back to index2022-02-06 Timothy Teng Baptism Testimony
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Hi, my name is Tim Tang and I'll be sharing my testimony today. 00:00:08.360 |
I'm the youngest boy, and only boy of three, and I grew up in a single mother household 00:00:16.920 |
The messiness of the divorce left a lasting wound in the whole family, me included. 00:00:21.280 |
Throughout elementary school, my parents would take me to church habitually. 00:00:25.000 |
I did the usual Christian kid experience, BBS, Sunday school, etc. 00:00:30.560 |
Even so, I did not understand what was going on around me, and that feeling changed when 00:00:35.520 |
my parents left to China, they did for separate reasons. 00:00:39.640 |
I began hopping around different auntie, uncles' houses, church parents, and at this time, 00:00:46.480 |
my youth group pastor took a stint taking care of me and introduced me to Christ. 00:00:51.320 |
I bought into the idea that Christ is my savior and started attending church due to an overwhelmingly 00:00:57.040 |
However, my understanding of Christ was not founded on the Bible. 00:01:00.760 |
I had my own understanding of the Bible that would lead me astray throughout high school. 00:01:04.520 |
While living in sin, whether it was drinking, drugs, partying, I became reliant on false 00:01:09.160 |
pretenses I had of Christ, that Christ wanted me to succeed, that I suffered enough through 00:01:14.000 |
life and Christ will pour his care over me in the way I desired. 00:01:18.160 |
In actuality, though, I lived two lives, the church me and secular me. 00:01:24.860 |
Before my freshman year of college, these misconceptions of the Lord came to a head, 00:01:31.640 |
I started to look for the meaning of my faith in the word and trusted false teachers of 00:01:36.680 |
I became involved with Shincheonji, a Korean cult led by Man-hee Lee. 00:01:42.720 |
Their knowledge of the word surpassed anyone I met thus far and is still better than most 00:01:49.480 |
In reality, they twisted the word by discrediting the Holy Spirit and instead claiming their 00:01:53.520 |
church is the only church that has the truth. 00:01:56.400 |
John 14.26 says, "But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in 00:02:01.480 |
my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." 00:02:06.880 |
For a year, I unknowingly learned how to cherry pick the word and twist the word to take the 00:02:11.160 |
Holy Spirit out of the equation and replace it with false teachings. 00:02:15.040 |
My experience with the cult soured continually as my intimacy with the Lord lessened. 00:02:19.600 |
By the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit, I started to find small holes in their arguments, 00:02:24.480 |
inconsistencies from other verses, and I left the cult unsure of where I stood with my faith 00:02:34.320 |
I wondered why God led me down this road that would make me question his existence. 00:02:40.240 |
I would look at my previous experiences of my faith and the word with a sour feeling 00:02:47.000 |
I decided to forego my relationship with the Lord due to this turmoil. 00:02:51.280 |
I did everything in my power to fill a Christ-shaped hole in my heart. 00:02:54.360 |
I started an extremely successful business selling computer components. 00:02:57.560 |
I went back to drinking and forsook my connection with the church. 00:03:00.720 |
I lived amidst my sin for a year and a bit, hoping my pain and guilt would go away. 00:03:05.600 |
I thought I could live a life content with the omission of Christ. 00:03:09.080 |
But when quarantine started, my business was shut down, and I was alone with myself in 00:03:12.800 |
my apartment in Irvine, and I went crazy a little bit just from staying at home by myself. 00:03:20.640 |
However, I had time to reflect on my spiritual health, and nothing could fill or fit the 00:03:28.600 |
My greed, my deception, pride, envy, malice, the list goes on. 00:03:32.160 |
It all tried and failed to be the center, and all came from a heart that was too scared 00:03:37.840 |
However, as much as I could draw myself in the world's pleasure, I could not escape 00:03:41.280 |
the facts laid out in the world that Christ is still searching for me, knocking on my 00:03:44.840 |
door, beckoning me to trust in him and in him alone. 00:03:48.680 |
The almighty God who has died for my transgressions against him is still holding on to me, that 00:03:52.880 |
my sins pale in comparison to what God has done for me. 00:04:00.160 |
I never thought I would consider myself Christian again in my life, but my only response was 00:04:07.280 |
I started reading the word again, decided to go back to church, and my brothers and 00:04:10.840 |
sisters at Bernie encouraged me to look through the word myself, not rely on others or my 00:04:18.960 |
Through God's endless grace and gentle guidance and many loving rebukes, I learned how to 00:04:25.280 |
This led to a true understanding of what Christ has done, that he calls me to surrender all 00:04:31.160 |
I finally understand that Christ is my Lord and Savior. 00:04:34.440 |
I have found my hope, my faith, my love in the aftermath of the cross. 00:04:38.800 |
I still have much to grow, but I finally understand my calling to continue to love my God with 00:04:46.960 |
I am no longer lost amidst the solution of the word and that Christ has loved me all