Just Can't Stop Praising!

Before I get into tonight's testimony, I just want to share what happened yesterday(Monday). I told God that I wanted to start praying for a person a day on campus. I was sitting on the side of this big plaza and I had an urge to pray for this guy sitting on another bench that is next to me. So I went over and simply asked him whether I could pray for him. "I'm a Muslim," he said. I was a bit defeated yet he did not mind my praying for him. So I prayed for his Physics test coming up and also his health during the final two weeks. I didn't have enough time to share Jesus with him because I was heading to class and he was ready to take a nap before his test.

Anyhow, GIG! God Is Good!

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My God is my Refuge and my Fortress, and I put my trust in Him. He will surely save me from death and cover me with His wings. I will find refuge under His wings, and His faithfulness will be my Shield.
~Psalm 91:2-4~

Tonight(Tuesday), I went to the Gospel Choir Concert alone, expecting a good time actually. Later on Casey joined me for a while and he left to study. This concert is full of God's blessings. The gospel music just turned me from sitting to swaying, then to clapping and singing along. These good ol' spirituals and hymns are still powerful nowadays. The simple words like I just can't stop praisin' had me gaze upon God's beauty once again right there as I sang along.

Gospel Choir, the only class that students can publically praising God without any burden or attack. The conductor is a great man of God, going around the world impacting people's lives with music.

Then he invited everyone to sing this hymn:

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee.
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee.
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Then this song turned into How Great Is Our God sung by two female singers.
I lifted my hands and once again was in awe of His greatness.

After the concert, I wanted to go up to the stage and pray for the percussionist, Bobby, who has cancer. However he was busy talking with many people so I prayed a prayer of healing for Him. I believe that God's doing His miraculous work in Bobby. So I was a bit depressed because I wanted to pray for someone. As I was walking back toward my dorm, I said to God that I wanted to pray a stranger before I sleep today. It was 10pm. I didn't have dinner so I walked toward the cafe and there in front of me was this guy putting down his crutches and taking a rest on the bench.
Right then I knew he was the one that God prepared for me to pray for. So I started the conversation by asking him whether he had just gone to the concert also, and amazingly he did! So we started to talk about music and how he's been playing viola for a very long time and wants to learn percussion. Then we introduced ourselves, and guess what's totally amazing? This guy, Jim(not his real name), who broke three of his left toes because of learning how to skateboard, lives in the same city that I live in, just a mile east to my house! So I talked about how I also write music mainly for God, and he showed interest in Christianity. "I'm looking into becoming a Catholic from a Buddhist," he told me. I asked him why Catholicism and he told me that he went to a Catholic school for two years when he was young, and he is not getting anything from those idols which his parents worship. Then I started to share what Christianity is all about--not about going to Hell or forcing people to repent and repent--but about love. This God of love. I shared my convertion testimony with him and also some stories in the Gospel to explain who Jesus is-the Way, Truth, and Life. I then shared the testimony at Supernatural Conference with him. He was very impressed of the depth of Christianity.
He started to share with me about his troubles. He once tried to commit suicide because he felt abandoned and unloved by everyone, even his parents since he has Alopecia, a disease that causes people to lose their hair and become bald. He was rejected and threatened and made fun of since 7th grade when the condition got very serious. He lost all his hair by 8th grade. "People in my high school were so materialistic. The entire school is based on lies," he said. I shared with him how in the beginning of October a good friend of mine called me from Wisconsin and devastated by the fact that his friends were all hypocrites and he was dumped by the clique to which he belonged.
I then shared with him the story of Jesus healing the sick woman in Mark 5:25-34. I told him how this woman was completely ignored and looked down upon. Women back then were deemed as the lowest of the hierarchy, especially a woman subjected to bleeding for 12 years. I told him that she was also rejected by everyone in town. Yet she was healed with a faithful heart. I told him that Jesus wants to heal his disease and have a personal relationship with him. I invited him to believe in Christ, but he chose to figure out more about it first. He was worried about his parents since they woship many idols like a traditional Taiwanese family would(and yes, he is a Taiwanese who grew up in the US yet speaks and writes Mandarin fluently). Anyhow, his friends took him to church when he was a freshman in high school because of his wanting to commit suicide. "No one has explained Christianity so clearly to me. My Christian friends always asked me, 'Hey are you converted yet? Are you?' and that's the only thing I've heard from them." I then told him that there is a difference between a Christian and a Chtistian-in-action. I shared with him that God desires to have a personal relationship with him because He loves him so much as His own. Furthermore I shared with him how Jesus ALWAYS went to the deserted, ignored, sick, lame, near death because they are the ones who cry out for Him. He loves to help out His beloved ones unconditionally.
I forgot what else we shared with one another, but I told him that I've found my purpose in God, and if he wanted to know what his purpose is, then he should totally ask God for it. God's the only person who never fails or deserts or lies. Before we started to head back to our dorms(we live in the same college!) I offered him a prayer of healing and blessing. He's having his left foot checked tomorrow and I prayed for God's complete healing for this awesome guy I randomly met. On our way back I also shared with him the testimony at Jesus Culture Redding about the knuckle that grew back. He was completely in awe.
I invited him to come to Impact's Christmas party on the 14th and I hope that he can make it and also sunday services.

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I'm just speechless right now after typing what happened just a couple hours ago.
Isn't He great?
Father thank You for answering my prayer.
I prayed for a person before I go to bed tonight(I actually shared with him that I asked God to let me pray for a stranger before I go to bed tonight and he was like...woah that's crazy).
And Lord would You start stirring up Jim's heart and spirit that he would realize that believe in You would bring blessings to his family.

How lovely is Your Name, Jesus. Only You can satisfy my heart.
Can't wait for tomorrow!

Johnny

...can't believe it's 2:44am now. I started writing @ 1:09!
Time for bed!