I was born in Malaysia, brought up as a practicing Muslim.
The story begins when I was nearly at the end of my second year in university when I came to study in the UK.
I never had the slightest intention to convert and never dreamt that Christianity is even the truth. I was taught since childhood that Islam is the truth and Christianity is corrupted.
I had studied Christianity for quite some time but I looked at it with a prejudiced point of view. One day, I participated in a religious debate between Christians and Muslims.
I met a fellow student who is a Christian and she is now the current president of the Christian Medical Fellowship in my university.
We discussed and debated a lot of things. She then brought me to see a middle eastern pastor who is doing outreach work to the local Muslim community here in the UK. Further talk and discussion with him ensued. It really made me think a lot and began to ask a lot of question.
Is there any assurance of salvation in my religion?Is man created just merely to be a slave to God, as Islam taught me, or to have personal relationship and encounter with Him.
As I began to read the Bible more frequently, I was attracted by the stories and teachings of Jesus Christ. My religion taught me that he is just a normal prophet. But the accounts in the Bible really left me with this conclusion, he must be more that just a human being.
I began to make more Christian friends. I can really see that they are very kind, caring and genuine people. I have to admit at first I doubted their sincerity because I had this impression that they were nice to me because they wanted to convert me.
I continued my search by reading the Bible. Sometimes a few verses that I read seemed to talk to me and left me with a deep impression as if God is leading me with a clue.
At one point however, after a long indecision, I nearly gave up my soul-searching. It was summer term break and I went to the Ireland with Christian friends that I have made.
During the trip, every evening they would have bible studies and I would sit in the corner, watch and listen to them. I could see the bond between them clearly. They are really close although I know that they are in many ways different from each other. Yet they seem to have this thing in common which I have yet to fathom.
There in Ireland, I could feel God knocking at my heart telling me to let Him in. I was really hesitant because I know perfectly well of the consequences that I would face when I return home to Malaysia if I converted out of Islam. But, after experiencing this, I was finally convinced that God was real and personal and also that He cares for us. I never experienced that.
So I finally accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. That was over a year ago. When I returned home to Malaysia for a short while, I didn't expect to be able to go to church on Sundays and expected that things are going to be hard. How wrong I was!
I met a lot of fellow Malaysian Christians and really enjoyed good fellowship despite the restricted environment that I was in and having to sneak out of the house every Sunday mornings to go to church without my parents finding out. I have to say that back home is where I could really feel that I'm growing the most in my spiritual life.
I pray that many others from my background in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia will discover the reality of our Lord and Saviour.
Sometimes when I look at the situation back home, it can be really discouraging. The majority Muslim community have never ever heard of the gospel and it is restricted by law for Christians to evangelize to them.
I hope that one day there will be more people from my religious background finding Christ through their Christian friends and neighbours who are courageous enough to share the love of Christ with them.
As John 3:16 puts it 'For God so love the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' And the world also includes the
Muslim communities in Southeast Asia.
If there is no one willing to risk in sharing God's love and the Gospel of salvation with them, despite the threat of legal sanctions, they will sure perish in the bondage of
darkness. I pray that when the right time comes God will put me to the task if it's His will for me to do so.
From darkness to light
Outline:
Syabas! by John Seet, 10/17/00 
Be Encouraged, 11/26/98 
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