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Friday 27 October 2017

Why I left Buddhism?


I was born in 1987 January 21st. To my knowledge, I was born around 8.00 p.m. and my dad decided not to give me a Chinese name nor does he wants me to bring forward the family name "Ng". So, he named me Albrecht Patrick Raphael.

Growing up in a family that holds no specific religious beliefs and full of traditional "grandpa & grandma superstition" really made me confused from a very early age; Plus, enrolling in a Catholic Primary School adds up to the confusion because I found out my friends were going to Sunday School at the Catholic Church. I never heard of such things until I was seven years old.

My great grandparents from both my dad and mom side has a history of being witches and warlocks, I'm not kidding... My great grandmother was the village Bobohizan or a "practitioner of white magic"... In short... a witch. My Grandpa's brother (mother's side) was a warlock who calls demons to possess people (his followers) and speaking through them. On my father's side of the family, was another level or weirdness... My uncle is an Islam Bomoh also known as a witch-doctor, My great grandmother was a demon-possessed-pagan-tree-worshiper who "bathes" herself under the moon when there is a full moon in the sky. Since I was a young lad about 7 years old I was already exposed to these crafts. wearing charms, worshiping little idol statues three times per day and burning incense in the house with my dad to smoke some charms every Thursday night every week.

There was a point in my life where I actually wanted to find God... It started at a very young age of 6 and the thirst to find the spiritual things was just in me and driving me to try out all sorts of things. I was really a open-minded person where I accept all religion to be true and having being raised up in Malaysia, I naturally hated Israel and laugh at Christians for not burning paper money for their dead ancestors like we were doing every year. After I started my college life and my university life (that was at the age of 17 years old to 23 years of age) I began to immerse myself to the religion of Buddhism.

I told myself "I don't want to just be called a Buddhist, I really want to become a Buddhist". Therefore, I started to read the Sutras and study the life of Buddha himself, clarify the confusion between Taoism and Buddhism in Malaysia in my head and also go to actual temples to pay respect to Buddha. In my confusion, I still prayed to little idol statues and kept learning about teaching of Buddhism and having a life of being carefree while being confident of my future in the afterlife.

Even though I had religion and knowledge about various other religion and other people's beliefs I had a few problems in life...

1. I was fearful of "ghosts" and "spirits".
2. Being overly religious and 'spiritual' made me an extremist to the point where I would mock other so-called-Buddhists when they don't know Buddha was born in Nepal.
3. I was sooooo superstitious and kept having nightmares.
4. The sense of guild and condemnation was always in my heart whenever I would sin or do something that I know I shouldn't do (example: having sex outside of wedlock a.k.a. to fornicate)
5. I was always angry and have a problem with managing anger.

These are just a short list of many many many other problems I was facing in life at that point. But, I am just highlighting these to give you all a picture what was my life like before my conversion towards The Lord Jesus Christ.

How did it all started??

Fast forward to December 2010. I was so into Buddhism, I was not content and I found myself practicing witch-craft and calling upon demon spirits to communicate with them to seek spiritual answers. I got more confused and having more health problems as the road to seek for answers was getting more and more intense.

One day, my mom came back home and met me talking about how she met this lady and heard about Jesus and went to Church and receiving Jesus and has this change in her heart. I was intrigued to go to meet this person and listen to what she has to say about this Jesus. I wanted to find spiritual power and reckoned that this lady can teach me some stuff about spiritual stuff. So, I met her and her husband. Her husband was a decent middle aged man, had a smile on his face and began to share to me about Jesus. After awhile of listening to them both telling me about The Lord Jesus Christ, we began to pray. And at that moment I began to manifest demonically... to the point of speaking in a different tone of voice that I reckon was not myself but a demon speaking through me. I vaguely remembered what transpired during that day but some key moments were still on my mind. One of them was me being so afraid that I don't want to belong to this demon anymore nor would I want to be dragged to hell by this demon. Secondly, they tried to pray for me and casting out demon in The Name of Jesus but to no avail... UNTIL... I prayed a prayer, read some Bible verses that was shown to me by the man and basically just receiving The Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord. Believing that He could deliver me from the grasp of the demon and trusting that He can save me from the turmoil and manifestation that I was going through...

The Lord Jesus Christ saved me that day.

I was converted in a short period of time.

I knew it was just not a change of religion.

I had received Salvation.

Peace entered into my heart like never before.

A sense of joy to the point of having no more fear came upon me.

I didn't want to lose Salvation nor did I want to let go of this Jesus Whom I just clanged to.

I knew from that day I was a believer of The Lord Jesus Christ and a Christian.

It was not a situation where: before people calls me a Buddhist now people are calling me a Christian... No... It  is like this... I was changed from the inside out. I know on that very day, I have found God and I need not look further into other religions to seek for Him.

I wanted to read the Bible.

I wanted to know more about The Lord Jesus Christ.

I began to tell people about my conversion.

Me and my mom threw the idol statues out from the house and got rid of all the books on the teaching of Buddha.

Burned all the witches and warlocks charms passed down from generation to generation.

You see, I wasn't a skin deep Buddhist, I went overboard with my pursuit to know Buddha and at the same time I was tied-up with family traditions, superstitions and demonic rituals. But I have received The Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior... At the same time, turned away from all the religion of Buddhism and threw out all the confusing ideas and beliefs of my ancestors... Calling it sin and repenting of it all. I ran towards Jesus and declared myself a follower of The Lord Jesus Christ.

I was never again so fearful of everything about ghosts and spirits anymore. I was never again having uncontrolled anger to the point of having bad health. My confusion was cleared up and my soul was healed of all the damaged being done throughout all the years of being religious.

I am a Christian.

and I declare to you.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners like you and me. He was crucified, becoming a substituted for us upon that cross that killed Him... He was buried and the tombed was shut tight... But on the third day He rose up from the dead and appeared to eye-witnesses to the point that His followers began to spread the Gospel and declaring that Jesus is alive and are willing to die for their Faith. Jesus died for our sins so that we would not have to pay for our own sins in hell for eternity. We could place our Faith in Him and repent of our own sins and turning to Him to save us.

Just like I did... You can receive Him... as Lord and Savior...

Just like He saved me... He can save you...

This is my testimony. I left Buddhism plus all those other confusing stuffs and embraced Christianity.

Thursday 16 March 2017

What happens when you die?

This question has indeed troubled many people for many many many years... What actually happens to us when we die? Will we just stop living? Will our body just decay and stop existing? Is there a heaven for everyone? Is there really a hell for those very evil and wicked people? Is there justice of a both heaven and hell? Or would it be just a total darkness...? Or a a light at the end of the tunnel?

There was this fad as well from last year:


Quoting from Mail Online says:-

"People in China are getting behind the craze of holding funerals for themselves and being placed in a coffin. Participants are told to climb inside wooden coffins to feel what it is truly like to experience death. The experience is getting popular in the country with many companies including funeral parlours around the country offering the chance to get inside a coffin. One such event, called 'Experiencing Death', was held by a funeral home in east China's Tianjin city last Friday, reported People's Daily Online." - Mail Online

It captures the imagination of people who even doesn't have an interest to know anything about religion or God, it get's stuck in their head when they're older or even when in an age where everything seems to be stagnant and without direction and monotonous life... Intrusive thoughts about the afterlife after death can challenge one's thinking and beliefs that when they are a 

FREETHINKER @ 'I Don't Care' or an ATHEIST


BUT CONSIDERING THE QUESTION...

IN YOUR HEART AND IN YOUR THINKING...

GIVE THIS POST A CHANCE
AND CONTINUE READING

          IF I FAILED TO INTEREST YOU,..
                       YOU CAN JUST STOP READING RIGHT
                                                   
                                                  HERE...


Hi, seems like I have got your attention now since you are continuing to read my blog post today. So, my name is Albrecht... and I am an Ex-believer of the idea of reincarnation and also an Ex-believer of the teachings of Buddha when all he thought about was some crazy stuff not even a monk could follow 100%... Images of him were made hundreds of years after he died and ceased to exists and the teachings of Buddhism got so mixed up with Chinese folklore, Taoism and some other weird superstition... I am happy I got away with all the past madness.

Today I stand before all of you saying I once believe all people would go to heaven, but considering a man who has once did the most wicked thing in life like murdering his own wife or kids, or like Hitler starting WWII and eventually wiping out millions of innocent people... I don't think heaven would cater for such people.

"... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ."
The Book of Romans, Chapter 3 verse 23
The Apostle Paul

You see, the problem with the world today is filled with evil, wickedness, unfairness, justice that has been smudged with dirt and such dirty... disgusting acts of horrible crimes has been conducted by man or women who just has evil in their hearts. Yes, there are good people around too that gives colors to this world and creates life and good atmospheres in world that we lived in.

What would happen to the evil people? the rapist? Child abusers? Murderers? Thieves? would there be a punishment for them after this life?  In hell?

YES

And in the same way, for all of those who has sin and continuing in their sins... Those who has not known God or even found the way to connect to God... Because ultimately, each and everyone of us has done something wrong in life and has lived in a way where we did not acknowledge God or His existence in our lives. One way or another we have had sinned. and sin in God's Eye is dirty, wicked and evil and can not enter into heaven.


“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
“Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

- The Apostle Paul


God is Almighty, the creator of the universe and He is Perfect and Holy and without blame... also, He is Awesome and Great and gives life to a newborn and to every living creature on this planet. To think for a second that anyone imperfect, a liar, a drunkard a murderer, prideful, without compassion, heartless, animal maiming person, fornicator, adulterer or even a thief... would be able enter into the courts of Heaven is unreasonable. 

Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the history of mankind, SIN has entered into the world and has since separated mankind from God. it is our sin, that dirty, evil and disgusting sin of our in us separates us from knowing God and having a relationship with Him.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked;
for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,
but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

The Book of Galatians
Chapter 6
Verses 7 & 8

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
The First Letter to the Corinthians
Paul, The Apostle
Chapter 6
verses 9 & 10

When it is said that such people would not inherit the Kingdom of God, it speaks loudly of a group of people who would not enter heaven. And because God is Holy, Righteous, Just and Marvelous... He is not a Judge Who would just be like a good ol' grandpa and say, "I'll let this sin pass me by and accept it into heaven." Instead, like a righteous Judge, Sin must be punished and the Justice of God must be appeased.

Because,

God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;

He bends His bow and makes it ready.
The Book of Psalms
Chapter 7
Verses 11 & 12

Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

The Book of Genesis
The Book of Beginnings
Moses

And since God is a righteous Judge and our wicked, vile and disgusting dirty sin will send us straight to hell... It would be even a scary thought that one would have to spend an eternity over eternity in hell because he or she has sinned not against a mere man, but an everlasting, eternal Holy God.

The Great White Throne Judgment


Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
The Book of Revelation
John, The Apostle
Chapter 20
Verses 11 ~ 15

At the end of the day, there will be eternal torment in hell...


"... God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;"
2nd Letter of Peter,
Peter, the Apostle
Chapter 2
Verse 4

Sin will have its consequences not only in this world but also in the afterlife... after we die... when our soul has left our body...

So, what is our hope then? Since even the most nicest person on earth has had sinned once in his or her lifetime... and will be condemned to hell if not saved... What is the hope for them?? What is the hope for us??

You see dear reader, it is also known that God is Love... Out of Love He blesses the earth and provides us with the colors of His creation... The laughter, the joyous emotions, the smiles and the happy feelings we get when we are with loved ones are His designs and creations.

The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise,
as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
2nd Letter of Peter,
Peter, the Apostle
Chapter 3, Verse 9

“ … ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God,
‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked,
but that the wicked turn from his way and live.
Turn, turn from your evil ways!
For why should you die, … ?”

The Book of Ezekiel
Chapter 33, Verse 11

And this is the Hope, that God does not wants us to perish in hell and die there left to rot for eternity and eternity and eternity... But He desires that we repent of our wrongdoings, repent from our sinful ways and turn away from it...

Now, if you turn away from your sin,
Whom do you turn to?

God has prepared a way for salvation, that is for you to escape the Judgement and God's Wrath against sin and all that has rebelled against Him... escaping hell and receiving His redemption...

"... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

 The Book of Romans
The Apostle Paul
Chapter 3, Verses 23 ~26

Since there is a price that needs to be paid for our sins, Jesus has died on the cross to pay the wages of our sin. Jesus being God's Only Begotten Son has became a man and lived a perfect, blameless and holy life on earth being tempted with the same temptations of evil as of today... Yet lived without sin and was proven blameless unto death. He was crucified and died a sinner's death; a death penalty worthy of the worst criminals at that current time during the Roman Empires. He was accused of blasphemy declaring His Deity and calling God is Father making Him equal with God, and also at one point revealing He Himself is God.

If He was a mere crazy man, he would have died and stayed dead in his very grave...

BUT

Jesus; "who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification."
The Apostle Paul

Jesus Christ, The Lord Jesus Christ was raised up from the dead and He was resurrected back to life after dying on the cross and was buried... The people at those times went mad and began to declare what has happened and share this wonderful news. Because...

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
 The Book of John
by The Apostle John
Chapter 3: vs. 16

I call unto you dear reader, whoever who would stumble unto this blog post of mine... Life after death is real and will continue for eternity upon eternity and upon eternity. You don't need to spend your eternity after death in hell...

But repent of your sins and put your Faith in The Lord Jesus Christ, receiving Him as your Lord and Savior... submitting your whole life under His Lordship and Sovereignty... Because He is coming back again for those who has placed their trust, faith and belief in Him to save them from hell entering into an eternal relationship with Him, The King of Kings and The Lord of Lords.

The Lord Jesus Christ wants to save you and set you free from the bondage of sin, the consequences of sin and ultimately from an eternal separation from God in hell. He wants to redeem you and purchase you unto Himself by His Blood. 

Wednesday 1 February 2017

Do you have an empty heart?


The great big emptiness in your heart can only be filled with The Lord Jesus Christ. You try to make sense of life without God in the equation and you still can't understand the meaning of your existence. Sometimes when you're alone and you can't stand the emotions rushing in and the thoughts that comes to your mind... So you travel the world and you satisfy all your hearts desire and left confused and lost as you still couldn't understand what is that emptiness in your heart...

You think you have depression... You think you're just lonely... You believe you need to surround yourself with more friends... Maybe another sip of wine... Maybe another round of getting wasted with alcohol... Or finding a new high with new drugs...

At the end of the night when you're alone, you seem lost... You hate the torment in your mind and feel hopeless despite all the things you have in your fingertips... You hate life and become bored of the things you once enjoyed.

A life without God or a life resisting God Himself is a life of rebellion and of sin. Now Sin is the reason why we do not have a relationship with God... and Sin will eventually becomes Death to us... dragging us to an eternal separation with God Himself not only in this world... but the afterlife. So what is the Hope?

The Hope is this; For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God sent His Son, Jesus to rescue us from Sin and the consequence that sin brings to our lives now and even the afterlife... He died on the cross having no fault nor sin... being innocent, holy and blameless yet died a sinners death... the worst death possible on a roman cross for us all. His shedding of Blood was to redeem mankind that if we believe He is Lord, He is the Son of God and we stop trying to save ourselves but throw ourselves to Him... surrendering our lives to Him, repenting and asking for forgiveness for the way we have been living in sin and for all our wrong doings... He will forgive us our sins and receive us as His own people.

Then He will empower us to live a life for God and for Him... a life in relationship with The One Who created us. And sin has no hold unto us as we are set free from the vain pleasures that separates us from God in the 1st place. Everything will be new and made holy. As you say, "God, how would you want me to live my life before you?" Surely, He is no small Creator to guide and direct you in this fallen world...

Jesus died... was buried and He rose up from the dead and ascended into heaven. Promising to come back again... Proving Who He said He was during his lifetime on earth... To be The Son of God, equal with God and calling God His Father.

As a Christian, that is my hope. The Lord Jesus Christ who fills all the empty gaps in my heart since the day I received Him in my life to this very day... continuously.