MY 107 SECONDS: Il Yong

ALTHOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE RAISED IN CHURCH AS A YOUTH – THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF EXAMPLES, FROM THE PAGES OF THE BIBLE TO THE PAGES OF TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS, OF HOW YOUNG CHRISTIANS (AND ADULT CHRISTIANS ALIKE) HAVE FALLEN PREY TO A LIFESTYLES LED BY PEERS AND/OR THEIR OWN DESIRES.

TODAY’S STORY IS ONE OF THOSE… AND INVOLVES CHOICES MADE BY THIS PEER-LED YOUTH, THAT MANY OF US WOULD NEVER DARE TO MAKE. BUT BEFORE WE MAKE ANY CONCLUSIONS HERE… REMEMBER THE WARNING THAT PAUL GIVES US IN GALATIANS 5:1 – “KEEP STANDING FIRM AND DO NOT BE SUBJECT AGAIN TO THE YOKE OF SLAVERY” – THIS WARNING SERVES AS A REMINDER FOR ALL OF US THAT THERE’S ALWAYS PEOPLE AROUND (AND THEIR TEMPTING OFFERINGS) READY TO ENSLAVE US. AND, THAT IF NOT EXTREMELY CAREFUL, WE CAN FALL PREY AGAIN TO THE SLAVERY OF SIN AND DESPAIR. BUT, TODAY’S STORY ALSO REMINDS US, THAT GOD DOES LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, AND IS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES – REGARDLESS OF WHERE HE FINDS US… TO BRING US BACK TO HIM.

I HAVE POSTED IL YONG’S STORY AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED, AS NOT TO ADD OR TAKE AWAY ANYTHING FROM IL YONG’S WONDERFUL TESTIMONY. RATHER THAN SOME OF THE GRAMMAR ERRORS YOU MIGHT NOTICE; KEEP IN MIND THAT 'ENGLISH' IS NOT IL YONG'S NATIVE LANGUAGE. IT IS MY HOPE THAT YOU WILL MORE SEE GOD’S OVERWHELMING GRACE IN THE SIMPLE, YET POWERFUL WORDS THAT IL YONG HAS SO GENEROUSLY SHARED WITH US. ONE MORE NOTE: 'YONG' IS NOT HIS LAST NAME - WE DO NOT USE LAST NAMES FOR PRIVACY REASONS. FROM A DRUGGED OUT GANG-BANGER – TO A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST WHO BOLDLY SHARES HIS TESTIMONY WITH ANYONE WHO LISTENS… THIS IS IL YONGS 107 SECONDS, AND I THANK IL YONG FOR HIS COURAGE TO SHARE HIS STORY WITH US:

MY 107 SECONDS: IL YONG…

I was raised going to church. I didn’t believe in God and I always used to skip Sunday school. At the age of 16, I was heavily into gangs, drugs and crime. At the age of 17, someone put a ‘curse’ on me. I suffered four years, constant, non-stop pain and suffering. Not even a break to rest my head. Then, I got locked up in jail and got beat up in almost every block I went to. And that is where I began to find peace, in jail. The 2nd and 3rd time I got locked up, God started talking to me and (told) me I was on my way to hell. So, I gave my life to Jesus.

PSALMS 34:18 – “ THE LORD IS NEAR TO THE BROKENHEARTED AND SAVES THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHED IN SPIRIT”, GOD ANSWERED IL YONG’S CRY. AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES IL YONG’S “STORY” … HIS ACTUAL “TESTIMONY” OF HOW HE WAS LED TO CHRIST.

CHRISTIAN 107.3 FM AIRS A NEW “MY 107 SECONDS” EVERY FRIDAY AT 9:15AM; 12:15PM AND 4:15PM.