Testimonies

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Lord how does one take on the task of writing a book to share a testimony, not of someone famous, but of an everyday Christian who still struggles with sins, who still questions things?

I grew up in a time where the world around me was shifting? Doesn’t everyone feel that way when they are growing up though? I also grew up in a time where new technology was allowing access around the world in a matter of seconds, by emails and instant messages, I grew up during a time when computers were something that nearly everyone had, at least in my high school years. I also grew up in a time when a nation started seeing more violence in schools, and I believe it is from taking prayers and morals out of the classroom.

If I had not had the influences I had in my life I might have fallen into witchcraft, through Tarot cards and the such, but I was led to a wonderful group of friends who showed me the only true way to happiness was a relationship with Christ the Lord.

I had heard about Christ in the Mormon church I had grown up in, but the images were distorted, because that is the way the teachings are of Mormonism, they are distorted teachings that only serve to confuse, and that is exactly what they did to me, and now that I have had nearly a decade of studying the word and learning what it is to be a Christian I can see why I felt that way.

If it had not been for the friends the Lord sent my way, who is to say what might have happened, but the Lord did send these people my way to show me what Christian love truly was, and I saw in them an example of Christ’s love, an example of his all powerful radiance.

I still have clear memories of how I was Saved. It was at the play Heaven’s Gates and Hells Flames, several friends had invited me to go see this, so I was happy to go. I watched the play deeply touched by what I saw, and when the altar call came the Lord had led me to the front to profess my newfound faith in the Lord Jesus, I would now have a personal relationship with the Lord in a way I had never before had.

I had a new hunger for the Lord, I wanted to be fed, so I dusted off an old family Bible and I started going to Church I also started reading testimonies of other Christian men and women. It wasn’t long before I heard the testimony of Joni Eackerson Tada, an amazing Christian women who was paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident in 1967, I would later read about many others including Corrie Ten Boom whose family had spent time in a concentration camp for their involvement in hiding the Jews during the Holocaust. I wondered how these women could have such a strong Faith, and I wondered if I would ever have that kind of faith.

I believed but how far would I go for my Faith? When it came down to it what would I sacrifice? Would I be willing to sacrifice my life if God asked me to? I would like to believe I would, but I live in a country where I can live my faith freely without fear of murder. America may not know complete religion of freedom, but I know I will not be murdered by some government official for believing what I believe, but how long will this freedom last, how long will America know the freedom of religion.

We are taking prayers out of schools, and saying it’s not legal to hang the ten commandments in court rooms, people are fighting to get Under God out of the pledge, something is sadly wrong with this picture.

I was a new Christian when I first began to realize the impact of John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son so that we may not die but have everlasting life. What a beautiful promise, but I grew up in the nineties a time when people were once again trying to phase God out of our lives, in search of things we could do to exalt ourselves, but remember Christ warned us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves would be exalted. America was in desperate need of a major shake of faith, a major wake up call. We had one such wake up call on 9-11, but unlike Jerry Farwell I am not going to blame that even on America’s fall into sin, because that is not for me to say. I do believe that God can turn even a tragedy into a victory, though, the all knowing, all powerful God.

I am a little disillusioned though with preachers and leaders who seemingly make God say what they want them to say, or presume that only the way they practice faith is the right way.

We have Pentecostals attacking the Catholic Church, Baptists attacking Pentecostals, and Methodists attacking other churches.

I thought Christianity was about Christ’s love, not a contest on who sins the least, the fact is we all sin, and we all fall short of his glory.

The only perfect person to walk the earth was Christ himself, so I do not want to be told, that I am going to go to Hell, because I read a book about a Catholic saint, no more than I want to be told I am going to go to Hell for watching a particular program on television.

As one dear Christian friend told me, what is sin to you, may not be sin to me and visa versa. The fact of the matter is that even our faith can become our stumbling block, when we allow trying to make ourselves come out on top through works instead of seeking the blood of Christ.

Christ tells us, those who humble themselves will be exalted, and those who exalt themselves will be humbled.

What will my choice be?

I pray that I choose to be humbled, because in Heaven I will be exalted.

To be exalted in Heaven is far better than to be exalted here on earth.

I came to my walk nearly ten years ago, searching for something to feel an emptiness that I could not understand.

I have had that void filled through Christ’s love, and the love of my dear Christian brothers and sisters.

Now I am doing what the Lord has asked us to do.

I am studying to find myself approved.

Maybe some of today’s ministers should head the good Lord’s advise instead of proclaiming they will only find true salvation if they follow that particular wisdom.

It is my knowledge that true salvation is given when we accept the blood of Christ. He came to die for our sins, and in a dark and sinful world he is our only hope for salvation, so I accept his gift, and I try to grow daily.

As a popular bumper sticker says, Christians aren’t perfect, but they are forgiven.

Thank you God for your forgiveness.

Thank you God for the messengers you sent my way.

Thank you most of all for the gift of your Son’s blood, shed for me on Calvary’s Cross.

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