SALVATION TESTIMONIES (I)

Who Is the True God?

Before I became a believer of Christ, I was in a family that worshipped idols. Worshipping the idols felt very different and empty compared to believing in Christ. At that time, I often had doubts about the gods I was worshipping. There were many things in life that these gods could not help me. The question I asked the most was why do people die even when they pray for long life. How do the gods choose who to take away and who to remain? The idols could not explain this to me. Therefore, since young, I knew that there must be a God out there that is not like these idols. I slowly strayed away from worshipping idols and became a free thinker. Being a free thinker meant I had to rely heavily upon myself. I was often under a lot of stress and depressed due to things that I could not control or accomplish. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, I would shout out in my heart and beg for someone or a god to listen. At that point in time, I had no response. But God indeed was there for me. What I did not realise was that many uncles and aunties and cousins of mine whom I’m close with are believers of Christ. They have been exposing me to Christianity but I always shut myself away as I did not know if Christ was really the true God.

The moment I believed in Christ was when one of my uncles who was a believer passed away. He was very close to me and my mum and his death was very devastating to us. During his funeral which was a Christian funeral, there were songs and testimonies, very different from the Buddhist funeral where there is chanting and crying. When I was listening to the people sharing about my uncle as a Christian, I was enlightened and became interested in Christianity. Then one of the nights, another uncle who was the younger brother of this uncle who passed away, told me to give Christianity a try. I told him my heart is moved, but not my mum’s. The day that I become a believer is the day when my mum became one. One month passed. On a Monday night, my late uncle’s wife came to my house to visit me and my mum. I was in my room when my mum shouted for my name. She told me to sit down and said that we should both declare our faith as believers of Christ. I was shocked! God actually answered my prayer. It was not me who needed to convince my mum to be a believer, but she who was for 60 years a believer in Buddhism asked me to declare my faith as a Christian. I was very glad and this would always remain as the testimony God had given to me to be a faithful believer.

Now, as a Christian, I read the Bible and find many answers to questions that I had often asked. I have God to rely on when I need help and my faith is slowly growing stronger. I thank the Lord for choosing me and giving me such a rare testimony that not everyone is fortunate to experience and to have. Ashley Toh

No Longer Afraid

When I was five years old, I became very ill and in order to save me, my parents brought me to the temple to pray to the goddess of mercy. After two years I recovered from my illness and became the god-son of the goddess. I prayed to the goddess of mercy to repay her for her kindness.

After my parents passed away, all my siblings became Christians except me. When I saw that, I too, had some thoughts of becoming a Christian. I went to Novena but I did not become a Christian. My friends and relatives encouraged me to believe but I did not.

Not long ago, I joined St John’s Home. I attended the Tuesday meeting at the Home. There was a change in my heart and I wanted to believe in Jesus Christ and wanted Him to save my soul. I desired to convert to Christianity. I prayed to Jesus because I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to sacrifice Himself for me and He rose again on the third day to save me from my sin. I asked Jesus Christ to forgive me of my sins and He forgave me. I thank God that now Jesus is my Saviour and Lord.

Now, I believe in Jesus Christ. My life is freed because I know Jesus Christ is protecting and guiding me. I believe that Jesus Christ guided me to St John’s Home so that I can believe in Him. After I came to Jesus, I am no longer afraid of any trouble and feel very honoured to belong to Jesus Christ. I pray to Jesus that whatever I do is guided by Him and I want to be baptised. Henry Chong Lian Choon

Thank God for His Providence

I grew up in a family which strongly believed in Buddhism. When I was young, every weekend my dad would bring the whole family to a temple where we would spend the whole afternoon doing meditation. Being brought up in a Buddhist family, I was taught to follow and pray to many gods by my parents and grandparents whenever we go to temples. This continued for a few years, till my dad suffered quite badly from nasopharyngeal cancer (nose). Years later after he passed away, I wasn’t into Buddhism other than times I was told to pray at the family altar by my grandparents.

I got to hear the gospel much later when I was about to graduate from polytechnic. A classmate of mine was actively involved in church, that’s when I gained interest in Christianity. She shared the gospel with me on a few occasions and I was invited to a Christmas magic show in a certain Charismatic Church. From then on, I visited a few churches and eventually settled down on the church together with my classmate. One of the first few Christian songs that was memorable to me is ‘Amazing Grace’. And it goes: “Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” What a sinful man I am and God loves me by dying the most cruel death on the cross. I’m thankful for the Lord has been so gracious and merciful towards me, guiding me each day to be more Christ-like, having a forgiving heart and patience towards family, friends and at work. So I’ve been attending that church for a year and a half. Initially, I was pretty uncomfortable with the way Charismatics worship especially when they start praying in tongues and it took me a while to get used to it. However, I gradually found that certain practices of that church were quite strange. For instance, this campaign to pray for 24 hours for the church pastor. I was told to pray for the pastor at wee hours and to call up another cell member to continue praying. Having to do such things, I was wondering whether such practices are biblically right.

So one day, I went to visit my cousin at her house and told her about what that church does. From then, she advised me to leave that church and join her at True Life. I thank God for the opportunity to speak to her, as well as spiritual discernment in making the decision to leave and join True Life. I started attending services regularly together with my cousin and went for Young Adults Fellowship meetings too. Thank God for being able to meet like-minded brethren in Young Adults Fellowship, learning God’s Word together, sharing as well as encouraging one another. Life is full of trials. I really thank God for His providence and sustaining me thus far with daily blessings. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom 5:1-2). Huang Qihui

God Brought Me Back to Himself

I was born into a Christian family. Having three other siblings, I was seldom bored at home. We played and quarreled while our parents tried to bring us up in the most Christ-like manner. We were taught to forgive from the very beginning. Each time after a quarrel or fight our parents made us hug one another and kiss each other’s cheeks as a sign of forgiveness and love. Moreover, my parents enrolled me in the nearby True Way Presbyterian Kindergarten.

My primary school life was not different from before but I clearly remember my first church camp at Mersing at around the age of eight. It was during one of the lessons where Aunt Jenny taught us that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again, shed His blood for our sins and is our Saviour. After the lesson she asked who was not sure of their salvation. I knew then I had not accepted Jesus into my heart and raised my hand. Aunt Jenny was very kind and prayed with me after class that my heart would open and that Jesus would have a place in my heart so that He could stay as my Lord and Saviour.

However, many years passed and my life as a Christian consisted of praying because I’m told to do so and not because I want to. My life revolved around the world and sin and not around God.

But thank God for bringing me back to Him again. I was in Secondary Two when I met with a horrible accident with a friend of mine during our CCA (co-curricular activity). It left me with serious wounds on my right knee. And competitions were just a month away. However, while waiting for my parents to fetch me I realised the accident happened because of my foolishness to question God’s existence and His all powerfulness just before my CCA started.

After this incident, I knew God was real and that He was omnipotent. I knew exactly who God was and started to ‘wake up’. I thank God for His everlasting grace and mercy He has shown me as slowly but definitely God directed me to go for the YPF camp last year with my siblings which was our first time, which also taught me a lot more about God’s Word and His undying love for us. Josiah Cheow

I Want to Be Closer to the Lord

I was born into a Christian family and I have been going to church since I was young but I did not know God until I was eight and I went to church every week to listen about the miracles God has done.

One day the teacher asked the class to raise their hands if they wanted the Lord to be our Saviour and I raised my hand and we prayed. From then on I learnt the right and wrong of being a Christian. I am grateful that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour and I want to be closer to the Lord. This is the reason why I want to be baptised. I am 14 this year and I pray that the Lord will look after me wherever and whatever I do. Matthew Mattathias Tan