HERE IS THE SHORTENED VERSION OF AMRIK'S TESTIMONY GIVEN LAST WEEK ON THE BRIAN GEMMELL HOLIDAY TEACHING RETREAT IN MATLOCK IN THE DERBYSHIRE DALES!!

Amrik’s Testimony 

I grew up in England and my parents emigrated from the Punjab in India during the 1950s. I grew up following the Sikh traditions of my family, which I was expected to pass on to my children.  I had no joy and found no comfort in this religion, and yet I had nothing else as I wondered desperately through life wandering what was the point of it all. 

I had a void and nothing could fill it and I desperately searched for the meaning to life. I turned to yoga and meditation and had mystical experiences but they didn't change me for the better, they did not give me the peace that I was looking for. I started visiting my local library looking for knowledge; I read philosophy, history, autobiographies and yet I was none the wiser.

One day I was in my local library looking at books on alternative medicines and as I turned from this section I found myself facing the Holy Bible. I reached out to take hold of it and thoughts came rushing to my mind; this is not for me, I have my religion, this is for the West! Then I thought, I’ve already tried everything else so I’m going to see what the Bible is all about. 

I started to read the Gospel of John and it made no sense to me. Over the next few weeks I continued going to the library to search the Scriptures and slowly I felt my life changing. One day as i finished reading in the library I put the Bible down and had a strong conviction that the Bible is the word of God. I now knew the Bible contained all the answers to life I was looking for and I had to have a Bible of my own. 

The following weekend I went to a bookshop and purchased my first Holy Bible, I was so spiritually hungry that within 6 months I had read from Genesis to the Book of 
Revelation. What a blessed day it was when I read Luke 18 verses 10-14 and got on my knees and confessed that I was a sinner and asked Jesus to save me.
  
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” 

Amrik