SALVATION TESTIMONIES (IV)

Delivered from a Cult

I was from a Catholic mission school for both my Primary and Secondary school education. I remember that prayers were said to Mary daily during assembly. Also, I remember boys praying in front of statues and even putting coins in the statue’s hands. I did the same too. It was all very confusing.

Later in JC someone led me to recite the sinner’s prayer. I began to believe in God but did not take my faith seriously enough. During my time in NS I began searching for God more earnestly. However, I joined a very wrong church which teaches false doctrines which includes the belief that one needs to be baptised in order to be saved. What a dreadful doctrine this is. It left me trapped and confused for many years.

Thank God for His deliverance! God through my wife, family and friends, helped me to escape this false church. I am also especially indebted to FEBC for the sound doctrine which is taught consistently which can lead one out of spiritual darkness. The doctrine of the perfect Bible is upheld and maintained to the Glory of God!

I thank God for True Life B-P Church which teaches and upholds the Word of God and has a very high view of the Word. We hope to serve God faithfully as a family in this church which has been a tremendous source of blessing to us. Christopher Tan

God Is Faithful

My parents used to bring me to the Taoist temple when I was young. I saw my parents consulting the medium and getting a talisman. My duty as an early teenager (about 13 years old) was to light joss-sticks to the numerous idols in our living room. At the end of the year I decided to quit my duty since there were no answered prayers. I wondered where God was or which God would always answer prayers.

My eldest sister brought me to a Chinese Methodist Church in Geylang when I was in Secondary Three. I was very touched and moved by the love of Christ who was willing to die for my sins on the cross. I prayed the sinner’s prayer. I started reading the Bible and pray. I was later baptised at 18 at Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church.

All these years God has been faithful. There were many trials and deliverances. I like to sing hymns to myself (in my head). I find this gives me the focus to do God’s will. When I go through difficult times, I will keep reading the Bible (especially Psalms and Proverbs). Yap Gim San

The Lord Is My Strength

I was born and raised in a Christian family, something that I am grateful to the Lord for. This is as I was brought to church, taught the Word of the Lord and Jesus’ great sacrifice for me and all of mankind. As a result, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour at a young age. I am not sure exactly how old I was but it should have been at about four or five as I had not been to primary school yet. At each of the monthly gatherings of families at a member’s house, someone would ask if anyone wanted to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into their hearts and be saved. So I stood up, looked back at my parents slightly hesitantly, then walked after the lady. I was taught of what Jesus did so long ago in a smaller room, and I said the sinner’s prayer.

As I got older, I sometimes wondered about the state of my salvation, as I don’t remember what the younger me was thinking at the time, but after a few years I renewed my faith in Him privately by myself and felt a lot more at peace. I have had some struggles with myself and the worldly influences around me, and still do, but the Lord is my strength and I thank Him for having pulled me out of many a deep hole. Unfortunately, the church which I grew up in has begun to deteriorate, and so my family and I decided to change a church. Thank the Lord for True Life where God has led us to, and thus, I am here to transfer my membership. “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake” (Psalm 115:1). Emily Tan

I Am Still Learning

I was born in a Christian family, and I attended Sunday School at an age of five. At that time, I was attending New Life Bible-Presbyterian Church. I started understanding the gospel at the age of six or seven, and I believed in the gospel. Since then I started to learn more about Christ and the Bible. Now, I am still learning more about God’s Word. Timothy Tan Rong Hao

To Grow Stronger in Faith

I was baptised as an infant and have been brought up in a Christian family. My earliest recollection of my Christian journey would be my mother bringing me to Sunday School at Gospel Light (Toa Payoh), where I joined actively the various activities, such as the Children’s choir. Till this date, I even have precious photos of me, as a young boy, worshipping and embracing the Lord’s Word in His holy temple. A couple of years later, my mum brought me to attend Life B-P Church at Gilstead Road, where I remember joining the Sunday School and occasionally the main worship service conducted by the late Rev Dr Timothy Tow (at times when I did not want to leave my mum for the children’s classes). I can still recall how awed I was at the strong conviction of his messages, how inspired I was at his faith for the Lord and how I would sing as loud as I could, during hymns of praises for the Lord. My faith for the Lord was strong and innocent then, as I would conduct my own worship session of story-telling, prayers and hymn-singing with my baby sister on Sunday afternoons. My mum has a huge impact on bringing me up as a young Christian child. Her constant sharing of Christian knowledge and encouragement for me to grow stronger in my faith, till this day, are what I am immensely grateful for. Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” My mother will always be an inspiration and guidance to me and my future family.

During Secondary School days, I attended True Life B-P Church with my mother and relatives. It was during this period that I backslided as a young Christian. Studies and worldly entertainment distracted me. I was greatly troubled by the stresses of school work, the pressure of having to excel, like many Singaporean students. I stopped going to church regularly, thinking I could spend the extra time studying or playing my games to de-stress from studying. Oh how foolish I was!! I was gravely deluded and mistaken, that I could take things in my own hands. How I wish the words, “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Ps 37:5), had been embraced in my heart then.

For several years I moved farther and farther away from God, just to focus on chasing earthly ‘successes’ in my studies. I felt very miserable at times when I could not meet my expectations. It was also during those times when I confided in God through prayer, seeking His grace and guidance so that I would have the courage to accept what He meant for me and not fear what the world would do to me. Psalm 56:4 says, “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” I started to include this verse in my prayers and God has graciously led me out of the darkness that I was in.

In junior college, I started to attend Gethsemane B-P Church, under the leadership of Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy. As I attended every single worship session conducted by Pastor Koshy, I started to understand better what it meant to be a true Christian and gained insightful knowledge on certain books in the Bible. I also witnessed my sister’s and paternal grandmother’s faith and eventual baptisms. My father also started to attend church regularly and be very active in the church’s activities and shared his biblical knowledge with me. I am extremely comforted by his increasing faith in the Lord and this is definitely a testimony to the Lord’s everlasting love and grace for us, that He will never forsake us.

Over the past years, I bear witness to God’s strength, love and wisdom in me and my loved ones’ lives. My faith in him is as strong as ever and I look forward to continue to grow in my faith and in God’s wisdom, and to share His teachings with others. True Life B-P Church’s doctrine, as affirmed by Rev Dr Timothy Tow, of a 100% perfect Bible and the unwavering stance of the leaders of the church, resonate strongly with me.

I pray to seek reaffirmation, and that my reaffirmation will be a personal testimony of my desire to commit my life to God and be His humble servant with unwavering faith. Amen. Reynold Zeng