THIS IS THE MAN

by Sam J Christopher

He stepped onto this foreign shore when just a lad of 20,

In hopes of a better opportunity of which he heard was a-plenty.

Found no one with a vacancy or a lodge,

So he slept on the five-foot ways of Telok Anson town.

He gave up his watch with a heavy heart, for a train ticket,

To travel to Kuala Lumpur without burden of loan or debt.

At that time it was his only prized possession,

But he didn’t let that get in the way of his vision.

At a prayer meeting in Bangsar, his own lyrics he did sing,

Which led him to meet the Lord Jesus who forgave his sins.

Took up teaching as his lifelong profession,

But preaching soon became his unquenchable vision.

From Serdang to Sentul, to Imbi, wherever he lived,

Spreading the Gospel was always his heart’s heave.

He purchased his first house in Kampung Pandan.

Not to live in, but as a church to grow believers in,

Retired from his teaching job in the year 1968,

But not from preaching, which was now fully on his plate.

He was very adamant about only doing what is right,

To some who had no schooling, he taught to read and write.

Nurturing believing families and their children became his heart’s mission,

Apostolic Bible Christian Assembly of Malaya became a symbol of his passion.

Caring, correcting, teaching, leading, they were always in his heart and prayer,

Old or young, schooled or not, they were equally his precious lambs .

 “Put the Lord first, be it job, marriage, children or land”

That was his key to live uprightly in the eyes of God and man.

He would have been 112 years old today (19th Sept 2020).

But he was called to rest in December ’83 on the 17th day,

For 55 years, it was the Lord Jesus whom he loved, taught and served .

Now remain only a few who remember and hold to what they heard,

To carry on his legacy of the upright way will be a heavy burden for sure,

For many these days, the crooked way is too powerful a lure.

The sound of his voice seems fast fading, his words growing dim,

His old ways of righteousness now regarded as mostly grim.

But the legacy he left is 6 children, nothing lacking,

That’s nothing but God’s testimony to his faith unwavering.

For God indeed honours those who honour Him openly,

And thus He honoured this humble man too, 

My father, the late SAMUEL THANGAMONY.

“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.” Proverbs 16:8