Before I came to know the Lord Jesus, I had no self-control during my youth, but yielded to peer-pressure.\u00a0 I liked street racing and the thrill of winning races.\u00a0 Whenever I felt bored and empty, I would ask my friends for a street race.\u00a0 As I did not abide to traffic law, I simply did not care of other people\u2019s safety. \u00a0Although I had a few car accidents, had scratched other cars, and even had been reported to the police station, these did not stop my ego of unsafe driving.<\/p>\n
I enjoyed late night gatherings with my friends after supper despite my whole family\u2019s worries about my safety at late night.\u00a0 Whenever a major festival came, I joined and stayed at wild parties until 4 or 5 in the morning and came home with a pungent smell of cigarette.\u00a0 In the parties, I watched my friends smoke heavily, get drunk, and have short-term affairs with partners.
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\nPeople often believed that my life was filled with excitement; but such excitement disappeared quickly again and I felt empty and lonesome as soon as I returned home.\u00a0 Trying to get rid of such unpleasant feelings, I seek people\u2019s attention by spending time and money to beautify myself.\u00a0 I made use of school and church as a place to show off myself and my accomplishments. \u00a0Not only that, I used the internet to make friends. \u00a0I could talk overnight to strangers on phone or through internet and had the illusion that I was living in a perfect world.\u00a0 In reality, I was a disrespectful daughter who had bad temper towards my parents. My well-being was not my priority, yet I was overwhelmed with self-pity.\u00a0 I had attempted to commit suicide a few times when I was 15.\u00a0 My life was helpless trapped in the darkness again when I was a college student.<\/p>\n
After a two-year post-graduate studies in my home country, I completed my degree overseas at Oxford Brookes University in England for a year.\u00a0 In the beginning of the journey, my grandpa and uncle accompanied me to go to England.\u00a0 Their main concern was my church life in England.\u00a0 They came across the Oxford Chinese Church in the city of Oxford.\u00a0 I began to attend their Sunday worships and fellowships.\u00a0 A Christian brother I met who initially led me to the church youth fellowship gatherings later became my husband.<\/p>\n
I came to know the Lord Jesus in the youth fellowship. I then realized that the Creator of the Universe, who gives lives to all living things, had descended, became a human being and died for our sins.\u00a0 Through the blood of Jesus Christ, I was able to conquer my sins.\u00a0 Numerous Christmases, New Years, Good Fridays and Easters had gone by; yet I did not even know that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for our sins and he was risen after three days.\u00a0 What did Jesus mean to me?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t even know the fact that the righteous God will put judge all non-believers, according to their evil thoughts and their wrong doings.\u00a0 Therefore no one could stand before God in the judgment. \u00a0But our merciful God does not want to condemn our transgression which will lead to eternal death punishment.\u00a0 We would be separated from God forever and be thrown into the eternal fire.\u00a0 God\u2019s holy wrath is appeased by the crucifixion of our Saviour Jesus; so that all believers in Christ have been \u201cjustified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.\u201d (Romans 3:24-25)\u00a0 Therefore those who believe will be saved and reconcile with God.\u00a0 God would provide the guidance throughout our lives since we are children of God.\u00a0 In Him, we will have abundance in our new lives.\u00a0 His resurrection demonstrates the conquering of death and the victory over sins.\u00a0 We do not need to fear anymore.<\/p>\n
My true repentance to the Lord was in May of 2003 when I was greatly distressed. \u00a0Whenever I thought of the darkest moments of my life, it seemed like going through a movie with each scene displacing to me.\u00a0 I had sinned against God by being disobedient and hurtful to other people.\u00a0 The worst burden of my sin was recalling the hurts of my own parents and the rest of my family.\u00a0 Once I thought of that, I went to my own room and painfully cried.\u00a0 I kneeled down before God and prayed for forgiveness.\u00a0 After that, I made a long distance telephone call back home to say sorry for my disobedience and asked for their forgiveness.<\/p>\n
This experience had completely changed me. \u00a0During the time I returned home for holiday, my family was astonished about the change in me. Their prayers for me have been answered!\u00a0 I began to enthusiastically attend church functions, such as fellowships, prayer meetings, cell groups, worships, evangelical meetings, etc.\u00a0 Before then, I was hardly moved by any church function invitation.\u00a0 Customarily I followed my family to Sunday worships.\u00a0 However, the sermons and the biblical teaching had no effect on me.<\/p>\n
Gradually the thrills of car racing, watching overnight movies, internet chatting, late night events, wild parties, unjustified weight loss, crazy shopping, disrespecting to my family and any of my interests which were not pleasing God disappeared from me.\u00a0 This happened to me just a miracle since Jesus had changed me.\u00a0 By reading the Bible, I understood that I had invited Jesus into my life as my saviour by faith.\u00a0 Jesus provides the power to me to overcome temptation and sin.\u00a0 The Holly Spirit leads my choice to the right path.<\/p>\n
Having the church gatherings, Bible studies, prayers, and my serving at church to experience my new life in Christ, my spirituality was growing with fulfilment and happiness. Whenever I disobeyed God and did not let go of my doubt and anger, Satan would take the opportunity to attack me, putting me in the miserable and hopeless conditions.\u00a0 I must repent to God.\u00a0 With His forgiveness, I was released and regained the strength in God.\u00a0 Both the Old and New Testaments tell me that my God is a merciful God.\u00a0\u00a0 He would forgive those who are humble, repent before Him and are willing to reconcile with Him.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve come to realize that we have lost our peace due to our habit of unrighteousness and the pride in not allowing God to handle our difficulties.\u00a0 We just let our own sinful nature to handle the problems.\u00a0 As a result, we could not solve the problem, rather damaging the relationship with other people, hurting both ourselves and others.\u00a0 If we please God and love others as God love us, we will have the peace and joy from God.\u00a0 Moreover, God\u2019s blessing and assured salvation will be restored on us.\u00a0 We will live in our heavenly home where there is no tear, but everlasting peace.<\/p>\n
On the Christmas Day of 2004, I was baptized in my hometown church.\u00a0 A week later, I then got married to the brother who led me to the church in Oxford.\u00a0 The wedding ceremony was held in my hometown before God and my family.\u00a0 After our wedding, the Lord led us to Sydney, Australia, where I began another overseas study for two years to complete my second master degree.\u00a0 During these years, I experienced God\u2019s love, grace and care through the study, workplace, serving the Lord at church, and our marriage.\u00a0 From my experience, I would like to share with you the following (translated from a Chinese hymn):<\/p>\n
When I am under pressure, I make it peacefully;
\nWhen I am busy in my work, I pass it restfully;
\nWhen I fail in my life, I pass it with laughter;
\nWhen I face harassment, I treat it with steadfasting;
\nHow much blessings can God\u2019s children have?<\/p>\n
When I am despaired, I have hope to live for;
\nWhen I am lonely, I have someone to care;
\nWhen I am in difficult, I have guidance to lead me;
\nWhen I die in sin, I have a new life to live for.
\nHow much blessings can God\u2019s children have?<\/p>\n
May you also receive these abundant blessings!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
18\u00a0<\/sup>For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;<\/span><\/p>\n 19\u00a0<\/sup>Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.<\/span><\/p>\n 20\u00a0<\/sup>For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:<\/span><\/p>\n 21\u00a0<\/sup>Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.<\/span><\/p>\n 22\u00a0<\/sup>Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,<\/span><\/p>\n 23\u00a0<\/sup>And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.<\/span><\/p>\n 24\u00a0<\/sup>Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:<\/span><\/p>\n 25\u00a0<\/sup>Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.<\/span><\/p>\n 26\u00a0<\/sup>For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:<\/span><\/p>\n 27\u00a0<\/sup>And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.<\/span><\/p>\n 28\u00a0<\/sup>And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;<\/span><\/p>\n 29\u00a0<\/sup>Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,<\/span><\/p>\n 30\u00a0<\/sup>Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,<\/span><\/p>\n 31\u00a0<\/sup>Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:<\/span><\/p>\n 32\u00a0<\/sup>Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.<\/span><\/p>\n 5\u00a0<\/span>Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:<\/span><\/p>\n 2\u00a0<\/sup>By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.<\/span><\/p>\n 3\u00a0<\/sup>And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;<\/span><\/p>\n 4\u00a0<\/sup>And patience, experience; and experience, hope:<\/span><\/p>\n 5\u00a0<\/sup>And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.<\/span><\/p>\n 6\u00a0<\/sup>For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.<\/span><\/p>\n 7\u00a0<\/sup>For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.<\/span><\/p>\n 8\u00a0<\/sup>But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.<\/span><\/p>\n 9\u00a0<\/sup>Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRomans 5:1-9 <\/span>King James Version (KJV)<\/span><\/h1>\n
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