I can certainly praise Almighty God for my salvation.
When I was at high school a friend told me that his sister was healed of an incurable disease by the LORD. His parents told me that I could have a personal relationship with God and evidence – miracles, signs and wonders - to show me that He is real.
They shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with me: that I needed to be born again, just like it says in the bible. Their conviction, joy and hope was plain to see and I truly wanted what they had.
So, one Friday night – on 29 January 1999 to be precise – I attended a prayer night at the Darwin Revival Fellowship in Leanyer. After the meeting I was baptized by full immersion for the forgiveness of my sins. I knew it was a commandment in the scriptures and that I had buried my old, unclean way of life.
The same night, a few members of the church laid hands on me and prayed with me to receive the Holy Spirit. Within a few minutes, God filled me with His spirit that he promises to give and I spoke in tongues just like the first Christian believers did on the day of Pentecost over 2000 years ago. A pure language flowed out of my mouth - not English, not Greek or Chinese (the respective native languages of my father and mother), but a language I had never learnt before. I knew at that moment that I had made contact with the Creator of all things and that the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now dwelt in me.
After that miraculous experience the Lord changed me from within. Immediately, I no longer had a desire to drink alcohol, and swearing just left me.
No one told me that I had to do those things - God took those bad habits away and instead replaced them with a fervent desire to know him, to read and follow his word in the bible, to pray in tongues, to fellowship with other believers who had the same experience, and to share what He had done for me with others.
Over the past seventeen years, the LORD has blessed every aspect of my life. He provided me with a godly wife, three beautiful healthy children, job security, and has met all my needs. God has healed me when I have been sick, he has comforted me when I have been through difficult situations and delivered me when I have not been able to see a way out.
Every day, I know that Jesus is with me. He gives me joy, He teaches me His righteous way and corrects me when I need it. My life has direction, meaning, and purpose because of God. Living a Christian life is the only life worth living in this dark world and my family and I happily serve the living God and wait for Jesus' return when He will bring in everlasting righteousness.