I was free from sin and became righteous before God. My entire burden had been taken away as well. I was free and was born again. I was lost, but then Jesus found me. I found myself recorded in the book of life. I could no longer live a life with my own thoughts and imagination. By the grace of God, I was saved by Jesus!
Memories of Being Maliciously Alienated
My name is Kelvin Tsai. I am Chinese born in Hong Kong. Hong Kong was a British colony for over 100 years. I was brought up in British colonial culture. In the 50s, the Cultural Revolution brought great changes to China including the expulsion of most foreign missionaries from the mainland. Some of them settled in Hong Kong and resumed their missionary activities. They served the local community by providing free education and social services to the poor.
Since the British were Christian, the local government allowed churches to be involved in the community. Many churches of various denominations were established. It seemed all the churches were living together in harmony. Although the people in Hong Kong might have had different religious beliefs, they did not reject the work of the church nor Christians.
I Wanted to Be a Merciful Helper . . .
During my secondary school education, I studied at a Christian school. At age 17, I accepted Christianity as my religious belief. I liked the teachings of Christianity and believed that Christianity was the true faith for mankind. So, I studied and worked hard for my faith. In 1986, I studied in England for my tertiary education. I served the church and tried to strengthen my Christian faith. I was praised by the churches there. In 1989, China was in political turmoil (Tiananmen Square protests of 1989), and I saw people killed and injured on televised news.
I decided to return to Hong Kong, so I could witness in Hong Kong and China. After returning to Hong Kong, I worked in a trading company that had factories in China. Sometimes I needed to travel to China. I also served in a local church, which I attended before I went to England. Because of my education, I was chosen to be a minister and some years later even became a leader of the church.
In year 1994, I started my own business in the tire, wheels, and equipment industry. My company was running well and became successful in a few years. I became the managing director of three companies. My companies were involved in business internationally, locally, and in mainland China. I often travelled overseas and met a lot of people in different countries. I professed my Christian faith. My suppliers, customers, and friends knew of my Christian beliefs. It seemed that all my business was going well.
In 2002, a serious problem arose with trade customs in the mainland. It was the most difficult time in my life. The year after, the SARS epidemic came to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong economy was greatly affected. Property values dropped more than 60% and a lot of companies and individuals went bankrupt. Our companies lost a lot of money and business became very difficult. The situation was miserable. Around 300 people died from SARS. The people of Hong Kong seemed to be hopeless. I thought about giving up my business to study theology so I could become a preacher. I wanted to help people who were in difficulty and living without hope.
I Was Naaman!
It was summer when one day I received a phone call from a friend of mine whose name was Gye-soo Kim, currently an elder of Good News Mission. We had done business together and I remembered during my visit to Korea how we had a Bible study together. We talked about our Christian belief. He stopped his car in the middle of nowhere and asked me to have a Bible study.
He raised some questions and challenged my faith. I could not totally agree with him, but I tried to be polite and did not argue. After returning to Hong Kong, I tried to find out what this Mr. Kim was trying to tell me. To a certain extent, he was correct but I could not totally agree. I thought I was a Christian and that he was just an aggressive Christian, which made the difference. There was no problem at all with my faith.
Since I was in a stage of contemplation, I thought it might be good to meet him and see what other people thought during such trying times. Mr. Kim told me he was at Hong Kong Airport and wanted to see me, so I decided to meet him at the airport hotel. I brought a Bible with me because I supposed we might have a Bible study when we met. I was so happy to see him. After a little conversation, we then went on with the Bible study.
This time, Mr. Kim told me about the story of Naaman in the book of 2 Kings 5:1?14. Naaman was a commander of a Syrian Emperor. He was the greatest man in the country because he defeated many other countries. He was honored by the king and respected very much by the people. In the Bible, it says that Naaman was a valiant solider, but he had leprosy. He wanted to heal his leprosy, so he was willing to listen to a little girl whom he took from Israel. He asked the King of Syria to write him a letter to the King of Israel about this. He brought many valuable gifts with him in order to reward the prophet Elisha.
When he arrived at the prophet’s house, Elisha did not come out to meet him but just sent his messenger. The messenger told Naaman to go to the Jordan River and wash seven times in the water. His flesh would be restored, and he would be cleansed. Naaman was very angry because he was expecting Elisha to come out to meet him and heal him. He was probably the greatest man in the country and should have been highly regarded.
He could not accept that he should wash in the dirty water of the Jordan. He thought that the rivers of his own country would have even cleaner water. So he decided to go back home. When his servants saw that, they pleaded with him to follow and to trust the word of the prophet.
Certainly, Naaman could decide to go on his way and not follow the word of Elisha, but his leprosy would not be cured. Deep down in his heart, he knew he had been suffering so much from the disease and that no one was able to help him.
One day his leprosy would be revealed before the people and he would be the commander no more. Once he recognized that he was just a helpless leper, the only thing he could do was lower his heart and follow the word of the man of God. He should not follow his own will. Naaman gave up all his own thought and followed the instruction of Elisha. He went to the water of Jordan and dipped himself into the water seven times. After that, his flesh was restored, and his skin became like that of a newborn baby. All of his leprosy was cleansed.
Although I heard this story before, I did not understand the real meaning of it. When I heard the story again this time, I realized that it was God talking to me. I was Naaman. I was no one but a sinner in the eyes of God. In the past, I was using my way to find God and to serve Him. I thought I was right and believed that I was a Christian, and I could serve God with my righteousness. I was in fact a great enemy to Jesus because I even wanted to preach the Word of God. I was completely wrong!
God’s Good Guidance Is Continuous
God had already revealed Himself to me through creation but I dared to claim that I was still looking for God. I did not know I was blind. How can a blind person see unless his eyesight is restored? I accepted that I was just a sinner and nothing else. I was blind and I needed the guidance of God. Then, God sent Mr. Kim to me. I was really thankful to Him.
The Bible told me that the price of sin was death (Romans 6:23). I was born in sin. My life was bound to death. I realized that I was just a dead person and there was nothing I could do. I wanted to live, so I needed a savior to save me from death. Jesus came to save me. Jesus had paid the price with His blood. He washed all my sin away, so I could be clean. I was free from sin and became righteous before God. My entire burden had been taken away as well. I was free and was born again. I was lost, but then Jesus found me. I found myself recorded in the book of life. I could no longer live a life with my own thoughts and imagination. By the grace of God, I was saved by Jesus!
In the past five years since my salvation, God has been good to me. He established the Hong Kong Church, so I could have a chance to learn the Word of God from Pastor Shin. God is revealing His Word to me more and more. I really enjoy my life in the church, but sometimes I may lose as well.
God is so good to me that He has given me a new business. I used to think about retiring early so I could spend more time in church, but God has a plan for me. I can share the gospel with whomever I meet as I am doing my business. I can meet more and more people who I can share the gospel with, so more lost souls can be saved. My life has been changed so much, and I experience God everyday. I am very happy because I can see how God is working in people’s lives and how Jesus is saving them.
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| Kelvin Tsai (Good News Hong Kong Church) |