Ren-De Huang—Tainan, Taiwan

I was born in 1946 and baptized into the True Jesus Church (TJC) right after my birth. Looking back, I feel that God has watched over me all my life, and I have received abundant blessings from Him. 

But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God. (Ps 22:9–10)

Thank God, I was blessed to be born into a TJC family. God chose me from the day I was born. Hence, I did not have to go through the process of seeking the truth. Instead, God was already there to lead me throughout my life. This is God’s special grace to me.  

MY GRANDFATHER’S CONVERSION

In 1926, my grandfather and my father converted to the TJC from a Presbyterian church, where my grandfather had been an elder. A group of TJC members from Xiamen, China, had come to Taiwan to spread the gospel. That year, three churches were established in Taiwan.

During that time, Elder Barnabas Chang preached the gospel in my grandfather’s town and was well received. This was when my grandfather started to study and discuss the truth with the TJC ministers. He believed that a person who has faith in Jesus Christ must have the Holy Spirit. When the TJC ministers asked my grandfather whether he had received the Holy Spirit, he replied, “We also have the Holy Spirit.”

Then they asked, “Where is the Holy Spirit?”

My grandfather replied, “We received the Holy Spirit when we believed.”

The ministers asked my grandfather to turn to Acts 19:2, 6 and 7. These verses show that a person who believes in Jesus Christ and confesses Christ with his lips does not automatically receive the Holy Spirit. Instead, when a believer receives the Holy Spirit, he or she will speak in tongues.

After this explanation, my grandfather and a few others prayed for the Holy Spirit according to the method taught by the TJC. Subsequently, a few among them received the Holy Spirit. After experiencing the Spirit, they believed that Jesus Christ is truly with the TJC. Thereafter, a few families, totaling about thirty people, left the Presbyterian church and converted to TJC. 

OMNIPOTENT GOD

About fifty years ago, one of my father’s nephews came down with a fever that lasted many days. His temperature peaked above forty degrees Celsius. The doctor across the street examined the boy several times. He told my father, “We’re good friends, so I’ll be honest. I have tried every medication available, including antibiotics. The prognosis is not good.” This was a worrying thing for my father to hear.

But then, he remembered a certain deaconess by the name of Mary Yang. God had blessed her with special gifts. If a person was ill or demon-possessed, they would be healed after she prayed for them. So my father got on his motorcycle and rode to Kaoshiung, which was seventy kilometers away from our hometown Matou, to find her. At that time, all the roads were unpaved gravel roads, and the motorcycles were made of scraps of metal. The journey to Kaoshiung took him over two hours. When my father finally arrived, he explained everything to Deaconess Yang. However, she was busy with the local church work at that time, and would probably be physically unable to endure the two-hour ride on the motorcycle back to Matou. So she asked my father to sit down and read John 4:46–53.

This passage records how a nobleman from Capernaum came to Cana to ask Jesus to heal his child. But instead of going to Capernaum with him, Jesus told the man, “Go your way; your son lives” (Jn 4:50). At the time, the man’s son was in Capernaum, which was about twenty-five kilometers away. On his way home, the nobleman was met by his servants, who reported to him that his son was healed. Upon inquiring further, he discovered that the fever had left his son at the exact time Jesus had said, “Your son lives.” 

After my father had read this passage, Deaconess Yang said, “Let’s pray together. Afterwards, your nephew will be well.” So my father prayed with Deaconess Yang at the church in Kaoshiung and then returned to Matou, resting at the church in Tainan on the way. Once he reached home, my sister-in-law met him at the doorway. She said, “Dad, the fever has receded.” Moreover, my father found out that the fever had reduced at around 11 a.m., when he had been praying with Deaconess Yang in Kaoshiung. 

The God we worship is almighty, transcending time and space. Although Deaconess Yang and my father had been praying seventy kilometers away, God’s power still came upon the sick child at home. I’m thankful for my father’s testimony, for it not only strengthened the faith of the second and third generation of believers in our family, but it also helps us to understand the God we worship—He is truly living, omnipotent and omnipresent. 

GOD’S GUIDANCE IN MY LIFE

Career

So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? (Eccl 3:22)

Through God's guidance in my life, I was able to find a job that I truly enjoyed. From young, I had always wanted to be a teacher. When I was fifteen years old, I visited Taipei with a few other people. As we toured the city, we passed by the best university for education in Taiwan. I thought to myself how wonderful it would be if I could one day be admitted to this university. I even asked someone to take a picture of me in front of it. God fulfilled my wish some fourteen years later. At the age of twenty-nine, I enrolled at this university to study education.

Since I worked in education, I also became heavily involved in the religious education and counseling work at church. Hence, God allowed me to serve Him according to my talents and interest. He also allowed me to work happily as a teacher for thirty years, which I believe is a special grace from God.

Family

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 Jn 4) 

I believe that those who have a family will put their focus on their children, and will be concerned about their children’s future. But the Scriptures tell us that we do not need to worry, as long as our children walk in the truth.

My wife and I took our three sons to church services since they were young, even at night. Attending church became part of their lives and they continued to attend services regularly after they started school, even when their school assignments increased and things became more challenging. If they had an exam the next day, they would attend the evening worship service and study afterwards.

 As a parent, this made me feel more at ease, because I knew that this habit of regular church attendance would help my children hold on to the foundation of faith, so they would not easily go astray. Thank God, today all my children have graduated from university and have their own careers and families. Most importantly, they have remained in the church and are able to participate in church work, which gives me great comfort. In fact, the best inheritance that we can give to our children is the inheritance of faith.

Health

In 2002, I took early retirement. In September that year, I attended a wedding officiated by Elder Huang from Tainan. He had not seen me for six months, and remarked that I had lost a significant amount of weight. Although I attributed this to exercise and eating a healthy diet since retirement, he was still worried and recommended that I get a check-up. A couple of weeks later, some visiting theological training program students also noticed my weight loss and suggested the same thing. Although I felt fine, I thought I might as well take their advice.

I waited a month before I booked an appointment at the hospital, as I could get a twenty percent discount during the month of my birthday. The day after my physical examination, I returned for the results. The doctor said the weight loss seemed to be due to a tumor. Four days later, he called to confirm the diagnosis of colon cancer. I became weak at the knees when I heard this. Since we live next door to church, my wife and I immediately went there to pray. 

Later, I underwent surgery to remove fifteen centimeters of intestines, followed by six months of chemotherapy. Although I was in remission, the doctors continued to monitor my condition for seven to eight years afterwards. 

In retrospect, if God did not send various people to recommend that I see a doctor, I would not have done so. But God alerted me through these brethren, and prompted me to take action. Though the diagnosis was bad, it was discovered early, so the treatment had a greater chance of success. God is indeed a God who constantly watches over and takes care of us.

Our Jesus is more powerful

In April 2009, during the last day of our spiritual convocation at my home church, I had a heart attack and was taken to hospital. Because my condition was critical, my heart was stopped and I was connected to a mechanical pump for four days. This procedure was effective, but it came with adverse effects. I experienced facial edema, or swelling caused by a build-up of fluid in the facial tissues. Later on, there were problems with my kidneys and blood circulation. My blood vessels burst, and the locations of the bleeding were not found until seven or eight days later.

I had to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for eighty days, where I was comatose for the first forty-four days and hooked up to a ventilator.

The attending physician, Dr. Wang, informed my wife and children that the prognosis was not good. Since he had seen my wife and kids praying, he asked them if our religion permitted resuscitation, and whether I would want to return home before taking my last breath. These questions sounded like a death sentence, so my wife became very sorrowful. She said, “Last month, when my husband was unconscious, Jesus saved him. Now, we can only ask that you use your professional judgment to help us, while we pray at home.”

Later on, my wife called two sisters and asked that they notify everyone to pray for me. The doctor had pronounced that there was nothing more he could do, so the only way now was to rely on God.

Over the following few days, my wife noticed that my dependence on the ventilator was gradually declining. The doctors had said that even if I recovered, I would be attached to a ventilator for the rest of my life. Yet, after a week, I was able to breathe on my own. My wife was overjoyed. The doctor remained cautious, but after five days of observation I remained stable, so I was moved to a regular cardiology ward.

My attending cardiologist, Dr. Yeh, came to see me in the cardiology ward. The first thing she said was, “Uncle Huang, Dr. Wang said that your Jesus is definitely more powerful than he is.” When we heard this, we were greatly comforted. Dr. Wang was an experienced professional working in a large hospital. But since my recovery defied his prognosis, he could only declare that this was a miracle from God. 

He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. (Ps 107:20) 

When we are ill, it is natural to seek the best medical care possible, but we must have the correct mindset. It is our Sovereign God who allows us to live and heals our illnesses. Doctors may aid the process, but God is sovereign and in control. So when we see a doctor, we must remember to constantly rely on God through prayer.

Since my recovery, I have continued to give thanks to God for the grace He has bestowed upon me. May this sharing encourage everyone to have more trust in the Lord Jesus. May all the glory and honor be to our heavenly Father. Hallelujah! Amen.