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PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR, Malaysia
Event and Street Photographer who leads by the Spirit of God and loves to capture the moment in life either in door or on the street.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Holy Bible found it's home

Peace be with you.
I am a person who like to collect holy scriptures or God's inspired books and I keep them in a special place in my home. I also put them in my backpack as my companion where ever I go. Even in my office, I am with the Word because I believe the Author of those books is the Spirit of God. Man is only writting down the inspired words as they come in their minds. I believe the Holy Bible is the Word of God and I believe in the Holy Spirit who dwells in the baptised Christian.

In the evening of Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 the weather is sunny and abit hazy in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. At 5.15pm while in the office, my friend Chew Chee Long said, "It's too hot outside! How to jog?" I answer, " It's ok and it's better than raining."
I take off my office attire in our office store and put on my Red Liverpool Jersey with a Red Liverpool Cap and a jogging trousers. I am very eager to go for this season because last week I had missed the season due to illness. I come out of the store room and Chew Chee Long turn to change into his jogging tracksuit. We hit the road at 5:30pm and off through Jalan Universiti, Rothman Roundabout, pass Wisma Kemajuan and head for a small road to Paramount Garden. From Paramount Garden, we take another small road and go through rows of beautiful banglows until we reach Maz International School. This area is called Taman Aman, a recreational area for Petaling Jaya community.
As we jog, I am always complaining of tiredness and yet I force myself to finish two rounds. The air is not good for out door exercise and this is shown by Chew Chee Long frequently put his hand towel over his nose and mouth. Beside the two rounds and I also manage to do two sets of 4 chin up exercise on the high bar.
Then we head for home. As we reach the rows of the newly renovated banglows which we passed earlier, I saw a blue paper in a distant on the road side in the midst of the cut grass. It attract me and as we came nearer, I have a closer look and I saw a Chinese character with a cross on the paper. More its not a paper but a book which is a bit dirty and in the middle of the book, I saw the WORD .....

"THE HOLY BIBLE"

I pick it up and said with a bit of anger in my voice, "How come these people throw the Bible like this? Very bad, you know!" A maid is staring at us from a distant as she throw a bag of waste into the rubbish bin. Chew Chee Long, said, "Ya lah.." I clean the cover with my hand and now it's clear...blue colour, pocket size 6" x 4" with this word in the front cover....

"THE HOLY BIBLE (NEW TESTAMENT) Chinese and English Bilingual Edition"

A closer look: its a New King James Version, THE GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL.

I still wonder why this happen, Holy Bible on the road side. Is it accidently drop or purposely drop?

My heart is rejoicing, as I have a new Bible and very excited to open my first verse as we walk back. I flip and its new inside and the marker is place at the back of the holy Bible which indicate its never been used. I open and my FIRST verse from this new Holy Bible....

"I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seems good in Your sight." (Luke 10:21b NKJV) (The Word of Lord Jesus as He rejoices in the Spirit.)

I said, "WOW! GOD!" and I close the Holy Bible immediately but those words I keep in my mind and heart as I walk back with the Bible in my hand. My mouth singing and my heart rejoicing.

When we reach the office, I am very eager to tell my wife and her boss about my finding. I place the Holy Bible on Agnes' table and Chew Chee Long picks it up and open and said, " Go to Seap Reap" and he laughs. The rest of us laugh with him but my heart tickle. Then I went upstairs to my own working table and I open the Holy Bible the SECOND times. This time it read......

"Go out of your country, go out of your relatives and come to the land that I will show you." (These word were for Father Abraham. These word, I have posted on my Facebook: John Ragai http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1017609516 . My Friend, Muse Omokhabi ask me to pray on these words.)

This time, I really scared and close the Holy Bible again and wonder, "Is this Bible talking to me?" The hair of my neck are standing as i keep the Holy Bible in my backpack. I keep another verse in my heart.

As my wife, Agnes drives home, we talk on this Holy Bible and the two verses. When we reach home, Agnes do not let me bring the Holy Bible into our house because she said that maybe the bad spirit is with the Holy Bible. Obediently, I place nicely the Holy Bible in the back seat of Agnes' car.

Though my heart is trouble during the night while watching TV until almost midnight. Before I switch off the TV, I said to myself I have to open the Holy Bible the THIRD times. With joy in my heart, I open the house door and go for the Holy Bible in the back seat of the car. I flip open the pages and go to the porch light to see what the Holy Bible said. My eyes catch thse word....

"Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
(Hebrews 10:38 NKJV) This is God's promise for those who live by faith in GOD.

This time, I am confident that GOD is talking to me and the Holy Bible is looking for a HOME.

On the June 11th, The Holy Bible is place in my home after I sprinkle the Holy Bible with the Holy Water. I am yet to open the Holy Bible again. Once I open, I will add the verse in this blog.

Peace be with you.

Glory be to God, my beloved One, King of the Universe, Creator of All.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Holy Spirit, my beloved friend

Today, Saturday the sixth day of the week, May 23rd, 2009 and it had been seven years since I had been first introduced to a new friend, the promise of my Lord Jesus Christ before his Ascension to His Father in Heaven. As the Apostles and Saints believed and trust in the WORD of my Lord Jesus Christ and I also believe and trust in those WORD and it comes to pass. The WORD is the PROMISE as the WORD is the flesh of life.

Before I know Him personally and have a relationship with Him , I knew Him as a far away devine being or my old self used to called Him as Holy Ghost. I am scared of ghost in those days as a young boy in a Catholic Mission School, St. Kevin Primary. What more to say Spirit!

What about Jesus? I knew Jesus just as a character in a story book called HOLY BIBLE. Nothing more than that. Then I went to Kelantan to continue my Secondary and the Ustaz and Ustazah over there teach me more about Prophets especially their Prophet Muhammad and little about Jesus whom they called Isa Al-maseh. My seven years in Kelantan had been wonderful and I knew alot about their religion, ISLAM. At one point, I even thinking of marrying a Kelantanese and have an eye on one particular girl name Siti Zaiton who lives in Lemal, Pasir Mas, Kelantan. She is cute, friendly, caring, beautiful and worthy to be a wife. Her father used to ask me to convey a special message to my father of which I never tell my father about my future in that family. The Kelantanese are wonderful caring people and they have a unique tag "ORANG KITA". Everywhere you go, you are safe as long as you are a Kelantanese because of the "ORANG KITA." (It's a unique brotherhood of Kelantanese.)

Did the Ustazah has ever ask me to convert to Islam?
O Yes! My good friend Ustazah ask me several time to convert to Islam as she considered that I am good in my knowledge of what they had taught me and ready for the next step. I have a major obstacle for the conversion to take place because the thing I ask from them only God can give. Pure of Heart which lead to NO anger, greed, jelousy, envy, aldultery and able to love of all created beings and things without prejudice. I may confess a thousand times to be an ISLAM but only GOD can give me Pure Heart.

My journey continues until I get married but do not have children. Now I thanks God for we have no children, if not I may never search for Him any further. Then my searching start again looking for GOD with a special tag from the Holy Bible, "BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD."(Mt 5:8) And I pray for the purity of heart and nothing else, not money and gold or health and good life or wisdom and knowledge or baby just PURE of HEART. I desired IT badly as a husband desire a wife. God is good and he answer my prayer when I convert to a Catholic in the year 2003. My baptism with the water in the Name of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit is normal but my confirmation of a SEAL of LOVE with the Holy Spirit is special which I and my wife will never forget.

On that particular morning, at 5.30am, March 26th, 2003 during my morning prayer....GOD the Creator of Heaven grant me the privilage to experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. My heart was flooded with love and joy, my lips praising my Lord but my words were replaced by an unknown sound which now I knew as a Gift of Tongue. My body were shaking as I could not contained the surge of graces and blessing. My eyes and face covered with tears as I felt of my sinfulness and unworthiness of all these. And in my terribling I ask, "who are you?" He answered me, "I am the One who was with the Prophets of Old, with Mary and Jesus." He said many things but the most important He said, "Repent and come back."
Then I rushed to my wife in the next room and I told her many things but she understand none because I talk gibberish. (Later i knew at that moment I am speaking in tongues). I take a piece of paper and write down but I wrote something like arabic or Hebrew and it's flowing as if I am very good at this written words. My wife is scared and I am full of joy with praises filled my heart.
At noon, my wife contact the elders of the church and told them that I am NOT OK. When I heard my wife mentioned the WORD "Church", my heart explode again with joy and murmur to myself, "I am going home." At the Church, my joy is complete. As I walked in the church, with my hands held high I sing praises at the top of my heart, praising God, my Heavely Father and my Lord Jesus Christ. At last, I have arrived at the HEART that I desired so much. The PURE HEART. I thought I was insane but one thing I realised I am a NEW MAN. My old self is dead and my new self is alive and full of love. What man can not do, GOD can. I knew my brothers still can not accept my new self even after seven years because they prefer my old self who was naif, no confident, easy to be push around, having low self-esteem, hate the church and having a blurr future.

I pray, "May God open their heart to accept me as He mould me to be. In Jesus name, I ask. Amen."

Eversince that day, I can not live a single moment without Him as I felt naked or incomplete without Him. Praise and Glory be to GOD forever and ever for His wonderful deeds.

Last Thursday was the Day of Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven and on Friday, 22nd May 2009, we started the Novena to the Holy Spirit in preparation for Pentecost Celebration, the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

To all who believe in Jesus of Nazareth, who died on the Cross and raise again with a PROMISE of the Holy Spirit, may the same Spirit Holy as promise be with you all. Amen.
*
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of Thy faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
*
Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
*
And Thou shall renew the face of the earth.

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Let us sing:
Come, Holy Spirit, I need you.
Come, sweet Spirit, I pray.
Come with your strength and power,
Come in your own gentle way.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Relationship

I thought I knew Him but I never get to know Him as He really is. I thought He is far away but He said He is always with me. He is with me and yet I do not allow Him to guide me. He is there in our midst but I can not sence His Presence....until I have a relationship with Him and He pour out His abundant love.
I used to be lonely but now I can sense His Presence very moment in my life. I want my old life but I hold tight to His Presence because in His Presence is where I find Peace, Joy and Rest. The world is calling but in His Presence is more joy and peace. The temptation is coming but His Presence is enough to push them away. I am not alone any longer because I am now belong to my Creator, my God and my All.
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Saturday, April 25, 2009

My Pakistani Friend, Deniy Kamran

One day in 2008, I asked God to bring me someone to share my M$10 and talk with me while I kneeled at the pew in St. Ignatius Church, Taman Plaza, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya. That is my normal request when I have nothing to do at the church after daily evening mass. I went over to the Mother Mary's grouto and I am greet by a stranger, tall, handsome, dark skin, thick eye brow, slim with a striking kind eyes. In my heart, I ask..."Is that the person, Lord?" I felt the warm and joy filled my heart. I said, "OK".

He introduced himself as Deniy Kamran from Pakistan, a Catholic, work as a guard and a helping hand in the Church PHID activities which include distribute the food for the poor. He is very eager to bring me in to the charity works that he involved in. The next thing I know, I am helping in the kitchen and doing food distributing for the poor. In the back of my mind, asking...."he is already very poor and yet he is very eager to help others with joy." He even volenteered himself to teach the underprivilege children the computer class. He make me felt very small and ashame to be Malaysian who is full of compassion and love. He teaches me to be a better human as to use the WORD and follow by ACTION. Word without Action is dead as Action without Word is dead. Though all these years I have live by my word but to live by your word and action makes you a better man. It's a tough life but that the life I choose and I depend on God to guide me and the Holy Spirit lead the way.

Deniy's life as a guard ended when he is robbed and slashed with sharp weapon on his head and hands when he defend himself. Life is tough for him.

The question is what went wrong with this guy?

When he first being promise a job in Malaysia by his Pakistan's agent back home, his family are very happy and paid a sum of money to agent to bring Deniy and thousand more like him to Malaysia. For the people in Pakistan, Malaysia is a rich country with lots of jobs, peaceful and good and caring people.

When they arrived here in Malaysia, the picture shown to them in Pakistan is not as the real thing. The Malaysia agent fail to get them jobs as promised and also the agent kept all their travelling documents. Should poor Pakistani want their travel document then they have to pay another RM2,000 to the agent of which they do not have as their money had been given to the agent in Pakistan. So what should these people do? What Malaysian should do for our guest?
They are walking around without travelling document and they become the victim of more black hearted Malaysian.

Is his life will change in 2009?
Last week thursday, Deniy and his Pakistani Muslim were walking home when a Bad Malaysian stop them and demanded for ID but they have none. They were on their knees begging for mercy and even his friend kissed the feet of that Bad Malaysian asking for mercy and he gets no mercy but a slap. Deniy lost his wallet, handphone and watch whereas his friend lost a wallet and RM1000, the money he kept to redeem his travelling document.

Who are these Bad Malaysian?
They can be anyone of us whose hearts are filled with greed and hatred. Their mouth talked of love and compassion with beautiful words and they act as if they were the Angel from Heaven but their hearts were filled with greed and hatred. They are like vulture waiting for the weak and hopeless to die and they eat their flesh.

I am proud to be Malaysian but I am not proud of some of the action of my fellow Malaysian.

With love in my heart, Friends, Can we help and love one another without prejudice?

I BELIEVE WE CAN. We are 1malaysia.

Prayer:
"O God, I trust in you alone. Grant these Lost Malaysian forgiveness for what they have done and open their heart and fill their heart with your love. In Jesus name. Amen."

Experience the Presence of God - Lent 2009

Today is April 25, 2009, a day of gladness and joy in God. The Lent is over but the experience of the Lent remained. Experience of the pain and suffering, wilderness and doubtfulness, peace and joy and most of all the pure love of the Creator for the Creature and the respond of the Creature for his Creator whom he called Father. With a joyful heart, I praise and glorify God for His generosity in bestow His abundant graces and blessing to a sinner like me.

As always for the Lent Season, I make a request form my God, not a positive but a negative which most human will not ask. My Lent's humbled request was just to be ever in God's Presence and be given the privilege to share the suffering and pain of my Lord Jesus Christ carrying the Cross to Calvary, nailed on the cross and striked with a lance in the ribs. Beside I also planned for a forty days of fasting and prayer for my family, brothers and sisters, friends and relatives. And also for my new friends in the Facebook whom I called brothers and sisters included Papa Chedet family. My life was great for the first week with blessing and graces from God. I thought, "this is very good!" as this is my first time I make a negative petition.

The second week, I was having an appraisal and I give my appraiser his worst time as my recklessness and anger burst in me. I have no future this company if he put in record what I have said to him. In my heart, I said "God, help me I know not what I am doing." I even pray in tongues as I am desperate to undo what I have done. I am going down the drain and I knew the very 'thing' I have asked is coming.

The next day, the doctor gave me a high blood pressure medicine Micardis 40g. In my heart, I asked "is that it, God?" The warm and peace filled my heart. At the same time, my younger brother Laihi is keeping his attack on my Catholic faith and I pray for my brother well being and be touch my Spirit of God. He is a good and caring except he want to be number one. The medicine works as it stabilised my BP. I thought it's over and now I can enjoy my normal life.

It's the 20th days of my fasting and I felt grateful to God for the minor suffering and pain. On the same Saturday after work, I went to the Evening mass with my wife at Devine Mercy Church in Shah Alam. Everything seems going well during the mass but at the moment the Priest lifted up the Holy Host, the bread of life.....a shape and acute pain striked my right back below my kidney. I praise God and I cried of pain and yet I am calm and at peace inside. The mass continued and my pain increasing......and I cried like baby, "I am unworthy, Lord." The doctors at first dignosed it as kidney faillure, then gall stone and at last Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Wonder why doctor like to guess and I became their subject of experiment. The next two weeks , I enjoy my daily suffering and pain as every night doctor gave me a jab. Now I realised of all the pain that I gone through namely internal injury of one year pain due to tournament fighting, bitten by the wild cat and rat, sting by scorpion, bees and spider, torn my tendon achilles during my badminton game were nothing compared to this pain. I thanks God for the privilege to experience this suffering and pain. Now I also admired with respect on those with prolong sickness and less hope to live a normal life because they are the real HERO and SURVIVOR. May God grant them comfort and strength in their daily life.

On Good Friday, I am back to normal and I stop my Micardis 40g.
Is that over? Not yet......family fighting at home back in Sarawak and I heard my sister Monica is crying on the phone. I called home and talk to Mother. What went wrong? Mother is very angry and she want to end everything. She told me that to take one own life is stupid and I said, "YES! very stupid!" and I told her she is too smart to be that stupid. We talked and joke over the whole thing and she want to come over to KL to rest her mind. I love her and may God be always with her. My sisters had done a very good support for my old parents but I have done none. I felt bad for that and the priest during my reconciliation....said, "BRING THEM FOR A WALK AND SPENT TIME WITH THEM."

Now is really over as Lent Season had passed and Easter Season is on and the Presence of God is more intense as ever.

My prayer: "O God, my Heavenly Father, help me to begin each day with you. Drive deep within my soul the truth that You are the most important person in my life and for that reason my first contact in the morning should be with you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being the WAY to the One true God, the Father of All. Let us be one as I am completely yours and You are mine forever and ever. Amen.