11 May 2014 by Michael Cheng-
I have heard and read about near-death experiences and also death-and back-to-life experiences but never had I expected that I would have had such an experience.
Very early in the morning of Monday, 30 August 2010, I woke up to find myself in an unfamiliar surroundings. I was looking into the face of a nurse who was busy attaching an intravenous drip to my hand. I soon discovered I was in the emergency ward of Sime Darby Medical Centre (SDMC), Subang Jaya, Selangor. But why? How did I end up in a hospital bed? Where was my wife? My son? Everything was a blank. I couldn’t remember anything at all.
Eventually, I found out that I had been sent to the hospital in an ambulance. The nurse told me that my blood sugar was at a dangerously low level of only 1.2 mmol/litre whereas the normal reading should be about 4 to 5 mmol/litre. According to the doctor, I had hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and when the blood sugar plunges to such a low level, one can become comatose. It was then that I realized how close to death I had been.
My wife and son walked in the ward a few minutes later and they began to fill me in on circumstances leading to me being warded, as my mind was a complete blank regarding what had happened the previous night. I could only remember my last action of the night, which was going to bed at around mid-night.
My wife Kim told me that she was awakened from her deep sleep by a loud thud. And she was alarmed to find me fallen off from the bed and was lying on the bedroom floor. She called my name many times, hoping for a response but there wasn’t any. She broke out in cold sweat when she saw that I looked frighteningly pale and my body felt cold and clammy. Immediately, she felt for my pulse but there was none. Panic-stricken and not knowing what to do, she spontaneously broke out into tongues and prayed earnestly to the Lord for help and guidance as to what to do next. Kim said it was then that the Holy Spirit inspired her to pray, “In the name of Jesus, I bind you, spirit of death, and command you to loose Michael. I proclaim that Michael shall not die but live and declare the works of God.” She continued to pray in tongues and suddenly, she felt my fingers gripping her hand. She was filled with joy and started thanking and praising God for the signs of life returning to me in response to prayer. I was able to say a few words although my wife said I wasn’t making any sense. My eyes were still closed and I appeared to be asleep.
After numerous attempts to move me to an upright position had failed, she decided to wake our son who was sleeping in his room across from ours. Thank God he woke up immediately and was surprisingly calm, composed, and decisive in his actions. After taking stock of the situation, he decided he would call the nearest hospital, which was SDMC. He went to his PC to get the contact number, called the hospital, and briefly described to them what had happened. He then called for an ambulance since he and Kim couldn’t move me by themselves. Thank God the ambulance arrived soon, and I was revived within minutes of arriving at the emergency ward.
I stayed one night at the hospital as they wanted to monitor my condition through tests to find out if there had been any damage to my kidneys, heart, and other organs. Praise God, they didn’t find any damage, and I was discharged.
After the hospital ordeal, I reflected on what had happened to me. What was the meaning of all this? Why, God? I realized that I had actually died and had come back to life, based on my wife’s recollection of the event. God had been gracious to grant me a second chance. There must be a purpose for this. My experience was different from others in that I couldn’t remember where my spirit had gone after leaving my body. It’s all a mystery to me and I believe that God has a reason for blanking out this interim period for me. Perhaps, I would have been badly traumatized, and God wanted to spare me that.
As I sought God for answers, I felt the Lord’s love and comfort enveloping me. He assured me of His love, grace, and mercy. John 10:10 came to mind: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The devil wanted me dead but God intervened and rescued me from the clutches of death.
How did I get to my critical state of hypoglycaemia? I remember I hadn’t been feeling well due to persistent bad cough, which was affecting my appetite. I had been on medication for hyperglycaemia but hadn’t reduced my dosage in spite of eating less food. As I recall, when I went to bed that Sunday night, I had hardly eaten any dinner and I was feeling very weak and lethargic. I had no idea my blood sugar level had taken a dip. I didn’t know how I fell off the bed but I know that if I hadn’t fallen off, my wife would not have been awakened and would be oblivious of my critical condition. I believe an angel pushed me off the bed to alert my wife of my condition. It wasn’t a coincidence that we attended the Marketplace Ministry Conference where one of the speakers had shared about how his daughter had died in a freak accident and how God revived and raised her from the dead after he had prayed. God used the speaker’s message to prepare my wife so that she would know what to do; so, she prayed in tongues and then demanded that my life be returned. I also thank God for my son Nicholas who received wisdom from above to make the right decisions and to make them fast.
I give all praise and adoration to the Lord Jesus Christ for having saved me from an untimely death. I am indeed thankful and grateful for all He has done for me. His love and mercy have touched me deeply and strengthened my faith in Him. I can say with humble gratitude and confidence while echoing the psalmist: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Ps 23:4-6)
Note: This testimony is an excerpt taken from the book ‘Man of the Hour’ written by Michael Cheng. Michael has held various management positions in the banking, educational, manufacturing sectors. He is a Founding Member and former National Secretary of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship Malaysia (FGBMF). Michael has also held various leadership positions in the local church and Christian ministries. Currently, Michael coordinates the Prayer Shield in FGBMF. He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Economics (Honors) degree and is a Certified Trainer. Michael is married to Kim and they worship in Full Gospel Assembly, Kuala Lumpur.
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