(The following is the testimony of a dear brother who was a devout Sikh priest in Punjab and who accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.  His name is withheld because of the persecution being faced by him from his relatives.  His testimony was posted in the website of South Asian Connection at http://www.southasianconnection.com and is available at This is my story.  When his testimony was posted in the website, some Sikh gentlemen reacted to it and posted their views.  They were G.B. Singh, Shaun Singh, Ms. Janet Lant (an American girl converted to Sikhism.  Job Anbalagan, Glory of His Cross Prophetic Ministries, posted his counter-comments in the website).

 

This is my story



I was born into an orthodox Jat Sikh priest family. Because of our stringent religious background, I was educated in a Sikh mission school. My family members decided that I should become a Sikh priest. Therefore, I studied the holy book—the Shri Guru Granth Sahib—along with my secular studies. 

As I studied the holy book of my religion, my passion for God began to increase. As I read the Guru Granth Sahib, I felt as though I was about to reach God, but my efforts proved to be of no use. However, my passion was continually increasing, so I started searching for God in other sources. But my frustration was increasing as well with my lack on any good answers. I started stealing money and taking drugs. The more I wanted to save myself, the more I sank into an immoral lifestyle. All my efforts to find God came to naught.

Eventually, I denied that god even exists. I became an atheist but it didn't give me peace of mind. On two occasions I attempted to commit suicide. My life at that point was devoid of meaning and purpose.

One night I was preparing to go to a pornographic film. I was looking for a book to pass my time before the movie began. Suddenly I came across a book called Prem Ka Sandes (The Message of Love) lying on the windowsill. I thought it might be some pornographic book and excitedly grabbed it. Then I opened the book. It read, "For God so loved the world…." I just read those four words and cried out, "It's nonsense! There is no God". I threw the book to the ground.

As usual, the next day I was getting ready to watch another pornographic film. I picked up a newspaper-covered book. It read, "I want to give you eternal life." I heard a silent voice within me repeatedly saying that phrase. "I want to give you eternal life.'' I placed the book back and started to think about the voice. I could not watch the movie that day. The same voice was echoing in my mind. The next day, I returned from college early and searched for the same book and started reading it.

The book led me to a Christian pastor.  "I want to meet with God. Can you help because I have failed before?" I asked the pastor.

“Come to Sunday worship and surely you will find God," the pastor replied. I attended the church regularly for one year but to my surprise nothing happened. I went to him again and threatened him with a knife for not helping me find God. He gave me a prayer script and told me to kneel down and pray before going to sleep.

I read the prayer twice but, as I expected, nothing happened. I was angry but decided to read it from the bottom of my heart. Suddenly I found myself weeping and tears were rolling down my cheeks. I began to remember every scene of my life. All the sins that I had committed in my past life came before me one by one. I almost became senseless on my knees. That night I felt the awesome presence of the Almighty God in my midst.

Early in the morning my younger brother knocked on my door again and again. After a long time I suddenly came to my senses. I got up and heard somebody calling me from outside. I felt a strange experience within me. Everything seemed to be new. All my burdens had rolled away. Now I had a will to live. My heart was filled with unspeakable joy. It was an absolutely mystical experience that I had had the night before. As soon as I opened the door my younger brother cried, "Oh, your face is shining like the sun! I am unable to see you." I went to look at my face in the mirror but didn’t see anything unusual. I was frightened.

I went to the Christian pastor and asked about the strange thing that had happened to me. The pastor replied, "You have received God. Jesus Christ has come into your life." After a few months I had a water baptism. I had decided to publicly commit my life to Jesus Christ.

That’s when the persecution started. My family members started torturing me. Many times they attacked me and tried to kill me. Even the pastor was tortured and a case was filed against him. My family members hated other Christians and attacked them too. But as I looked upon the cross this suffering seemed insignificant. There are many such incidents of torture, injustice and persecution that have taken place in my life. I would like to mention one such incident below.

One day, my uncle took out a gun and told me to write my identity as a Sikh but I wrote my testimony of a changed life and gave it to him. He gave me a few seconds to denounce my faith and started counting. I told him, "If you want you can kill me. If I will die right now I will be with Christ or if I am alive Christ is with me, there is no difference." He pressed the trigger but I was saved because at that moment his son lifted the gun and he missed the target. He took out his pistol and wanted to kill me but his son interfered again and I was saved. 

Many times during the cold season, I was kept out of the house for the whole night without proper clothes. In August 1996, my family made a fifth attempt to kill me. Thank God my mother helped me to get away from the house. I was residing in my friend's place where my body was totally bruised. As days passed by I started my ministry in the neighbouring city. 

In June 1999 I received a phone call from my friend. He humbly requested me to vacate the city immediately because my family members had come to know of my whereabouts. Even this time God miraculously saved me.

Finally, I applied to a Bible College to pursue my thirst to study the Bible comprehensively. I know that staying in one place for few years could get me into trouble but by faith, I came down and started studying God's Word. To this day my family members and community are dead against me. Before leaving the Bible College having graduated with a Masters in Divinity, I received a threatening phone call from my brother.

I thought my days on earth were numbered, yet I know that God has a purpose in my life and therefore He has led me this way. I reside securely in God's saving grace and mercy. I am saved to serve as a saint and soldier for Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 2:3, Philippians 1:1)

This living testimony is true. The author wishes to remain anonymous.