|
 |
 |
|||
Volume. XXIII, No. 53 Testimonies III
Bro Phil Surman’s Testimony I have been an angry man for a long time. I have turned my back on God so many times...at primary school, as a teenager and as a young adult. I was concerned about what people would think of me if I went to church. I wonder what life would have been like if I had not done that. I now know that I was wrong to have done that. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and I have known that the way to God’s heart is through Jesus. I thought I was a reasonable Christian until I came to church. I thought that if I led a good straight life, was a good person and just believed in God, that would be good enough. I now know that that is not enough. Through the sermons of Pastor Ki and Pastor Weng, I am reminded that I am a sinner and some weeks, I think Pastor Ki was talking straight to me ~ what a shock! I confess that I am a sinner. I need Jesus to be my personal saviour. I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, died on the cross for my sins, rose on the third day and now sits on God’s right hand interceding for me. I know I have a long way to go, and with God’s help and guidance, I will be a better Christian. When I shared my consideration for baptism with a friend at work, he encouraged me to go for it. He also said it would change my life. He added that God will not force me to be baptised, but it is up to me, and He will give me all the guidance and encouragement to do so and once I am there with Him, I will be blessed. The Basic Bible Knowledge classes have clarified some doubts and questions I had. I now know it is a commitment to be a Christian. In Matthew 5:14-15, as God’s people, we “...are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” It is my privilege and honour to worship the one true God and be a part of his kingdom. There is no hiding it anymore. I am proud to be a Christian. Romans 12:2 says “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” I do not know what lies ahead, but I do know that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will definitely be leading a more meaningful life. Bro Frank Wong’s Testimony I used to attend the Pentecostal Calvary Church in Malaysia during my younger days in the 1960’s. However, it was only during the 1980’s onwards that I came to know of the Lord more deeply. My late wife’s colleague invited my family to a Gospel Meeting. The Gospel Meeting touched our hearts and we went for subsequent meetings. It was conducted by two homeless preachers or workers. By the way, this group is known simply as Christians. They still go out to preach two-by-two (of both sexes), and there is no monetary collection whatsoever. At one of the Gospel Meetings, my wife and I accepted Christ as our personal saviour. Consequently, I was baptised at Kuang, a town about 40 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur. It was only in November 1984 or 1985 at one of the annual Christian Conventions (3 days) that I was baptised by two workers in a river there. Since then, I have been serving the Lord faithfully. I attended Sunday morning fellowship (where I partook the sacraments) and the evening Gospel Meetings. There was also Bible Study on Wednesday evenings. When I emigrated to Australia in November 1999, I continued to attend the “same” church in Adelaide. This Christian group has “churches” all over the world. The worship services are help in homes of elders. In Australia, Gospel Meetings are held in school halls. Through the kind invitation of Bro Ngie Joo Gong, I have attended Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church. I first attended your Church Worship Service on 20th April 2008. My only desire and hope is to remain as a faithful and dedicated child of God, worshipping Him in truth and in spirit. Bro Wai Kin Wong The story of my walk with Jesus Christ had its genesis during my secondary school days. Though coming from an immediate family of unbelievers, the openness to religion that prevailed in my family meant that questions pertaining to the meaning of life and the purpose of humanity were never really too far away. In particular, my mother had an affinity for philosophy, often questioning why there was so much depravity and suffering in our modern world. Additionally, sharing with my Christian schoolmates in secondary school and the weekly chapel singing sessions organised by my school’s students’ Christian fellowship were significant catalysts towards my eventual acceptance of Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. Many of the Christian youth hymns and melodies that I learnt during those singing Chapel sessions remain close to my heart two decades later today. I also started reading the King James Bible, initially to improve my competency in Shakespearean-style English, but later to seek insights into questions pertaining to the meaning of life and also as a balm to the usual life challenges that a growing adolescent faced. Later during my Uni days, the seeds that were sown earlier during my secondary school years grew even further, as I became actively involved in the Varsity Christian Fellowship, organizing Christian activities and leading Bible Study groups. It was also during my Uni days that I started attending a BP church near my Uni that would eventually be my spiritual home for the next decade (and from which I am transferring my membership). Looking back at my walk with the Lord, I am very thankful and even amazed at how God has provided for me (and our family) as we transited from one major life phase to another. In particular, how God has surrounded me (and my immediate family) with the love, help and fellowship of His people no matter where we lived. The most recent example of God’s blessing in this regard has been the fellowship within the community here in Hope B-P Church. The genesis of our fellowship with Hope B-P Church began quite literally at the click of a mouse. Back in April 2007, once our move to Adelaide became imminent, one of our first priorities was to identify a church to be our spiritual home here in Adelaide. I recall that by Googling on the Internet, Hope B-P Church website came out at the top of the search results, then as it still is today. Thus, on Sunday 15th July 2007, the first Sunday after my family arrived in Adelaide, our mutual journey with the Hopefuls began, which now culminates in this noteworthy occasion of our taking up the membership in this church. We would like to praise and thank God for the wonderful fellowship and hospitality shown to our family by the Hopefuls. Thanks to everyone’s help and support, we had an effortless settling down process here in Adelaide. What we are hearing this morning is my family’s story of God’s provision and deliverance. Each of us had, are or will have our own version of the same story. For our family, it was a Promise that God so graciously fulfilled after much prayer for quite a few years. Likewise, I would like to encourage our brothers and sisters not to give up easily, but instead to be patient and to continue to rely on His strength in praying and living through issues in your life. One of my favourite verses that I would like to share this morning is from 2 Timothy Chapter 1, verse 7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.“ Therefore, brothers and sisters, do not be disheartened or discouraged by worldly cares and challenges, but instead walk closely with Jesus and draw strength from Him just as Christ did when he endured the pain of dying on the Cross for our sake. In closing, it is mine and my family’s hope and prayers that we will be able to serve -each other here in Hope B-P Church in love and humility. May God bless our community here in Hope B-P Church. Thank you and God bless. |
|