Dear brothers and sisters, it gives me great pleasure to share with you the Glory of God and His forgiveness in bringing me to Christ.
I was born and raised in a Chinese Taoist family in May of 1970. My mom, who was quite an atheist before she married my dad, became a Taoist praying to the Chinese Goddess of Mercy under the influence of my paternal grandmother. The fact that I was very sick as a child gave opportunities for my paternal grandmother to encourage my mom to give me as a 'godson' to the same idol. Funnily enough, with this new 'celestial godsonship', I began to quickly recover and became a healthy boy.
One year when I was five or so, my mom brought me to a Chinese temple to offer prayers and thanks to my 'godmother' for my health. While there, I was very much afraid of the fierce and unfriendly faces of the idols. The other main event was that I was very much nearly suffocated to death somewhat by the excessive amount of incense being offered at the temple by the devotees.
I thought to myself then, which god would want to suffocate a five-year-old with such smoke? Funny thoughts for a five-year-old, but I still remember those thoughts to today.
There was also a visit to a local attraction called Haw Par Villa, where there were on show sculptured depictions of the 18 levels of the Chinese hell. In some levels, people who told lies during their lifetime had their tongues torn out, while in others many were sawn into two for some other sin. Somehow I knew then that I wouldn't be spared from having my tongue pulled out. No way was there anyway I could do anything to atone for the lies I told sometimes to have things go my way!
My dad was a teacher then, and sometimes gave Chinese tuitition to kids from the neighborhood. One of these kids, Roy, also became a childhood friend of mine. His family was Roman Catholic, and I expressed much interest in his religion as I had in my heart that Taoism didn't provide a way out of that hell I saw.
He told me many things about Jesus Christ, and even invited me to his house for a visit. What I saw piqued my interest in Jesus Christ, but I was also confused. The idols in the family altar in their house weren't much different from what my mom places in our house. The only major difference I could see was that Roy's idols had a Western slant to them. My family had also told me that Christianity is a religion for the Westerners, and good Chinese boys like me should just honor our traditions and 5,000-year glorious history and pray to our esteemed ancestors and gods.
From then on, I started a search for a true God. I know He exists, but just did not know how to find and accept Him. Roy didn't provide any clues either on this subject. My 20/20 hindsight tells me that somehow he himself doesn't know either.
I went through primary school and entered secondary school (the equivalent of high school in most countries) at a prestigious all-boys school. My search for the true God continued.
God revealed Himself to me finally while I was in Grade 1 of the secondary school. I was just hanging around school after classes one day when a man, Wee Khim, approached me. At first I thought he was one of the Education Ministry's surveyors whom the principal had mentioned would be visiting us for feedback earlier in the day. As he began to speak to me, it then dawned on me that he was telling me about Jesus Christ.
That was the opening for me. I accepted Christ as my personal Savior and Lord right there and then.
He gave me a Bible some time after - the Good News edition. I still remember very vividly that I cried the first time I read that Jesus Christ died for all our sins. To me then, He was such a good and great man who didn't deserve to die at all, and in such manner!
For the first few years my parents objected strongly to my new faith. My dad, in particular, was very much in opposition, and even threatened to disown me. To be disowned as a Chinese is a very shameful thing. However, I stuck my ground, and God taught me to honor my parents even more and show them how much I love them. Today, my parents have accepted that I am a Christian.
I was baptized at Life Bible-Presbyterian in 1988, and was given a the name of the prophet Isaiah.
However, my heart is heavy with the knowledge that my parents still reject the love of God. I pray that whoever is kind enough to read my long testimony so far to help pray for the salvation of my parents, both of whom I love very much and greatly grateful for their love.
I also feel a calling to serve God full-time. Please pray for me that I find the courage with God's grace to finally answer the calling.
Shalom, and God's blessings be with you forever more.
I was born and raised in a Chinese Taoist family in May of 1970. My mom, who was quite an atheist before she married my dad, became a Taoist praying to the Chinese Goddess of Mercy under the influence of my paternal grandmother. The fact that I was very sick as a child gave opportunities for my paternal grandmother to encourage my mom to give me as a 'godson' to the same idol. Funnily enough, with this new 'celestial godsonship', I began to quickly recover and became a healthy boy.
One year when I was five or so, my mom brought me to a Chinese temple to offer prayers and thanks to my 'godmother' for my health. While there, I was very much afraid of the fierce and unfriendly faces of the idols. The other main event was that I was very much nearly suffocated to death somewhat by the excessive amount of incense being offered at the temple by the devotees.
I thought to myself then, which god would want to suffocate a five-year-old with such smoke? Funny thoughts for a five-year-old, but I still remember those thoughts to today.
There was also a visit to a local attraction called Haw Par Villa, where there were on show sculptured depictions of the 18 levels of the Chinese hell. In some levels, people who told lies during their lifetime had their tongues torn out, while in others many were sawn into two for some other sin. Somehow I knew then that I wouldn't be spared from having my tongue pulled out. No way was there anyway I could do anything to atone for the lies I told sometimes to have things go my way!
My dad was a teacher then, and sometimes gave Chinese tuitition to kids from the neighborhood. One of these kids, Roy, also became a childhood friend of mine. His family was Roman Catholic, and I expressed much interest in his religion as I had in my heart that Taoism didn't provide a way out of that hell I saw.
He told me many things about Jesus Christ, and even invited me to his house for a visit. What I saw piqued my interest in Jesus Christ, but I was also confused. The idols in the family altar in their house weren't much different from what my mom places in our house. The only major difference I could see was that Roy's idols had a Western slant to them. My family had also told me that Christianity is a religion for the Westerners, and good Chinese boys like me should just honor our traditions and 5,000-year glorious history and pray to our esteemed ancestors and gods.
From then on, I started a search for a true God. I know He exists, but just did not know how to find and accept Him. Roy didn't provide any clues either on this subject. My 20/20 hindsight tells me that somehow he himself doesn't know either.
I went through primary school and entered secondary school (the equivalent of high school in most countries) at a prestigious all-boys school. My search for the true God continued.
God revealed Himself to me finally while I was in Grade 1 of the secondary school. I was just hanging around school after classes one day when a man, Wee Khim, approached me. At first I thought he was one of the Education Ministry's surveyors whom the principal had mentioned would be visiting us for feedback earlier in the day. As he began to speak to me, it then dawned on me that he was telling me about Jesus Christ.
That was the opening for me. I accepted Christ as my personal Savior and Lord right there and then.
He gave me a Bible some time after - the Good News edition. I still remember very vividly that I cried the first time I read that Jesus Christ died for all our sins. To me then, He was such a good and great man who didn't deserve to die at all, and in such manner!
For the first few years my parents objected strongly to my new faith. My dad, in particular, was very much in opposition, and even threatened to disown me. To be disowned as a Chinese is a very shameful thing. However, I stuck my ground, and God taught me to honor my parents even more and show them how much I love them. Today, my parents have accepted that I am a Christian.
I was baptized at Life Bible-Presbyterian in 1988, and was given a the name of the prophet Isaiah.
However, my heart is heavy with the knowledge that my parents still reject the love of God. I pray that whoever is kind enough to read my long testimony so far to help pray for the salvation of my parents, both of whom I love very much and greatly grateful for their love.
I also feel a calling to serve God full-time. Please pray for me that I find the courage with God's grace to finally answer the calling.
Shalom, and God's blessings be with you forever more.
