25 June 2013 by James Hoh CM –
As a pastor, I didn’t realize that prayer and intercession are so important until I was almost crushed to death. Of course, I have had a few close calls driving in the Klang Valley.
I can recall one that is still vivid in my mind which happened 20 years ago when I was driving along the Federal Highway to work during the peak hours from Old Klang Road to Petaling Jaya.
Suddenly, something heavy like that of a lorry hit me from behind. I braked but lost control of my newly acquired silver Toyota Corolla as it spun a few rounds before the back of my car hit a lamp post. Miraculously nobody was hurt; no other cars were involved in the accident.
If it were not for the lamp post I would have hit some motorcyclists who were traveling at the biker’s lane or could have gone flying down into the field of the Catholic High School like those stunts you see in movies. I walked away with calmness and peace of God although my car had been squashed to a hatchback and caused a massive jam along the highway.
That, however, was but a friction of the horror of what I experienced later.
Eight years ago I was driving two elderly intercessors back to churches in Sungai Besar and Hutan Melintang where I pastored. Both of them were praying and speaking in tongues continuously since the beginning of our journey from Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur.
I was quiet during the two-hour journey. As we were heading towards Sekinchan which is known for its padi fields, I realized I had to fill up petrol at a station just before the cross junction of Sekinchan.
Coming out of the petrol station I was driving a little slow and quite cautiously toward the traffic lights when I heard a lorry hooting frantically. I saw a speeding palm-oil tanker from the opposite direction trying to avoid a metallic red Toyota Camry that was coming out of the town on my right. The incident happened so quickly, like in about four seconds. We were shocked and frozen, like dead.
As the tanker probably driving about 80kph swung sharply towards our direction to avoid the Camry, it lost balance and fell upside down and crushed on the Camry right in the middle of the junction about 120 feet away. The smashed up Camry with the tanker atop it skidded with a powerful momentum like a train towards us.
So frozen, I could not respond, no one like to be in that position. The head of the tanker and the Camry skidded fast but screeched to a stop a mere 1 inch from my car. We had no control over the situation and were at the mercy of the other two vehicles. The three of us wobbled out of the car. But God’s peace was with us. We were still praying in tongues, perhaps louder now. We knew God had stopped it from touching us!
What happened was simply miraculous. I have never seen angels before but I believe they were there protecting us from harm. It was like a scene from a Superman movie, only that it was not Superman but the angels of God who stopped the hurling mass of metal from touching us. I don’t want to think how far my Proton Iswara would fly with that kind of power hitting us!
Unfortunately, there was a boy was drown by the palm oil inside the Camry. The rest of that family escaped death with minor bruises. Soon not only firemen and ambulance paramedics but people crowded around.
People, including firemen, inquired who the “lucky” passengers of the red Proton Iswara were. We escaped from harm not through luck. We prayed and God protected us. Some bought lottery using my car registration number. Later I drove to the main police station in Teluk Intan, Perak as I was one of the witnesses of the accident.
The intercessors and I gave testimony not only in small churches in that district but also at the Chinese Language Service, FGA Kuala Lumpur. Berita Harian Newspaper also featured the story and the picture the following day.
We came so close to death that day that all my doubts concerning prayers, angels and God’s divine protection were 100% erased. I am forever grateful to my two intercessors for praying earnestly throughout the journey.
My advice to all today: Don’t ever doubt the prayers we made to our powerful and loving God, the creator of Heaven and Earth!
I am the English Pastor for Taman Midah Lutheran Congregation in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. I have moved on from Christianity Malaysia as a full-time writer but remain as an occasionally contributor. To God be the Glory.
Picture reference:
http://thekaranupadhya.blogspot.com/2011/09/pray-for-delhi.html
Picture 2 from Berita Harian – 13 October 2005
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