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By: Michael Tao
I grew up in Hong Kong in a middle-class family environment. My father was keeping a day-in and day-out job, while my mother looked after us. I have a brother and a sister. In school, I was an average student, quiet, and hung around with a small number of classmates. I did not despise authority, but I certainly did not care too much about it.
Since I was a child, I always had great fear and anxiety about death. from Grade 5, I started to realize that I will someday go the way of all the earth, and became greatly disturbed by this. In grade 12, an article in my English Literature book says, "we are all reconciled into our common destiny", I could see how true this is.
During my college years, I went to a Baptist Church next to my University several times, and did not care about preaching. I read books on Buddhism, trying to find out what life is all about. I also went to a Baptist church occasionally with my fiancee, she is now my wife. I discussed Zen with my fiancee's history professor. I was so perplexed by the fact that the wicked prospers while the general public is suffering; and many innocent died in tragedies.
After I married, I went to learn Transcendental Meditation (TM), and even into its advanced form. I visited some fortune tellers, they seemed to have knowledge about life, which I did not have. Before long, I studied palmistry from an older gentleman. This palm-reader even claimed himself to be a Christian, and he quoted from the Bible to show palmistry is acceptable unto God. Now I understand one can almost prove anything he wants from the Bible - by taking the "evidence" out of text and out of context.
What I learned was the western Palmistry, which is very systematic, and I was fully absorbed in it. I kept notes, hand prints and pictures in great detail. I read palms for many of my friends. I bought almost every book I could find in palmistry, along as they were written in English. Next thing I was getting into was face-reading, skull reading, numerology. With the combination of these, my readings were always valid. Then I started to learn Chinese fortune-telling, which was supposed to have a history of many thousand years, it is highly complex, and has millions of combinations. Nothing could stop me, even the teacher praised my effort and progress.
In the middle of all this, I had an opportunity to go to the United States for a job interview, which turned out to be successful. While working, I did a fair amount of palm reading. To obtain the immigration status was quite a problem, I eventually got the necessary documents. After hiring a lawyer to file the application, I returned to Hong Kong to wait for the result.
In Hong Kong, I stayed in my mother-in-law's house, and my wife was pregnant. However I had great difficulties in finding a job, every promising chance turned out to be a failure. I was reaping the consequence of certain misconduct, before I left my last work place in Hong Kong. The worst part was the immigration lawyer that represented me in the States was suspended by the government, and I promptly lost contact with him. When I wrote to the immigration office, their reply was that they had never received any application from me. I was trapped, the grievance I had was enormous. I planned to go to Europe, but Europe was having some major snow storms that year. With all the fortune telling skill I had, yet I was facing much disappointments and uncertainties.
Eventually I volunteered to help out in Sunnyside Children's Hostel. I was absolutely amazed to find out a small hospital nearby was granted the funding to hire an occupational therapist just four months ago. The hospital did not advertise the vacancy, as they thought it would be too difficult to find one. I sent in my application, the medical superintendent of this hospital was on vacation so I had to wait for his return.
During those few weeks in Sunnyside, a nurse witnessed Christ to me. I was brought up in a Christian elementary and high school, I think I know about the Bible, I took examinations upon examinations on this subject in school. I was smiling and was about to tell her to stop. However she told me to give God an opportunity to know me, and I should also give myself an opportunity to know God. When I went home, whatever she said greatly stirred me. Opportunity is precious to anyone who needs a job, yet I was the one who was reluctant to give opportunities, to God and to myself.
My wife was a Christian already, I always challenged her belief, and gave her hard times. Then I thought perhaps I should take her to church just to please her. I went to several churches, later to a Baptist church very close to where my live. The special speaker was a young pilot trainee who escaped from a plan crash with his Christian instructor a few months earlier. Suddenly, the message from the pulpit became meaningful and personal. I talked to myself, "I am in big trouble, I may know about the Bible, but I do not have a relationship with this God." In the summer of 1979, I bowed down at home, accepted Christ as my Saviour and asked for forgiveness of my sins. I got baptized and joined the Kowloon City Baptist Church in 1980.
When Dr. David Lum returned from his vacation, I got the job and was the first occupational therapist in Haven of Hope Hospital - after 13 months of unemployment. The service of Haven of Hope Hospital is not just medical, but more spiritual, which includes witnessing for Christ, and developing the spiritual maturity for the staff. Several years later, I asked the administrator why they would use someone like me, who did not have good references. She said that they had discussed this, Dr. Lum said this is a different hospital, and should give you a chance. I knew what he meant, it is a different hospital because people trust in God here, God takes control and changes people's heart. I worked there for eight years until I immigrated to Canada, and settled down in Trail, B.C. in 1987. I have joined a local Baptist church, and am now responsible for the "7000 MEN" writing ministry.
As for the palmistry and fortune telling, I promptly gave them up. Satan has knowledge that men do not have, he gives his knowledge to those that belong to him, so that they can foretell to deceive many. But Satan is not omniscient.
God clearly rebukes different kinds of witchcraft:
- Deuteronomy 18:9-14, which says, "...There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God...""
- Christians should have a clear idea about their future or fate; we have the promise that there is no lack in this present life (Psalms 34:10, Luke 18:29,20), and eternal life in the life to come.
- Gods wants us to live by faith, he does not want us to know about every single detail of our life.
- God does not want us to care for ourselves only, he also wants us to care for others; to lead people to Christ is the only way to change life.
- God does not want us to be praised more than we really are, people are to look up to God, not us.
