In the name of our Lord Jesus, I testify of His grace, mercy, and the many blessings I have received throughout my life. My name is Steven Chan, and I have been a member of Gombak Church for many years. I was baptized in 1947 when I was just three years old, and since then, I have held firmly to my faith. I have experienced countless moments of God’s protection and guidance—from my early years to my long career as a mining engineer, and even in recent times. Today, I would like to share some of these testimonies to glorify His name.
More than ten years ago, both my son and daughter were facing great difficulty in having children. They were married in 2004, but for over a decade, they remained childless. When I came to know about their struggles, I too began to pray earnestly. I asked God for the chance to become a grandfather. I prayed consistently and sincerely, believing that God could work miracles.
Just two to three months after I started praying, something miraculous happened. I received news that both my daughter and daughter-in-law were expecting! My daughter gave birth to a son in 2013, and my daughter-in-law gave birth to another son in 2016. Both had difficulties conceiving in the past, but through God’s mercy, they were blessed with children. Today, my grandsons are 12 and 9 years old. I give all thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus for answering my prayers and blessing our family with the joy of children. Hallelujah!
In 2016, another remarkable event took place. Deacon Lucas had visited me one day, and not long after—about 18 hours later—at 5:30 a.m., there was a fire in my son’s room. The air-conditioner had caught fire, and thick black smoke filled the room while the entire family was asleep. My grandson, who was only a few months old, suddenly woke up crying—something that was not usual at that hour. His crying woke everyone up, and they discovered the fire in time to act. Although the fire brigade could not be reached, we managed to put out the fire ourselves. I truly believe it was the Lord Jesus who allowed my grandson to alert the family and prevented a tragedy. All glory to Him for His divine protection.
Throughout my life, I have faced many dangers, especially during my 30 to 50 years overseeing mines as a mine manager and an engineer. I vividly recalled an incident where a high-voltage cable carrying thousands of volts snapped and fell—just missing me by a short distance. If it had been nearer to me, I would not be here today. But God preserved me. He watched over me time and time again, whether in the mines or on the road.
Even in my later years, I’ve encountered several near-miss accidents while driving. Once, a loose curtain distracted me while I was driving at high speed on the highway. I unknowingly drifted off course, but a honk from the car behind jolted me back to attention just in time to avoid a major crash. In other instances, I narrowly avoided collisions while overtaking. I know it was the Lord’s hand that guided and protected me in those critical moments.
My wife too experienced God’s protection in a dramatic way. In 1998, she was driving alone from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore without informing me. Along the way, possibly due to fatigue, she veered off the road and crashed into a ravine near Pagoh—about 134 kilometres from the start of the journey. She was driving my BMW, and the impact was so severe that both front wheels came off. A Mercedes following behind her also plunged into the ravine. The Mercedes driver emerged bleeding, but thankfully survived. My wife, to everyone’s amazement, suffered only a minor bruise near her eye.
When the flatten car was towed back to the BMW service centre in Kuala Lumpur, the mechanic could not believe anyone had survived that crash. He initially thought I was the driver of the vehicle, but it was my wife—by God’s grace—who had walked away almost unscathed. It was a miracle, and we give all glory to our Lord Jesus for sparing her life.
Though my wife does not spend as much time in church as others, she was baptized by our late Dn Thomas Chong. She continues to pray and seek God in her own way.
These were many experiences that reminded me of the grace and protection of God. I have gone through much in life, and through every trial, danger, and hardship, I knew it was the Lord who sustained me. I thank God for His mercy, protection, and blessings—both seen and unseen.
There is another testimony that I would like to share with everyone.
Toward the end of 2015, I was stricken with severe spine pain. I was seeking treatment at Gleneagles Orthopaedics Centre, but the pain only worsened over time. I was taking painkillers daily, but there was very little relief. I could hardly walk upright and constantly bent forward at a 45 to 50-degree angle, relying on a walking stick to move around.
Eventually, I was recommended to see a different spine specialist at University Hospital. An appointment was made in March 2016 to see a Chief of Spine Surgeon. After examination, he was optimistic that my condition was treatable. He recommended me to do daily stretching exercise by lying face down and lifting both legs upwards into a convex position.
I responded, “I can not even lie down, how could I possibly raise both legs?” Still, I tried. It was extremely painful and challenging.
The surgeon fixed me a date, 10th June 2016 for surgery—in case my condition did not improve. I was instructed to call the operating theatre nurse two days before the scheduled date to confirm the procedure and they will made all arrangement.
But deep inside my heart, I never wanted to undergo this surgery. Back in year 2002, I had underwent a spinal surgery, and hence I was very reluctant to go through it again. I turned to God to ask Him to heal me. I pleaded with God for His mercy and healing power.
As the date of surgery drew closer, I began to question myself—should I call the nurse? Though my faith wavered at times, I continued to pray, asking God to strengthen me and to heal me completely.
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord Jesus! Just two days before the scheduled operation, my spine pain completely disappeared. I was healed. I no longer needed to undergo the surgery. This was a miracle.
All glory and thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ for His divine healing and mercy! Amen.
