Testimony: "I would never be a Christian" ~ Max

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."

I started to attend church in 2010. The church I went to was a Charismatic megachurch, probably now the largest church in Singapore. Before I became a believer, I was a Buddhist/Taoist, not by choice, but because I was born into a family which engaged in idol worship. For many years, I have held idolatrous beliefs, but the "gods" that I worshiped were always a mystery to me, because I could never fathom who they really were. I just knew to worship them because the elder members of my family and my parents worshipped them.

Apart from calling myself a Buddhist or Taoist, I would sometimes refer myself as an atheist because I also believed in evolution, the millions and billions of years, and dinosaurs taught in the school. I believed that religion and “science” were interconnected in some mysterious ways. Yet, beneath that Buddhist/Taoist/Atheist facade was a heart yearning for spiritual knowledge, and that was also the reason why I also read books about Numerology, Astrology, Palmistry, and Face-Reading which were popular in my growing-up years.

All these things were the main themes of my spiritual life, until my life took a deep plunge towards the end of 2007. It was then, that the "gods" in my life was put to a test. But no matter how much I sought them out, I could not find an answer. In 2009, I was suddenly put out of job, and had nowhere to go. All the things which happened to me killed something in me, to the extent that the once confident self now became weak. I had lost all the self-confidence that I once had. I had lost the confidence to face people in an interview while trying to sell myself, now that I am a defeated person.

For months, I was without a job. Because of desperation, I was driven to do some very superstitious things, until one fine day, when I was cheated of a few hundred dollars and then I realized it later. On that day, and I remember it was thundering and raining very heavily, I looked up to the sky and cried out with all my heart in Mandarin "天啊 (God)! Why...? Why...??". "Why have all these things happened to me??" was my cry. I literally cried out to a God whom I believe was in heaven, even though he was not known to me previously.

Very strangely, and soon after that incident, in December 2009, I caught an advertisement in the newspaper, and I applied for the job. I was then called up for an interview and it is so by coincidence that the ones who were hiring were my good ex-colleagues. By grace, I managed to get back to working life again. So, life was gradually getting back to normal. It was then when my wife who had started attending New Creation Church (NCC) asked me to join her in the Sunday service. I reluctantly did so, but I told her upfront that she could be a Christian all she wants, I would never be a Christian.

Then Sunday after Sunday we were in that church, I was not moved, until one day, when the congregation was singing and I paid close attention to the words of the songs, that I was moved to tears. That was the moment of change in my life when I started identifying myself as a Christian. For the next one to two years, I served in the children ministry of that church. Nevertheless, I would still continue to go to the Chinese temple on occasions to pray to the deceased of my family, especially to my parents who had died early in my life.

Things started to change again in July 2011, when I left my job for a better offer. Soon after I switched to my new job I started to regret. Things were not as rosy after all. I was put to very difficult tasks and had very mean bosses who would yell at me and threaten me. It was during then, that my mother-in-law had two unsuccessful surgeries performed on her spine, which caused her to become bedridden. My parent-in-laws moved to Singapore, and we had my mother-in-law placed in a nursing home which costs us more than $3,000 a month. It was also during this time that we brought my father-in-law to the church to attend the Sunday service. He too, became a Christian.

In January 2012, again, I was retrenched from my job. The nightmare which haunted me back in 2009 returned to haunt me. Now with additional financial burdens, things became worse. But this time round, I told my wife with conviction that there was nothing I could do except God who did it for me. It was not my battle to fight, but the battle belongs to the LORD. You see, my life as a Christian revolved around the pastor, not the Bible. Every single week I would religiously purchase sermons from the previous week and listened to them.

I loved those sermons because they were all very encouraging. They all speak of a God who is extremely gracious and not only wants to alleviate us from the problems of this present life, but also wants to make us healthy and wealthy. All these things were promised to us, the moment we become believers. That was what I believed then. It was preached from the pulpit as truth from the Bible. BTW, I hardly read the Bible as a Christian in that church. The Bible to me then, was foreign and hard to understand. I only relied on the words of my pastor, Joseph Prince. I believed him 100%, and I also loved the church for its grandeur and music. That was until sometime between January and March 2012 when things took a turn once again.

Between January and March 2012, while looking for a job, and praying to God, I had the opportunity to spend more time with my father-in-law who stayed with us. He was a new believer then. I told my wife to get a Bible for him. I remembered I told her specifically to get a modern version bible for him so that it is easier for him to read and understand. So, she went to the bookstore in NCC to purchase a Bible. Instead of the NIV or NKJV, she actually bought him a King James Bible (KJV).

When she got the Bible home, I was a little upset with her because she did not follow my instructions, and so I argued with her. In her reply, she said that the bookstore assistant told her that the NKJV bibles were out of stock. So perhaps in her eagerness to close the deal, the bookstore assistant actually told my wife that the KJV and the NKJV are the same. To prove the point to me, my wife actually flipped open the King James Bible, and started to read out loud from the Book of Proverbs.

When the pure word of God came out from her mouth, I was stunned in the spirit... for the first time. I didn't tell her of course, but I have never heard such gracious words. Then I quickly dismissed the thoughts and asked her to stop reading. The truth of it was that it was too much for me to bear. I said to her: "Let me have that Bible". Then I got her to buy an NIV for my father-in-law instead.

By March 2012, again by grace, I got back into employment. This time round, it was coincidentally the same ex-colleague who helped me back to employment in December 2009. I not only found a job, but I was even given a much higher pay than previously. My faith in God increased. However, in this new role I had to travel to California for a period of OJT. That means that I would not be able to attend the Sunday service in NCC for at least a few months. I was grieved beyond words because I had to leave my family and the church for a season, but for their sake I have to do it.

It was then, when I had nothing to do during my free time after work, that I started to go to youtube and search for things pertaining to Christianity. I wanted to find out more about God. That was when I chanced upon some Christian teachings online that I never knew existed. I was particularly drawn to teachings about Creation and the End Times. It was also during this time that I started to notice people arguing online about the Holy Bible. This to me was something new, because the megachurch that I attended preach from all kinds of Bible. So, in that sense, every bible is the same. Every bible is the word of God. I started to become curious.

I returned to Singapore after my OJT was over. We continued to attend NCC but I would still visit youtube for topics on Creation, End Times and Bible controversy because these things had piqued an interest in me. Sometime between 2013 and 2014, I chanced upon a channel by Pastor Mike Hoggard of Bethel Church, Festus, Missouri. Pastor Mike not only taught things from the Bible about the End Times and Bible Prophecies, but he was even bigger on the topic of Bible controversy than any other topics.

I was particularly drawn to his teachings which expose modern version bibles as well as showing us about the supernatural numerical patterns that can be found in the King James Bible. It was mainly by the teachings of Pastor Mike I was convicted to pick up the King James Bible and studied it for myself. I searched the word of God diligently every day. BTW, if you happen to think that my conversion to the King James Bible was an easy thing, I want to share this with you, taken from a conversation with someone who asketh me for a reason of the hope that is in me:

"I just want to add that I started off using modern bibles when I first became a Christian. As you can read in my testimony, I specifically asked my wife to buy my father-in-law a modern version bible because I was worried he would not be able to read the "old English" too. It was not an easy switch for myself also, especially because I'm not a native English speaker, and I never knew what the "thees" and "thous" were about. I did not study Shakespeare either. Plus the fact that I was never well-versed in the Bible. For most part of my life, I was an idolator. I never knew who Jesus was. And even after I joined NCC, the Bible was foreign to me. For 4+ years of my time in NCC, I hardly read the Bible. If I do "read", it was just for show. My heart was not there. The intellectual baggage was heavy, and I could not carry it. But I started bit by bit. Surely I could do it bit by bit. Everytime I encountered obstacles, I prayed. I asked God for wisdom and understanding... God showed me. He was good to me. I was a new believer then, and I wanted so much to know about him. I cried out for wisdom and understanding. God answered my prayers beyond what I have asked for. He showed me here a little, there a little, line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept. That was how far I have come. To this day, I have not stopped learning. The Bible is so rich and full of wisdom and knowledge. It is impossible for anyone to be able to comprehend everything in their lifetimes. So, everyday I learn. I keep learning. Slowly but surely. Sometimes God will give more, sometimes he will give less. But he will surely provide. I could not thank him enough for all he has done in my life. These words come from the bottom of my heart. I can only humble myself before him.”

Through much prayers and diligent studies, I am fully persuaded that the King James Bible is the pure word of God. Everything the King James Bible says is true i.e. every modern version bible is counterfeit.

Psalms 119:104 "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."

My new conviction made me hate "every false way". Because of this new conviction, I was forced to take a stand. I had to choose between the King James Bible and that megachurch (NCC) I was attending. I chose life and blessing:

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

Was that the "seed" that has been sown in my heart through my wife in a twist of fate? I’m inclined to believe that it was. That "seed" which was sown in my heart had taken root and had brought forth a new man in me that is "... not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13) To this very day (2021), I'm still holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.