Since being a Christian in 1986, I've seen and prayed for some truly extraordinary miracles of God, but nothing could have prepared me for what was to take place. Our church had just come back from a great camp where lives were revived spiritually and we were so excited about the next great move of God. I had invited my father-in-law and mother-in-law to our youth meeting on Saturday night to experience what God was doing as He continued to move in our church in many miraculous ways.
We began by having the Hansons pray for my father-in-law's physical sickness. After that, we proceeded to pray for my mother-in-law (Khoe Sioe Liang) and that itself was a miracle. God came down so powerfully that her eye-glasses started to steam up. Have you seen glasses steam up in an air-con room? God had moved powerfully to touch Mdm Khoe and we were so happy for her. I had never seen her enjoy so much freedom in her worship towards her Creator, her God, her Lord Jesus Christ. God just simply showered so much love on her and she had to respond to it.
Up to then, everything was beautiful and peaceful. Then I asked if we could pray for my father-in-law (Tjoa Joe Tiau) to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and I told him not to worry; if he fell under the power of God, I would catch him. When we began to pray, he fell under the power of God, hands raised, body lying on the ground.
Then the Lord impressed on my heart to break possible hexes and curses that were placed on his life by others. So I asked the ministers to begin praying to break the power of Satan over his life. As we began to pray this, at a single moment, his hands dropped, his head slumped sideways and his tongue rolled back. His eyes were closed and he lay there motionless… limp - as if he had died.
I was standing over him and I could sense something was wrong. God gave me a vision to warn me what was happening. My father-in-law looked like a dead person lying inside a coffin. I immediately knelt next to his head and at the same time Eric Hanson saw a vision of a noose around his neck and motioned his right hand to take that off. Ginny pushed his hand away and felt for a pulse on his neck and on his heart. Nothing. She then shouted, "Intercessors!" There was no heart beat. He was dead on the floor of our church sanctuary!!!
I asked Ginny again whether there was a pulse. She said “NO”, and she was so scared. All the other ministers had the same sensing, at the same time that he had died.
Suddenly fear came into my heart, “Oh boy, he came for prayer and now he is dead in our church. What am I going to tell my mother-in-law who is sitting there?” All 5 ministers began to pray furiously, interceding in desperation but at the same time, with faith and confidence that God would answer. Ping, my wife, moved quickly to his left side and cried out with faith and authority of Jesus Christ, “Bangkit (rise up), papa." As she called out 'bangkit' for the third time, his body slowly but surely rose up, sitting up but still unconscious. (The Bible says on the third day Jesus rose from the dead).
We began to pray for him as his eyes were still closed and his body was still limp. We believed at that time his spirit was still alive and there was a spiritual battle going on to claim his life. We prayed relentlessly and once again he was about to fall back. To be honest with you, I said to myself, “Please don’t pray for him anymore. He is already up and alive. We have raised him from the dead.” There was so much pressure; you had to be there to experience it. I was nervous, jubilant, yet knowing that it wasn't over yet. As the ministers prayed, I released my hands on his back and he fell back down once again.
Then my wonderful wife, Ping, put her hands on his tummy and began praying. All of a sudden his legs jerked, then he clenched his fists and he let out a deep breath, raised his hands and sat up for the second time. His eyes opened, looking so bright, fresh and joyful. He had arisen from the dead!!!
Praise God for that fantastic miracle. The devil wanted to take his life as we broke the curse that was on his life. The evil spirit was departing when we first prayed for him but wanted to take Mr Tjoa's life as he was leaving. But what the devil meant for evil, God turned it to GOOD!!!
The first words my father-in-law said when he woke up were, “Who touched my stomach? It was so hot.” We asked him did he know what had happened. He said he could hear distant voices but did not know what was happening. He felt such heaviness on his chest; something pressing on him and he had to expel it. He did not even know he sat up the first time.
To God be the praise and glory. He is not done yet. He is preparing our compassionate church, equipping us and anointing us with His power and word, to bring hope to the hopeless, bring joy to the suffering, bring life to the lifeless and bring blessing to those who lack.
This is but the beginning of a lifetime of miracles, answered prayers and new victorious lives in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Our Awesome God is on an Awesome Move.
Pastor Simon Chua