MEMBERSHIP TESTIMONIES

I Have Reunited with God

Cindy Lim

I came from a Buddhist family. Since young I followed my mother to the temple weekly, praying and worshipping the idols. I left school when I was 12 years old. After I left school, I helped my parents at the food stall. I learned to steal, use foul language and became rebellious and was hot tempered. I helped my parents at the stall for almost 7 years.

One day I told my parents that I would find a job in the outside world since I had already reached 18 years old. First, I worked in the supermarket at Yaohan, Orchard Road. I worked for about 9 months and resigned. Then one day, when I was sitting at a bench looking for a job, a lady approached me. She shared with me the good news about Jesus Christ. She told me how Jesus died for our sins on the cross. I felt very touched and it moved me. I confessed my sins and immediately I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

After I became a Christian, my life changed completely and I grew spiritually and no longer lived in the old self – the old was gone and the new had come. I attended Orchard Presbyterian Church in 1976. I was an active member and I served in the church choir. After I became a Christian I no longer went to temple. One day when I was reading the Bible at night, my stepfather saw that I was praying. He told my mother about this. My mother was very furious and was strongly against me. She forced me to throw away the Bible and if I refused then I would have to leave the house. At that time I was at a lost. I did not know what to do. But I gave in to her and threw away the Bible.

At that time I knelt down and prayed for my mother and asked God for His forgiveness. The Lord is so gracious that He forgives all our sins. During this difficult circumstance my mother even stopped me from going to church and stopped me from praying. Then one day I woke up early in the morning and I sneaked out of the house to go to church. I was very sad and in distress. I shared my woes with my brothers and sisters-in-Christ. When I reached home my mother decided to change the lock and completely stopped me from going to church. One day my sisters-in-Christ called me and came and visited me in my home. They came and talked to my mother and God really worked wonders. My mother suddenly agreed to let me continue going to church. How wonderful are His works. Our God is all-knowing. He knows all our troubles and trials we are going through. When my mother approved my going to church, I got baptized in 1978. Romans 8:35-37 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

In the year of 2010, I left Orchard Presbyterian Church because all of my brothers and sisters-in-Christ had also left church. At that time I did not know which church to attend and I backslided. I stopped going to church, stopped reading the Bible, stopped praying. But I still went to work. One day the Lord brought one colleague to talk to me about Jesus Christ and I admitted that I am a Christian. And she told me to go to a Bible-Presbyterian church. I felt very bad and I asked God to forgive my sins. Our God is a loving God. He is patient, kind and longsuffering. I can feel God’s love for me. It is like He is searching for His lost sheep. He has restored and forgiven my sins, for going astray. Luke 15:4-7 says, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” I felt so happy that I have reunited with God.

In the year 1998, I started to serve in the church choir. I submitted to the Lord as He became my Saviour, my Master and my Friend. I walk closely with Him as He leads me in the strait and narrow way. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6).

To Grow in God’s Grace

Cheryl Lim

As a young Christian, I followed my mum to Calvary B-P Church since I was in kindergarten. Every week, I would attend Sunday School, go for church camps and fellowship meetings. It was during one of the fellowship meetings that I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I then reaffirmed my faith in July 2004. I realised that I was a sinner in need of being washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I experienced a great joy and peace in my heart after confessing my sins to Him.

There were times when I backslided but the Lord was always there to lift me up when I was down and in need of help. My family moved over to Gethsemane B-P Church where we continued to worship regularly as a visitor to the church. We were there for about 10 years. Occasionally, I would drop by True Life B-P Church with my friend and regularly for about a year now. My prayers for the Lord to guide me to commit myself to the right church have been answered and hope that I will continue to grow in God’s grace and increase in the knowledge of God’s Word through the faithful study of His Word in this Church.

As a Christian, I know that God has always being guiding me and his word has comforted my heart and directed my path. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps 119:105).

THANK YOU NOTES

From Siew Ling

Dear Pastor

I would like to thank Pastor and church brethren who prayed for my mother/us on the recent home going of my aunt (my mother’s younger sister).

My aunt was hospitalised in March and diagnosed to have stage 4 cancer which has spread from her colon to the liver. Upon knowing this, I knew I had to quickly bring the gospel to my aunt who was a devout Catholic for decades. Thank God that on Good Friday, Dn Mern Yee, Sis Mei Lan, sis Alice Han could accompany me to visit my aunt to share the gospel with her. Thank God that she was alert and not in pain when we visited her. After reading Romans 8, Dn Mern Yee explained the gist of the passage and asked if she believed that Jesus alone could save her from her sins. He also asked if she knew where she would go when she passes away one day, like all of us would too one day. Aunt replied: “You Christians will go to heaven, we Catholics will go to a waiting place”. We took the opportunity to share with her that what Christ had done on the cross was sufficient to save us and if we believe that, we would be in heaven when we die, not having to wait for people/priests to pray/do anything to ease the path to heaven. Dn Mern Yee asked if she believed that Christ alone can save her, and not Mary or saint or angel. She said “Yes”!

Thank God that aunt prayed the sinner’s prayer, even though some of the sentences were long and she was catching her breath as she prayed aloud. She also hummed along as we sang Amazing Grace and Jesus keep me near the Cross.

Although she did not look too ill on Good Friday, I thought I could visit her soon again. But God called aunt home a week after. Thank God for relieving her from bodily pains and suffering and she is in a far better place now. Thank God for John 14:1-4 which assures us that we Christians have this certainty that Christ has prepared a place for us in heaven, and he will receive us. My mother has been comforted knowing that this separation is temporal and we who are saved will all meet in heaven one day.

The church has also been praying for my cancer stricken uncle (my mother’s younger brother), who has heard the gospel but yet to believe on Christ as his Saviour. I covet your continual prayers for him, that God will have mercy upon him and uncle soon will also believe on the Lord as his personal Saviour. Thank you.

Yours faithfully

Siew Ling

April 7, 2016

Dear Dr. Khoo,

Greetings in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It has been long since I communicated, but I hope you are doing well as we do here in Kenya by God’s grace.

I keep on thanking God for the blessed and fruitful time I had at FEBC. I am also grateful to God who has always been fighting for FEBC. Indeed, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exod 14:14). As long as FEBC is on the Lord’s side, the Lord has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:15).

Currently I am serving the Lord as a fulltime pastor at Tarakwa Good News Church of Africa (GNCA), one of our local churches. It is my prayer that the Lord will open the door for you to visit us here in Kenya.

I do also thank God for FEBC theological journals I have been receiving. They are indeed edifying and educative. I would appreciate if I could get more copies to share with other brethren.

Pass my sincere regards to FEBC fraternity, Mrs Tow, your family and True Life church. Praying for you all. Do also pray for us to continue being good ambassadors of Christ and FEBC. Thanks and God bless.

Yours in Christ,

John Chemalan

April 7, 2016

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isa 55:12)