The Mercy, Grace, Blessing and Favour of The Lord

Bro Kenny Wong

It is wonderful to be in the house of the Lord. My purpose is to give glory to the Lord. What happened actually happened. What you will hear is the truth. Ps Ronald told me to come and share and I say why not. I want to give all the glory to him.

I grew up in PJ as a very naughty young boy. I hardly listen to my parents. I'm not from a rich family and I'm the youngest of 6. I used to wash plates and clean tables at a coffee shop after school. I was paid 50 cents per night. It's not the 50 cents that I wanted but that I'd pack back unfinished food so that my family can eat.

In 1972, a person in the coffee shop once asked if I want to work at the racecourse when I was 12. He'd pay me RM15 a day, and 2 days a week that's RM120 a month which was a lot of money then. He was an illegal bookie so I'd be asked to run errands  for all the police officers there. This corporal would tell the guard that I am his friend and to let me in, though I was just 12 years old.

Then at 14 someone asked me if I want to run errands for a group of friends. To just buy breakfast, lunch and dinner. And he'd pay me RM10 or RM20 per trip. But slowly from buying breakfast, lunch and dinner, it came to buying heroine. At the age of 14. They don't buy by the tubes but by packets. Later I came to know these group of people were not simple people but very very big time gangsters.

In 1974, at the age of 14 I became addicted to heroine. Guns and money were under their pillow. This went on and my life was all messed up. I did not have to worry about money.

In 1976 on April 5, they robbed Poh Kong, a big goldsmith shop at Paramount Garden. And they went back to their hideout just 200 meters away from the goldsmith shop. House No. 20, 20/7 Paramount Garden. Imagine that. 4 of them were shot dead at that house. The 5th at OUG. In 1980 the last of them was caught  in Penang in 1980 and was hung in 1981. They all come from Jalan Dato Keramat. All has sparrow tattoos on their chest and thighs. They were called the Luku gang. After Botak Chin was caught in February these group of gangsters were shot dead by the police.

My world came apart. No more money or drugs. Don't ask me how I get money to survive from 1976 to July 28 1978. I do not wan to go into the details.

In 1978 I got admitted into a drug rehab centre called Joe's Corner. God has been so merciful to me. I left school at the age of 14. I can't read and I can't write. But God was merciful and I got admitted into Joe's Corner.

I ran away three times and the pastor said if you run away again give your place to someone else. I saw Ps Ronald in a room doing his assignments. He was a Bible school student then. When I was undergoing withdrawal they don't give you medicine. They just pray for you. They just lay hands on you and say Lord, heal him! Heal him! Cold turkey. They bath you in cold water and very fast you come out of withdrawals.

If I had a mobile phone back then I'd probably not be here today. God was merciful because that morning on April 5th, I was so high I couldn't answer the house  phone to go to the house. I was supposed to go and get their passports and foreign currency so they can go over to Penang. These are big time gangsters that have committed murder and robbery. If not I'd have been shot too. By the time I got there, the place was surrounded by police.

I want to thank God for not allowing me to go to that house that morning and for placing me in Joe's Corner. That's the mercy of God.

Now I want to talk about the grace of God. In the programme, they give assignments on Mondays but I couldn't read or write. Ps Ronald would also give assignments but I don't understand what it was all about. I was uneducated. Form 1 and Form 2 I didn't go to school for 108 days.  I messed up my life because I did not listen to my parents. I had to look at the dictionaries for all those words. Obtain, I don't know what it's about. Get I know.

I used to con people during my drug addiction. My father died many times. This mind is a very corrupted mind because I keep telling people my father died to get money. But at Joe's Corner they give you memory verse and it cleanse and renew our mind. It's so powerful. As an 18 year old boy I had so many memory verses.

The government cannot help the drug addicts. It's the word of God that helped so many of us.

We appreciate those pastors because they gave their life for us. Today if you ask for money for old folks home, or children's home or the disabled, they will give but if you said it's for drug rehab, 90% of them will not because they said they deserved it. It's these pastors that gave their life for us. They are paid only RM30. That's why if he invites me I'd immediately say yes, to give glory to God. These are people that gave the most ungrateful people a chance.

I took a part time job because I was uneducated. In 1980, I went for an interview at Hope Computer. Before even the interview, the person asked me if I'm an ex-Joe. And he immediately gave me the job. I was so happy because the biggest challenge I faced was rejection by society and family. And I cannot blame them. It is so difficult to be set free and if society rejects us, so many went back to drugs. I went through a lot of these rejections in my life. Society don't give us a second chance but Christians gave me chance.

I promised the Lord that I will promise to be faithful to God because I got a job. To be honest. I was paid RM250. I managed to save RM10 to save into the bank. But the Lord reminded me to pay back all those that I have cheated. To pay back everyone of them. I never compromised on tithing to the Lord. RM25 I gave to Lord. I never go hungry. I buy boxes of Maggie mee then. They say you'll lose your hair if you eat too much Maggi Mee but look at my head now. Still full of hair.

It was not easy for my wife to marry me. It's not easy for a parent to give their daughter to an ex drug addict. We just celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary and we are blessed with four children. My wife educated me to read and write. Reading the Bible helped me improve my English. I have a lot of dictionaries everywhere. My wife was a very smart girl and she educated me. A wonderful wife. In 1983,I went to a sister's house called Audrey to ask her to pray for me because I was going for an interview at Carnation. I only have Form 2 education yet I got the job. Sister Audrey's son-in-law's brother interviewed me. It was the grace of God. I continue to tithe to the Lord. I tithe gross not nett. That's the grace of God upon my life. In 1985, Nestlé bought Carnation. I went through the back door because Nestlé's minimum qualification is Form 5 Grade 2. That's the blessings of God.

I've worked in this company and I've received 8 promotions. I was given a manager position. Minimum a degree. A lot of people didn't want this position I didn't know. I asked Ps Richard to pray for me as it's a high position job. I was offered head of sales for ice cream. When I changed job they gave me a farewell, someone shook my hand and said I've got guts. Because he said many refused the job.

I knew I was in trouble. I'll never forget 1990. I told the Lord I will work hard and trust in you. People think we will collapse as it was very difficult. In 2009 it was still not easy but from 2010, it has been growing every year. The Lord bless us a hundred fold. My wife said what you're getting is mind boggling. Until today I'm still just Form 2. Now when I told them no one believe. If it's not God and his blessings and favour you would not believe.

In 2010 they sent me to Switzerland to study a course. Everyone was told to speak and all of them has qualifications including PhDs. I told them I don't have a master but I have a master up there. That's the favour of God.

I want to wrap up by touching on a few scriptures.

I grew up as a rebellious boy.

Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16 (NIV)

“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

You ask your parents so many questions when growing up and they answer all your question. Now when you ask your children questions they don't answer. I grew up with problems because I thought I know better.

Psalms 46:1 (NIV)

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

You trust the Lord and the Lord will provide for you. We should tithe with a joyful heart. Don't compromise.

We serve a merciful God. God is always gracious to us in times of trouble. His blessings and favour are always upon those that put their trust in him.

The Mercy, Grace, Favour and Blessings of the Lord has been real in my life.