On the streets of Capernaum, I carried with me for years the name that would become associated with me, the woman with blood issues.
I was sick and felt weak and hopeless. However, I still had faith in my heart. One day, something happened that completely changed my life.
One morning, I heard whispers of Jesus being a miracle healer, and his stories of compassion and power to cure quickly sparked hope in me. Somehow I knew He held the key to my freedom from my affliction; thus inspiring faith and hope as I journeyed on a trip to search for Him and witness His power firsthand.
I inched forward slowly through the crowd of a mix of multitudes. Although it was challenging to approach Jesus in my condition, my strong desire for healing pushed me forward, overriding any doubts or concerns I had.
As I neared Him closer, excitement mixed with nervousness moved within my soul. I looked upon Jesus, fully understanding this was my moment for redemption. Even a simple touch of his robe had the power to unleash miraculous healing. I confidently moved through the crowd, feeling my faith grow with each step. I had a peaceful confidence in His power, knowing that my breakthrough was nearby.
At that moment, Jesus passed by, and I touched the hem of His robe. Instantly, I felt a powerful surge of energy flowing through me, as if healing was flowing from Him and into me. Within moments, years of pain vanished with no trace. The blood stopped flowing, and pain and weakness no longer plagued me, they were completely vanquished.
While I stood there in awe, Jesus looked around and asked, “Who touched me?” His disciples were startled, but He persisted in searching for someone whose faith had released His healing powers.
With fear and trembling, I stepped forward and admitted that I was the one who had touched Him. I then honestly shared my testimony with Him and the crowd. Jesus looked upon me with mercy and gently told me my faith had indeed healed me. He bestowed peace on me.
Tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. From that day forward, my life took on new meaning as an example of God’s power and healing presence in my life.
After experiencing this divine encounter with Jesus Christ, I felt forever thankful and loved. Not only was He instrumental in healing me from my past struggles; now my future holds promise because of Him.
This story comes from Mark 5:25–34, Luke 8:43–48, and Matthew 9:20–22.
After the calling of Peter, John, James, Andrew, and the miraculous catch of fish in the Sea of Galilee, Jesus went His way, bumped into a leprous man, and miraculously healed him.
Luke 5:12-16
12 While he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.” 13 He stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” 14 He commanded him to tell no one, “But go your way, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.” 15 But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16 But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed.
Luke 5:12-16
Reflections
Jesus left Galilee, came to another town, and met a man with leprosy. The leprous man fell forward prostrate on the ground and begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus touched him and immediately healed him. The leprous man sought Jesus’ will, asked Him, “if You want”and Jesus replied, “I want” .
Leprosy is caused by a bacterium called mycobacterium lepra. Today, it is curable by taking antibiotics. In the first-century world, leprosy was a dreadful, contagious, fatal, and incurable disease. Leprous people were ostracised by society and confined to leper colonies. This was a living death sentence. Lepers must not come near or touch anyone. When they see anyone from a distance, they must shout, unclean, unclean. They were social outcasts. No one dared to touch the leprous man for fear of contracting leprosy. But Jesus touched him and healed him. Jesus touched him with love, compassion, acceptance, and friendship. The power of His touch healed the man instantly. The ministry of touch is very important in any relationship.
Jesus commanded the man not to tell anyone but to present himself to the priest for cleansing and offering sacrifice according to Leviticus 14:2-4 and following. But he could not keep quiet and told his testimony wherever he went. Words spread fast and everyone came to Jesus for healing. Jesus went into the desert alone by Himself and prayed. Luke gave us a glimpse into Jesus’ humanity. He needed to pray and be recharged before He could minister effectively.
Application
Jesus told the man to present himself to the priest to testify to him that he was cured of leprosy. If God had cured you of some ailment, show yourself to others as a testimony to them.
The leprous man told his testimony wherever he went. Did you tell your testimony where ever you go?
The leprous man asked Jesus to heal him according to His will. Did you pray according to God’s will?
Jesus touched the leprous man. Have you touched someone physically or through acts of kindness.? The ministry of touch is so important in a personal relationship. Give someone a hug when it is appropriate.
After healing the man, Jesus retreated into the mountain alone to pray. If Jesus needed to spend time alone with His Father in prayer, how much more that you and I needed to spend time with Him in prayer?
This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest, 3 and the priest shall go out of the camp. The priest shall examine him. Behold, if the plague of leprosy is healed in the leper, 4 then the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.
Leviticus 14:2-4
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us to spend time alone with You in prayer to seek Your will and to listen to You. Help us to touch someone with love and compassion today. Help us to share our testimony with others so that they will come to know You as their Lord and Savior, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Heavenly Father, we pray that You will enable us to log in to Your channel, frequency, and wavelength. Help us to fine-tune our spiritual antennas to receive divine signals from You. Help us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s voice, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Setting
By this time, Jesus’ popularity was at an all-time high. People were coming from everywhere to listen to Him. He was surrounded by a massive crowd in the Lake of Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee. There were two boats, one belonging to Simon Peter, and the other to James and John. Jesus alighted Simon Peter’s boat and told him to move deeper into the water. He sat down and taught the people in the floating pulpit of the boat.
Luke 5:4-9
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word, I will let down the net.” 6 When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came and filled both boats so that they began to sink. 8 But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” 9 For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;
Luke 5:4-9
Reflections
After teaching the people, Jesus commanded Peter to go into deeper water and throw in the nets. Simon Peter reluctantly threw in the net because he did not expect any result. He had been throwing the nets one whole night to no avail. To his surprise, the net was so full of fish and so heavy that the net was going to break. This miracle is unique to Luke.
Simon Peter signaled to his partners James and John in the other boat for assistance. They came alongside and collected the fish into the two boats. The fishes were so heavy that the two boats began to sink. Amazed at such a great miraculous catch, Peter knelt in front of Jesus and confessed that he was a sinful man.
Even James and John, the sons of Zebedee were astonished. Jesus told them not to be afraid. From now on Jesus would make them fishers of the souls of men. When the boats reached land, they left everything and followed Jesus. Here, Jesus chose four fishermen from Galilee as His apostles, Peter and his brother Andrew, James, and his brother John.
Application
When Peter was fishing by his own self-effort throughout whole night, he could not catch any fish at all. When Peter followed the direction of Jesus, the catch was so great that they filled up 2 boats! The catch was so bountiful and beyond his wildest imagination. Convicted of his sins, Peter fell prostrate before Jesus, and worshiped Him.
You will not be successful when you share the gospel with your self-effort. You will be successful if you listen carefully to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and follow God’s instructions. You need to pray before you make a move and listen very carefully. Evangelism must be done according to God’s will and direction. You need to do evangelism Jesus’ way. He is the way, the truth, and the life, John 14:6.. No one can come to the Father except through Him.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
John 14:6
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for making us fishers of men. Help us to equip ourselves with the tools and skills of personal evangelism. Help us to share the Gospel with non-believers. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight. Help to do things according to your ways and not be our own self-effort, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Reflection
Isaiah prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ 700 years before it happened. Isn’t this mind-bogging? Who can make a prophesy 700 years before it happen and fulfill it 700 years later? The statistical chance of this occurring is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. Suppose you put 10 to the power of 17 pieces of paper into a huge container and mark out one as special. If you pick out one piece of paper at random, the chance of getting that specially marked-out paper is 1 in 10 to the power of 17. This is statistically impossible but with God all things are possible!
A child is born to us
2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day for us.
A son is given to us
2000 years ago, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ to us on Christmas day, to save us from sin and death, John 3:16. God, the Father, and Jesus Christ are the first and second persons of the Trinity respectively.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16
And the government will be on his shoulder
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords who carries the whole world upon His shoulders.
His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace.
These are four messianic titles of Jesus Christ that are self-explanatory, Counselor, God Almighty, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace
APPLICATION:
Jesus Christ is God’s perfect Christmas gift to humanity. This is a free gift, given by grace, by faith, and by Christ alone. A gift is only a gift until you receive it. You receive this gift by faith and by believing in Christ. Have you received God’s perfect Christmas gift for you? You can receive it right now, where ever you are. In a simple but sincere prayer, tell God that you are a sinner and that you believe that Jesus died for you on the cross to pay the punishment of your sins for you. By faith, surrender your life to Him. This is the first step to salvation, but it is the most important one. If you said this prayer, find a local bible believing church, and tell the pastor about your decision. Worship, serve, and grow your faith in the local church.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Son as the perfect Christmas gift to us 2000 years ago. Thank You for salvation, justification, sanctification, and eternal life. Thank You that human beings will live forever more because of Christmas day, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your divine appointment with us. Thank You for meeting us through the pages of scripture. Speak to us through the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of eternal life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have you lost anything? It is very frustrating to have lost something. You will turn the whole house upside down until you find it.
Luke 15 is a chapter concerning the lost and the found. Here is a triplet of three parables, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The tax collectors and sinners were coming to Jesus to hear Him teach. The Pharisees and scribes were incensed because Jesus was so friendly with the social outcasts whom they considered to be sinners. Jesus responded to this attack by telling these three parables.
Luke 15:11-24
11 He said, “A certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them. 13 Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14 When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet.23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate ( read the rest of Luke 15 on your own)
Luke 15:11-24
Reflection
Here is the famous parable of the lost or prodigal son. A man had two sons. The younger son demanded his share of his father’s estate when his father was still alive! In Jewish custom, the elder son will get 2/3 and the younger son gets 1/3 of the estate but only when the father dies. After cashing out the money, the younger son ran away to a Gentile country and wasted everything on irresponsible living. Very soon, he was bankrupt and destitute. To make matters worse, a severe recession hit the land. The only job he could get was to look after the pigs for a Gentile businessman. Here is the shocking part. He had to feed the pig! For a Jew to feed the pigs was terribly insulting as pigs are unclean animals. He was so hungry that he even wanted to eat the pig’s food!
When the prodigal son hits rock bottom, he came back to his senses. He was dying of hunger. He decided to return to his father or he will be dead. He acknowledged that he had made a terrible mistake. He was willing to apologize to his father and become his servant. He made a 180 degrees U-turn to go home, rehearsing his repentance speech along the way.
When he was still a long way off, his father spotted him from a distance. The father felt sorry for the son. He had been looking out for him ever since he left. He ran and kissed the son’s neck even though he was dirty and smelly all over. In those days, for a rich man to run was considered very shameful. Before the son could even complete his repentance speech, the father interrupted him.
The father covered the son with the best robe, put a signet ring on his hand, shoes on his feet, slaughtered the fattened calf, and hosted a feast to celebrate the return of his lost son.
Interpretation
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. In a parable, every character represents something. The father represents God. The prodigal son represents the tax collectors and sinners. The best robe represents Christ’s robe of righteousness. The signet ring and shoes represent restoration to sonship. The signet ring is a stamp for authorizing family transactions. In those days, servants went around barefooted but sons wear shoes.
The prodigal son also represents people. People have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. People are like lost sheep who have turned to their own way. God waits patiently for people to repent and comes back to HIm. He will forgive people who come to him in repentance. He will cover them with Christ’s robe of righteousness and restore them to sonship.
The prodigal son also represents Christians who have back-slided in the faith. God is waiting for them to repent and turn back to him. To repent is to make a 180 degrees U-turn and return to God in repentance. God waits patiently for back-slided Christians to return to Him.
The father had to celebrate because his son was lost and found. He was given up for dead but came home alive. The elder brother in the parable represents the self-righteous, judgmental, and hypocritical Pharisees and scribes, who scoffed at the tax collectors and sinners. They too needed to repent and come back to God but they would not.
Application
People are like lost sheep who had gone astray. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for them on the cross to pay the penalty of their sins for them. There will be great joy in heaven when one sinner repents and turn back to God.
The prodigal son came back to his senses, returned home, confessed his sin, and repented. The four steps to salvation are acknowledgment of sin, return to God, confession, and repentance. God is waiting for sinners to return to Him.
Have you walked away from God? You can return to him right now, right where you are. In a simple prayer, confess your sin, and surrender your life to God. He is waiting for you.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful and memorable parable of the prodigal son. Thank You for looking for us to bring us home to You through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Thank you for the wonderful gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. If we have walked away from You, help us to return back to You. Help us to recommit our lives to You to serve You in the kingdom of God, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
On 26/12/2019, I attended a post-Christmas, pre-New Year celebration dinner with my cardiologist colleagues in a hotel in Ipoh. After dinner, when I was leaving the restaurant, I tripped and fell. I could not remember how I fall. I must have lost consciousness, and when I came to myself, I saw my friends looking at me and calling me.
I could see and hear them but I had a strange feeling. I could not feel my body below the neck and this was frightening! It was as though my head was cut off from the rest of my body from below my neck. I could not move my hands and feet, and there were no feelings below my neck. Then it dawned on me that I was tetraplegic, and the fall had resulted in a neck injury and spinal shock.
Prolapsed intervertebral disc
My colleagues called for an ambulance and transferred me to KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital. The paramedics were very careful not to move my neck and protected my neck with a cervical collar. I was immediately taken for an emergency MRI brain and neck scan and subsequently admitted to the ICU. The MRI scan showed no head trauma, but there was a prolapsed intervertebral at the C3/C4 level causing a 90 % compression of the spinal cord, confirming the diagnosis of a prolapsed intervertebral disc with cervical myelopathy at the C3/C4 level. By then, it was already past midnight.
Spastic tetraplegia
The next morning, I was taken for a CT scan of the neck to delineate the prolapse intervertebral disc in more detail. By then, the spinal shock had resolved but I was tetraplegic. The spinal surgeon who attended to me advised urgent spinal cord decompression surgery to remove the prolapsed intervertebral disc and to decompress the spinal cord. He explained that this was a delicate and precise operation, and there was a risk of permanent spastic tetraplegia in the event of complications arising during the operation.
Spinal Surgery
At 8 pm on 27/12/2019, I was wheeled to the operation theatre for the scheduled operation. I heard the anaesthetists in attendance saying that they were giving me pure oxygen, and will be putting me to sleep. The next thing, that I remembered was the doctors calling my name, asking me to wake up, and saying that the operation was over. When I opened my eyes, I saw the doctors, nurses, paramedics, and the clock in the operation theatre, and it was 11 pm. I was wheeled back to the ICU.
Rehabilitation
After 8 days in the hospital, I was well enough to be discharged and was able to walk with great difficulty using a walking frame. After 6 more weeks of outpatient physiotherapy and rehabilitation, I finally recovered and was discharged from physiotherapy. At that time, the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in, and the whole country was under lockdown. It took me another 3 months before I became ambulant. It is now almost 3 years post operation and I am fully ambulant but still requires the assistance of a walking stick.
Thanks for the support
I thank all my cardiologist colleagues for calling the ambulance and protecting my neck during the ambulance transfer.
I thank my wife, sons, daughters-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, niece, relatives, in-laws, friends, pastors, church members, ex-school, and ex-university classmates, for their prayers, support, care, visitation, encouragement, and reassurance.
I thank the spinal surgeon, neurosurgeon, neurologist, anaesthetists, radiologists, staff nurses, nursing aides, paramedical staff, radiographers, physiotherapists, KPJ ISH hospital directors, and all the hospital staff, who had attended to me during my hospitalization.
Miracle
According to one of my cardiologist friends who was an eyewitness to the accident, I fell head facing downwards hitting the floor, and was lifeless for about 5 minutes. He said that at that moment, he thought I have died and was so worried for me. When I woke up again, it was a miracle. According to one of my sons, who is an anaesthetist in New Zealand, he said that such an injury almost always results in permanent tetraplegia, and my recovery in such a short time was indeed a miracle.
So many people prayed for me, through whats-app messenger and in person. My wife and sister were very supportive throughout my hospital stay and postoperatively. My in-laws were also very supportive throughout my ordeal. They drove me to various places outside Ipoh during the Chinese New Year of 2020 for food and recreation, just to cheer me up.
Thank God
I thank God for saving my life, rescuing me from spinal shock, rescuing me from spastic tetraplegia, successful spinal surgery, and successful rehabilitation
I thank God for preserving my life so that I can serve Him in the church. For the past 3 years, He had enabled me to write and publish 38 books. God is good, He loved me, had compassion, mercy, and grace on me, and His eyes were on me throughout my ordeal. I had experienced such amazing grace.
Testimony
I was once paralysed but now I can walk! I hope this testimony will be an encouragement for you as it had been for me.
