Caleb Tan Teck Juan
My name is Caleb Tan and I am 46 years old. I thank God for giving me this opportunity to share my testimony. Today I can be who I am, and it’s all because of Jesus Christ who loves me. It is by His love and grace that I have been blessed with a second chance to live a life that can shine for Him!
I came from a broken family. My grandmother brought me up and I didn’t even know who my parents were until the time I need to do my identity card at the age of 12. My grandmother then put an advertisement in the Newspaper to look for my mother.
Since I was young, I was bullied at school. I told myself that when I grew up, I wanted to be a bully and to earn money and power. So I worked towards my goal. I joined gangs and did all sorts of illegal things. At the age of 17, I started to go night clubs, and started to sell and take drugs. People called me 7/11, because I am 7/11, 24 hours 7 days a week, I had drugs to sell. My mother and my grandmother couldn’t control me. I was caught in and out of DRC and prison for nine times and spent over ten years in prison. I did try many ways to change, but life got worse. The drugs took all my processions away. I sold the house that my mom left for me and left for the Philippines with my wife and decided not to come back to Singapore anymore.
I thought I could start all over again but in actual fact I can’t. Eventually, my ex-wife and her family members couldn’t stand me and kicked me out of their house. My life came to a point with no hope, no future. Due to being on the wanted list in Singapore, I couldn’t go back. I was finished and at the point that I couldn’t take it anymore. To end all this I attempted suicide by taking a lot of sleeping pills and one big box of rat poison.
But God is not finished with me yet. When I woke up next day I clearly heard God speak to me “Go back to Singapore, because I did not I create your life for it to be like this". My heart was thinking that I had over stay in Philippines but I had no money, how could I go back? But when God opens a door, He also provides. That is nothing our Father cannot do. God sent someone to give my wife money to send me back.
January 2010 was when I went back to prison for 1 year. When I was in prison, God spoke to me again through Matt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other, you cannot serve both God and money". I spent eight months to ponder over this verse and reflect on my life. 36 years I had been dictating people with money and power, and in the end I lost everything. When the day of release happened, God opened a way for me to go into The Hiding Place.
In Hiding Place, I learnt to understand what life is. I thank God because He never gave up on me, He found me and bring me back into His family. Now, I am happily serving in The Hiding Place and things keep happening, God keeps loving me, changing me and healing me for these past five years. I know I am not rich but I have more than enough. I am blessed by His love, joy, peace and grace; all of which money cannot buy.
Today I'm married and with 2 step sons, I want to tell all of you that I have no regret serving my Master Jesus Christ. I have committed my life to live and shine for Him. Again I want to say I am blessed! Thank you Jesus.
All glory and honour belongs to Jesus Chirst. Amen!
Caleb Tan Teck Juan