He had provided for all my needs all these years. My second and third child who came immediately after, a girl and a boy, are now aged 12 and 11 respectively. My eldest boy is now 21. Many wondered how I could raise a family of 3 children without much income. I do not take any income from the ministry. All love gifts and honorarium are saved and given to meet the needs of the least of the brothers, needy ministry workers and the basic needs in the mission field.

God is good.

In early December 2013, my wife was worried over our household expenses and I was at a crossroads in the ministry which exacerbated her concern. I was about to step down from pastoral ministry in January 2014.  I believe everything work together for good that even trials experienced are meant to train us to be patient in waiting upon Him. I believed God would show me soon on the direction I should take.

Then came the publishing of the book  – The Coming Economic Flood – 6 months later in June 2014, the formalization of my ministry JC’s Manifesto, the call to serve in 2 churches, and the call to lead evangelistic missions into specific countries with specific evangelistic plans.

God is good.

Within a week of my wife’s grouse, I received a call from an insurance agent whom I did not contact for the past 15 years. He told me that he was looking high and low for me as and I was un-contactable after moving out of my last address.  My policy had matured and I would need to update my particulars.

I had taken a look at my CPF statement 12 years ago. I only had enough money in the ordinary account to pay the premium of three insurance policies for another 4 years. I dare not contact any insurance company for fear of either being asked to top up the policies or to make the hard choice of terminating them.

To my surprise, I have met the minimum sum in my CPF account and I could withdraw all the money from the ordinary account.  To my further surprise, 2 other policies matured too.

How did the insurance policies get paid when I did not have much income over the 12 years ? My wife reminded me that I got a consulting job from 2005 to 2006 but I only received a management fee without CPF contribution. I got paid from 2008 to 2009 as an executive director in a startup company but the contribution only lasted a year.

How grateful to know that God would take care of our anxieties at the very moment we were anxious. God is good !

Testimony (5)

After several years of working for corporations without apparent job security, I decided it was time to start my own enterprise. By the grace of God, the enterprise prospered from the first year of operation. With success came excesses as well and I started to drift away from God. It was nights of fine dining, partying, revelry and living the high life in the 90s. It was such extreme dissipation weighing down on my life.

The wake-up call came one day when I had a terrible fall at home. I could not remember the accident at all as I had a concussion. I was told that blood was oozing out fast from my head wound and I was unconscious. Halfway to the hospital in the ambulance, I woke up. After observation for a whole night and suffering no loss of memory, I was discharged.

While recuperating at home, I was reflecting how close I was to passing away. And would I be in Heaven with that kind of life without genuine repentance ? I was sure I was nowhere near being a disciple of Jesus with the grip-hold of the world on me then. Thank you, Lord for giving me a second chance.

In order to get my mind off work and the usual routine, I went to spend a few days in the cool Genting Highlands. As I went for a stroll with my wife one evening, I slipped and fell head on some 20 to 30 metres down a hilly slope. Not again ! ?  As I was falling down, I could even tell myself this time I am finished.  And my wife told me later that she also thought the same.

I landed on my bottoms at the foot with no broken limbs. My head did not bump against anything as well. I only had a slight scratch on my left leg with my pair of jeans slightly scratched too. It was incredible ! How did I do the somersault ? It happened so fast that I only remembered talking to myself.  Thank you, Lord, once again !

I believe God had kept my life for a purpose. I went back to church fellowship but the sudden turning back from the usual routine was tough. It was another turning point that made me turn back to God for good. It was that first vision which God gave me on 8th September 2001 in New York City. I stayed in the hotel next to the World Trade Centre buildings then.

Testimony (4)

Does honesty pay ? Being a Christian, I naturally believe it does.

I started my career as an electronics engineer in 1985 before switching to the sales engineer vocation in the same electronics multi-national corporation selling semiconductor components. In the third year with the company, I happened to question the management innocently about the allocation of a critical memory component to a distributor who had never bought this component before. It did not cross my mind then that this distributor would gain a profit of USD 500,000 every month selling this component when the market was terribly short of it.

I was immediately transferred out of the Singapore market coverage to a miserably small market which the company could easily terminate my employment for poor performance after a year. I had no choice but to leave the company.

I prayed earnestly for God’s help as I just got married and I was living from paycheck to paycheck then. All praise to the Lord that I got another job very quickly in the same line.

But this company was also terribly unscrupulous. After working for one year, I managed to do very well in sales and hit the highest commission which was equivalent to half a year’s wages. I learned from the human resource administrator that my employment would be terminated before the end of the year so as to disqualify me from collecting the commission.

I had always been a conscientious worker. I began to have doubt whether honesty does pay. On the contrary, it seemed apparent that the wicked prospered.

I was desperate and I prayed earnestly for God’s deliverance and help again. Praise the Lord for His mercy ! Not only I got my commission but I also landed a new job immediately.

A Spanish company with the regional headquarters in Hongkong called me to go over to Hongkong for the interview. I was recommended by someone I just got acquainted through sales call.  It was so timely and swift.  But of course, I knew it was God who answered my plea for a fresh start.  Since I was only going there for a day or two, it did not occur to me that it was winter there and I went wearing just a business shirt and pants ! God is good.

I was out of the woods again by the grace of God. Today, as I read the paper of how the average American is living from paycheck to paycheck, I can empathize with their predicament of struggling to pay monthly bills. I was not in such predicament because I was a spendthrift but because I had to support my parents and their apartment mortgage besides my own then.

As I progressed through my career, I could finally say that honesty does pay in hindsight. God is good. With Christian virtues of honesty and integrity, I could win over the trust of both the suppliers and the customers when I started my own enterprise.   All praise and thanks be to God.

Testimony (3)

I have shared earlier of the near-disastrous incident that I came close to failing the final Mathematics examination paper in the final year of the electrical engineering course in the Singapore Polytechnic.  Never did I expect to face another similar incident in the university in 1985.

Fast forward to the day before I would take the last paper in the final year of the electrical and engineering course in the National University of Singapore.  The last paper was Design. During the year, the whole cohort of some 200 graduands were divided into 2 groups for this particular subject. One group did 4 experimental projects while the other group did 5 completely different from the first group. I happened to be in the first group.

In this Design exam paper, a total of 4 questions would be set – two from each group – and we only need to answer one question. We were allowed to bring all the textbooks we would need to the exam hall.

In the first group, there was a very difficult project on electrical machines and hardly anyone in the whole group really understood what had been taught. So most in the first group, of which I belonged, would skip bringing the textbooks on this particular project and only brought all the necessary textbooks on the other 3 projects for the open exam. We were thinking even if the question on that difficult Electrical Machines project was set, we could still have the choice to answer the other question since 2 questions would be set for each group.

In the evening before the exam the next morning, I was suddenly warded in the hospital for suspected food poisoning. Being so sick and waiting for lab test results, the hospital refused to discharge me for the exam. I prayed and I was eventually allowed to return to the university to take the exam in the morning.

I prayed for strength to go through the exam as I was without sleep for the whole night and I was so pale with abdominal pain.   Thanks be to God for answering my prayer.

When I received the exam paper, I got a rude shock. The exam paper was set with only one question for my group and 3 questions for the other group. It was clearly a big mistake made by the examiners. I believe you can guess that the single exam question for my group was on the Electrical Machines project.

Most in my group just stood up. Many were feeling lost. Some complained loudly. A few were crying. Later when the invigilators realized the mistake. they allowed us to return to our dormitories to pick up the textbooks for that difficult Machines project. Time was extended.

When I was tackling the sole design question of the Electrical Machines project, I could only answer 2 out of the 10 sub questions. It was depressing to think that I would falter at the last hurdle.

It was an agonizing wait of 2 or 3 months before we knew our results. God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, was with me throughout this agonizing time when I made known my anxieties to Him. I knew in my heart God would answer my prayer that I would pass somehow.

I did pass and I obtained 2nd class honors (Upper Division). All praise and thanks be to God !

Later when I started working as an electronics engineer for a couple of months, I received one of the most prestigious post-graduate scholarship – to study for Masters of any discipline either in Cambridge or Oxford University with full board and lodging, fees, and even a monthly salary which was 25% higher than my current salary.

Hallelujah ! Praise the Lord for watching over me !

Testimony (2)

Just before I was enlisted for national service after I had finished the final year examination in the Singapore Polytechnic in 1980,  I went back to the campus to see the results of the examination.

The results printed on computer paper were pinned on the main notice board of the Polytechnic administration office.   Those who had passed the exams would have their names shown.  And if you had any distinction for any particular subject, the subject code would be printed next to your name.

Many would anxiously look for their name.   I saw my name very quickly with a single distinction in Mathematics.  I was jubilant to have passed.

Then, we would see who were the top students among the 170 students of the electrical engineering course cohort.  We only sat for 6 subjects in the final year.  Two of my classmates had 4 distinctions each.  Probably 7 to 8 of them had 3 or 2 distinctions each.  And then another few had 1 distinction each like me.

A few weeks after I had enlisted for national service, I received a notice to collect my results slip personally and another letter telling me that I had won a prize from the company Olivetti.   I had no idea of the reason for being awarded the prize.

When I went to collect the results slip from the Polytechnic campus,  many course-mates were there too.

To my surprise,  I came in second in the whole course !   How could that happen ! ?   After all, I had only 1 distinction out of 6 subjects while several of my course-mates had 4, 3 and 2 distinctions.

God is good.  Not only I had managed to do well in Mathematics when I was so close to failing the subject and the whole exam,  I had done so well surprisingly at the end.

My results were 1 distinction, 4 As and 1 B.   The classmate who came in first had 4 distinctions and 2 As.   Another classmate had 4 distinctions, 1 A and 1 D.   Some had 3 distinctions, 2 As and 1 D.

Then I realized several top students had a D for one particular subject, Circuit Analysis & Measurements, which pulled down their marks so much.

This subject was an easy subject as only formulae were involved in the analysis and measurements of electrical circuits.  It is almost impossible for the top students to do so badly.

I believe God had granted my prayer petition beyond what I had asked, though I was audacious then to say that His honor was at stake in my anxiety and desperation during the Mathematics exam.  Praise and utmost thanks be to His name !

Because of this good result,  I was permitted to join the local National University of Singapore to study for the Bachelor of Engineering course in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the second year.

It was so incredible.  I was denied a place in Pre-University to study in the top 2-Maths and 2-Sciences classes in Raffles Institution.  Most of these students in these 2 classes went on to study electrical and electronics engineering in the local university.  And I could join them again in the university in the same course year !

All glory to God !

Testimony (1)

3rd July 2015

I was half way through the first year of pre-university course in 1977 when I decided to terminate and apply to study in Singapore Polytechnic. I applied to study 2 mathematics and 2 science subjects in Pre-U but was denied a place as these places were much sought after then. And I was placed in the economics and biology class which was not of my interest and I could not cope.

So off I went to Singapore Polytechnic to study the 3 year electrical engineering course. I did fairly well in the first two years in a cohort of 170 students.

In the final year, I had to sit for the exams of 6 subjects. In the few days prior to taking the final exam paper of Engineering Mathematics which was my favorite subject and I had done well in the first 2 years, I was feeling relieved that the exams would eventually be over and I would join the workforce to support my family. We were downright poor then.

Came that day to sit for the Mathematics paper which would last for 3 hours from 9 am to 12 noon. The paper would consist of 5 compulsory questions in Section A worth 11 marks each and 3 selection questions out of 5 in Section B worth 15 marks each.

My mind went nearly blank for the first 2 hours and I could only answer 2 questions in Section A. That would give me 22 marks and I could not even pass even with a provisionary pass. In those days, if you failed one subject, you had to be retained again for the whole year.

I must not fail !

I had been active serving in the Christian ministries in the polytechnic then. I played the guitar and led the worship in the lunch time meetings. The registered groups of the other faiths were also very active then in proselytization too and there was rivalry.

Thoughts went through my mind that these groups would mock me and my faith for failing the exams.

I asked for permission to go to the toilet to wash up. When I locked up the toilet cubicle, I prayed. I prayed to God that His honor was at stake for I had been conscientious in my studies as well as in service. I knew I could answer the questions except that my mind went blank, so I asked for clarity of mind and that the cloudiness in my mind could disappear.

When I went back to the exam hall, I was able to answer one more question in Section A and another in Section B. Mentally I worked out that I could have 48 marks and that would be enough to qualify for a provisionary pass. Relief and gratitude to God came to my mind.  I went on to finish all questions except one.  Thank you so much, Lord !

When the results came out, I was surprised that I had a distinction for Mathematics !  Only 2 in the cohort had distinction for Mathematics. Hallelujah ! Praise the Lord !

The story did not end here. I will continue with the testimony in another post.