BAPTISM TESTIMONIES

I Have Decided to Fully Trust and Obey God’s Word

I spent my entire childhood and teenage years (circa 1943-1960) in Kuantan in the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. Having lost my mum at the tender age of eight, I have learnt to be independent at very young age. In those deprived periods, religion and faith were never a priority although I took up ancestral worship from my mum as that was the custom of the Chinese villagers at that time. After the departure of mum, for no known reason, I just knew I ought to clean up the cups, offered tea and joss sticks to her on the first and fifteenth day of every lunar calendar. On special festive days, candles and chicken would also be offered. I observed this custom diligently until I left my home to pursue my studies in Seremban in the state of Negri Sembilan, Malaysia and later to Taipei in Taiwan for my university education. 

 During my high school and university days, due to the influence of friends and associates, coupled with the course in which I majored, I slowly became an atheist, a staunch advocate of Darwin’s evolution theory, only believing in things that conform to the physical principles and laws which I am able to understand. I held firm to this belief until I got married and began to be exposed to Christian faith through my wife, way back in the mid-eighties. It was during this period of about 30 years that I have gradually changed from an atheist to an agnostic, and also started having doubts on the Big Bang theory and leaning towards the Creation doctrine. I began to believe that there must be a designer behind this complicated universe, in particular the creature which we called mankind.

Despite my effort to try to know more about God by studying His Word, I made little progress, if any. Until one day I came across the following excerpt which I now quote below:

“When come to knowing God, the initiative lies in His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to see Him. In fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others—not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dirty mirror as clearly as in a clean one.”

The above quotation perhaps fully explains why I have to wait all these years to come to God.

During the recent months, I have been attending Sunday services as well as some other church gatherings on regular basis. Deep inside me, I now come to realise that one does not need to prove every point in the Bible scientifically in order to adopt the Faith. Divine matters are always beyond the comprehension of human faculty. This perhaps is the difference between the Creator and His creatures; the Creator being in a domain never experienced by man.

As for now, I have decided to fully trust and obey God’s Word and His teaching. I trust by doing so, it will enable me to know and love Him more. As to what will come out of my effort, I can only leave it to God. Strange enough though, I notice my wife appears to be more happy than I since my signing up for the catechism class! Leong Chin Yong

I Believe God Has Been Guiding Me All This While

I was brought up in a traditional Chinese family where we worshipped ancestors and ‘Tua Pek Kong’. My parents objected us from going to church, so we had to obey them. I got married into a family that shared the same beliefs.

When my children were growing up, they attended Christian schools. I had been thinking much about religion. I had been thinking who or what was God. As the years went by, my daughter Jan, married into a Christian family and became a Christian. My son Ryan also believed and became a Christian as well. They had been telling my husband and me about God. We listened but we still held onto our traditional beliefs. On several Easter Sunday sunrise services in Labrador Park, we attended them with our children.

Then at last year’s Easter Sunday we attended the service. My husband was very eager to attend. I was moved by his interest. In May 2014, my husband passed away after a sudden heart failure. I felt very lost. My daughter’s and son’s church members came to help with the funeral. I was very touched and very thankful with their help. So after the funeral I decided to attend church with my children. Some of the church members like Wendy and Jenny have been encouraging me and saying comforting words.

 In October last year, Pastor Jeffrey Khoo and some of the church members came to my house to bless the family and the house and had the ‘Tua Pek Kong’ idol removed from the house. I was asked by Pastor whether I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and I replied – ‘Yes!’. From then onwards I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour.

So, till now, it has been over seven months. I have been attending church every Sunday with my children. I am now more confident in my everyday life and I believe that God has been guiding me all this while. Yeo Lay Hua

I Now Believe that the Lord Is Good

For many years, I have been living life as it comes. There was no direction, spiritual guidance and support, like a ship without a sail hoping to avoid a storm. I grew up in a non-Christian family and occasionally accompanied my mother to the temple and my wife to church. When asked about my religion, I would reply ‘I am a free thinker’.

The lowest point in my life happened about two years ago after the tragic death of my son. I was devastated and went into a state of denial, forcing myself to believe that it was a bad dream and would be over soon. I could not find the source of strength spiritually and emotionally to overcome this grief. It was during this hour of darkness that True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church under the pastorship of Rev Jeffrey Khoo came into my life. Their prayers, condolences and comforting encouragements gave me and my wife the strength to move on. We’re especially grateful to Pastor Jeffrey, Elder Joseph and his wife and Elder Wee who visited our home to offer prayers and encouragements. We are also thankful to our dear friend Phillip who visited and prayed with us on many occasions. These messengers of God have certainly touched my heart and reinforced my desire to be a Christian. May the Lord bless and cherish them for their kind deeds.

I must admit that I attended church initially out of gratitude to reciprocate their kindness. It has been almost two years now that I have been attending the services faithfully.

Things have changed, I do not now attend out of obligation to anyone but only to God as I am receiving his spiritual gifts. True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church is still my preferred place of worship as the sermons are meaningful and enriching which come from the Bible. It is certainly a good tonic for the soul. The peaceful ambience, the warmth and friendly people and their display of camaraderie working harmoniously together for the church, the beautiful sound of the choir resonate into this wonderful feeling of being ‘at home with God’, a safe haven where there is hope through prayers and a guiding hand through the storms.

I now believe that the Lord is good. He has given me the strength and faith to believe and His call is irresistible. I am now ready to serve and embrace him faithfully and unconditionally. I want to accept Christ as my Saviour and I hope to be baptised this coming Easter so that I can profess that I am a Christian. I know the Lord will ‘guide me in the path of righteousness for his name’s sake’ (Ps 23:3). May God bless one and all. Dennis Chew