Long-time Hong Kong pop star Vivian Chow Wai-Man released for the first time a touching letter witnessing her conversion experience from self-reliance to faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and savior. As a token of appreciation to her fans and friends' support and love, she wishes that her witness would become a blessing to them.
As a celebrity in Hong Kong entertainment industry for over 25 years, Chow is well-liked and known, which means her testimony would be a powerful tool to help educate and persuade those in Hong Kong and Asia to get to know the love and mercy of God; her words "salvation comes from Jesus and not self-development" captures the essence of the gospel. She has been an active World Vision ambassador to the third world countries.
In her Facebook page, she has posted the letter in both Chinese and English. The following is the English text:
Dear all
I have come back to Hong Kong from Connecticut, safe and sound.
Christmas has a new meaning to me after I have become a Christian. The festival, no longer about Santa Claus, Christmas present or rave party - it is now a time to celebrate the love of Jesus Christ and the joy to the world. This day reminds me of the grace given by God, I feel so blessed that I am able to love and be loved. At this Christmas, when I am telling you how much I love and miss you, I would like to take this special opportunity to witness for Christ.
Honestly, I have trained myself to follow my own rules for more than 40 years. These principals are supposed to have deep-rooted in my mind. But I have changed, I am willing to let go my long-established self-belief and rebuild a new me. God's power, far beyond our imagination, is truly amazing.
Prior to my believing in God, I regarded personal development as an ultimate goal in my life. I was always self-confident, regarding the dependence on others or relying on religion is a kind of weakness. You can imagine - it was reasonable that I didn't understand and even look down on what is emphasized in the Bible - salvation only comes from faith in God. One day, my friends occasionally chatted with me about religion, I then realized that the other religions (other than Christianity) stress on the importance of self-development. But the standards set by them are almost impossible to accomplish. Then I thought more about it - if what the Bible tells us is true, I would consider myself not yet qualified to believe in God - because I have not obtained salvation from Jesus Christ, that means no matter how well I have developed myself, I am still a sinner, still not eligible to get into the gate of heaven.
But, how about the Bible is wrong? I won't lose anything even if I decide to be a Christian - I am still the same person and my personal quality will not be affected. I decided to open my heart to learn about Christianity, to understand the faith emphasized in the Bible. My life has been changed since then.
I remember it was the 2009 Easter Service, the first time I went to church. I was extremely excited and I couldn't sing the hymn at all with my trembling voice. But in my heart, I kept praying to God: "Father, I am home! I am home!"
In my early stage of becoming a Christian, I tried to minimize distractions from trivial issues and spare more room for myself to focus on seeking God's mercy. But being a public figure, it is not easy to have a lot of privacy, I couldn't do anything but only pray to God for help. For the whole year I felt very blessed by the Holy Spirit, everything relating to my seeking of God went on smoothly, such as going to church with my husband and gathering with fellow Christians for bible study groups. On the night when I made a commitment to follow Jesus, I decided to clear away everything at home that is in relationship to false idol worshipping. Then I prayed to God and confess my sins, and received salvation from Jesus Christ. Immediately, I felt so relaxed, peaceful and calm, I have never felt as easy.
The Bible teaches me a lesson - salvation comes from Jesus and not self-development, nobody can boast about themselves a well developed person. In fact, no one is perfect and there is no need to judge the level of self-development. After I have let go of my stubborn mind and seen my own sin, I am happy to see that I have gradually left my old self behind and no longer solely depend on my own confidence or strength. I don't have to gear up and show my strong sides anymore, I am free from the hardship. Abandoning the adult self, I am reborn as a kid and I have more courage to accept the weakness of human. My value changes after I am in God - no longer persistent to man's value. And I always remind myself not to judge others with my own criteria. Now I have a clear direction towards seeking God, I am more powerful to let go and seek for the ultimate source of joy, as well as the great faith which self-strength can never compare to.
I cannot imagine without God's mercy, how can I walk so well on the path leading to Him? But when I look back, God's messengers have gradually come into my life and prepared me for my change, as well as preserving my heart till my baptism. At my 2010 baptism ceremony, the ‘old me' died, just like Jesus Christ immersed into water after his death. At the moment I was raised from water, I was reborn just as Jesus' resurrection and became a new person. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17.
I have experienced tests again and again after being baptized. But I learn to depend on God and be obedient to Him through these opportunities. I grow with the blessing of the Holy Spirit and live in a way pleasing God. I now have a peaceful mind and I am contented to face the coming challenges, walking on the path of light and love and wait for Jesus to come again. I am really thankful to God for guiding me and grant me a humble mind to seek for Him, to love God, love everyone and myself.
The coming year 2014 is my 28th year being an artist. I am very happy that we have built friendship and stayed close, this is the most treasured gift in my career. In the past I received a lot of love from you, today I am glad that I am able to return my love as an artist, this is a real blessing. Thank God for letting us gather together and interact with love. At 2013 Christmas, no matter you are struggling or enjoying life, I hope that you can feel the love, peace and joy from Him!
My dear, Merry Christmas! God Bless!
Love
V
