My dear readers,

"On building God’s House" - A John Sung Sermon (II)
(Dr SH Tow, Reformation Banner November-December 79)

Text: Haggai 1

I met a preacher, a clever businessman. He loaned on high interest. He made plenty of money every month. He preached only twice a week. He was a rather big business man. But, alas! His eldest son died while studying at the university. His wife got very sick. His second son became a bandit, and was shot by the government. One day, he said to me in tears, "God does not bless me. I met with disasters on every hand. I have an awful time." I replied, "Because you thought the temple could be left in ruins. You tried to amass a fortune but God didn’t bless. Even your body now is not the temple of God." Beloved, how is your temple? When God blows upon it, it is gone. Because you don’t go up the mountain to bring wood.

Let me ask you: Some of you have been old-time Christians. Some, leaders of the church. Do you read your Bible everyday? Maybe, you’re too busy! But money is No. 1 and you praise the mighty dollar, and not the Lord. God cannot bless!
Verses 12-15. Praise the Lord! After Haggai’s sermon, the people were moved! They said, "We are undone." God replied, "I am with you." Now that the people realised how important the Temple was, they launched out to build it on the 24th day of the 6th month."

Lose your life and find it!
Beloved, may God move you this morning to attain holiness, that God might delight in you. Whenever I speak on my own, God would chastise me. Once I yearned for home as I still do, even now, that five-year-old son of mine, who also yearned after me, wrote me a letter. But he did not know how. He only scratched on the paper at random. His mother translated these marks as being his yearning for Daddy and wanted me to come home. But I did not go home, and everyone at home was well. The moment I go home, however, everything went wrong. First week my wife fell ill, the second week my son. When I left home, without medicine, they all got well. God said, "You should go out. Don’t think of yourself, but think of Me."

Once I visited Shansi at the invitation of a Westerner. That Western friend treated me very well. Every meal he fed me with eggs, rice-noodles, sweet potatoes, turnips, milk. Every day was the same. I got sick after this. I caught a cold. I could not sleep at night. I got worried. I was a guest. I did not dare tell him.

My companion secretly bought me some hot soup. He dared not let the host know lest he be offended. God said, "You regard your-self too highly." My sickness got worse. I had sleepless nights though I was a good sleeper. I worried if I had contracted tuberculosis. Because I worried, God made me worse.

I went to Ping Yan Prefecture and from there to Ping Ting. Everyone urged me to rest. I could not stand up. I had to be supported by two persons as I preached. I spoke only once a day. I knelt and prayed. God said, "You care too much about yourself." The next day, I preached twice instead of once, and prayed for the sick also. Thus, I got well again! The more we fear it, the more we get it. The more we disregard death, the less it bothers us. The more we labour for God, the more we receive His help. The more we go up the mountain, the more wood we find.

Seek Spiritual Healing First
Many say to me, "Mr. Sung! We have headache, sore eyes, stomach ache, ear ache, nose ache." These people care not for their souls but for their bodies. God cannot bless them. If they come rather to hear the Word and not to get divine healing, their sickness would go away automatically. God cannot bless those who think only of their bodies.

I have a secret way of healing. Whenever I get sore throat or headache, I would preach the more, yes, until I get wet, sweating all over. Then I get well! When I lose my voice, I preach more times, not twice a day, but thrice. The more I preach, the more I keep my voice.

A Shanghai preacher’s daughter was bedridden three years. Her father consulted many doctors without avail. He came to see me. I said to her, "I give you a prescription." She agreed. I said, "First, confess all your sins. Second, don’t be afraid of your sickness. Third, give your testimony." She confessed her sins. I prayed for her. She was healed. She was on a milk diet. prescribed rice. Though she could not eat, I urged her to swallow it. After one week, she gained two pounds. When I visited Shanghai again this time, she was the proud mother of a child. When she saw me she said, "Praise the Lord!" So we must be concerned for the things of God, to obtain His blessing. The more we fear, the more we die! The more we dare to die, the more we live! (The end)
The Lord bless you and keep you.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor