Faith of My Father

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jn. 4:9-10)

My father Zacchaeus Hean-Lin Wong is my best example of a godly Christian father because he reflected the love and care of our Father God in Heaven. God’s love is shown in His Son Jesus Christ.

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father.“ (Rom. 8:15)

“The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.” (Psm. 41:3)

I have a clear memory of how much my father loved and cared for me when I was sick and frightened. I was four years old when a relative took my sisters and me to a neighborhood celebration. Without warning somebody suddenly threw a packet of active firecrackers that exploded just right behind me. I was terribly shocked and frightened, and it resulted in a nervous breakdown. I was fearful of the dark at night. To calm my nerves my father slept with me until I fell asleep. His warm body gave me comfort and confidence. My parents and grandmother prayed for me. Thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His complete healing. God is good.

“The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.” (Psm. 9:9)

I was seven years old and my cousin and neighbor Kong-Lim was one year older than me, We were playing marbles in our back lane. A much older and very large street bully came and took all our marbles. Kong-Lim did nothing. I tried to take the marbles back. The bully placed one marble between his knuckles and punched me on the cheek. Then he left.

My father saw my bruised and swollen cheek and he said to me, “Next time you see that bully on our street just let me know.” A week later the bully was walking on our street, and I pointed him to my father. He quickly went outside and talked to the bully. I rushed towards the bully and punched his face several times. He did not fight back. My father told me, “That’s enough”. That street bully never bothered me again.

“The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.” (2 Sam. 22:3)

I was ten years old when the Japanese invaded Malaya (former name of Malaysia). Our family and several relatives evacuated to my uncle’s tin mine in Kupoi which is 18 miles south of Ipoh, Malaya

We have heard people in our neighborhood reporting of Japanese soldiers committing acts of cruelty and raping of women. One morning a group of more than 10 Japanese soldiers suddenly came to the mining company buildings and wanted to enter the women and children sleeping quarters. I had slept in that room. My father firmly stood on the doorway to prevent the soldiers from entering the women and children's room. I stood next to my father.

Then the soldiers fixed their bayonets to their rifles and pointed at my father. One drew a sword and placed the sharp edge on my father’s neck. I have seen my father doing this before. He stretched out both his hands, lifted his head up, closed his eyes and called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He began to praise God “HalleluYah” and glorified Him. Then he prayed in the Spirit. He kept on praying to Jesus for the protection of the women and girls inside their sleeping quarters.

The Japanese soldiers were confounded and perplexed. They looked dazed and then retreated. My father closed the door and gave thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ.

After backing out from the entrance door of the Women and children Sleeping Quarters the Japanese soldiers did some strange things. They started to kill all the domestic animals and fowls they could find.

They killed the dogs, cats, chickens and ducks with their swords and bayonets. It was some kind of ritual from the martial code that was handed down by the Samurais. Once a weapon was drawn from the sheath it must spill blood before it can be put back in the sheath. If they cannot find anything to kill they will open a wound on their own bodies or worse yet, commit “hara-kiri” (suicide by cutting their own abdomens) so that blood would be spilled. What a cruel, horrible and deadly code!

Praise and thank our Lord Jesus Christ none of their swords and bayonets had spilled human blood that morning. It could have been my father’s and my blood if not for God’s intervention and protection. The soldiers forced our workers to cook a meal for them. After eating the lunch they were gone.

Our family and relatives moved to ianother mining building that belonged to my uncle’s friend. The name of that place is San Fan Kong which is near Tanjong Tualang. We met Pokoh’s family from Ipoh. We heard the news the British Forces had surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army after Singapore had fallen. The war in Malaya was over.

One day my father told our family God had revealed to him that we should go back to Ipoh the following day. He had arranged with a man who had an old automobile that could still run and had enough gasoline to get back to Ipoh. Praise and thank God we returned home safely.

A few weeks later my father met Pokoh in the Ipoh Central Market. Pokoh told my father their family had been robbed the same evening we returned to Ipoh. His family not only lost many valuables during the robbery but they were also badly beaten and injured by the robbers.

Pokoh asked my father how he knew when to move back to Ipoh on that day. My father witnessed to him about the Lord Jesus Christ and asked him not only to believe in the Savior but also to completely trust Him.

My father, a faithful minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, often quoted the words of Jesus: “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt. 10:8) I drove him around in his pastoral and evangelistic visitations and he was my mentor. His self-supporting ministry and fervency in working for the Lord Jesus Christ had been an inspiration to me.

There was an old paralytic man who was bedridden in an “Old Folks Home” (we call it convalescence home in the United States). My father had been preaching to him for almost six months. He was always lying on the bed. After he indicated belief in the Lord Jesus Christ my father talked to him about baptism. In Ipoh we used to administer baptism in the Kinta River. We had a problem of getting this old paralytic man to the river. I talked to our church members and we borrowed a lorry (we call it truck here in the States). On the morning of the baptism four young men (including me) drove the lorry to the Old Folks Home. We carried the man, placed him on a chair and bound his body and feet to the chair. We then placed him on the deck of the lorry and drove to the Kinta River.

My father first went to the river to pray in the Spirit. When he signaled us we brought the paralytic man who was still bound to the chair to the river next to my father. I can still recall my father baptizing him with head bowed in the forward mode in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. After the immersion my father laid hands on his forehead and prayed for him to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We then carried the man, still bound to the chair, to the tent for changing of clothes. We untied the cords and he stood up. After changing to dry clothes he walked out of the tent by himself. He was completely healed. Praise the Lord, HalleluYah!

Two sisters were very fervent believers in the Lord Jesus Christ because they had experienced God’s love and protection in their family. A huge tree limb had collapsed during a heavy thunderstorm and had narrowly missed their house. Their neighbors had heavy damages from the fallen trees. The elder sister was married to a professional soldier who held the rank of a corporal in the Malaysian army. They had a one-year old baby boy who they loved very much. Corporal Chen was an unbeliever who often made fun and rude remarks about his wife’s and sister-in-law’s prayer in the Spirit and speaking in tongues. The two sisters have asked our congregation in Ipohto pray for Corporal Chen and the baby.

One day my father received a phone call from one of the sisters to go immediately to their home to pray for Corporal Chen and the baby. Corporal Chen himself had personally requested us to pray for him, something the two sisters had been praying for a long time. He had an acute stomach-ache and a very high fever. The baby also had a very high fever and there were boils all over his head. It is ironical that Corporal Chen would request our ministers to go and pray for him and the baby.

I drove my father to their home. Other church members also came. We entered the bedroom and saw Corporal Chen lying on the bed groaning with pain. We also felt the baby’s forehead. It was burning hot with fever. He had boils all over his head. We taught Corporal Chen to repent of his sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and praise Him by saying “HalleluYah.” He did everything that we told him to do and not too long afterwards his stomach-ache had lessened. My father and I took the opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him. He was very receptive to the gospel. We preached salvation is in Jesus alone, the atonement, the new birth of water and the Spirit, repentance, etc. Corporal Chen said he believed in the Gospel and wanted to be baptized. He and his wife also wanted their baby to be baptized.

The next morning was a Saturday and I assisted my father to baptize Corporal Chen and the baby. After coming out of the water Corporal Chen was completely healed. There was not even a little bit of pain in his stomach and his fever was also gone. The baby’s fever was also gone. The whole family came to attend our Sabbath morning service. Corporal Chen received the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. He was very joyful. On Saturday evening we held a special worship service and Corporal Chen sang spiritual songs. HalleluYah!

• Salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone (Jn. 14:6; Acts 16:30-31). Jesus is the Savior of the church ( Eph. 5:23).
• There is only one Church that the Lord Jesus Christ built (Mt. 16:18; Jn. 10:16; Eph. 4:4; 5:23). It must have God's Spirit, truth and accompanying signs (Jn. 16:13; Mk. 16:20).
• The one Church is composed of Messianic Jews and Gentile believers (Gal. 3:26-29; Jn. 10:16; Eph. 2:11-22; Rom. 11:13-24). The 144,000 sealed servants of God refer to Messianic Jews who are the remnants in the End Time (Rev. 7:4-8; Rom. 11:1-36). The 144,000 believers in Revelation 14:1-5 refer to Gentile Christians who "were redeemed from among men."

• The Rider on the white horse in Revelation 6:2 symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ leading the Early Apostolic Church to victory. The Rider on the white horse in Revelation 19:11-16 symbolizes the triumphant Jesus Christ leading the Revived Apostolic Church for the final victory in the End Time.

• Five important truths about the True Jesus Church.

1. Gather in the Name of Jesus (Mt. 18:20)
2. Filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)
3. Keep the Commandments of God (1 Jn. 3:24)
4. Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mt. 24:14)
5. Confirm the Lord's work with signs (Mk. 16:15-20)

• God restored five important truths to the True Jesus Church. [1] Correct Water Baptism [2] Baptism with the Holy Spirit [3] Holy Communion [4] Washing of Feet [5] Holy Sabbath
• These truths are part of the Gospel of Salvation that will be preached to all the nations and to every creature on earth before the End of the Age (Mt. 24:14; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8).
• The seven churches (Rev. 1:20) in Revelation 2 and 3 symbolize all the Christian denominational churches in the world. Each one has faults that need correction (Rev. 3:19). "Let God be true but every man a liar."(Rom. 3:4). No church on earth that is established by man can be true.
• The Lord Jesus Christ prayed that the church be"sanctified by the truth" (Jn. 17:13-19). The church is "the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15) It is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, . . . built together for the habitation of God in the Spirit."(Eph. 2:19-22) "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."(Mt. 5:48) The church on earth is preparing true believers for the church in heaven (Mt. 6:10; 16:18-19). The Lord Jesus Christ is coming for "a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, . . . that it should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:27)

• The true and perfect church is now with Jesus in heaven (Heb. 8:1-2). It consists of those who have died in the Lord Jesus Christ and are with Him in Paradise (Rev. 14:13; Lk. 23:43). It is called "heavenly Jerusalem" and consists of angels and "spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb. 12:22-23). It will "come down from out of heaven" when the Lord Jesus Christ returns (Eph. 5:27; Rev. 21:1-7; Jude 1:14-15)

• The Lord Jesus Christ prayed for the unity of HIs disciples (Jn. 17:20-23). He said,"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."(Jn. 10:27) He also said,"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (Jn. 13:35) He taught His disciples not to go against Christians from other groups that were doing the same work as they did (Mk. 9:38-41). We must show Christian love towards those of other groups (Lk. 10:30-37; Jn. 4:9-10).
• God is fair and impartial, and He does not have any favorites (Rom. 2:1-16; Acts 10:34-35). Every person, regardless of denomination, will be judged by the Commandments (Ecc. 12:13-14), the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16), and the teachings of Jesus Christ (Jn. 12:48).
• Only the Lord Jesus Christ can judge and decide who is saved and not saved (Jn. 5:22-30; Mt. 28:18). God alone controls over life and death (Deut. 32:39). Jesus has the keys of Hades and death (Jn. 11:25; Rev. 1:18).
• We are not to judge anyone else but to only judge ourselves (Mt. 7:1-2; 1 Cor. 11:31). Do not have the hypocritical and prideful attitude of the exclusivists Pharisees (Lk. 18:9-14).

• God's Final Judgment is not based on denominational church membership, but each person will be judged individually 'according to his works' (Mt. 7:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:12-13; 22:12).