Dr Richard Teo’s testimony

This testimony was recorded at the Dental Christian Fellowship , on 24 Nov 2011, 8 months after his diagnosis. Richard would have liked to share this with you. We are doing this to continue his work.  Please have a read and leave it behind for someone else to benefit from his sharing. If you would like a copy, please let any of his family or close friends know and we will be able to provide both the audio recording as well as the transcript. Thank you, and may God bless you richly. Below is the transcript of the talk of Dr. Richard Teo, who was a 40-year-old millionaire and cosmetic surgeon with a stage-4 lung cancer, sharing at a Dental Christian Fellowship Meeting. He would have liked to share this with you too.Dr Richard Teo: at His call

HIS BACKGROUND

Hi good morning to all of you. My voice is a bit hoarse from the chemotherapy, so please bear with me. I thought I’ll just introduce myself. My name is Richard, I’m a friend of Danny’s, who invited me here. I’d just begin to say that I’m a typical product of today’s society. Before this, I was talking about how the media influences us etc. So I’m a typical product of what the media portrays. From young, I’ve always been under the influence and impression that to be happy, is to be successful. And to be successful, is to be wealthy. So I led my life according to this motto. Coming from a poor average family, back in those days, I was highly competitive, whether in sports, studies, leadership. I wanted it all. I’ve been there, done that. But at the end of the day, it’s still about money.

So in my recent last years, I was a trainee in ophthalmology, but I was getting impatient, cos I had friends of mine who were going out into private practise, making tonnes of money. And there I was, stuck in a traineeship. So I said, ‘Enough, it’s getting too long.’ At that time, there was a surge in protégés of aesthetic medicine. I’m sure you’re aware, aesthetic medicine had peaked over the last few years, and I saw good money in there. So much so that I said, ‘Forget about ophthalmology, I’m gonna do aesthetic medicine.’ So that’s what I did.

The truth is, nobody makes heroes out of the average GP in the neighbourhood. They don’t. They make heroes out of rich celebrities, politicians, rich and famous people. So I wanted to be one of these. I dived straight into aesthetic medicine. People were not willing to pay when I was doing locum back in those days. Anything more than $30, they would complain that “Wah, this lo kun (doctor) jing qwee (very expensive)”. They made noise and they were not happy. But the same people were willing to pay $10 000 for a liposuction. So I said, ‘Well, let’s stop healing the sick, I’m gonna become a beautician; a medically-trained beautician.’

And that was what I did – liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid surgeries, you name it, we do it. It was very good money. My clinic, when we started off, waiting time was 1 week; 1 month; became 2 months; became 3 months. There was so much demand that people were literally queuing up to have aesthetic work done on them. Vain women – easy life!

So the clinic grew. I was so overwhelmed, from 1 doctor, I employed 2, then 3, then 4 doctors, and carried on. Nothing is ever enough. I wanted more and more and more. So much so that we set up shop in Indonesia to lure all the Indonesian tai tai’s. We set up shop, set up a team of people there, to get more Indonesian patients to come in. So, things were doing well. I’m there, my time has arrived.

Around some time in February last year, I said, ‘OK, I have so much spare cash, it’s time to get my first Ferrari. So there I was, getting ready for the deposit. ‘OK! There comes my first Ferrari!’ I was looking for land, to share with some of my friends. I have a banker friend who makes $5 million a year. So I thought, ‘Come, let’s come together. Let’s buy some land and build our houses.’

I was at my prime, getting ready to enjoy. At the same time, my friend Danny had a revival. They were going back to church, some of my close friends. They told me, ‘Richard, come, join us, come back to church.’

I have been a Christian for 20 years; I was baptised 20 years ago, but it was because it was fashionable to be a Christian then. All my friends were becoming Christians then. It was fashionable! I wanted to be baptised, so that when I filled in a form, I could put there “Christian” – feels good. In truth, I had never had a bible; I don’t know what the bible is all about. I went to church for a while, after some time, I got tired. I said it’s time to go to NUS, stop going to church. I had a lot more things to pursue in NUS – girls, studies, sports etc. After all, I had achieved all these things without God today, so who needs God? I myself can achieve anything I want.

In my arrogance, I told them, “You know what? You go tell your pastor to change your sermon to 2pm. I will consider coming to church.” Such arrogance! And I said 1 statement in addition to that – till date, I don’t know I’ve regretted saying that – I told Danny and my friends, “If God really wanted me to come back to church, He will give me a sign.”. Lo and behold, 3 weeks later, I was back at church.

THE DIAGNOSIS

In March 2011, out of the blues – I was still running around, ‘cause I’m a gym freak and I always go to the gym training, running, swimming 6 days a week. I had some backache, and that’s all I had, but it was persistent. And so I went for an MRI to exclude prolapsed disc. And the day before I had my scan, I was still in the gym, lifting heavy weights, doing my squats. And the next day, they found that half my spine had bone marrow replacement. I said, “Woah, sorry, what’s that?”

We had a PET scan the next day, and they diagnosed that I had terminal lung cancer, stage 4B. It had spread to the brain, half the spine, whole of my lungs were filled with tumour, liver, adrenals…

I said, “Can’t be, I was just at the gym last night, what’s going on?” I’m sure you know how it feels – though I’m not sure if you know how it feels. One moment I was there at the peak, the next day, this news came and I was totally devastated. My whole world just turned upside down.

I couldn’t accept it. I have a hundred relatives on both sides, my mom and my dad. 100 of them. And not a single one has cancer. To me, in my mind, I have good genes, I’m not supposed to be having this! Some of my relatives are heavy chain smokers. Why am I having lung cancer? I was in denial.

HIS ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

So the next day, I was still in a state of denial, still unable to accept what was going on. There I was lying in an operating theatre in a hospital, for a needle biopsy (for histology). There I was, just completed the biopsy, and lying in the operating theatre. The nurses and doctors had left; told me I had to wait for 15 minutes to do a check X-ray to make sure there’s no pneumothorax (a complication).

And there I was, lying on the operating table, staring blankly at the ceiling in a cold, quiet operating theatre. Suddenly I just heard an inner voice; it was not like coming from outside. It was inside. This small inner voice that I had never felt before. And it said very specifically, it said, “This has to happen to you, at your prime, because it’s the only way you can understand.”

I said, “Woah, why did that come from?” You know, when you speak to yourself, you’d say, “OK, what time should I leave this place? Where shall I have dinner after this?” You’d speak from a first person point of view. You don’t say, “Where should YOU go after this?” Whereas the voice that came spoke as a third party. It said, “This has to happen to YOU, at YOUR prime, because this is the only way YOU can understand.” At that time, my emotions just overflowed and I broke down and cried, alone there. And I knew then, subsequently, what it means to understand that why this is the only way.

Because I had been so proud of myself, my whole life, I needed nobody else. I was gifted with things that I could do, why do I need anybody else? I was just so full of myself that there was no other way I could have turned back to God.

In fact, if I were diagnosed with stage 1 or 2, I would have been looking around busily for the best cardiothoracic surgeon, remove a section of the lobe (do a lobectomy), do preventive chemotherapy…The chances of it being cured is extremely high. Who needs God? But I had stage 4B. No man can help, only God can.

A series of events happened after that. I wasn’t sold after that, because of the inner voice, I became believing, prayers, all that. No I wasn’t. To me, it was just ‘maybe there was a voice; or maybe that was just me talking to myself.’ I didn’t buy the story.

What happened next was that I was being prepared for chemotherapy. I started off with a whole brain radiation therapy first; takes about 2 -3 weeks. In the meantime they prepared me for chemotherapy, supplements etc. One of the things they used for chemo was a thing called Zometa. Zometa – they use it to strengthen the bones; once the bone marrow (replacement) is cured of cancer cells, it becomes hollow, so we need Zometa to strengthen the bone to prevent compression fractures.

One of the side effects of Zometa is that it can cause osteonecrosis (bone death) of the jaw, and I had to have my wisdom teeth removed. Years ago, I had my upper wisdom teeth removed, cos it was giving me trouble. The lower ones didn’t give me trouble so I said, “Forget it, just leave it.” So of cause, Danny volunteered to remove it for me.

So there I was, lying there in a dental chair, asking myself, suffering all the side effects of radiotherapy, and now I have to go through wisdom tooth surgery. As if I’ve not had enough to suffer! So I asked Danny, “Eh, bro, is there any other way? Can I not go though this?” He said, “Yes, you can pray.”

I said, “What’s there to lose? Ok lah, pray lah!” And so we prayed. And we did an X-ray after that. Everything was all there, all the appliances and everything. And lo and behold, the Xray showed that there was no wisdom teeth in the lower jaw. I know most people have 4 wisdom teeth, maybe some have none, but to be missing one or 2, as I understand – I’m not too sure, as I understand – is not that common.

Still I was, “Nah, I don’t care about that.” To me, as long as I didn’t have to take out the tooth, I was happy. At that point, I still wasn’t sold on prayers. Maybe it was just a coincidence – for whatever it’s worth.

I continued meeting my oncologist, asking him, “How long do I have?” I asked him. He said, not more than 6 months. I said, “Even with chemotherapy?” About 3 – 4 months, he said.

I couldn’t grasp that. It was difficult to come to terms. And even as I went through radiotherapy, I was struggling everyday, especially when I wake up, hoping that it’s just a nightmare; when I wake up, it’s all over.

As I was struggling, day after day, I went into depression, which is the typical denial, depression blah blah blah that you go through. But for 1 reason, I don’t know why, there was this specific day that I was supposed to meet my oncologist. At about 2pm, I felt this sudden surge of peace, comfort, and in fact, a little happiness. It was just overflowing. For no rhyme or reason, it just came about 2pm, as I was getting ready, dressing up to meet my oncologist. So much so that I whats-apped all my friends that, “Bros, I just feel so good suddenly! I don’t know why, it just came!”

And it was only days, or was it weeks after, that Danny revealed to me that he had fasted for 2 days for me, and he was bargaining with God, and fasted for 2 days, and he ended his fast at that exact same point, about 2pm thereabouts, that this surge of sensation came to me for no rhyme or reason. And I didn’t know that he was fasting for me. And when he ended the fast, I felt that sensation!

Whoa, things were getting a bit too coincidental. I was starting to buy a bit of the story, but still I wasn’t sold. As days passed by, I completed my radiotherapy, about 2 weeks plus. Getting ready for chemo, so they let me rest for a few days.

See, the mortality rate of lung cancer : Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate. If you add up breast, colorectal (colon) cancer, and prostate cancer (the top few cancers in Singapore for men and women), if you add up the mortality rate of these 3, it still doesn’t add up to lung cancer. Simply because, you understand, you can remove the prostate, the colon, the breast, but you cannot remove your lungs.

But there’s about 10% of lung cancer patients who do pretty well for some reasons, because they have this specific mutation; we call it the EGFR mutation. And it happens, only 90% of the time, in Asian ladies who never smoked in their lives. Me, first of all, I’m male. 2ndly, I’m a social smoker. I take one a day after dinner; weekends, when my friends offer me, I take it as well. I’m a light smoker, not a social smoker. But still, my oncologist was still not hopeful for me to have this mutation.

The chances of it happening for me was maybe 3-4% for me to get it. That’s why I was being primed to go for chemo. But through all the intense prayers, friends like Danny, people that I don’t even know, it turned out that, during my waiting for chemo, the results came back that I was EGFR positive. I was like, “Woah, good news!” Cos now I don’t have to undergo chemo at that time, because there’s this oral tablet that you can use to control this disease.

Just to share with you some idea – this is a CT scan – thorax – of my lungs, before treatment.

AFTER BEFORE

Every single dot there is a tumour. You can see all the mets (metastasis) there. This is just one single plane. Literally I had it in both lungs, and I had literally tens of thousands of tumour. That’s why the oncologist told me, even with chemo, at most 3-4 months.

But because of this mutation, they have this oral medication. This is what happened after 2 months of treatment. As you can see over here; this is what God can do. And that’s why I’m still here having this opportunity to share with you. As you can see over here, the difference between before and after treatment.

At that point, I said, “Well, it’s to be expected, isn’t it? The medicine is good.” I’m still not buying the story. Well, the guys prayed for me and the tumour markers started to come down. 90% of the tumours were wiped out, and the tumour markers came down to more than 90% over the next few months.

But still, you know, once you have the clinical knowledge, you know the statistics. One year survival, two year survival; having all this knowledge is not a good thing. Cos you live with the knowledge that even with all this, the cancer cells are so unstable, they keep mutating. They will overcome and become resistant to the drugs, and eventually you’re gonna run out of medication.

So living with this knowledge is a huge mental struggle, a huge mental torture. Cancer is not just about a physical struggle, it’s a huge mental torture. How do you live with no hope? How do you live with not being able to plan for the next few years? The oncologist tells you to bear with it for the next 1 – 2 months. So it’s a lot of struggles as I went through: March, then April. April was my lowest point, in deep depression, struggling even as I was recovering.

HIS ACCEPTANCE & PEACE

And one of those days, I was there in bed, struggling in the afternoon, asking God, “Why? Why do I have to go through this suffering? Why do I have to endure this hardship, this struggle? Why me?”

As I fell asleep, in my dreamy state, a vision just came, that says Hebrews 12:7-8.

Now mind you, at this time, I had not read the bible. I have no clue what’s Hebrews, I don’t even know how many chapters there are. Totally clueless.

But it says Hebrews 12:7-8, very specifically.

I didn’t think too much of it. I just continued sleeping. Then I woke up, and I said, “What’s there to lose? I’d just check it out lah!” Danny had bought me a bible; it’s still quite new. I said, “It’s ok, just try.” So I flipped to the Old Testament. Hebrews to me sounds like something ancient, so it should be in the Old Testament right? So I flipped through the Old Testament. No Hebrews there. I was so disappointed.

Then I said, “Maybe New Testament, let’s have a look!”. WOW – New Testament, there’s Hebrew’s!! It says Hebrews 12:7-8. It says, “Endure hardship as discipline as God is treating you as His children.”

I said, “WAH!! Where did that come from?” I was getting goose pimples all over my body. I said, “This can’t be, right?” I mean, what’s the chance of somebody, who has never read the bible, to have a vision of a chapter of a specific verse, that answers my question directly?

I think God called to me directly as I was there sleeping, struggling with it, asking God, “Why do I have to suffer? Why do I have to suffer this?” And God says “Endure hardship as discipline as God is treating you as His child.”

At this point, the chance of that happening is even lesser than my EGFR being positive. There’s just no way; there’s so many millions of thousands of verses in the bible, how can I just conjure up something like that?

So at that point, I was sold I said, “YOU WIN! YOU WIN!!”

Ok , I was convinced. And so from that day onwards, I started believing in my God. And the last time I heard that inner voice was the end of April. And that inner voice, same thing, in the afternoon, as I was sleeping (this time I wasn’t struggling, just going to sleep). In a dreamy state I just heard Him say, “Help others in hardship.”

It was more like a command, rather than a statement. And that’s when I embarked on this journey, helping others in hardship. And I realised that hardship is not just about being poor. In fact, I think a lot of poor people are probably happier than a lot of us here. They are so easily contented with whatever they have, they’re probably pretty happy.

Hardship can happen to rich people; it can be physical hardship, mental hardship, social, etc. And also over the last few months, I started to understand what this true joy is about. In the past, I substituted true joy with the pursuing of wealth. I thought true joy is about pursuing wealth. Why? Cos let me put it to you this way, in my death bed, I found no joy whatsoever in whatever objects I had – my Ferrari, thinking of the land I was going to buy to build my bungalow etc, having a successful business.

It brought me ZERO comfort, ZERO joy, nothing at all. Do you think I can hold onto this piece of metal and it’s going to give true joy? Nah, it’s not going to happen.

True joy comes from interaction with other people. And at a lot of times, it is a short term pride, the past. When you pursue your wealth, Chinese New Year is the best time to do it. Drive my Ferrari, show off to my relatives, show off to my friends, do my rounds, and then you thought that was true joy? You really think that those guys who sold you your Ferrari, they share their joy with you? And your relatives, wow, they share this joy with you? In truth, what you have done is just to illicit envy, jealousy, and even hatred. They are not sharing the joy with you, and what I have is that short-term pride that wow, I have something you don’t have! And I thought that was joy!

So what we have is basically a short-term pride at the expense of somebody else. And that wasn’t true joy. And I found no joy at all on my deathbed, thinking of my Ferrari – to hold on to it, sayang it?!?

True joy I discovered comes from interaction. Over the last few months I was so down. Interaction with my loved ones, my friends, my brothers in Christ, my sisters in Christ, and only then was I able to be motivated, able to be uplifted. To share your sorrow, to share your happiness – that’s true joy.

And you know what makes you smile? True joy comes from helping others in hardship, and because I’ve gone through this, I know what hardship entails. In fact, there’re some cancer patients who tell me a lot of times, people come up to them and tell them, “Stay positive. Stay positive.” Yah, right. You come in my shoes and you try to stay positive! You don’t know what you’re talking about!

But I have the licence. So I’ve been going out to meet other fellow cancer patients, to share with them, encourage them. And I know, because I’ve been through it, and it’s easier for me to talk to them.

And most importantly, I think true joy comes from knowing God. Not knowing about God – I mean, you can read the bible and know about God – but knowing God personally; getting a relationship with God. I think that’s the most important. That’s what I’ve learnt.

So if I were to sum it up, I’d say that the earlier we sort out the priorities in our lives, the better it is. Don’t be like me – I had no other way. I had to learn it through the hard way. I had to come back to God to thank Him for this opportunity because I’ve had 3 major accidents in my past – car accidents. You know, these sports car accidents – I was always speeding , but somehow I always came out alive, even with the car almost being overturned. And I wouldn’t have had a chance. Who knows, I don’t know where else I’d be going to! Even though I was baptised it was just a show, but the fact that this has happened, it gave me a chance to come back to God.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT

Few things I’d learnt though:

1. Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart – this is so important.

2. Is to love and serve others, not just ourselves.

There is nothing wrong with being rich or wealthy. I think it’s absolutely alright, cos God has blessed. So many people are blessed with good wealth, but the trouble is I think a lot of us can’t handle it. The more we have, the more we want. I’ve gone through it, the deeper the hole we dig, the more we get sucked into it, so much so that we worship wealth and lose focus. Instead of worshipping God, we worship wealth. It’s just a human instinct. It’s just so difficult to get out of it.

We are all professionals, and when we go into private practise, we start to build up our wealth – inevitably. So my thought are, when you start to build up wealth and when the opportunity comes, do remember that all these things don’t belong to us. We don’t really own it nor have rights to this wealth. It’s actually God’s gift to us. Remember that it’s more important to further His Kingdom rather than to further ourselves.

Anyway I think that I’ve gone through it, and I know that wealth without God is empty. It is more important that you fill up the wealth, as you build it up subsequently, as professionals and all, you need to fill it up with the wealth of God.

I think that’s about it. It’s good to share. Thanks.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

(This was first posted on 29 Oct 2012. A pastor  shared this story to me earlier today and it sounded familiar. Indeed I found the story in my blog, and read it again. I thought it deserves to be re-posted for encouragement of readers. Blessings.)

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Comments

  • Hi Stanely n SHF

    Would be wonderful blessing if you could share n enlighten on how NCC teachIngs wud handle RT’s testimony.

    • Hi Journeyman,

      Can I chime in? I attend NCC as well.

      If I can be honest, I was also grappling with the implications from the doctor’s testimony. I have a difficult time believing that Jehovah-Rapha would personally curse with sickness and death on His own children who have been bought by the blood of Jesus, even if to teach something valuable. I’ve also known some believers first hand who have passed away from cancer, one at an early age.

      What to make of all this? I can’t answer that.

      All I know is that we do live in this vulnerable body, in this fallen world for the time being at least, and sometimes for whatever reason bad things can happen.

      But I still choose to believe 2 things that the Lord has promised:

      1. Jesus has already borne all my sicknesses and my pains. This is clear enough.

      2. He may allow certain things to happen, even bad circumstances, but all things work together for my good because I’m His son in Christ. This testimony from the doctor is an example.

      I know you probably asked this question with the intent of poking holes on what NCC has taught, but it’s also an honest and good question that deserves a good answer.

      What do other believers think? Blogpastor?

      • Hi Ben
        Thanks for yr insights n thoughts – hv found the Prince radical grace message attractive but seems completely silent on death and dying. Presumably the wages of sin is death.

        This seems to be only half the complete message – Ying without the yang.
        Have been “indoctrinated/educated” in science of repeatable observations and predictable speculations within an accepted “standard model” – this enables a logical and rational explanation of life as I know it allowing me to make sense of an existence. Hopefully my faith allows me “cement” over the cracks allowing a productive and comparatively happy existence.

        My journey is a unique gift and of little consequence except to me – just feel strongly that fellow travelers sud decipher their own raison d’etre instead of mindlessly being enslaved to irrational belief systems that do not fit within reality of life as we know it.

        God is God and sometime we hv no answers except to accept his action as He knows best. Being judgmental is certainly NOT a spiritual gift. Am going thru Stalingrad where 3 million died in horrible conditions gloriously !! Will write an impression later to share – hopIng BP can start a Jesus community/church in the cloud

        • I understand what you mean. I’m also inclined towards “facts” and being “rational” so sometimes it’s hard for us to reconcile what we see in the world especially when diseases take their toll on others, and what we hear in God’s word.

          Yet, this is exactly what faith is isn’t it? Which do we trust ultimately when there’s seeming contradictions? Our bodily senses or God’s promises? When we fall sick, do we go by what we see or what we feel in our bodies? Or what the Lord says when proclaimed that He bore all our sicknesses and our pains already? Ultimately, one of them must be a lie since they it’s obvious both cannot both be true at the same time.

          What Stanley said is right. We also have to remember that we live in a fallen world which has real consequences on our bodies and mind, and there’s also an enemy here that is actively bent on seeing us suffer.

          The Lord may allow bad circumstances to happen for whatever reason and use these to prosper us in the end, but is that the same thing as Him actually causing the bad circumstances? In Scripture, there’s just tons of evidence that our Father is the most loving, protective and generous God that jealously guards our well-being, we who are His sons in Christ. I find it impossible that he would place cancer on us to teach us something. Have you seen cancer taking it’s toll? I was extremely outraged and pained when I saw it killing my relative, and even my pet dog. If I a human being, can feel like this, what more our loving Father? No wonder the Lord calls “death” an enemy to be destroyed.

          • Hi Ben
            Despite pleadings, outcome was
            changed – God dud allow it to proceed to RT demise. Reminds me of the son asking the father to remove the cup so he did not to drink fm
            It – seems to if u ever pray the Lord prayer – we will accept his will be done. Also concerned that Lyn seems to question RT’s encounter with God – I hv not doubt he did as he found strength n peace and be an instrument of his Lord. Zealots and intolerance always worry me. Inspired by RT’s msge especially spending a year to study and meditating on Eccelesiaties. Anyway wud like to carry on this discussion offline – either at my club or a restaurant at Star Mall – it is walking distance from where I live. BP has my contacts. Shalom

    • God wants us well, He is not the one who gives us sickness…
      3 John 1:2 NKJV
      Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

      On the other hand, the devil seeks only our destruction…
      John 10:10 NKJV
      The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

      If you truly truly believe that God gives you sickness, then you should not be visiting the doctor to get healed because you would be going against God’s will by trying to get rid of the sickness He gave you!

      No, sickness is not from God… So if you are sick, you can boldly declare that by Jesus’ stripes, you are healed! (1 Peter 2:24)

      • Hi Stanley – do u ever visit doctors or dentists? Ever done a multiphasic or healthcare screen?
        Somehow it seems highly unlikely to me that we have such simple and steadfast faith. This also raises the issue of carbon based longevity – we will make enough genetic mistakes to eventually expire. This also leaves on how we wil exit this existence.

        How does the NCC teaching handle these real life issues. Prayer is great but iPads are made by science n technogy.

        • Hi Stanley,
          “No sickness is from God”…..so how, when and why does God’s people ever become sick or even die. Sounds far too unnatural to me and goes against God’s own laws of nature and ecodynamics.

          By extension of rational logical progression, God’s people only become sick when they no longer believe in God or lose faith?

          My past experience with involved with charismatic Pentecostals doing evangelical hospital visits was everybody we had “saved” died within six months and they was always justification that their Life was extended – in fact some died soon after the visit and the testimony was they had been “called” home to a better place. Did not do a scientific statistical correlation
          but back of envelop tells me that was low probability of supernatural
          Intervention. It was the insensitive remarks of attribution to a sinful past or unresolved currency. So pls explain why people have to die or grow infirm or have dementia according to the thread of the scriptural verses you hv quoted. Believe SHF tried to emulate John Curry?

          • NCC taught me that God does not give me sickness… I do fall sick once in a while… my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer less two years ago…

            If we believe that God is the one who gave us the illness, then what hope do we have? Trying to find a cure would be going against God’s will, wouldn’t it?

            No, God only wants us to be well, and that’s why we can turn to Him for help. My wife went for surgery, and we prayed to God for success and quick recovery. The operation was successful and my wife suffered very little pain and only for a short while… She didn’t even take any painkillers.

            God does not give us sickness to teach us a lesson. But if we do fall sick, He can use it as an opportunity to turn it around for our good.

            I can’t explain why some people received miraculous healing while some didn’t… But as for me and my household, we believe God only wants good for us. He is the solution to our problems, not the cause.

  • @Journeyman

    Why should NCC teachings have to explain this testimony? Dr. Teo was never a member of NCC. Why should NCC’s teaching be relevant in this case?

    What is interesting to see is that when you yourself, Journeyman or your loved ones fall sick (God forbid), what scriptures you will be quoting and on which side of the coin you would pray for your fate to fall.

    For me and my house “by Jesus’s stripes we are healed” and “with long life will He satisfy me” is our faith.

    lyn

    • hi Lyn
      Admire yr supernatural ability to rise above concerns ordinary people like me have to contend with. Applaud your zeal and stated intent to live until you r satisfied is way beyond my standard model of existence.

      Presumably the truth as taught at NCC does not just hold true for just NCC members ( or is it only for current voting members) – are u saying these are special privileges for NCC members only – – all other “Christians” are excluded from what Jesus promised? If anyone of us want to enjoy these “privilages” we need to join NCC – seems like you belong to a very exclusive club of Xtians.

      Was hoping this was going to be sharing about per own limited understanding of God so each will be enlightened abit more.

      Also deduce that medical doctors wud be out of place in a community without sickness or death only after a
      member has been satisfied?

      Wow, Wow Wow

      • What has NCC to do with this doctor? Must NCC explain or justify for this doc’s death?..

        I don’t know, if you ask me…. Its between this doc and God why he’s not given a “2nd chance”.

        And just for the record, he was a chain smoker!

  • Hi Ben,

    If you had listen to the testimonies about all the different healings taken place in our church, you’d know that there are many different so-called ‘methods’. Some were healed after taking Holy Communion, by anointing oil, laying of hands or a declaration of faith written on the doctor’s report. Even in the Bible, Jesus healed different people in many different ways. I believe that this is the method that impresses upon the receiver the most. Some He just called forth, some He touched, some He put spit on etc.

    In terms of healing, I believe just like National Service, we have to prepare for the time of war in time of peace and that is why positioning ourselves in a church where healing is a matter of course is essential to build that faith.

    The methods may be different but it all boils down to faith. It’s the point at which the hammer falls, you believe and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding sweeps over us and we are healed.

    In healing you cannot afford to peak over the fence. It’s just like Peter walking on water, there is no room for you to look at the wind. There is no room for you to look at sister so and so or brother so and so and Journeyman’s opinion about it ☺. It’s a time for tunnel vision. Me and Jesus on the water. Walk. Period.

    So when you make decision about healing, you must decide to believe all the way. No ‘what ifs”. If you don’t, the next thing you know, they’ll be wheeling you into the chemotherapy room (which is ok too) but if supernatural healing is what you seek, this is not the answer.

    I always believe if you believe, better go all the way. For all the promises of God is yes and amen in Christ.

    I do not mean any disrespect for all those who had undergone hardships in this area. I’m suggesting that God’s word about healing is true.

    Suggestions.

    Visualize
    When in trouble, read the bible with regards to healing. Visualize yourself as the person who needed the healing. The people to whom Jesus said had great faith. Put yourself in their place. What was their state of mind then? How does it feel? Imagine you were Peter. When you walked on the water, what was the feeling like? That is faith. When you looked at the wind and fell in, that is doubt. This would help you to recognize faith and doubt.

    Meditation
    Meditate on God’s words. ‘By Jesus’s stripes I am healed’, ‘no weapon formed against me shall prosper’, ‘Christ in me the hope of glory’, ‘Christ in me the wisdom and power of God’ “I have the mind of Christ” etc. Do this in time of calm till His promises and you are one. Rather than thinking rubbish thoughts this is good way to chase all doubts away.

    Start small
    Next time you have a headache instead of popping two panadols, lay hand, pray, over the spot that needs healing. I believe even the faith in which you need to be healed comes from God. So pray for faith first as preparatory work. Ask the Holy Spirit when to pray for the actual healing. When the peace of God falls on you, lay hands and believe. He will lead.

    Testimony
    In 2005, the doctor scanned my womb and found a lump. I went back home and on my knees, worshipped with worship music unceasingly for three days. On the third day the warmth of the Spirit falls into me and stopped at my tummy and zoomed out again. I then found sand being expelled out of me, which the doctor had no explanation for. I was so thankful to the Lord because I was soo afraid to lose my lovely hair:). See what vanity would make me do..:)

    One time I had a very bad coughing spells which I could not pray away because at that time my head was filled with so much nonsense (not yet in the Spirit) and because my hair wasn’t involved I did not pray with that intensity. I had to go for antibiotics. However, the Lord never leaves His children alone because He gave me a solution by directing me to buy this effervescent Redoxon VitaImmune (not Vitamin C alone ☺) which stops all my colds at infancy. Praise you, Father.

    Another time I had a very bad sore throat (already in the Spirit), I downed my vitamin but a very young Christian said ‘I’ll pray for you”. I put my hand on my throat to honor her prayer and there was a point the Holy Spirit said “just believe”. This is the point the hammer falls and I believed. I was healed instantly.

    I don’t think there is anymore space here for me, sorry pastor. My prayer is that my testimonies would help somebody in their time of need. One thing is for sure, by Jesus’s stripes we are healed…

    • Hi Ben
      Did u k ow yr NCC sister Lyn walks on water like Peter ….”so and so and Journeyman’s opinion about it ☺. It’s a time for tunnel vision. Me and Jesus on the water. Walk. Period.” – presume this was a hyperbolic metaphor – my simple understanding is she what she claims is the TRUE??

      Grateful if u cud confirm.

      • hi Ben n Stanley
        Maybe we can take this off line thru good offices of Blogpastor – we can discuss our own skewed models over lunch at the club at a time convienent for all – we coordinate thru BP

        hi BP,
        Hope u do not mind being the nucleating point.

  • Just some thoughts. In Dr Teo’s case, it is clear that suffering was a blessing for him, otherwise he would not have known the Lord. So it was really a matter of eternal life or death. Suffering is also a major theme in the Bible. Eg James 1:3-4.Matt 10: 21-25.Romans 16-18. Acts9: 15-16 etc etc etc. But as christians we are able to rejoice in his suffering through his grace which is sufficient eg Colossaons 1:24, Matt 5:11-12 etc etc.

  • BTW, i believe in healing and I also know the Lord choose to bless us as well. But in presenting the full gospel, lets not forget a major theme in the bible ie suffering. And there are many many who came to know the Lord and grow in the Lord through trials and sufferings. Dr Teo is one of them and in his “extended” life, his testimony must have touched many because people can identify with it as suffering/trials amd tribulations marks the fallen world whether you are christianor non christian, esp in other christians where preaching the gospel not to mention becoming disciples come at a great cost.

  • Hi Stanley,
    Thanks for sharing yr belief systems – glad things turned out well for your wife – like u am still trying to construct a standard model that will enable me to make sense of this vast environs – hopefully resulting in “abundant life.”

    Have a billionaire friend who lost everything but has become a caring Christian – the grace he shown as encouraged my own journey. He was actually a business associate and mild acquaintance but has since become a friend and spiritual mentor,

    Have natural skeptism when parties have vested financial interests.
    Hope we can meet via BPs good offices

  • Most welcome Ben 🙂

    What Journeyman, no lunch invitation for me? awwww

    Just joking, just joking 🙂

    There are many, many testimonies of supernatural healing in Bible times and now. These people do not lie. These are things of God. If they are healed why can’t we be? Look for it as for treasure (Jesus).

    In the the beginning of my walk I relied on PPrince but now I’m on increasingly coming into my own, Journeyman.

    It is easier not to have faith. Que sera sera. But the pillar of Christianity is faith, hope and love..

    Amen to walking on water, one day soon, one day soon, yes, amen 🙂

    I believe in doctors, rely on them but they they are not my alpha and omega.

    By the way you’re going on and on, it is apt that you call yourself ‘Journeyman’, and I can predict it’s going be one long journey for you… Just joking, just joking 🙂 Thank goodness we both like to joke 🙂

    Oh yes, Stanley, Praise the Lord for your wife.

    And remember, Journeyman, when you’re having lunch not to criticize my beliefs behind my back for the third and the most important pillar is love (keep one, keep one) 🙂

    • “In the the beginning of my walk I relied on PPrince but now I’m on increasingly coming into my own”…

      I share the same journey too 🙂 The mark of a great preacher is that he guides us gradually to independence and study the Bible for ourselves, instead of continually relying only on him for knowledge and revelation…

      Pastor Prince’s sermon series,”Principles for Interpreting The Bible ” was a great help.

  • Hi Lyn
    thank u for yr many n varied suggestions unfortunately my limited brain is unable to comprehend or make sense of the many comments.
    Shalom

  • Actually I do not think that Richard Teo’s story is a good testimony at all. But at least I can use it on the doctors who in their pride think that they are always right and remind them that they have no power to heal.

    I personally have had my broken ankle and eyes healed when people laid hands, so I do know that the will of God is always to heal. It is a pity that so few in Singapore actually practise and teach divine healing. Many would spend time arguing over this matter, instead of persevering and working through until the healing is complete.

    Now with the slant in most churches on the end of the world, people are mostly waiting to be raptured instead of believing for healing.

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