Lim Joash
Having grown up in a Christian family, I thank God that my parents have faithfully brought me to church since I was young. As a child, I had the privilege of attending Junior Worship (JW), Children's Bible Study (CBS) and the Gethsemane Children's Ministry (GCM). It was through attending JW that I first learnt the truths of God’s Word. Every week, “uncles” and “aunties” in Christ would patiently teach us the Word from particular passages in the Bible. I thank God for the JW and GCM lessons, where I was able to learn many Bible truths, and even for the CBS lessons, where we learnt from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. I learnt that I am a sinner, and that God gave His only begotten Son to save me so that I can have everlasting life (cf. John 3:16), and that I must believe in Him.
As I grew older, I moved on to the English Worship Service, where Pastor Koshy and (occasionally) other faithful preachers would bring us the Word every Sunday. I thank God for their diligent efforts and for the opportunity to learn from His Word weekly. I thank God also that as a youth, I am able to participate in the Youth Fellowship and serve in the Youth Choir. I praise God for the fellowship that I can have with fellow godly youths and for the lessons that I can learn from the older godly youths, through such means of grace.
What led me to make this decision to reaffirm my faith was actually the “Harmony of the Gospels” course conducted during FEBC’s Daily Vacation Bible College in December 2020. Through this course, I learnt much, especially about the importance of defending the doctrines of Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP) and Verbal Plenary Inspiration (VPI). Realising how the world attacks the Bible and these doctrines today, it is crucial that as Christians, we do not be swayed by these ungodly men. The Bible is the perfect Word of God, and these doctrines are supported by Scriptural proofs, such as Psalm 12:6-7. Yet more importantly, this course led me to realise how important it is for me to take my stand as a Christian and defend the truth. So, I have decided to take this step to reaffirm my faith publicly and take my stand for the Lord. Thank God for granting me the grace to go through the catechism class smoothly, and I pray that I will continue to grow in the faith and love Him more and more.
Grace Ho
Being born into a Christian family, I regularly attended church since infancy. I had the privilege of attending worship services, prayer meetings, fellowship meetings, children’s programmes, and many other activities organised by the church. From young, I always enjoyed coming to church to learn about God’s Word, and fellowshipping with like-minded God’s children. From my childhood all the way to the end of Secondary 2, I had always believed that I was saved. I would tell myself that since I often attended church, participated regularly and enjoyed coming to church, I was automatically saved. Yes, I had heard about Christ, I had heard about salvation. I was certain that I loved Christ. However, as I became older, it occurred to me that even though I loved Christ and His commandments, I lacked a sort of sincerity. In my heart, I knew that I wanted to be saved. Yet deep down, I knew that I wasn’t, because I still disobeyed God and continued in my wilful ways.
In Secondary 3, I felt God speaking to me in a way that I had never felt before. Whenever I disobeyed Him, I would feel agonised within me. Words cannot express my pain. I was scared of going to hell! Sometimes, I would even have tears in my eyes as I thought of the many times I’d disobeyed and, in doing so, pained God and those around me. From that time onwards, when I attend church, my heart would feel lighter, as if a burden had been taken away from me. Singing hymns, listening to God’s Word being preached, praying to God, all bring into my heart an indescribable joy. The thought of meeting God in Heaven fills my mind frequently. I would anticipate to see God in Heaven. I am now certain that I am saved – for I yearn to learn more about Him, to serve and honour God and His commandments, to obey Him in whatever I do, to be a shining light for Him in this world of darkness. “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
I am extremely thankful for the godly leaders in our church, especially for Pastor Koshy who preaches faithfully to the church. In addition, I am thankful for the elders, deacons and preachers who are always willing to minister to us. In particular, I am grateful for the catechism classes led by Eld Francis and Eld Choy; the classes have taught me much knowledge about basic doctrines of the Christian faith. Lastly, I am thankful for God-honouring parents who never fail to instruct and correct me in the right way.
As a Christian, I purposed in my heart to bear a good testimony in my life. I pray that I will always seek God before acting, and that I will put God as first in my life. I pray that I will be a good testimony to those around me, especially my non-believing friends in secondary school, so that they may see the power of God in my life. Lastly, I pray that I will obey God in all aspects of my life, that I will not allow my earthly desires to take hold of me and cause me to detract from my spiritual duties.
May God keep me in His way! All glory be to God!
Elle Ruth Lee
I grew up in a Christian home with godly parents. I thank God that in our upbringing, my siblings and I were made to attend church every Sunday, to do devotions regularly and to learn and to trust in God.
However, now that I’m in my early teens, I face many challenges and doubts in school. I could see that my classmates are constantly doing ungodly things that contradicted the Scriptures. For a period of time, I was confused about what was right and what was wrong. As I regularly attended Sunday service and fellowship gatherings, by God’s grace, I was able to understand that this was a trial for me. I prayed and acknowledged that this was God’s trial for me. I was encouraged when I turned to the Bible and encountered the verse: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41a). It comforted me and I knew that God is with me, guiding me throughout my testing. From then on, whenever I have a doubt, I would pray silently in my heart for God’s guidance and I could really sense God working in my heart. God is helping me to be discerning and to walk away from that which is ungodly and wrong. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Knowing that my faith comes from God helps me to be firm, and not wavering, in my faith.
I thank God for my family and for the church. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that I am saved only through Him. I have accepted God as my own personal Saviour, and I thank God for His goodness and grace upon me. I pray that I will continue to have faith in Him and serve Him fervently.
Joshua Low
I grew up in a Christian family, and my parents have been taking me and my sister to church to attend the different fellowships each week. We would say grace before dinner and prayers before bed. Though life was generally plain sailing, there were times when I really needed God’s guidance and counsel.
I think one of those times was during Primary 6, when I was struggling hard to get good grades and to do well. After getting my PSLE results, I was extremely sad and disappointed. I was confused about how things had turned out. During that disheartening period, I prayed and repented of my transgression (of not putting God first); I realised that Jesus is my only Savior and He is in control of everything. God has always been there to help me whenever I pray for help and guidance, something which I am eternally grateful for. Romans 8:28 never fails to lift up my spirit – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” I am constantly reminded that whatever trials may come my way, I should persevere in Christ and put my faith in Him.
When I first entered secondary school, I had difficulty finding friends. However, after some praying, I found out that I was not the only Christian in my class and soon, good friendships were forged. God has helped me in many ways, and this is just one example of Him helping me. These friends constantly reminded me that we need to always bear a good testimony for Christ to our non-Christian classmates.
One of my favorite Bible verses is John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice for our sins, so that we would have everlasting life because of God’s love for us. It clear that only God can save us from our sins and grant us everlasting life. There is no greater love than this. I thank God that I am saved, but I have many relatives, including my grandparents, who still do not know God. I pray that one day, their hearts will soften and accept Jesus into their lives.
To conclude, God has helped me many times in my life, whether it be in studies or understanding the Bible. The only way to honour Him is to obey and worship Him eternally.