Music star publishes letter about faith in Christ
HONG KONG (Christian Examiner) – A well-known music star in Asia has published a letter that has the potential to influence millions to consider what it means to have faith in Christ, the Gospel Herald has reported.
Pop-star Vivian Chow Wai-Man, who released the letter written to her close family and friends two years ago after she spent Christmas in the United States, says she hopes the letter will now be a witness to her fans.
In the letter, she wrote that "salvation comes from Jesus and not self-development."
Chow wrote that Christmas took on a "new meaning" after she became a Christian.
Far from being about Santa Claus and Christmas parties, Chow wrote that the day "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."
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.
She wrote that she wanted to take the opportunity to witness to others.
"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," Chow wrote in the letter.
"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 as a kind of weakness. You can imagine – it was reasonable that I didn't understand and even looked down on what is emphasized in the Bible – salvation only comes from faith in God."
Chow explained that she had a casual conversation with a friend about religion and began to compare faith in Christ with other religions that stress the importance of self-development. But, she wrote, the requirements of those religions were "impossible to accomplish."
"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!'"
Fame challenged her with constant distractions, but after a year of prayer, trying to understand God's mercy, and going to Bible studies with her husband, she made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ.
"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."
Chow said she learned the most valuable lesson in life that evening after being born from above – that "salvation comes from Jesus and not self-development" and "nobody can boast about themselves [being] a well-developed person."
"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," Chow wrote.