THE EVERLASTING UNCHANGING LOVE OF GOD

PENAMPANG CHURCH, SABAH

THE EVERLASTING UNCHANGING LOVE OF GOD

Sister Jinah Duayle

Hallelujah! in the name of the Lord Jesus Ii testify. My name is Jane Jinah Buayie of the Kota Kinabalu Church. I would like to share with you my experience of the Lord’s love, mercy and grace.

Love Of Bible Reading from A Young age

In 1974, while I was studying in the Kota Kinabalu UiTM I made a friend called Whiten who was a member of the SIB Church. She originated from Ranau. We became very good friends because of our age similarity and further because we shared the same faith (SIB Church); during our leisure hours we would often read and share our views on the Holy Bible together.

Yearning To Understand the Mystery Of The Bible

One day, after lunch, I again took out my Bible to read. At that time one Bible verse seemed to become photographed into my mind. I found it very interesting. It was ICorinthians 12:4 “There are diverse gifts but one Holy Spirit.” I read and re-read it again and again but was unable to understand it. My friend was attending class, so I was unable to get her opinion on that Bible verse. I shut my eyes and made a silent prayer, asking the Lord for instruction or to give me a vision so that I would understand the meaning. Suddenly, I saw this Bible verse rolling towards me like an ocean wave. I was startled by this vision; I thought that I was too tired and therefore my eyes were playing tricks on me. I rubbed my eyes and rested for a while. Then I opened my eyes and read the Bible verse again. Oh! This time the wave was large; it seemed to roll right into my face. I hurriedly closed the Bible and rested again. Unconsciously, I fell asleep.

A Strange Dream

In my dream I was walking alone to attend service at the SIB Church. Midway, a storm broke out. Heavy rain and thunder clapped on me. Many rubber trees around me fell down. I walked faster, trying to find a shelter from the rain and storm. Suddenly, I saw a big buffalo right in front of me, with its two sharp and strong horns pointing towards me. Then it called out my name. I was very startled. How could a buffalo know my name? Why was it speaking like a human being? I was anxious and scared and ran as fast as I could. Then I climbed up one tree. Looking down from the tree the buffalo stood underneath, continuously calling out to me to go down. It was also trying to knock me with its two horns. Then the buffalo called out the name of a prophet of a religion. I called back with the name of Jesus Christ. In this way we exchanged names several times. Finally the buffalo growled terrifyingly in great anger, as if it was calling out the name of the prophet. I immediately replied loudly with the name of Jesus Christ. Then I realised that the rubber tree I was sitting on had become a very large cross. The buffalo broke and disintegrated into small pieces before my eyes. At this point, I woke up. I was sweating all over and discovered that it was 3.00 p.m. my friend was still in class. I washed and changed and went out to attend my class. I did not have the opportunity to tell anyone about the dream.

A Brilliant White Ray From Heaven

I was typing my assignment when I saw a brilliant white ray shining down from heaven on to my table. I looked upward and saw that this ray of light shone through the ceiling. It was much brighter than an electric light. I looked around me and saw all my classmates buried deeply in their assignment, completely unaware of this incident. I again looked upward and saw that the ceiling had disappeared. I saw the large sky and the ray of brilliant light shining from heaven. Then I realised that someone was calling me. It was my friend, Whiten,. Her face was shining. I asked her, “What has happened to you? Are you unwell? Your hands are very cold!” She answered, “I am very well. Let’s go back to pray.” We immediately returned to the hostel to pray. During the prayer, my body gradually warmed up and my head started to give me pain. Suddenly, I felt that a burden was lifted from my back. My body became very light and I floated in the air. I sang the hymn “Amazing Grace” again and again. I was filled with joy. All the college students came to look at us. One Bumiputra female student said, “Look! They are mad!” Even before she finished saying those words and was stepping out of the room, she fell down unconscious. All the rest students ran away on seeing this.

An Angel Protected Me From A Black Magician At Night

As I was watching the television that night, I shut my eyes for a few moments. That was when I saw a magician in black coming towards me. I quickly opened my eyes and saw three magicians. I asked them why they were disturbing me. The three of them were having a discussion among themselves. I asked them again, “Do you think I am afraid of you? Do you know who I am?” The three magicians stared at me and made to grab me. I said, “What are you waiting for? Go and die.” Once I finished speaking, the three magicians disappeared. I immediately got up to pray and then went to sleep. Early the next morning, one female cleaner come to me and said, “The female student who fainted yesterday through the magic spell have become very sick today. She seems to be dying. What power did you use?” I replied, “Nothing. It is only the grace of Jesus.” Then I told her what I saw the day before. She wondered at all that had happened and said, “Then what that Bumiputra student said was true. She said she saw an angle standing beside you.”

Felt The Emptiness and Hopelessness Of Other Church Denominations

That Sunday, I attended Church service with my friend. We met the pastor and told him all that happened. He said, “If you don’t understand what had happened, then it was not the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” His words were of no help. Conversely, they caused me greater confusion. When I returned to my village, I related the events to the Church Elders again. Their replies were even more disappointing. They told my parents that I was possessed by the devil. Greatly discouraged, I never stepped into that Church again. In 1975, I started work in a Bank. My colleague was a Basel Mission member and I joined their Church services several times. However, I could not feel anything. Later, I went to the Baptist Church and the Methodist Church and was also unimpressed. Soon after that I met my husband. He belonged to the Roman Catholic Church where we were married and attended mass often. In 1993, my younger sister, Bibiana, was baptised into the True Jesus Church and gave me a few gospel tracts issued by the Church. After reading them carefully I felt that the doctrine preached by this Church was very good. The Holy Spirit was mentioned and it was very similar to my previous experience. I tried to persuade my husband to seek the Truth in the True Jesus Church but he refused. He said that the Roman Catholic Church had a very long history and it was not necessary to change. I could only pray to God to guide me to the salvation path and to allow me to find the true Church.

God’s Grace Led Me to the True Church

In 1999, my sister was married in the True Jesus Church in Penampang. That was the first time I stepped into the True Jesus Church. I was very excited and felt so blessed that it seemed as if I was the bride that day. I was moved by the Holy Spirit during the wedding service. All that had happened to me when I was studying in the UiTM was replayed before my eyes scene after scene. I was moved to tears. I cried out in my heart, “Is not this the True Church that I had been searching for so long?” My heart seemed like a heaving wave, which could not be calmed down for a very long time. On the way home, I renewed the subject of turning to the true Church. But my husband still maintained his stand. He said, “If you want to go, go by yourself. Our kids and I shall still belong to the Roman Catholic Church.” His words were like a knife stabbed into my heart. I was both very disappointed and sad.

Revelation From God In A Vision Not To Delay

In the year 2001, my two uncles fell ill and passed away within one week of each other. On the way back, after attending their funerals in the village, a voice told me to open my eyes and look at the corpses and that people of the world were like them. I was very afraid when my thoughts switched to myself, a believer of God in word and not in fact, I was also like them. I did not have any confidence at all concerning my life. Would I be able to go into the Heavenly Kingdom in the future? Why have I not seen my husband and children pray at all? All these questions kept surfacing inside my mind. Immediately after the funeral, I requested my husband to believe in Jesus Christ in the True Church. I was determined to turn to the Truth and did not care what my husband’s response would be. But my husband kept on his delaying tactics. He said we should wait until our two sons, Jeremy and Aaron, had completed their qualifying examinations.

Turned To The True Church As Longed For

After our sone completed their examinations, I again pressed my husband. Finally, as I had long awaited, we attended the Sabbath service at the True Jesus Church in Penampang. There we met Preacher Thomas Kam and Sister Jessica and Ervina Lo. They invited me to attend the baptism sacrament on the following day (Sunday). Thereafter, the gospel sub-committee members, Brother Wong Pui Fong and Rocky carried on the work of introducing the gospel to us. Under their invitation, our whole family joined the 3-month gospel class, wherein we studied the complete gospel and the word of life of the True Church step by step. Thanks to the Lord, at last in March 2002, we accepted the baptism of the Lord’s blood to come under His Name.

Reflections

Today, my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God. Under His guidance we have been able to find the true path of our lives to enter the True Jesus Church to become God’s children. All these were not out of my own labour; it had arisen out of the love, mercy and salvation grace of the Heavenly Father. May God open the door of salvation so that all who seek Him may find Him and be able to live under His everlasting unchanging love. I hope that we would grow continuously in the Spirit and in our knowledge of God be able to repay a little of the Lord’s Grace. May all glory, thanks and praise to be our Lord Jesus.

“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”(Matthew 7:8)