My Testimony ….. DG
Years ago; a few months after my conversion in the early spring of 1972, I asked someone at church, “What does it mean when someone asked a person about their testimony?” The response was something like, “It means that it’s your story of turning to Christ as your Lord and Savior. Like, what led to it or how are you different now than before.” I had never thought about a statement of my before to my after when I trusted Christ for my atonement.
He told me that it was kinda’ like knowing of that event as a changing point in your life; then he commented, “Most of the born again or saved people who have had a time or event where they felt the Holy Spirits conviction on them, seem to have a story to tell.” Then he asked, “What about you?”
So what about me; my longer version testimony
As a young fella, starting somewhere around the age of five, I went to Sunday school on an old church bus, when I went; then later in most summers to Bible school. Then over the years to other church functions where stories were taught and sermons preached. I knew many of the things taught to me by adults and I believed that they were telling me truths about God. By the time I was in high school about all I did was go to 1st Christian for Sunday morning church with a friend named Mike; we set in the back row of the balcony where we would listen to the message the Preacher spoke that particular week. I was not involved in any church youth activities. By then I knew something about who God was; at least I thought so. […it was minimal and only a mental knowledge.]
When I went into Military in 1962; called boot camp [Company 538], everyone was required to go to a Jewish, Catholic, or a Protestant church service on Sunday morning. I tried them all; then one Sunday I hid behind a barracks and did not attend any of them knowing the rule for disobeying meant big trouble if caught.
Later, while stationed in San Francisco on a ship, I would occasionally attend church with a Jewish friend named Bob from Brooklyn; it did not matter where we went. I remember we went to a Catholic Church one Sunday in downtown San Fran and took communion; I think we were both searching for something but at that time did not connect. Going to church was no longer required but we just thought it was the right thing to do. Just going to church does not make a person spiritual but it’s a start in understanding the scriptures of God, if they are taught.
While I was stationed on the ship, we did not have a formal chapel so the few who wanted to get together met somewhere and just had a short bible study. We did not have an officer or anyone specifically in charge so it was very informal. One fellow named Dave led most of the time; I only attended a few times over this time period. [He was from Ft. Worth and around the year 2000 he stopped by my home and visited one time. He later moved east to Boston.]
Once released from the Military the only time I went to church was for a wedding or a funeral. [And yes, I did get married in a chapel of a church in 1968 and it is now 50+ years later and we are still married.]
After Janet, my wife, and I had our first two daughters, she decided she wanted to start going to church again so she went with a neighbor lady named Kay and attended over in Portage, IN. This was a Baptist church and the preacher was what they referred to as a “soul winner”. [I was a ‘good dad’ and stayed home and watched the girls.] Her pastor stopped by one evening to pay a call on Janet so I left them in the living room and went to the kitchen to be out of the way.
Somewhere, maybe around 15–20 minutes at the kitchen table, piddling away, all of a sudden Brother Smith, as he was called, was beside the table and asked me the Question, “What about YOU?” … and of course my flippant response was “well, what about me.” His next comment was, “If you died tonight, would you go to Heaven?” Of course my honest reply to the question was, “NO!” This startled him about half-a-second and he came back with, “Wouldn’t you like to go to Heaven?” My next response was, “I’m no fool Preacher; YES, I’d like to go to Heaven.” He set down beside me and replied, “Now we are getting somewhere”; he took his KJV Bible and went through several passages. Finally he asked me if I would like to accept Jesus as my savior. My response was, “NO, but I’ll think about it.” He asked me to visit him at church on Sunday and he would not leave our home until I accepted his invitation. I went to church and he preached the most dynamic sermon I’d ever heard or bothered to listen to; up to that point of my life… my inner heart was convicted and I was trembling but I was to PROUD to walk the aisle at invitation time; worrying what others might think of me; as a 27 year old cool dude. I was sweating and could not wait to get home. It was the longest wait I had ever had, just waiting in the car for Janet and the girls. I told her on the way home that I wouldn’t be coming back to church with her.
Brother Smith stopped by again in the middle of the next week; he invited me back to church again. I tried a few excuses but he didn’t leave until I promised to be back on Sunday. On Sunday he preached another sermon on ‘the salvation of a sinner’ and I was really trembling inside. I’m sure the Holy Spirit [God the Holy Spirit] was convicting me that I needed Jesus as my Lord and Savior. At invitation time I rushed forward up the center aisle toward the podium and the Pastor exclaimed loudly, “What do you want?” I hollered back at him as I was still walking toward him, “I want Jesus.!” My life changed in the twinkling of an eye, so-to-speak… [and YES the whole church quit singing the invitation song and listened until Brother Smith told them to start singing again.] My whole thought processes centered on Jesus and reading the Word of God. It was such a change in my life that when I mowed the lawn or whatever, I would be thinking of heaven and the Lord. The scripture came alive to me and I understood what Revelation 3:20 meant where it reads ‘Jesus knocks at the door’ and if we answer ‘he will come in’. That’s what happened; the Spirit of God came into my inner heart and dwells there now and forever. What a fantastic experience! I was a sinner destined for HELL one moment and the Lord took all my sins and nailed them to the cross, with the blood HE shed, right there at Calvary. The very next moment in my life HE was my Savior, my High Priest making intersession for me to the FATHER; now I am an adopted child in Gods family. It was one Sunday morning in the early spring of 1972.
By FAITH I have accepted the scriptures to be what GOD wants mankind to know. I believe there are some things out there that are presently still mysteries to mankind. We won’t know all there is until HE is ready to reveal them. What is FAITH? It’s believing something without actually having been there to witness that very something first hand. One thief on the cross accepted and one rejected Jesus. What about you?
It took me a few years to understand some of the truths of scripture; like the triune God is actually Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some of the mysteries of God are deep and take study to grasp the meanings but the journey of Faith will be worth it all.
When I started this testimony I wrote that I knew who God was [mentally, those stories the adults told me as a youngster had stuck with me.] but now I have a deeper knowledge and I know without a doubt that the Spirit of God actually dwells within my mortal being; I know him and speak with HIM personally now!
I read this example in a book once, it is not original with me; I was once like a caterpillar but now I have changed and I’m like a butterfly. The illustration is amazing; as a Christian I want to be different than what I was like before I became a Christian.
*
So, here it is not far from March of 2022; it will be 50 years since I walked up the center isle of the church I attended that day. It was the morning that I put my ‘trust’ in Christ Jesus; it was my new-birth; the spiritual one that John 3:3 talks about. Just like the thief on the cross; I spoke with my lips acknowledging Christ as my ‘Savior’. I did what Matthew 10:32 tells me to do; not even knowing what the words read at the time.
On that day God, the Holy Spirit, baptized me into eternal life through the atoning blood of Jesus, the Christ. It was the best day of my life; if you understand what I’m saying. A new journey began; new thoughts took over my mind. Within 2 years; it was now in the year1974; I was teaching the 8th grade boys class at church. I was studying more and gaining the knowledge I needed. On occasions, when asked, I would lead the older adult group; more than likely they were the ones teaching me but together we would get through the lesson.
Then in 1977 I was ordained as a deacon; I was expecting cloven tongues and the Pentecost experience to happen; just like I had read in Acts; it would have been amazing but mortal men laid their hands on me, they prayed for me, and they hugged me as representatives of the Lord. They mentored me in the beginning.
Some of the things I remembered hearing was the word ‘good steward’; to give of your time, your talent, and your treasure. The concept of the ‘team’ was mentioned; to get into the game you must get off of the bench and not just be a spectator in the maters of church functions; that all of the players had gifts to make the team complete. One of the things the deacons did along with the Pastor was on Wednesday evenings was to go calling; it was on visitors and on members who had missed coming to church regularly.
Over the years I have used the scriptures to form my basic beliefs. One of the things that amazes me is that the theologians of the world, who are supposedly filled with the Holy Spirit; differ in many of their minor beliefs. Why do some think they are ‘rocket scientist theologians’ and their way is the only way; this has always been a question. It’s like I’m of Paul; I’m of Apollos; I am a Calvinist or I believe like the 5 steps of Arminianism point out. I try to take the scriptures ‘literally’ knowing there are mysteries and some things yet to be revealed to mankind. I am not an O.T. legalist of the LAW. This was given to the ‘Sons of Israel’ that is, until Jesus became the ‘crossover point’ to the New Covenant, which is ‘the GRACE of God, through FAITH in Christ’. Hebrews 8: & 9:.
Things like ‘Jesus is the only way to heaven’ are basic beliefs. The Lord provides the majority of everything needed for a person’s eternity in heaven. Didn’t God provide a substitute for your sin? It was Jesus who provides our redemption. Who was it who provides reconciliation with Father God; it was Jesus. What about adoption; once a person is ‘born-again’ they become adopted into the eternal family. Since Romans 3 tells us we are sinners we can only become justified through Christ, which means HE took our place and our sin. It boils down to that our forgiveness for sin is through the atonement blood of Christ. What does that leave for me to do?
I had to confess Jesus publicly with my own mouth Matthew 10:32. I repented Mark 1:14-15. I put my trust in Jesus. I accepted him as my Lord & Savior and I became a Christ believer, which means HE is the only way for mankind to get to heaven Romans 10:9-10.
The Lord made everything needed for salvation available to me; not just me, but it’s also available to others. They must do what I did; the scripture way.
If you are a person who says you are a Christian; get involved; don’t sit on the sidelines and just watch.
*
A formula [Faith & Trust + God’s Grace + Repentance = Salvation] It takes Salvation to inherit Eternal Life.
Do you have a Testimony? DG