God’s Help for Joshua

Thank God that when our church was facing battles, my spiritual parents Pastor Nathaniel Chow and his wife, together with their team of apostles, flew to Hong Kong at once to stand with us in our Fortress Prayer Meeting. God has indeed given us help through our spiritual parents. In fact our story of “God’s help for Joshua” began 47 years ago.

At the age of 23, I went to Taiwan to attend the university and met Pastor Nathaniel Chow (whose Chinese name literally means “God’s help”) and his wife at Taipei Bread of Life Church and we had developed a deep relationship. Later I went to Vancouver to study theology and stayed behind to pastor a church. They cared for me a lot and kept asking me when I would “go home”. I still remember they happened to be in the west coast of the U.S. to set up a branch church when I graduated. So I followed them to learn how to lead a church and hold gatherings. Then they brought me to the SeaWorld San Diego and Pastor Chow’s wife gave me US$400. They treated me like a son. As I look back today, I still feel warm at heart.

In my own family where I grew up, my biological father abandoned me. After I came to Christ I met a very good spiritual leader in church and I pleaded him to be my spiritual father but was rejected. I had pastored a church in Vancouver for ten years, but it also rejected me. So at last, I did “go home”. I went to Bread of Life Church in Taipei to become a son of Pastor Nathaniel Chow and his wife. I have experienced being taken advantage by many people but they kept helping me for my own good. Then they sent me back to Hong Kong to establish 611. We have encountered many difficulties and they have often helped us. They have given us a great deal of freedom and support. They let us do anything so long as it is not against the Truth and the law.

Actually they treat other spiritual children the same way — keep supporting and edifying them as well as raise them up with their lives. Take Senior Pastor Jason Wang of Joel Bread of Life Church in Kaohsiung who was brought up in a pastor’s family for example. He used to have many high standards for himself but is now more relaxed and free under the discipleship of Pastor Chow and his wife. Once he was in conflict with another pastor and thought Pastor Chow would fire him. To his surprise, Pastor Chow embraced him and expelled the spirit of anger from him, and kept and accepted him. He felt healed and consoled. Pastor Chow is willing to shoulder up and cover all his spiritual children and this is the love of a father.

I thank God for His abundant grace to give me such loving parents. The very core of a glorious church is such a life full of God’s love! Thank God for leading us to walk together in love and follow Him from generation to generation.■【2024.04.28】