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A Man of God
Written by arkwriter   
Friday, 16 October 2009 15:52

A  Man  of  God

The man of God is come hither.  (2 Kings 8:7)  

Nornie Wong

  Zacchaeus Hean-Lin Wong, the third and youngest son of a court interpreter in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia was a Methodist (ACS) school teacher when he married my mother Lee-Yeng Foo.  They are the parents of eight children, namely, Estella, Nornie, Paul, Julie, John, Tuck, Winnie and Eugenia.  They have two grandsons who are named Ken-Shin and Ken-Lin.

As a teacher, he taught Art, Carpentry, and English.  He was one of the coaches of the school football (soccer) team and he also ran the school tuck shop.  He was appreciated by his principal, Rev. Ralph Kesselring, an American missionary who had previously ministered in Costa Rica.  		 

 

This photograph was taken in the Early Fifties in front of

the family home on 10 Voon Thian Soo Road in Ipoh, Malaysia.

This photograph was taken in late 1969

before Paul’s family emigrated to America.

                         Nornie was in Canada and Tuck was out of state.

Papa was accompanied by Nornie and Julie to visit

Paul’s family in Bakersfield, Calfornia, U.S.A. in 1975.

They have moved to Houston, Texas in 1981.

              Eugenia and Liang (Malaysia) with Ken-Shin and Ken-Lin

(U.S.A.) visited Mama and the family in Toronto, Canada

 

My father's character was mild in nature, never confrontational.  Everybody was his friend.  He considered no one as ugly and he was friendly to the butcher as well as the grocer.  All food set before him was delicious.  He was a very contented person and enjoyed working with his hands and was an avid gardener.  He filled his garden with all kinds of fruit trees and different flowering plants. 

 

My mother did not become a Christian until 1932 after Paul was healed of diphtheria by the Lord Jesus Christ.  At that time, my maternal grandmother brought a group of Indian church members from TJC Ipoh to pray for his health when doctors said there was no hope of healing as the disease was too advanced.  She became a Christian when God healed Paul.  Thank and praise God for His love and mercy toward the family.  Now there are five generations of Christians on my mother's side of the family.                   

My father was a man of great faith.  After he was baptized he began to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ whenever he had opportunity.  He talked to his friends as well as strangers about his faith.

VITAL  STATISTICS  -  Deacon Zacchaeus, Hean-Lin Wong

Born:Ipoh, Malaysia25 October, 1900
Baptized:T.J.C. Ipoh23 September, 1939
Ordained:T.J.C. Ipoh 5 April, 1941
Arrived:Toronto, Canada 30 October, 1973
Died:Toronto, Canada

8 May, 1979

MINISTRY  IN  IPOH,  PERAK,  MALAYSIA  1941 - 1973 

Dn. Zacchaeus was baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ when he was 39 years old and ordained a deacon in the TJC about 19 months later. He took over Ipoh church ministry after the death of Dn. Goh Yin Foo. 

Church service was held nightly from Monday evening to Friday evening and Saturday morning and afternoon. He also visited other churches in the vicinities like Bercham, Kampong Tawar. At other times, he visited Kampar, Taipeng, Sungei Siput and Sitiawan. 

When he left Ipoh for Toronto, Canada, the congregation at that time was about three hundred members.  He had served Ipoh church for 32 years and 6 months.                                                   

Important  Events  1939-1973

These events happened during the last century in the forties to the seventies and none of us foresaw the need to record the events, names and dates.  The events are recollections from the family.  

Evacuation during Second World War

Prayer stopped Japanese soldiers from harming the Women 

During the Japanese invasion of Malaysia in December 1941 our family, together with several families of relatives, evacuated to Kupoi (about 18 miles south of Ipoh). 

One morning a group of more than 10 Japanese soldiers suddenly appeared.  All the women and girls quickly ran inside the “kongsi house” (community house).  As the soldiers rushed towards the building, my father stood at the doorway to stop them from entering.  With Paul at his side he was praying to the Lord Jesus Christ for protection from harm.  The Japanese soldiers left the place without hurting any person.  Praise and thank the Lord Jesus Christ for protecting the women and girls from rape.   

Please go to: God's Protection of our Family 

 

Baptism of Mrs. Chong Swee Lin 

Dn. Chin Kee Onn's mother was very sick and Dn. Wong went to preach to her about salvation.  She did not accept but her second daughter accepted the truth and was baptized.  She was Mrs. Chong Swee Lin.  During the Second World War, the Japanese occupied Malaysia.  Mr. Chong knew that many girls had been raped by the Japanese, but God spared his daughter and he saw the glory of God and was baptized.  His daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren also became fervent members in the church. 

Healing of a young Girl  

A young girl selling sugar cane juice had accidentally put her hand in the juice extracting machine and was badly injured.  She was sent to the hospital to have her hand amputated.  The hospital is quite near to the church and at night she came to pray for God's help.  The church prayed for her and her hand was spared from surgery.

Exorcism  

Throughout Dn. Wong's ministry, there were instances of exorcism of evil spirits.  Some of those involved were not church members, but people in the town who had heard of successful exorcism in the church and brought the afflicted to be rid of evil spirits.   

Baptism of a sick old Lady

The mother-in-law of Foo Yuet Yeng, ("Puteh")  adopted daughter of Deaconess Mee Yee (our “Little Grandma”) was baptized in Taipeng.  She was carried strapped in a chair by members into  the water in the Taipeng Lake to be baptized.  After baptism she was able to walk by herself.  What a miracle!  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord for His glory!

Recollections of Paul Wong

A paralytic man was healed during the Baptism

“My father, Zacchaeus Wong, a faithful minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, often quoted the words of Jesus: “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt. 10:8).  I drove him around in his pastoral and evangelistic visitations and he was my mentor.  His self-supporting ministry and fervency in working  for the Lord Jesus Christ has been the source of inspiration to me.  

There was an old paralytic man who was bedridden in an “Old Folks Home” (we call it convalescence home in the United States).  My father had been preaching to him for almost six months.  He was always lying on the bed.  After he indicated belief in the Lord Jesus Christ my father talked to him about baptism.  In Ipoh we used to administer baptism in the Kinta River.  We had a problem of getting this old paralytic man to the river.  I talked to our church members and we borrowed a lorry (we call it truck here in the States).   

On the morning of the baptism four young men (including me) drove the lorry to the Old Folks Home.  We carried the man, placed him on a chair and strapped his body and feet to the chair.  We then placed him on the deck of the lorry and drove to the Kinta River.   

My father first went to the river to pray in the Spirit.  When he signaled us we brought the paralytic man, still strapped to the chair, to the river next to my father.  I can still recall my father baptizing him with head bowed in the forward mode in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  After the immersion my father laid hands on his forehead and prayed for him to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  We then carried the man, still strapped to the chair, to the tent for changing of clothes.  We untied the cords and he stood up.  After changing to dry clothes he walked out of the tent by himself.  He was completely healed.  Praise the Lord, HalleluYah! 

Healing and Baptism of
Corporal Chen and his son

Two sisters were very fervent believers in the Lord Jesus Christ because they had experienced God’s love and protection in their family.  A huge tree limb had collapsed during a heavy thunderstorm and had narrowly missed their house. Their neighbors had heavy damages from the fallen trees.  The elder sister was married to a professional soldier who held the rank of a Corporal in the Malaysian army.  They had a one-year old baby boy who they loved very much.  Corporal Chen was an unbeliever who often made fun and rude remarks about his wife’s and sister-in-law’s prayer in the Spirit and speaking in tongues.  The two sisters have asked our congregation in Ipoh to pray for Corporal Chen and the baby. 

One day my father received a phone call from one of the sisters to go immediately to their home to pray for Corporal Chen and the baby.  Corporal Chen himself had personally requested us to pray for him, something the two sisters had been praying for a long time.  He had an acute stomach-ache and a very high fever.  The baby also had a very high fever and there were boils all over his head.  It is ironical that Corporal Chen would request our ministers to go and pray for him and the baby. 

I drove my father to their home.  Other church members also came.  We entered the bedroom and saw Corporal Chen lying on the bed groaning with pain.  We also felt the baby’s forehead.  It was burning hot with fever.  He had boils all over his head.  We taught Corporal Chen to repent of his sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and praise Him by saying “HalleluYah.”  He did everything that we told him to do and not too long afterwards his stomach-ache had lessened.  My father and I took the opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to him.  He was very receptive to the gospel.  We preached salvation is in Jesus Christ alone, the atonement, the new birth of water and the Spirit, repentance, etc.  Corporal Chen said he believed in the Gospel and wanted to be baptized.  He and his wife also wanted their baby to be baptized. 

The next morning was a Saturday and I assisted my father to baptize Corporal Chen and the baby.  After coming out of the water Corporal Chen was completely healed.  There was not even a little bit of pain in his stomach and his fever was also gone.  The baby’s fever was also gone.  The whole family came to attend our Sabbath morning service.  Corporal Chen received the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  He was very joyful.  On Saturday evening we held a special worship service and Corporal Chen sang spiritual songs.  HalleluYah!"

God opened the Door of Utterance
through Signs and Wonders

When Dn. Wong left Ipoh for Toronto, Canada, the congregation  at that time was about three hundred members.  He had served the Ipoh church for 32 years and 6 months. 

MINISTRY  IN  TORONTO,  CANADA  1973-1979 

Dn. Zacchaeus and Sister Wong arrived in Toronto on October 30, 1973 to join their five children in Toronto. He told his wife that he would be very happy if he was able to serve God for five years in a place where there was no TJC church.  When he arrived in Toronto there was no TJC church in Canada and the Lord God Almighty brought him to serve Him there.   The gracious Lord had fulfilled his desires by extending his life for about six years.  The Lord brought Dn. Wong to Canada to be the first minister in Canada.                                               

Nehemiah 1:9I will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

Exodus 32:34Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken

Psalms 104:8They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. 

The  First  Holy  Communion  (1973)

40  Homewood  Ave.,  #1517,  Toronto 

The first Holy Communion was held on the first Sabbath day in November, 1973 attended by Dn. Zacchaeus Wong and family of seven.  

Services of worship were held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

The First Baptism (1975)

40 Homewood Ave., #1904, Toronto 

Sis. Ngan-Ching Jung was baptized on August 12, 1975 by Dn. Paul  Wong who was on vacation in Toronto.  Sis. Jung was paralyzed on the left side of her body and she also suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Arrival of other Members 

Sis. Sophia Ho (daughter of Dn. H. K. Ho, Paris)

Bro. Daniel Tsui (son of Dn. D. Tsui, Hong Kong)

Bro. Peter Yaw and family (UK, formerly Malaysia) 

First Property Owned (1977)  

Apt. 208, 40 Homewood Ave., Toronto 

The Wong family paid the down payment on the property.  Dn.  Wong held the property in trust until he was called back to the Lord (1979).  The church was not registered until two years later.  Eighteen members attended the first service held on the first Sabbath, January 1978.   

Second Baptism (August 10, 1977) 

Baby Natasha Yaw (13 months old) was baptized on August 10, 1977. 

More Arrivals 

Bro. Jackson Hwang (Sept. 9, 1977) Taiwan

Wife Shioh Yueh  and children (Oct. 16, 1977)

Sis. Winnie Chin (March 28, 1978) KL. Malaysia

Elder H. M. Huang (Sept. 27, 1978) Taiwan       

Incorporation of True Jesus Church (1979)       

Submitted to the government (1977) but not permitted until 1979 because there were other churches with similar names.  Nine different names were submitted.  After nearly two years the government finally allowed us to register under the legal name "True Jesus Church (Apostolic Faith) Canada."  

Twenty names were submitted for the registration.

 

Dn. Zacchaeus Wong and Family 7 members(Malaysia)
Bro. Jackson Hwang and Family 5(Taiwan)
Bro. Peter Yaw and Family 4(UK)
Sis. Shiu-Ngi Chung 1(Sabah)
Sis. Sophia Ho1(Hong Kong)
Bro. Daniel Tsui1(Hong Kong)
Sis. Ngan-Ching Jung 1(Hong Kong)

Dn. Zacchaeus Wong prepared the bread and cup for the Holy Communion in the chapel and went back to his apartment for he was not feeling well.  Dn. Huang distributed the bread and cup to the congregation.  Later the next day he was hospitalized and was called back to the Lord on Tuesday, May 8, 1979 after serving the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully.  All glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. Nornie WongNovember 13, 2006  

GOD’S  COMFORT  FOR  MOTHER 

Estella  Wong     

                            

  

Papa was admitted to the hospital on Sunday 6 May, 1979.  Our family had been praying for him continually in the hospital and at home in different parts of the world.  On Monday night (7 May, 1979) my mother was praying in the Spirit with tears until well past midnight.  During her prayer the word of the LORD came to her and she prophesied:   

"Joy comes in the morning.   Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psm. 30:5)    

God’s message was repeated on her lips several times.  In the early hours of about 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning (8 May, 1979) our Lord Jesus Christ took Papa home to be with Him in Paradise.  All glory to God.      

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes’, says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” (Rev. 14:12-13)

MEMORIES  ABOUT  PAPA 

Julie Wong  

LOCATION - 210  Brewster Road, Ipoh, Perak, West Malaysia

Date: Late 1930's (before he became a member of True Jesus Church, Ipoh)

One day in the late 1930's my father brought home some toys for us.  There were 3 small 6 inches toy cars, one red, one blue and one green.  My father asked me to choose one of them.  I choose the red toy car.  I was very excited and ran to find Paul to show him my new present.  He was in another room playing with his new toy too.  He was making a lot of noise, while paddling around the house.

At first I was upset because his red toy car was so big - many, many times bigger than mine.  I was about to open my mouth to say something, but Paul called me, "Come here, I'll teach you how to play with my new car.  We can always play together."  Then my father came into the room and said, "Very good.  Both of you can always play with Paul's toy."I forgot about my jealousy as Paul was always very generous to me with all his presents.  I was happy again playing with Paul.

My grandmother and mother were in the next room.  I overheard my grand- mother telling my mother, "Do not get upset!  I shall keep praying for you.  I shall ask God to change your husband so that he will be baptized in our church and there will be no more quarrelling about celebrating Christmas and giving Christmas presents  (My mother was upset because my father had promised her that he would not give the children Christmas presents that year).  My father did not give us the presents on Christmas Day but he gave us a few days after Christmas.    

My grandmother comforted my mother and asking her not to give up hopebut to always put her trust in God.God indeed heard my grandmother's prayers.  My father was baptized into True Jesus Church on 23, September, 1939, and was ordained a deacon on 5 April, 1941. 

My grandmother died on 5 May, 1941, just one month after my father's ordination as a deacon.  Thank God for answering my grandmother's prayers.   My grandmother was a very pious, kind and devoted Christian.  She had helped many children and adults among her relatives and church members too.

LOCATION:  10 VOON THIAN SOO ROAD, IPOH, PERAK, WEST MALAYSIADATE:  1968-1970

One night, between 1968 and 1970 (I cannot remember the exact date) I had a dream.

In the dream I was very worried about the affairs of the church in Ipoh, Malaysia.  I prayed to God for help but God refused to listen to my prayer.  Then I prayed more earnestly till I wept.  I was puzzled why God  refused to hear my prayer. So I prayed for understanding. Suddenly I heard a voice which said, "Read Malachi Chapters 3 and 4."  I did not realize that I was robbing God in tithes and offerings all these years.

The next day I told my brother Paul about this.  We had a family discussion that night.  My father, Deacon Zacchaeus felt that it was not necessary to offer tithes to God but I told him that the Bible cannot be wrong. So we decided to pray to God for guidance.  During our prayer I was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke with a loud voice, "Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus, you are wrong."

I was very shocked as none of our relatives and friends ever called him by this name.  This name was given to him when he was ordained as a deacon.  Later I began to understand that it was God who gave the message and He wanted to purify and refine us till we present the right offerings to Him. 

After the prayer my father was convinced that we should offer tithes to the Lord.  My brother, Paul commented, "Today salvation has come to our house."

After that my father and my brother felt that they must preach about the offering of tithes in the church.  Thanks to the Lord many members offered their tithes to the Lord for the first time in their lives. 

The church offerings had increased tremendously since then.  My family too had received great blessings from the Lord since we presented the right offerings to the Lord.  Thanks to the Lord for revealing the truth to us and praise be His name always.

Hallelujah!  Amen!

LOCATION:   EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM

DATE:   APRIL-MAY, 1979

In April, 1979, my father was down with flu.  After his recovery, he looked tired and weak.  So I tried to cook his favorite Chinese dishes to fatten him up before I went to Scotland to attend the church dedication in Edinburgh.

On the Sabbath Day before our departure for our holidays, my father laid hands on my sister and myself during the last prayer in church.  Later I questioned him about this.  (He had never done this before when I went to other countries for Spiritual Convocations, Bible Seminars, etc.)   He said that he wanted God to take very good care of us when we were in U.K.

One night while we were in Edinburgh, Elder John Wu of New York Church and another deacon knocked on our door to inform us that our father was called back by the Lord.  It was a great shock to my sister and myself because we were away from Toronto less than a week ago.  Anyway we decided to stay in Edinburgh till after the Church dedication.   That night we prayed to God for comfort and guidance.

That  night I had a  dream.  In  my dream  I saw my father in a kind of hospital ward.  Everyone in the ward was wearing white clothes  and they were all just fast asleep.

Later on  I had another dream.   In this dream I saw my father climbing up a very high and steep, rugged mountain.  I saw him using both his hands and feet to climb the mountain.  He had to use all his strength and energy.  Both his hands were bruised and were bleeding. 

Then he turned around and said to me, "I have completed my job.   I am tired.  Now I am going home."

Thank and praise God for comforting me in my time of sorrow.

When I returned to Toronto, I comforted my mother.  I told her about my two dreams in Edinburgh.  I also said to her, "Remember what papa said to God.  He asked God to let him spend the last five years of his life serving Him in a place where the true gospel had never been preached before." 

God had fulfilled papa's wishes.  Papa would have completed 5 years of residence in Toronto on October 1978.  If he had died in November or December the ground could be covered with thick snow.

But God called him home in the springtime.   Just look outside: the ground is covered with beautiful flowers, the sun is shining bright in the sky, the birds are singing, and the weather is warm.  God is kind to all of us.  Now he is with the Lord and heaven is more beautiful than springtime on earth.

God is really wonderful.  Hallelujah!  Amen! 
 

May God bless you

This Article was published on the Internet on January 27, 2007

                       It was published on this Website on October 18, 2009

For comments please first write to:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Paul Wong is a Christian minister and the President of ARK International. 

His ministry also serves as an architectural service company in Houston       The ARK Forum on the Internet is international and non-denominational

Write to:
ARK International
P.O. Box 19707, Houston,
Texas, 77224-9707, U.S.A.
Tel. No. (713) 467-1462

 

 

                                                                        

Last Updated on Sunday, 18 October 2009 05:51