We thank God for this privilege to have this testimony series. This Sunday, today, we're going to have God's servant, preacher Jeremiah Sim, from Gethsemane Bible Presbyterian Church, and has also been trained in the Far Eastern Bible College. If you see him, doesn't look Chinese, but he is Mr. Sim. And he will tell you all about it. His wife is not able to be here today. She is taking care of the old folks, the senior ministry in the church. And I do not want to elaborate too much about Jeremiah. I would like him to introduce himself and through that to introduce how the Lord has saved him in the most miraculous way. And really, it's a testimony of God's amazing grace to him. And next week, we're going to have an architect, Mr. Su Xiaopin, who will be coming to share his testimony, too. So this week, without further ado, let me just welcome Jeremiah to come and share with us. Very good afternoon to all of you. It's a pleasure to be here to testify of the Lord's doing in my life. I trust that many of you have heard a few testimonies in the recent week, which have indeed encouraged and perhaps have drawn you closer to the Lord. And I hope that my testimony might be added to the encouragement that will also benefit and spur you to have this joyful hope and confidence in our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and continue to cling on to Him. Because our Saviour will never forsake you, neither will He cast you aside. And my story will tell you why, that our Lord will embrace you dearly and will continue to guide you. Having said this, it is also never easy, especially for one who has done a lot of evilness in his past, to stand here and share before you his story. It is quite embarrassing, in fact. Many brethren have shared their testimonies of how the Lord has blessed them of their early days in their studies and achievement in the society and even their service in the Lord at a very young, early age of their lives. But as for me, my account begins with a very shameful and disgraceful past that have occurred. Yet eventually, it turned out to be for his glory. So I decided to tell you more about myself in details. Of how a person who has Christian grandparents and parents also believe in the Lord, yet I was dragged away by Satan only to be used by him to create havoc and was in fact heading to hell if it was not the Lord's grace and mercy that had visited me. So when Paul approached me, Dr. Paul, sorry, Dr. Paul approached me to share my testimony, I was thinking whether I should or not. But eventually, the Lord put a burden on me to go forth and share my testimony. It is not about me, it is about Him. How the Lord has done much in my life, and He wants me to share to all of you how good the Lord is, so that when you hear my testimony, you'll be encouraged to draw closer to Him. And I share my testimony also for the sake of those, especially with the young ones. Those of you who have children, make sure you guide them and build them up in the Lord. Never ever take it lightly in their spiritual life. Satan is out there to destroy them. It happened to me in my early days, and it can happen to anyone. who take their life loosely without fearing and honoring God. So let me share with you my story, how from an evil person to be the servant of Christ. Again, it is by God's grace and mercy. And my account has no glory of myself, but the glory for my Savior only. So my name is Jeremiah Sim, as the elder, Elder Boone, I've told you, and you might be wondering why do I have a Chinese surname? The reason being is that my dad is Chinese. Simple, correct? My dad is Chinese, my mom is an Indian. So I took after my dad's surname. So I do have a Chinese surname. And I'm telling you, I'm proud of it. So I came from a loving home, a loving home where my parents adored me above my siblings. And both of my grandparents were Christians. And my parents, my mom has passed away long ago. My dad, who is still alive, is a Catholic, and I'm still praying for his salvation. And I hope that you also remember him in your prayer. His name is Aaron Sim. So in my early days, I went to a good Christian school, which is called St. Andrew. I was an innocent and honest boy, like many other children. Though my school was just a kilometer away from my house, a straight path, in fact, to the school from my home. My dad hired a school bus to fetch me to and fro. finish school, I would go home straight away. I did not mix around with anyone. That was how innocent, how innocent I was. So a day came, and again I was in school. After my school, I was refused to board the school bus by a bully. person who is the same size as me, but he refused me to board the bus. And that point of time, that very moment, it has changed the course of my life. And I wonder for 30 years of being a monster, that very point of time. I'll tell you further why. So when I was refused, to board the bus, I walked home, as it was just a kilometer away from my home. It was very near. Those of you who know, if you stay in Kim Kae Avenue, or you are very familiar, the name called Kim Kae Avenue, which is Block 195, and St. Andrew's School is just a kilometer away. It's a straight path, very near. It was how near? So I was thinking, no big deal, I just walk home. While walking home, I met a friend. I met a friend who stay at the same block as mine. So from then on, he started to come to my house and seek permission from my parents to allow me to go down to play for one hour, which was just directly under my block. And I was still under the protection of my parents. They were watchful. They were careful. And lo and behold, I started to realize that I've not only mixed around with older boys at that time, but I pick up smoking and inhale glue. It's glue sniffing. Eventually, I joined a gang and became a gangster. And we started to hang around in a group of 25 to 70 at times. My studies started to plunge, and I was always involved in fighting and creating havoc and nuisance wherever I go. Of course, if you were to look at me at this point of time, you wouldn't believe. But in the early days, if you look at me, you will run away from me. I wanted not only to be recognized, but build a name for myself in the underworld. So while boys at my age were studying, I was apprehended for extortion. and was placed in the boys' hostel for a few months. Now this happened in 1984. I was maybe about 13 or 14. So upon my release, it turned out for the worse as I became a little demon, waging war against the counsel of my parents and many kind-hearted and caring people around me. I became disinterested in my studies and dropped out from school. I went on to build a name for myself. And in 1986, I was again apprehended for another extortion crime and went into the remand prison and was put on bill. While I was on bill, I went on to commit many more crimes. And just 1998 alone, I was awaiting trial for five different crimes I did. Extortion, gang robbery, secret society, theft, and rioting. I was put on probation and was eventually sent to two or three years imprisonment. The sentence was light because I won three cases. That cases that I won is gang robbery, secret society, and rioting. I won that case in court. But the other two, I was put on probation. That means I have a curfew. And following that, I was sentenced to two years for extortion. However, prison did not deter me to change. but have motivated me to upgrade myself to more wickedness. So I went, I was enlisted for National Service, and the officer was so good to me, he look up to me as a role model, not role model, I mean look up to me as someone that can take lead, and he give me this course, as military police. I do not know why he give me that course, okay? My duty is to make sure that people follow the rules, and to abide in the rules, and I'm there like a police, in fact. So I went for the course, I passed out as a provost. I was put in the detention barrack to take care of the inmates. So instead of taking care, I always unlocked the inmates to come out and join me. Yes, that was what I did. Lock them, they come out, and I give them a cigarette. I give them a lot of good things. So that was what I did. And so after three months, I was posted. I was in the civil defense because the government do not allow me to go into army because I was considered a dangerous person who been into prison. So they put me in civil defense. But they were good. They give me a job as a military police. So after three months, I was postponed to a camp, a camp no longer around, and I was surprised because I heard that this civil defense camp, the people that are serving National Service in that camp, the total presence of that point in time was about 50 people instead of 120. The rest of them were evil or in prison. So I know where I'm heading, in fact. Among the 50 people, 47 of them were on drugs. The three people were me and another two, but the two was on, was addicted to alcohol, alcoholic. So eventually I took heroin. Because those inmates that have taken care in the civil defense detention barrack, and they were in this camp, so when I was transferred to that camp, they being kind of, being very good, I mean, kind-hearted, they offer me heroin. That's their way to take care of me. So I was actually afraid, but eventually, you know, I went with them because the whole camp was on fire. So I went with them, and that's where I pick up heroin. And that was in the year 1989. Not only I pick up heroin, I was hooked and addicted in my two years of serving in that camp. Not only was I addicted, I even sold heroin there. The whole camp was on fire. That was how bad it was in those days. So I was caught. I was caught. Before I was caught, I've always believed in Jesus Christ. I was baptized in my young days. Because of my lack of knowledge in the Bible, I wandered away. So all this while, I still believed in my Saviour. When I was placed in Boy's Hostel, I did pray. When I came out, I went to court for my five different charges, I did pray. Somehow the Lord was gracious to me. Instead of more than 10 years that a judge should sentence me into imprisonment, he gave me only two years. And I know the Lord was always gracious upon me, but I refused to change. I went on to sell heroin. I was caught. That was in 1992. I was put in for one year. being released, right away I go back to heroin. Right away. The first day I came out, the first day I took. And I still remember, I was caught 1996 for the second time of consuming heroin. Before I was caught, My mother told me to quit because she was indeed very sick. She always believed that the Lord would change me. She always believed that I'm a good person. And she told me that my time has come to be departed. So I just listened, but I was still on drugs. So when my mother passed away, my father bring the information to me, I was still taking drugs at that point of time. Even my mother's body was brought home in the coffin, I was still taking drugs in front of her. though there were tears in my eyes at that moment of time, but because I was deeply addicted to heroin. I tried to commit suicide a few times, but I don't have the courage to do so. And I was caught in 1996 And again, when I was released, I go back to drugs. And I was running away, not only go back to drugs, I was wanted. Because when you are released, normally you have to go for supervision. You have to go to the police station every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to give the sample of urine so they can test you whether you are taking heroin or not. After two years, when you're clean, they will release you completely. So when I came out, I go back to heroin. They give me a red card to report so they can write. Each time I go, they put a signature that I've reported. I tore up the card. So I was a wanted person in Singapore, and I was on heroin. And if I'm caught, I'm considered hardcore, and they would give me about seven years imprisonment. And of course, they would add more to it, because I'm wanted. You know, another one, two years we added. So I couldn't care so much because I'm really involved in this. And I was very desperate for money. I've never worked for two years. I was on the run for two years. That was 1998 to 2000. Run two years, I did a lot of bad things, a lot of wicked things. And I... So there was two incidents. I was at home. Because I was a wanted person, the officer, they would come out to my house to see whether I'm at home so they can make arrest. So there's one time I remember, I call a person and the person did not answer the phone. So I call again. At 1 a.m., I was staying in Toa Payoh, 1 a.m., a call came, and I was so happy because I need heroin, and the person was a dealer. A call came, and I answered. I said, hello, my friend's name is Botar. I said, are you Botar? The reply came in Malay, but I'll tell you in English. Bota has been caught with us now. I said, I'm finished. I quickly put down the phone and there was a loud banging outside the door, my front house, which means the person who called me are the narcotic officer. So I said, I'm done. So I'm so panicked, because if this time I get caught, it'll be more than seven years, because I'm one third some more. And in my room, there's still, you know, a small, I mean, a straw with heroin, a cap. I said, everything, you know, rushing through my mind. I've never thought of anything. I just said, Lord, help me. I really need your help. I said, you help me, I promise I will not take any more heroin. Help me to escape. On the other hand, there's no way you can escape because there are six officers outside and they have this crowbar that means they are ready to break into your house if you don't open your door. And they were banging so loud. And I went to my room and it was 1 a.m. I'm staying in the third level, and I opened the window of my room. There are three officers below the block, which I really anticipated, really. I knew they were there, so you could not jump off. But I didn't know whether I'm watching them or not. So I said, Lord, I really need your help. And I'm not a medicine. Those days, there's a kind of medicine that when you take it, and when you are caught, Those days, when you are caught, they will take two samples of urine, they will bring it to the doctor to examine, whether you are on heroin or not, they can just differentiate. These pills are also with some codeine, with some morphine. So when it goes in, it will mix everything. So the doctor, they will check, though they know, but because the sentence were new those days, the law passed down the sentence of seven years, which you will go to court. So when you go to court, they want to make sure that, no, your urine sample is purely heroin, no other cough mixture or drugs in it. If that is the case, they will, no, dismiss you. So there's a special pill, and the thing is that tomorrow then the pills will come to my hand. So now they are banging the door. I said, Lord, I kneel down, you know, I didn't look to anyone. And I know my father have woken up and is going to the door to open the door. So I said, Lord, help me. So I went to the window, I jump. Okay, I literally jump, I had a big cut here. So I jump down, because it's very dark, and when you jump down, there's some flower pot, you know, boxes, you know. So I jump, it's a very loud noise, and I was very thin, okay? So I'm not like that, so big size now, okay? I'm very thin, you know, very thin and very agile. But that impact have created a very loud noise, you know, nighttime. Nighttime, when everything is quiet, the slightest movement will make a noise to them. So, a very loud impact. So, I still remember, I can recollect, I know I jumped, I just jumped down. There's a small styrofoam box, you know, when the fish, mongo, they are put. Small box, this only. So, I quickly squeezed into it, I take the box to cover myself. Yeah, literally. That is how small, the box, styrofoam. Okay? So, there's a box, I just put in, I go in. So when I go in, the three of them, they start walking around to find where's the noise come from. And I'm surprised that it's so loud. Definitely, you know, some of them jump from third floor. And they walk around, they couldn't find. They couldn't find, neither did they keep the box, because it's too small. Couldn't believe that I'm in that box. So I can, you know, I can listen that the people on top who really break into my room and scolded the people below. Say, why you allowed him to run away? And I don't know what went on, and he disappeared. So when they have go back, I came out. I came out, and again, I didn't change. The Lord be so gracious to me. No one will believe this story that I've just told you. Very few. But it happens to me. I know it's the Lord's doing. But I didn't change. And I always know that the Lord's grace and mercy will come to an end at a point of time. That is to bring you back, you'll go through a hard time. And the second time came, and again, the narcotic officer came to my house from a different police station. And they knocked on my door, and it was about 2 a.m., and I was in, and they start to break. The story that I'm telling you, I did not alter or change, okay? It's a true story. I did the same, I jump. This time I jump, I run. I run, I did not turn back, there are three officer, but different station. From Clementi, the first one is from, I think Al Mokyo, the second is from Clementi Police Station. I jump, I run. I run straight. I didn't turn back, I don't care what's happening behind my back, I just run. I didn't run far, because I couldn't run that far, you know, being a drug addict. I ran, I went up to a HDB block, I hide in the corner. And no one chased me. And it happened the third time. This time was different. This time they were well prepared. When I opened my window, they said, you jump? Yeah, this is what they said to me. I can remember clearly. They're really prepared, you know. It must be one of the stations. Either it's Amokyo or Clementi. They really knew it. I believe the second one, when I ran, I think they didn't chase me for whatever reason, I think. So this time, they said, you jump. And they said, we will try and catch you. So I didn't. But this time, I have that special pill with me. I have it with me. I quickly bite it, I swallow it. And they came in and they took me away. And in the station, they asked me to give them a urine sample. I said, no, I need water. Because I know the system, the pills will go down, dissolve about one hour, and thereby, after two hours, you will give, everything will go smoothly, according to your plan. So after two hours, I give it to them. And when they tested, it's very high. So I knew it already. And they knew it. Because I asked a cigarette, they said, no need. You will have your cigarette when you come out. So I was sent to Sembawang, cold Turkey, where they take the sample to the doctor. I was there for seven days waiting for the result. And the result came out that my urine was negative. I was released, but on bill, because I wanted for two years, so I'll be charged in court for that purpose. And I was charged and sentenced to six months only. Actually, it's nine months, and then they deducted three months and gave me six months. So I was very thankful. Instead of 10 years, the Lord put me six months. That was in the year of 2000. Upon release, I did not change. I went on to continue my old habit. In total, I've been sentenced to prison for six times. Yet, it did not deter me. My mother's death did not help me. And the Lord has put an end to all this in order for me to return back to Him. I was chased out of the house because my father could not tolerate me, neither could my brother, my sibling, because I was always there to ask money. I stole their jewelry. My friends see me afar off, they turn back and walk away. No one want to come near me. I'm alone, without food, walking alone at night, my food is only fruits, you know, plucking those mangoes from the trees. That's what I did. Okay, so I was in a very desperate situation. I cried a lot of times, and I reasoned with the Lord. I said, why am I in this stage? seeing my peers, my friend, you know, they are doing well. I say, why? You know, you bring me out to this world. I'm going through such miserable ways of living. So I was in a very desperate situation. Without money, no one cared for me. I was really alone. The pain that I was going through in those days, no one can imagine or understand. It was very painful, very painful. And that very point of time to take his own life is never an issue. So the final NF came, I went to the highest block, which is 13th floor only, and I was crying, literally crying. And I said, Lord, if you are here with me, speak to me, or else I will take my life. And something just came out of mind at that very point of time, because though I've lacked a lot of knowledge in the Bible, but I still do read. Well, I was in prison. So the Lord spoke to me in a very gentle voice, saying, this day, if you were to end your own life, you'll be in hell. I sat there crying uncontrollably. I don't know what to do. And something came to my mind. There's a hallway house that I know for the ex-convict, for the drug addict, a home that would take care of such people. I only know one. That is helping hand, it still exists. Why? Because I will always take a bus from somewhere else and the bus will pass by this halfway home helping hand. When the bus pass by, when I look at them, and sometimes I laugh at them, so to mock them, you know, such an old age, still playing football, you know, walking around, you know, doing things which does not benefit them at all. So I was, you know, in my heart laughing at them, you know. They got no place to stay, no home. So at that point of time, you know, this thought came to me, helping hand. And I said, okay, Lord, You want me to go there? I will go. I will go. I will go and fast for eight days, and then I will commit suicide. So I got no knowledge. The fasting came about because my mother was devoted those days. Every Friday, she would never fail to fast. So I remember that. I said, okay, I need to fast. And only then, you know, when I commit, I jump down and commit suicide, the Lord forgive me. So that kind of mentality I have. So I went to the helping hand, with the idea only to stay for eight days, to make myself clean spiritually, and then I go and commit suicide. And that eight day turned out to be 18 years today. I go in, I say it's such a wonderful place. There's a lot of peace, and every day I get to read the Bible, and someone will guide me. And when I read the Bible, I say, wow, this is awesome, how come I didn't know? And when I study, there are people to help me. And every day, there were preachers coming in, every day. Morning, every morning, definitely there are preachers, and there are BP preachers, Bible Presbyterian preachers coming in. At night, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, they'll pray meetings. I grew a lot. I was so happy. Eventually, I changed, but there were a lot of struggles because not everybody that was in that home were doing well in the Lord. Some of them were just taking shelter, and they were doing a lot of bad things. So there were a lot of struggle, but I purposed in my heart to change. So I mixed around with good company. Of course, one of them I saw is Reverend Philip Eng. He was there. He came back from Kenya. Is it Kenya? Kenya, is it Kenya? I've forgotten. He came back and talked to us, encouraged me. So I grew spiritually within that one year of program. After one year, my late leader, Robert Yeo, asked me to go to Indonesia, because we have a home there to take care of the addicts over there, asked me to go and take lead. Not many get such opportunity to go, but the Lord put me there to take care of them. As I say, when I was going through the program, there were a lot of issues. I do struggle with many issues. The Lord slowly washed me, daily He washed me, all those filthy thoughts, things that are not supposed to be within me, my anger, my temper. And He taught me to stay humble, serve Him with all humility. So I went to Indonesia for six months and served there. And when I came back, I met my wife, Gina. She went to BCA, Kenya, to serve six months. And she came back, and the Lord put us together, and we had our wedding in the year 2004. So 2004, Our late Robert Yeo died, and a new leader have came in, so the doctrine-wise have changed. He become a liberal, and we decided to come out and to start our own. And that was with Paul O'Cheng, he's now a minister in Battle Baby Church Australia, Reverend Paul O'Cheng. So we came out, we start, A ministry. So we start the ministry, but I was going to Far Eastern Bible College for my night classes. And someone told me, why don't you serve the Lord? And I said, you must be joking, am I right? You asked me to serve the Lord. I'm not eloquent. I can't even speak properly. a proper sentence, how can I serve the Lord? So I have never in my entire life at that point of time thought that I'll be a preacher or even study in the Bible college. No way, it can never happen. So I came out with Paul and we started a ministry. So the idea is that I can serve in that ministry, and same time, you know, have some business, to make some profit. But the Lord's calling was heavy upon me. And I still refuse, you know, refuse to acknowledge that the Lord has called me. And I go on to do my little things. And someone reminded me, said, Jeremiah, you remember something. You came into Helping Hand with just a plastic bag. And that was very true. I came into Helping Hand, a plastic bag with one t-shirt and few coins, that's all. I said, I remember that. He said, today, what do you have? I mean, he's my best friend. Brother in Christ, tell me. I said, today, I have shirt. I have shoe. He said, tell me more. I got a wife. I got a house. And the blessing goes on. All this the Lord has given you. which you do not deserve it. Can it not help you in your studies and to serve him? So that really triggered my mind to think. Indeed the Lord has done a lot for me with nothing and I have something now. What else the Lord cannot do? So one day, I was in my closet, reading the Bible, praying. I was struggling whether to serve the Lord or continue this so-called business that I've planned. Anyway, I can still serve the Lord, but not as a preacher, or go to the college, to go through such a struggling point of time. But I can serve the Lord in other ways, But in my mind, in my heart, actually, I was thinking to make more money. So this verse came to me, 1 Samuel 12, 24. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart. For consider how great things He has done for you. So this verse has a great impact in my life. Only fear the Lord. To fear Him means to give reverence to Him, to respect Him, and serve Him in truth. That means not half-hearted. With all your heart, with all my heart, And He wants me to consider, to ponder, to think what He has done for me. Though this verse speaks to the Israelite, but the Lord Jesus has done a lot for me. He went to the cross to redeem a wicked person like me, that I may be reconciled back to God. So this is how great that He has done for me, how great things that He has done for me. And what have I done for Him? to go on to make money for myself, and serve the Lord in a small area, and trying to comfort myself that I'm serving Him in that small area. But in fact, 80% of my heart is going towards the world. Not that I don't believe the Lord, not that I don't love Him, not that I don't trust Him, but because the world, the world pulls me. The world pulling me is very strong. So having read 1 Samuel 12, 24, I knew it was the Lord's doing in my life. And all of my so-called good planning, I planned it very well to execute it, to make money and yet to serve the Lord. But vanish away. Luke 16, verse 13 came to me. A man cannot serve two masters. either bend to one side more and love and hate the other side. So all this thought vanished. Next morning, without delay, I spoke to a good friend of mine about my calling to serve God as a preacher. He encouraged me to allow God to take full control, not half, full control of my life for His glory and purpose. He told me that the Lord will surely empower me of my study in the Bible college. He will bring it to pass because he has called me that I will fulfill all righteousness in this Bible college. So I prayed earnestly about it because I know this is a very serious business in the Lord's vineyard. And I want to make sure that the Lord had called me and praying for a period of time, I knew that the Lord has called me. And I know that to these 30 years in my wilderness, there's a purpose. Interestingly, someone said to me, do you know something, Jeremiah? I said, what is it? Name all of you. I got two siblings, my sister and my brother. Name three of you. My brother is Derek, my sister is Christina. Only I have a Christian name, Jeremiah. So I said, the Lord has called you. He has a purpose. Interestingly that two sibling, you know, they have backslided away. And the Lord has used you now. Perhaps the Lord want to use me to call them or save them, bring them back. But more importantly is that the Lord has called me to serve Him. So I approached my pastor. And with the Board of Elders, they give me their blessing, I enroll myself to the Firestone Bible College to be equipped for its service. That was in the month of May 2005. While waiting to be enrolled in the Firestone Bible College, I had to go for a surgery. I have an ACL tear. And it was painful when I walk. So after my operation, I can't walk for a few days and he was in pain. And the Bible College resumed its teaching. And I had to go to the college, but it was very painful for me to walk. So I find it difficult for me to move about to and fro. And I wanted to give up because there was still fear in me to go into this college. And this operation, going through this operation, Give me all the more to postpone my study. Again, the Lord spoke to me. 1 Peter 5, 7, I call you, I will empower you, I will guide you. And God was indeed with me all this while. While I go to the college to and fro with that pain, I was able to endure, I walked painfully with plages and bandage to my knee from Tampines to the college. Took me about one and a half hour every day. And again, it was God's grace upon me. Many had warned me of the danger of the severity of my sewing of the leg. You know, when they did operation, they did stitch back. the stitch will be tear apart because of my movement. But I know the Lord was with me. Not that I don't take heed of their kind gesture, of their words, but I know the Lord will care for me. I just need to be careful and cautious of my movement. And again, the Lord was with me. And I did my study, my first semester. I didn't fail. But I got a lot of donkeys, D and C. I was very upset. I went to my pastor, I said, I want to quit. I said, I cannot fulfill. I cannot fulfill. But what the Lord has called me is very tough. So my pastor encouraged me. He said, most of students go through that. He told me about himself too, but please don't go and tell him. Okay, he told me. So I said, okay. I carry on, I persevere. And my grades went up. Went up, and I was getting better result. and I graduated as a bachelor. And I seek the church leader's blessing, and they appointed me as a preacher in the church, and my area of service is to the elderly in my church, and also in the Old Fox Home. The name is Lion's Home for the elderly at Bedok and Bishan. I'm also in charge of the prison ministry, And I also minister to the brethren at Care Ministry. Care Ministry is the aftercare for the ex-convict. Every Friday, the Care Ministry is under our church directly. So the Lord put me in various areas to serve Him. Is it very tough to serve Him? Yes. There's a lot of struggle. but I always look up to the Lord for help. The Lord has seen me through many years, and I know that He continues to guide and He will see me through. Today, it's by the grace of God I can stand before you and share my story. How a wicked person in my past have turned out to be good for the glory of Him. God has transformed me. My mother's death could not transform me. My friends' counsel, my parents, many people have tried their very best to help me. These 30 years while I was in the wilderness, nobody. It is only the Lord. I hope that my testimony will encourage you. If the Lord can use me, the Lord can use anybody. It's whether you're willing to let Him use you. Humility plays a lot. The Lord has taught me to humble. Humble and serve Him whatever area He has called you. Serve the Lord while you're on earth because our days are short. I wasted 30 years. I see many of you are young. You can serve the Lord many, many more years to come. So I hope my short story, short testimony will encourage you, spur you never to give up hope. For those of you who are going through a stressful moment of your life, never give up hope. The Lord has watched over me through these years. Even today, though we are not rich, but the Lord has fed us daily. He has clothed me and my wife. He has taken care of me. I've got an area to serve Him. I've done my best. to serve Him, all because of this verse. Consider how great things He has done in my life. So you need to consider these great things that He has done in your life. And when you sit down and think, and when the Lord just requires you to be faithful and serve Him well, it's not something that you cannot do. It is something that you can achieve for His glory. So this is the story that I have for you. And I pray that you will not dismay or discourage when we face trials or tribulation. But we must continue to trust Him. Never compromise. I have never compromised God's Word till today. Never. I can proudly say this never. That's why I'm able to stand firmly, deeply rooted in Christ. Why? Because I know that my Saviour will never forsake me. He will never leave me aside. All I need to do is to study His words and make sure that I'm in tune with His words. I cannot compromise knowing what the Lord has done for me. How He has been gracious towards me. So many of my friends, so-called friends, they are still in prison. So many of them, they serve. LT1, okay, first and second, I put them aside, imprisonment. They're only one year, two years only. Third year and above is five to seven years. If you come out, you don't change, you go to LT2, seven to eight years. And if you don't come, you don't change, you come out, you don't change, you get caught, you go to LT2, they call it bracket. And there'll be another 10 years. If you don't come out and you go in again, you become bracket, bracket, another 10. So you calculate of it. And my friend is in bracket, bracket, many of my friends. If today I don't change, I'll be like them, bracket, bracket. And it's at least 20 over years in prison. They are believers, praise the Lord. So remember, trust the Lord, cling on to Him. He will never leave you. His word is true. All you need to do is to trust in Him and cling on tightly to Him, and you'll see how great things will work in your life for His glory. Thank you. It is wonderful to hear the reality of Jeremiah's life. It is so real. God is real. Our God is real. Amen. Amen. And may the Lord encourage us and continue to help us to live for him. And Richard Jeremiah will also be sharing in a 3 p.m. gospel meeting. And after that, he'll be going to minister in the senior folks ministry. Let's pray. Almighty God, gracious Father in heaven, we thank and praise Thee for what we have heard and how real, how great Thou art. Thy grace is so amazing. And Lord, we pray that Thy Holy Spirit will minister to our hearts to revive us and to help us to be channels of Thy blessings to others. Lord, we know that even especially amongst our Filipino sisters, they have got children in Philippines. And the situation in Philippines with all the drug addiction is so real. God have mercy. Protect them. May their children come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the personal Lord and Savior and change them for thine own use. Father in heaven, we can only commit them lovingly to thy hand. And we commit, pray church, Jeremiah and Gina unto thee, and bless the ministry in the church at Gethsemane BB Church. We give thee praise and thanks through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.