(NOTE: THIS IS THE TESTIMONY OF BRO.
S. P. SINGH IN HIS OWN WORDS. TAKEN FROM A MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED IN THE
YEAR 2011)
 |
| Bro. S. P. Singh |
Up at 5 AM, listening to the radio…
I was born in a very backward
village in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh in a farmer family. I was the
only son. My father was educated up to class 8 and mother was illiterate. When
I studied up to class 5, my father asked me to stop studies and help him in
farming. But there was a inside of
me inspiring me to study further. So, I resisted my parents on this issue. I
had the habit of rising up early in the morning. One day, when I was tuning my
radio at 5 AM looking for something interesting, I heard a preacher by the name
of Brother Anand (perhaps working with the Vishwawani).
He was saying something which I
could not comprehend 100%. I understood one thing – God will never leave you
even if your parents leave you. This sentence encouraged me and on my own I
went to school and registered my name in class 6. At that time, I did not know
anything about the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. I continued to listen to
Brother Anand’s preaching daily via the radio.
This preacher used to mention on the
radio that if one needed more information about Jesus and the Bible to write-in
for literature. I wrote and received pamphlets and books on the Bible. I
started reading these and my life started changing and academically I excelled.
I always got first rank from class 6 to 10 in that school. This academic
excellence enabled me to get merit scholarship by which I managed my study
expenses. During these days, I could not even have lunch in that school due to
lack of money.
God rewarded my hard work!
Without any coaching help and by
just relying on God coupled with hard work I appeared in and all-India
Engineering entrance test and got the 58th all-India rank. At that time
Harcourt Butler Technological Inistitute (HBTI) was conducting an all-India
based test. I got selected in one of the best Government Colleges established
during British rule i.e. HBTI, Kanpur to study Chemical Engineering.
But again, problem of money came in
my way. But again God opened the way. In this institute there was a rule that
first 5 students of all branches would get merit scholarship and their fees
would be fully waived off. God enabled me to get first rank in all years and
ultimately was awarded Gold medal.
“Look at Jesus, not men!”
I started my career and continued
the studying of biblical literature. After that I attended a church in Delhi
but I could not experience true love from the people who attended that church.
I remembered these words I heard: “look at Christ and not men for happiness and
peace!” I started preaching also about Christ. Some ridiculed me saying that
Christianity
means drinking wine, eating meat
(beef) and enjoying all pleasures of life. This feedback from people again
confused me. But I started telling people that believing on Jesus helped me
excel in academics and gradually changed all my life.
Without Jesus, I would have been an
illiterate person in the village, I asserted. In the year 1992, I shifted to
Pune and again started searching for a good local church. Having found one, I
started attending it regularly. I got involved in its ministries, actively.
Here I learned about baptism and got baptized. I have never looked back. The
family to whom I had preached Christ in Delhi also got saved, baptized and they
are attending church in Delhi.
Testimony published in a national
newspaper
In 1995, I wrote a
letter to The Indian Express newspaper testifying boldly about my faith while I
responded to an article that suggested that converts to Christianity were
coerced and uneducated. This is part of what I wrote which got eventually
published:
“Take my example. No one ever came
to convince me to come to Christ. But by his grace, I understood the truth and
made the foundation of my life, the teachings of Jesus. I am not a Hindu girl
who opted for Christianity for the sake of marriage. I am mature Gold Medalist
technocrat belonging to a caste Hindu family. My conscience confirmed that I
should follow Christ!”
Village boy turns witnessing AVP!
I preach my Christ boldly at my work
place and wherever I go through my changed life and a Christreflecting
character. In my office, when the Hindu idol ‘prasad’ is served, I refuse to
accept and tell that I serve a living God and that I don’t believe in idol
worship. This statement of mine does cause some trouble for me but I look at
Christ who suffered and gave his all for me and pray for more opportunities to
witness for Jesus at my work place.
There was a value engineering drive
in the company to reduce cost and increase quality and my team won the CEO
special recognition award. By the quality of the work I do, I reflect Christ in
my office. From the chairman to the office boy of the company I work in, they
all know that I believe in Christ as the only way. Some people appreciate this while
some people criticize me. I just look at Christ and not the people to
strengthen myself in him. Top management in my company has a confidence in me
due to my sincerity and reliability. I am not saying that believing in Christ
will take you to top position in company, always, but definitely people will
trust on you for important responsibilities. At present I am the engineering
head for the Europe region and operating from Pune and working as Assistant
Vice President – Engineering.
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