11Apr09 John 14: 11-14 NIV
He will do even greater things than these . . .
Last night a mild mannered elderly brother came all the way from Sandakan to share his testimony and sing to us at our Good Friday service. His name is Dannis. He is 55 years old and he has just retired from work. He told us that, in contrast to many people who have entered retirement, his real work is just beginning.
With a simple acoustic guitar strapped to his shoulder, Dannis gave a sincere and touching testimony of his life. As a young boy, he followed his elder sister to church and grew up among the Christian community, getting acquainted with many lessons about Jesus Christ. He was active in music and singing. He also took Bible Knowledge in his Form Five exams. However, he didn't read the Bible very much for himself.
Subsequently, as a young working adult Dannis drifted away from his Christian beliefs and fell into depression. At the persuasion of a colleague, he joined a syncretistic religious group that appeared to involve themselves in occult practices. He went around wearing some kind of amulet around his neck. After some time, Dannis began to fall strangely ill. He developed a growth on the left side of his neck, below the jaw. Strange rashes began to appear on his skin. He didn't know what was going wrong.
The last straw came, when the leaders in this group began to teach that Jesus did not die on the cross. Although Dannis didn't read the Bible very much, his years of having been brought up in the Church meant there was this part of his belief that he could never compromise - that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world. He could not agree with them.
So Dannis left this strange occultic group. With the help of a Christian sister, he began to read about how God healed his children of severe illness. He attended meetings where the preachers prayed for his healing. He was advised to discard the amulet that he continued to wear around his neck, and to renounce all the occultic practices that he had involved himself in. However, in spite of going from one healing meeting to another, feeling somewhat embarassed that he appeared to be going forward so many times for prayers, Dannis was not cured of the lump on his neck.
It was late in the year 1986, and one day a doctor friend who returned from the UK brought Dannis to see a specialist who diagnosed the lump on his neck as goitre. The growth was so large that it was pressing on his wind-pipe, making it difficult for him to speak and sing. An operation was scheduled several weeks later but Dannis was apprehensive about the prospect of having to go under the knife. Eventually, he defaulted.
One day in early 1987, while dressing up for an occasion, Dannis was surprised to notice that he could button up his shirt collar when putting on his necktie. He had not done that for a long time, not with the goitre on his neck. On taking a closer look at the mirror, he discovered that the growth has disappeared! Dannis did not have that painful lump under his jaw anymore. How marvellous. The specialist who examined Dannis earlier was called to have another look at him again.
"It has completely gone away. I don't know how it happens. It's a miracle . . .", the specialist remarked.
Today, by the grace of God, Dannis goes around the country, being invited by churches to share his testimony about his miraculous healing. He has also been blessed with a new gift from the Spirit: the gift of composing songs of praise for the Lord. He told us that when the inspiration came, sometimes he would only take five minutes to compose a song.
And last night Dannis sang to us a beautiful song that he had composed about the love of Christ and his sacrifice for us, in a sweet voice, accompanied with the cheerful strumming on his acoustic guitar. In his mild and simple manner, Dannis is bringing edification to many Christians in churches all over the country.
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." v 12
Dannis has begun doing great things for the Lord.
