3 March 2013 by James Hoh-
Kingdom Youths – the fire brand of KL Baptist Church’s Chinese youths ministry – was no ordinary ministry. I came to the church, which is near Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, looking forward to meeting the church pastors and elders to write about their 14th anniversary celebration.
When entered the church, I was looking high and low for signs of celebration. But there was no canopy, no crowd and in fact, not even any sign of celebration. Just when I was about to leave, the security guard pointed me a bunch of youths and young adults preparing lunch boxes at another corner of the building.
I met one of them and he affirmed that they were celebrating the 14th anniversary today – not of the church but Kingdom Youths of K.L. Baptist Church. The man I spoke to happened to be its President, Timothy Leong. I was a bit disappointed. I wasn’t ready for such a low-key event.
Nevertheless, I talked to some of those youths over lunch. Most of them came from Cheras near the city. After lunch, the service began. The set up was really simple but the worship was deep and from the heart. Likewise, the testimonies that followed were touching. Lives were changed because of God’s great love and faithfulness towards His children.
Here are two testimonies that glorify our Heavenly Father.
Testimony 1
Timothy really impressed me. Although he is in his early 30’s, his life is a strong testimony of how God saved him and changed his destiny. He grew up in Sunday school but left church at the age of 18. He got involved in vices, no thanks to bad company. He was married with three kids by the time he hit his mid 20’s. Because of his involvement with vices his wife and three kids couldn’t tolerate him and left.
After they left, his “ecstasy” moments were shattered. He felt emptiness despite his early years in church. He found life meaningless and fell into the deepest pit of helplessness. “I began to think of those joyful days when I was in Sunday school. And now, what had become of me? I then broke down and cried before the Lord,” Timothy said. “I was 28 then. I had left church and God for 10 years. In great sorrow, I repented my vices and wrong-doing before God. I am a prodigal son. ”
More changes followed – his wife and three kids returned to him. Today he still keeps some bad company because he wants to invite them to know God. What a powerful testimony!
Testimony 2
The other impressive young-adult was Wen Jie who also grew up in the church. In his late teens he left school and worked as a car mechanic to earn money thinking that it would give him quick returns as it was thought to be easy-to-learn vocation. “It was a tough working as mechanic so I changed to selling credit cards and mortgages. He did so well that he was seconded many times to different banks. At that time even-though with limited education, he was earning handsome money.
He spent a lot of time making money and eventually he found no time for God. Things took a turn. The world financial and mortgage business collapsed. He switched to work as an administrator and did some studies. It was not easy.
Suddenly he found his life caving in. What he had been leaning on gave way and he was left with nothing. In those moments of confusion he remembered the call of his youth pastor to return to church and God.
Retracing the path he left, he asked himself, “How could this be? I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ at Form three and now I am lost and there is no meaning in life. I have failed in life. Didn’t the Bible says that whatever I seek it would come to come? ”
In an evangelistic meeting, he came across a verse in the Bible that he felt God spoke to him:
12 I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do—yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. 14 If you ask me[d] for anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14, Good News Translation)
All these while he only read and understand that in Jesus’ name we ask, God would answer us but he actually left out the verse before that which is to do whatever things that Jesus did. This truth has set him free and immediately repented.
Wen Jie related his humble experience and encouraged the youths and young adults to serve God first who is eternal rather than serving material things which is temporal. He also urged the young to share the Good News without delay because the longer he or she delayed, the harder it is for him or her to share the Good News.
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