Having received a few feedback regarding certain entries in our competition, we feel we need to clarify a few things:
- This competition is based on each writer’s individual experience and provided they can testify to them being genuine, we consider all testimonies valid and eligible for running. We hold to the guideline that each writer is entitled to their own opinions about their experiences, and in their expression of said opinions.
- Currently, this is still part of an ongoing competition. As such, the articles listed on this page are still under the prerogative of each writer and Asian Beacon will not meddle in any way with any content by any writer. If we ever publish any articles under the name of Asian Beacon, we will clearly state our stand on our statement of beliefs.
- This competition is judged purely on the writer’s testimonies and not on the finer points of theology. While the competition is still ongoing, in all cases, and in line with our respect for each writer’s individual testimonies, we adopt a ‘spirit rather than the letter of the law’ approach to each writer’s testimony.
- The Asian Beacon team will endeavour to its utmost to be fair to all participants, without any discrimination, prejudice, or favoritism to any single participant.
- In all cases, the Asian Beacon team will hold true to the conditions we have outlined in our Terms and Conditions for the competition. You may find these terms on https://asianbeacon.org/writing-competition/
Asian Beacon would like to reiterate here that we are all members of Bible-believing churches and we hold to the evangelical creed. We thank those of you who have raised your concerns and hope this will help answer your questions.
I Read the Scriptures and Found Jesus
by Dr Timothy Sng
This is the story of my conversion.
This amazing journey began in May 1981, a year short of four decades. Reflecting back, a deep sense of nostalgia returned, as though it was just yesterday.
My wife, also a doctor had just been admitted for threatened labor for our first child two weeks prior, and would go on to stay for another two months till the birth of our baby. Being a freethinker then, raised by traditional Chinese parents with a strong Taoist background, I had visited temples, and observed various Chinese festivals and religious ceremonies.
Out of the blue in the stillness of night in a clinic in Kepong where I was doing a locum, an unusual night of retrospection and introspection occurred accompanied by a flurry of questions and answers.
The first shot in the dark was: “Do you believe in God?”
It was a thought or a question whatever its origin that provoked my answer below:
“Yes, I do.”
I had barely heard my own thoughts when a second question followed:
“So, what are you doing about it?”
“Oh, okay, I will start my search for God,” I answered.
The third question followed: “And how are you going to do it?”
I paused and thought about it.
“There seems to be three ways to go about it. I can go and meditate on a mountain and seek God, away from the noise and crowd of the city. But that would be difficult and dangerous; difficult because as a young doctor, preparing for my postgraduate examinations, and about to be a father, I did not have the time for hours and hours of meditation; dangerous because one can risk losing one’s sanity meditating in isolation without proper guidance.
“The second way would be to find a teacher or a ‘guru’ – someone who has gone along that path, and who could guide and lead me to the truth.
I then recalled a recent tragedy of Jim Jones, who led his group to a mass suicide in Guyana. I also reflected of some other groups where the guru would mesmerize their followers. The male disciples would be on the streets raising money for him, while he amassed wealth and owned dozens of Rolls Royce. This second way was equally dangerous and doubtful.
I was very clear in my mind then that I would not consult anyone, whether Christians or Buddhists, nor would I attend church or any religious gatherings, as I did not want to be influenced by any parties.
My thoughts shifted to the third and final method, which is to embark on a study of the scriptures of all the major religions in the world. On that same night itself, I decided to search the scriptures for the living God.
About a week after that, I saw a copy of the Bible that had been idling on the shelves at home. It was a Revised Standard Version Bible that someone had presented to my wife a few years earlier.
Holding it in my hands, I started off by saying some sort of prayer:
“Almighty God, I begin today to search the truth about You. Show me if these scripture texts are true.” I opened the first page of the Bible, and read from Genesis Chapter One:
“In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth.”
It was a momentous start as I read those words aloud. It was my very first time reading the Bible. My adventure to find Almighty God had begun.
It took off in a moderately fast pace, similar to that when one finds a great novel. I literally flipped and read page after page, covering story after story, whenever I had some time. I was enthralled, enamored and engaged with puzzling fascination at what was happening from Adam to Abraham, from one king to another king, seeing man’s heart swinging to and fro, up and down like a yo-yo, from fervent faith to total disloyalty to a God. Each one of the kings knew the living God, and many heard and saw God, but yet strayed and behaved in total disregard and disrespect so many times.
My heart and soul was troubled by the evil nature of man. It was barely two weeks into this reading, when I was filled with remorse and had to pause. I did not know what it was then, and had not even understood what repentance meant, but I came before God on my knees and said, “Almighty God, I am no different from all these people in the Bible. I am truly sorry for my own wretchedness. Forgive me.”
My daughter Grace was born on July 15th 1981 by Caesarean section, after nearly three months of hospital bed rest by the mother. It was a big relief for the new parents. While celebrating the birth of my first child, I had been busy preparing for my postgraduate examination in the United Kingdom.
By September, it was time for me to pack my bags and head for the United Kingdom to sit for my postgraduate examinations. Significantly, I had just completed the Old Testament when I touched down in London.
God (I know in retrospect) put me in touch with a group of fellow Malaysians Christians, who were also preparing for the same examinations. As I joined them, I passively followed as they gathered and prayed together before each discussion. It was then that I told them (or anyone) for the first time that I was reading the Bible. They were delighted but did not push or nudge me to accept Jesus.
In Birmingham where I was staying, I opened the Book of Matthew and began to read the Gospel and about Jesus for the very first time. Within days I had reached Chapter 20, and it was the parable of the vineyard that spoke deep into my soul. What an amazing revelation, that the LORD calls us into His Kingdom, and everyone receives that same reward – the precious gift of salvation, whether we enter just a minute ago or a few decades before.
My five months search into the scriptures for God had led me to believe in Jesus Christ. I had found my Savior and God. Then and there, I believed that Jesus is the Savior of the World.
However, I had a problem, being far away from home. I wanted to inform my wife about my decision to become a Christian. Then, in 1981, a phone call to Kuala Lumpur would cost RM 20 for three minutes, and this could only be done in certain international phone booths in London.
I decided to defer my acceptance of Jesus till I returned to Malaysia.
Every night, I read with new and fresh insight, as one who already believed in Jesus, and each night, I would end with the same prayer of thanksgiving and apology, where I told the Lord Jesus, I could not accept Him yet.
Within two weeks, I had reached the Books of Corinthians.
On the night of the 17th of October, after my reading, close to midnight in Birmingham, I knelt down and prayed:
“My LORD, I thank you for this amazing journey you have taken me. I believe in your Son Jesus Christ, but…..” I could not continue in my prayer that night.
It had already been two weeks, and each night I would say but I cannot accept you yet till I go back to Malaysia. On that ‘fateful’ night, my words could not come out. I had no excuse before my Lord, as Jesus was knocking on my heart. My heart was pounding away.
I stopped halfway in that prayer and tried to sleep, but could not. Tossing and turning for an hour, I felt ashamed that I did not yet open my heart to Jesus, the Son of God.
I got up, sat up on the floor of the room in my friend’s quarters. It was 1.00 a.m. of the 18th of October 1981. I could not say “No” any longer. Then and there, with tears pouring down my cheeks, I surrendered my life to Jesus, and welcomed Him as my Lord and Saviour.
It is now nearly forty years since that early Sunday morning in East Birmingham and I have not turned back for even one second.
I had found my God, my Living God, my Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.
I have lived for Christ throughout all these years, and personally led and shared the Good News of Jesus, one-to-one shared to hundreds, and over five hundred have come to believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
It has been “joy unspeakable” for these four decades and my motto is like Paul and Watchman Nee combined.
“I live for Christ & I want everything for my Lord, and all glory for Him, and nothing for myself.”
Amen.
