Testimony

Ever wondered how life would be when you don’t have to take the first initiative to know someone more intimately, and that person just loves you. Even before you know that this person exists, He has loved you and still loves you and will love you even though you stop loving Him. He knows everything about you even to the extent of the accurate amount of strands of hair you have on your head.

This person is Jesus. He has been an encouragement and a motivation to me ever since I get to know Him. He is a friend when I’m in need, He’s a mentor when I hunger for knowledge & care and He’s a doctor when I’m emotionally or physically or even spiritually disturbed. He heals without wanting anything in return.

I was brought up as a freethinker in a buddhist family. And I have heard and been ‘taught’ of many false things about Christianity. For example, it is compulsory for Christians to pay 10% of the salary to the church if not you’ll be punished by God. Another one says that Christians always become crazy when they step into a church or simply reading the bible and many more. Though they are ridiculous but definitely are scary stories that were too much for a young little kid I was then. This increased my resentment for Christians and the church.

In school, I was often being called an anti-social. Most of the times were because of shyness and inability to speak in front of a crowd. This has been continuing for many years.

During a family chalet in Costa Sands Resort in Pasir Ris, I was invited to church by my cousin, Amos. And I can still remember how excited I was despite the many negative things about Christianity I was taught of. Finally, I accepted his invitation to come (to go, whatever). Never ever did I expect that my life from then on will be changed thoroughly. There’s a worship session and sermon being said. I feel an urge to want to know more about Christianity because of the many many doubts that I have in my heart and mind. Then when the pastor asked the congregation if anyone wants to give his life to God and I raised my hand. Then, God brought a person to me and started praying for me. He brought me to a room and explained the 4 spiritual laws to me. Even though I wasn’t too sure of what he was talking about then, but of course a rough idea, I decided to give my life to Jesus. So he brought me to another pastor who prayed the sinner’s prayer for me and committed me to God.

After that day, I started my little research about Christianity and my impressions about Christians changed. I started to ask Amos to send me some Christian songs. And I can still remember one of the first few Christian songs that I listened to, ‘King of Majesty’ and ‘Running After You’. These were the 2 songs he sent me, the first 2 christian songs in my life ok! Then, to also know more, I started by attending the Crosslink for a few weeks, and started coming back for more, attracted by the good friends that I made and the heart felt sermons that were preached. Soon later, I was invited by James and started to go for Sunday youth service, joined a Sunday school class and even started serving.

When I made a commitment to attend Sunday classes instead of only going for Crosslink, my parents were the ones who rejected me of going the most. And I had to lie to them in order to go to church every single Sunday. And many times, I would tell my parents that I’m going breakfast with my school friends. Although it’s a bad thing to do, it is the only excuse that I can give to go church. But because of the fear of them suspecting, sometimes, I go to church on alternate Sundays. So it was really very fearful and very difficult days for me in those days. Persecution is a very real thing to me at home then. But I thank God because my parents somehow seen how persistent I am and how committed I am, and now, I can go to church whenever I want and freely. I also thank God for helping and guiding me through these 2 years and many more to come, that He has seen me through and will continue to, that I may remain in Him and do great things for Him!

Last Year, I went for the Metamorphosis Conference organised by the Singapore Campus Crusade, it was those few days, although I left earlier, that I felt God’s presence day in and day out. It was a very refreshing experience for me, for the 4 days that I’m there, not only fellowshipping together with very godly people whom were strangers to me then, but also worshipping God in the morning and at night, meditating His word all day long. It was a very good experience for a young Christian like me. Then, I also got to go to the streets of Bugis and share my faith with strangers. It was a challenging thing to do but I really thank God for being with me and showing me how to present the gospel using a tract. When I started sharing, I felt more confident then want to share to more people. After the whole thing of about 3-4 hours, though there are many rejections, I managed to get 4 people to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior! This is really very encouraging, having to share my faith with someone who has nothing to do with me! And I have learnt a lot from this conference and from God Himself!

Thinking back from now, God has indeed showed me how faithful He is. This year marked the second year of God accepting me into His kingdom. I marveled at the differences of me now and before, no words could ever describe or express how much I owed Him. I know that He would not ask me for anything in return but only to believe in Him and continue to walk in Christ for in 1 John 2:6 says, ‘Whoever claims to live in Him (who is God) must walk as Jesus did.’ No one can ever change me so thoroughly unless he is the Son of God. And that’s very true. A renewed and transformed person I am now. Now, not only did my impressions of the church and God change, my character and personalities have also changed. I am no longer a shy boy who doesn’t dare to speak in front of a crowd (what I’m doing now) nor someone who is unconfident of whatever things he does and a low esteem. I am always looking out for assurance in the bible, and God has never failed to give me 1 every time I needed it. During a quiet time last week, God gave me 2 more assuring verses that I can’t wait to share with you. Isaiah 40:10 – ‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ – and Psalm 23:4 – ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ Let me read you another verse from the bible which God has many times assured me whenever I doubt. In Hebrews 13:5, God said, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’ It is God telling us that we do not need any form of material possession to make us feel important or good, and that we must be contented of what we already have, because we already have God (someone who created everything), for God will never leave us. Always keep in mind that earthly things are temporal while the things that God provides us are eternal!

God has brought me through many trials. Sometimes I fought the battle with my own strength and I failed. But with God, I know that I’m on the side of victory. But of course, sometimes the devil still managed to make his way to me and caused me to be unfaithful and sinned against God. I went to God in repentance many times. Though I fail to go by His ways, He never fails to provide me with new insights and knowledge on how great He is and led me to a conclusion of how unworthy I am for someone so great and mighty to die for someone who is so insignificant, someone like me. However, He never fails to assure me that He will always be with me, and that from the point when I accepted Jesus into my life, my sins were and are forgiven. Whenever I fall, He never fails to pick me up.

I am truly blessed to be part of ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that I may declare the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His wonderful light.’ – 1 Peter 2:9

Now Jesus, the Son of God, someone who is high above all authorities, is appealing to you to receive Him as your personal Lord and Saviour, as the most important person in your life. As you receive Jesus into your life, I pray that you will allow Him to use your life to the fullest extent, that His name will be glorified through you. I also pray that you will be blessed by His overwhelming love for you, for LOVE is what revolves around Christianity!

Finally, allow me to end off with:

1 John 4:7-17

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the Day of Judgment, because in this world we are like Him.