Author Topic: Personal Testimonies  (Read 109135 times)

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Clive Nevell

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« Reply #60 on: April 05, 2000, 04:12:00 AM »
We can discuss different points of doctrine but never argue about ones experiance with Christ and whta a blessing to read of so many who have found or even refound Christ. Inspirering to say the least.
Let me share with you a recent happening in my life.
Last Sunday morning we had a working bee at our church at Harrisville, Queensland, Australia. All turn up at 8.30am and start work on our project. One man in particular did not turn up and it was well past 9am and he was still not there. When he finally arrived, full of apologoes for being late, of which we all accepted and then continued work. He had washed his F100 ute and water had got into the electrics and then it refused to go. We were putting up the sattelite dish for our upcoming Jesus 2000 outreach, which Pr. Geoff Youlden is running out of Sydney and will be seen live in the SPD. When the dish was assembled and put into place we did not have a ladder long enough to stand on and adjust the centre receiver on the dish. This is where our man who was late comes in (Paddy). We were able to use his ute to put the ladder on to adjust the receiver. How the old devil tried to stop Paddy from coming, water in the ignition, these models hate water. He said himself it was a miricle that he had got it going. But the good Lord knew and was in control of things and made sure Paddy arrived so we could use his ute to do the adjustments.
Thanks again for your wonderful testimony Filipe.
"WE have nothing to fear for the future except we forget the way the Lord has led us in the past"
Clive

Laurie Mosher

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« Reply #61 on: April 05, 2000, 03:43:00 PM »
  Well Forum family,
  What a wonderful blessing to come to "this city of refuge", where there is no debate and arguing!
  Praise the Lord for these terrific testimonies. Thank You Father God for providing an oasis for your people to share the workings of YOUR Spirit in our lives. I just pray that the He will come near to each one of us, and that all of us can rejoice in the sweet , sweet presence of Your Grace.
  Amen and Amen!
   Keep "the" faith!
    Br. Laurie
Keep "the" Faith,  Brother Laurie

Dugald T Lewis MD

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« Reply #62 on: April 05, 2000, 04:54:00 PM »
Dear David,

Your testimony speaks of the Love of Jesus. I rejoice with you that you have found peace and joy in living for HIM.

I am happy that you have joined us here on TRO. Never stop sharing your testimony.

Sincerely

Dugald


Gerry Buck

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« Reply #63 on: April 19, 2000, 03:38:00 AM »
Dear Clive,
Isn't it great when satan tries to mess things up how God puts a monkey wrench in his plans?
When I read it I had to laugh,I could just see satan turn red in the face and sputter about how it just wasn't fair........LOL  
Sorry,I have a strange sense of humor and laugh at a lot of things.It just tickled me,though.  :)

------------------
He is LORD!
May He come soon.
Gerry

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me: try my reins and my heart.Ps.26:2
Gerry B.

Liane H

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« Reply #64 on: May 11, 2000, 08:55:00 PM »
Hello everyone:

This is my first real post.  I wish to share with you the blessing the Lord has shown me in the last two months.  Last year I had found out my glucose was 258 fasting.  I was a diabetic.  No one in my family on either side has it.  Now I must admit that I brought this on myself with very poor eating habits.
I had read all there was to know on healthful lifestyle, but not me.  I trugged along with my weight gaining each year until I was 200 pounds.  Ignoring all the warnings I went my merry way.

I came from a very abusive family background with all the types of abuse that there was.  I also have a moderate to severe hearing loss all of my life. My parents did not bring me up on any form of religious life.

I came into the church with very poor tools in life and unfortunately I continued in many of them.  

Well then last year I was diagnosed with diabetes.  I tried very hard with it coming down from 258 to 204 glucose level. My doctor was not happy with the results and requested that I go on medication.  I was devestated.  I went home and cried.  

But then a voice as clear as I could hear told me to forget about the medication, remember everything I have taught you from the Spirit of Prophecy of the health message and do it.

So for the first time I really started talking with God about this, re-read all that I had learned, made a few calls to places like Uchee Pines, Weimar and Wildwood and took to the road with His hand in my hand.

I have found that I have strength I have never known.  I have health that I have never experienced (only person in my office to not get sick during the whole flu season).  Tasting foods like I never have before in my life (gone were the potato chips, sodas, etc) I found I actually like food.  I use to eat for comfort, but now HE is my comfort.

My nutritionist told me today I am now a non diabetic person.  My readings are more normal. (she was extremely amazed, actually stuned with my progress)  I have lost 17 pounds in 6 weeks. I still have a long way to go on my weight, but the important part has happend, I have discovered a newer and better relationship with HIM instead of food. I have control of my life because of HIM that I never had before.  

I am grateful that HE lead me to this church. To the truths that the world needs to much.  A health message that should be proclaimed around the world.

I was told by a friend of mine that studies have been done on adventist and non adventist eating habits.  They found that meat eating adventist live longer than non adventist meat eaters.  Vegetarian eating Adventist live longer than non adventist vegetarians. I wonder what is the difference. It has to be the Sabbath.  There is something to this day.  

I should have been in much worse shape than I was, but because of HIM my days had been prolonged with fairly good health depite myself. Now I am reaping the blessings of very good health and the energy to enjoy my Sabbaths.  

We have a message that all should hear, but I realize from my own experience, people will not listen until they are willing to make a lifestyle change, but I hope as I tell people what He has done for me then perhaps even if only one person gains a blessing from it, it will have been worth it.

Liane    

Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Dugald T Lewis MD

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« Reply #65 on: May 19, 2000, 07:59:00 PM »
Dear Sister Liane,

Thanks for your very encouraging testimony.
God has certainly been guiding your steps.  Genuine Health can only be truly complete through a relationship with God.

I wish you the very best of Health in your continued walk with Jesus.  

Sincerly
Dugald


Laurie Mosher

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« Reply #66 on: May 21, 2000, 05:49:00 PM »
   Thank You Sr. Liane for that wonderful testimony. God is so good to us, and He blesses us abundantly more than we can ever ask or think.

  I wanted to share the following testimony with you from 1 week ago. I was scheduled to preach in another church 70 miles from where I now live. My sermon title was based on Matt.24:24  "The Marian Movement". You can imagine my surprise when I passed a sign identifying a New Marian Center featuring Prayer Trails..."The Rosary Trail", "The Stations of the Cross Trail", and the picture of "The Lady of Fatima" hanging above the bookstore entrance. No I didn't go in, but it certainly gave me "more ammunition" for my presentation.
  Well I arrived, and discovered that Jocelyn had the service. Jocelyn is a lady "preacher". This may be a real shocker to you who believe I am against women presentators. Well, the FACT IS, Jocelyn and her husband and I sing (I'm Tenor or Bass depending on who else is doing their part). Jocelyn said "Laurie, since you came here today, YOU preach". Jocelyn is a member of that church. Well, I thanked her for the opportunity and said, "Let's both preach." I went first, and Jocelyn closed with a condensed version  about Mother's (Mother's Day).

  As the elder and I were about to go up front, we were having prayer, and "a man walked in off the street". No one had seen him before to my knowledge.

After my presentation, he said to me. I really didn't know why I came here this morning UNTIL you stood up to preach. Now I know that God sent me to hear you." Well the tears came to my eyes, and I gave him a big hug. We had fellowship dinner together, and sat side-by-side comparing notes. I gave him my sermon notes, and said "Check out the preacher". (I always give my notes to new people). He thanked me and said his occupation was "A Trucker". He was married and had 4 small children. The man (can't think of his name) said, I've been keeping the Sabbath, and didn't know others kept it also. I invited him and his family to return to that church. Pray for this Trucker man. Pray for me too, please, that I will be faithful to God, and present His truth!
  Keep "the" faith!
 Br. Laurie  

Keep "the" Faith,  Brother Laurie

Mr Jones

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« Reply #67 on: May 21, 2000, 08:53:00 PM »
I think it is only right to share our testimonies. Revelation tells us we overcome by the blood of the Lamb AND the word of our testimony. It is kinda hard to rebuke someones own life story. Here is my story. I pray you are blessed.

I am an SDA because of many interesting circumstances that God has led me through. I was a adopted at a very young age.
The family I was staying with at this young age before my adoption were careless to say the least. My mum - the first time
she saw me was almost sick. I was in a pram, in my own vomit and dirtiness. It was obvious that no attempt had been
made to clean me up at all. That was the start of a lot of insane behaviour. I wasn't affectionate as you can imagine and it
was hard for my mum to try to cuddle me and have this wriggling, squirming child try to get away. I hated the attention.

I'm going to jump forward a few years. I was fostered out because I was very hard to control. Nothing has changed except
except I choose to let Christ take control of me (because nothing's too hard for Him) and let Him live His life of pure
thoughts, words and actions through me. I lived with a family that had a hard time controlling their anger and it was often
taken out on yours truly. (I pray for them now.) It was hard to live. I was hated and abused and a little slave at home and at
school and everything I seemed to touch was a complete disaster. It is hard for a 10-12 year old child to not be accepted.
Think of the impression it leaves on the poor child's mind. I used to wonder why there were so many suicides among
youth. I know why now. They don't like themselves because of their upbringing. I got sick of the abuse so I ran away from
them and was living on and off the street for 6 months. God protected me from 'the survival of the fittest.' Never in my whole
life have I had to defend myself in a 'boxing match.' I was ready too. The people I lived with had taught me many things.
They shouldn't have done that.

Well, because of this dislike I had for myself, I had to find some satisfaction so I started to smoke cigarettes and marijuana
to look 'cool.' Didn't work. If God wanted us to smoke we would have had a built-in chimney poking out of our back or head
or something.

These drugs stopped having an effect after a few years so I 'graduated' on to the heavy stuff. LSD, Ecstasy, Speed,
Cocaine but funnily enough wouldn't touch heroine.

Sex, drugs and raving was my lifestyle.

It is amazing what music does to your mind, too. If I wasn't into heavy hip-hop music, I don't think I would have been
interested in pot. If I didn't listen to techno music (oxymoron) I wouldn't have been interested in chemicals.

One weekend, however, I was invited to a revival series with Pr Louis Torres as the guest speaker. I was a little turned off
the church for many years because of the previous family that I had lived with. I don't blame them. I made the choices, but
the seeds were sown in my life.

This speaker said a few things that got right down into my heart and I 'heard' God calling me home. I asked the speaker if I
could speak to him in private. We walked out the back. I couldn't stop crying. I knew I had been running. It was time to
come home.

Not long after this, my father had a baptism at his church. He was the minister of the church at this time. He preached the
sermon, had the baptism, and made an appeal. Never have I fought so hard against the forces of darkness as I did
against that appeal. I don't remember the sermon. All I remember was the appeal. Every drug and every thing I had ever
done came to my mind to say to me "You're no good, God can't accept you." I almost believed those lies. But God is a
merciful God. He drove those forces back for a split-second. It was enough time to raise my hand to that appeal.

BANG. Everything stopped. I felt peace. I felt calmness. It felt good. I realised, I gotta know this God. I was baptised a year
later. That was two years ago. I have since drifted back into the world. But again, God is so good. He has brought me
back through a man by the name of Willard Santee. I was re-baptised on the 29th of February. Watching other people was what caused me to drift. If you have your eyes anywhere else other than on Christ, BEWARE!! Satan knows and will trap you in a way you least expect. You see I thought I had won over drugs, drinking, etc but Satan had some tricks up his sleeve. He drew me back to a friends house who was a heavy smoker and before you know it the old habits were back again. Don't evemn step on Satan's ground. You guardian angel cannot step onto that ground. Let alone protect you. One promise for you that I know you will love. And probably heard too.

"There hath no temptation taken you but that which is common to man, but God is faithful and WILL NOT LET you be tempted above that which you can handle, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it." II Cor 10:13

I believe with all my heart also that God has called me to do His work and to minister to those who need to know Him. I
need your prayer in this as well. We need each other's support. It is time that we as a REMNANT church, God's CHOSEN
church, PULL together and lift the banner of Christ high for all to see. This is the work we are called to do.

Let me leave you with one thing I do remember from that sermon. It has never left me.
"Let the mind of the Master be the Master of your mind."
Read it again.

Yours in Christ Jesus
Forward on our Knees.

[This message has been edited by Mr Jones (edited 05-23-2000).]

"WATCH THE LAMB"

charlene

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« Reply #68 on: May 22, 2000, 08:34:00 AM »
Mr. Jones,

God Bless you for giving us a glimps of the Goodness God is willing to do for His wayward children. I praise God for your story and know that He will put His mind in you to do His will in your life, because of your commitment. I will be praying for you. The Devil does not like your determination to follow Christ, but Christ Jesus is greater and He Is Able To Keep YOu from falling..... ever again. Lean on Him.

Praise the Lord

------------------
charlene

charlene

Laurie Mosher

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« Reply #69 on: May 28, 2000, 04:52:00 AM »
  Dear Br Paul (Mr.Jones),
  Thank YOU for that powerful testimony! and YES, God is able to do so much for us, IF we just allow Him to take control of ALL our being, then He can do "wonders" thru us.
  Keep on KEEPING "the' FAITH!
   Br. Laurie  
Keep "the" Faith,  Brother Laurie

Liane H

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« Reply #70 on: May 28, 2000, 08:44:00 PM »
To All my Brothers and Sisters:

I love to read these, because we see no matter where we have been and what we have done God can find us.  Satan finds so many ways to destroy us and yet God can find and  heal it all.  

This past week, my nutritionist told me that I was no longer a diabetic.  I should be getting confirmation again when I go for my three month ratio glucose test this Wednesday.

God is indeed Good.  His love knows no bounds.  We may falter, but He will lift us up again and again.  We can see this from the story of Mary Madgalene.  Again and again he forgave her and he loved her and she saw that love and it did change her.

I can't count the years that I sat eating my life away and saying I loved God.  It just did not go together.  The diabetes made me make a change that I never would have.  Satan probably thought I have her now, but he was  wrong.      

It made me reach every closer to Him and I remembered all that He gave us with the Health Message.  I was able to put it to practice and it has made a difference in my life.

praise God from whom all blessing flow.

Liane

Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Titus Asbury

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« Reply #71 on: May 28, 2000, 09:27:00 PM »
"I praise the Lord for His wonderful love to me. I do not deserve it but God has always been there for me.
Avalee"

I know the feeling Avalee.  Many times I have felt down trodden, Depressed, and downright disgusted.  So much so that I left the church for 32 years.  Many a time I cried out to God "Where are you when I need you the most?" and His gentle sweet answer has always been "Right here, you just looked the wrong way.  You took your eyes off me and all this simply overwhelmed you.  I 'm here, I have never left your side nor will I ever forsake you, you can walk away from me but I'll follow.  You may push me away but even then I stand within reach."

Titus


M.A. Crawford

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« Reply #72 on: May 29, 2000, 02:49:00 PM »
In reading the wonderful testimonies in this forum, I felt it was time to briefly add mine to the inspiring messages that make up this thread.

As a child, I grew up in the Baptist Church. My father was a Baptist minister and my mother was a loyal and faithful member of the Baptist Church. One day (in 1959 or 1960; I can't remember which one) a high school friend of mine (who is still to this day [so far as I know] not a member of the SDA Church) passed to me a magazine which had an article in it on the Sabbath which he wanted me to read (To show you how the Lord works in our lives, reading was, and still is, one of my favorite hobbies). I was not familiar with the idea of attending church on "Saturday," so I was intrigued by what I read, so much so until I subscribed to the magazine. It was the Plain Truth magazine whose editor and primary contributor (at that time) was Herbert W. Armstrong. I subscribed to the magazine for two or three years, and discontinued it after I entered college; BUT THE SEED HAD BEEN PLANTED!

During my freshman year, I noticed a brother and sister who dressed up every "Saturday" to go to the local SDA Church (Again, I was intrigued). This continued throughout my undergraduate years until one day a friend of my mother invited her to an evangelistic meeting one summer that was conducted under a tent. It was a six week meeting, and my mother wanted to go every night after she was impressed with its spirituality on the first night. She could not drive at the time, so I had to take her. I am always amazed at how God works. Although I sat in the car while she went under the tent, I could hear the messages very clearly as they were being presented night after night.

At the conclusion of the meeting, my mother was one of those individuals baptized into the church. But God was not through with me yet! After her conversion, my mother purchased several books of which the Great Controversy and Desire of Ages were among them. Being the avid reader I am, I was curious to learn what those books contained, so I read them and my life has never been the same since.

I, excitedly, began sharing these new found truths with others even before I became a member of the church. And, may I add, because I had to take my mother to church, I participated in Sabbath School and the Divine Worship Hour every Sabbath. I even began paying my tithes before I became a baptized member of the church. NOW THE LORD WAS READY FOR ME!

I eventually was baptized and have served the church in practically every capacity, from piano player to associate pastor of a three church district.

As I look back over that experience, I can see clearly how God has led me every step along the way. Some years later after baptism, the Lord presented me with my wife who was a young lady who had been raised up in the SDA Church. And we have been VERY HAPPILY married for nineteen years (this December), and have two teen-aged children who are also baptized members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  

M.A.    

M.A.

Richard Myers

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« Reply #73 on: May 29, 2000, 09:48:00 PM »
Thank you, brothers and sister for sharing what Jesus has been doing in your lives.  We are admonished to "tell of His power." How can we do otherwise when we contemplate what He has done for us.  This is my favorite forum. I love to read the testimonies of how God is working through His people to save a lost world. It is truly encouraging and we all have something to share.

I will share soon, but it seems that I am posting so much that I hesitate when I don't need to.  I will pray and ask the Lord what and when.  He is faithful to lead us exactly the best way for His honor and glory and our salvation. In the mean time, those of you who are being blessed by reading, you too, pray about sharing what Jesus has done for you. He will lead you also as you inquire.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Avalee Lohman

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« Reply #74 on: June 01, 2000, 02:55:00 PM »
Received this by email today:

A gospel message written on toilet paper saved a condemned man. The man had been sentenced to die in a Chinese prison for
stealing money, Hong Kong-based Sowers Ministry said. His brother, worried about the impending execution, consulted a
Christian friend for advice -- and became a Christian when he learned about Jesus Christ, Sowers said.

When the man visited his brother in jail he handed him a note written on toilet paper, the only paper he had. It explained that
he must put his faith in Christ to be forgiven for his sins. The inmate professed faith in Christ that day, Sowers said.

The inmate's sentence was reduced because of the prayers of other Christians, Sowers said, and after serving some time he will be placed on probation. Many inmates in the prison have become Christians because of his preaching, Sowers said. His brother now leads a house church that ministers to prisoners.


From Religion Today

Link:  religiontoday.crosswalk.com


Avalee Lohman

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« Reply #75 on: June 13, 2000, 06:49:00 AM »
To Know God is to Obey Him

If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it. If ye love me keep my commandments. John 14:14, 15

"In my name," Christ bade His disciples pray. In Christ's name His followers are to stand before God. Through the value of the sacrifice made for them, they are of value in the Lord's sight. Because of the imputed righteousness of Christ they are accounted precious. For Christ's sake the Lord pardons those that fear Him. He does not see in them the vileness of the sinner. He recognizes in them the likeness of His Son, in whom they believe.

The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them. He has a use for them, and He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. They may expect larger things if they have faith in His promises. {LHU 178.3}

But to pray in Christ's name means much. It means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works. The Saviour's promise is given on condition. "If ye love me," He says, "keep my commandments." He saves men, not in sin, but from sin; and those who love Him will show their love by obedience.

All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.

As Christ lived the law in humanity, so we may do if we will take hold of the Strong for strength. But we are not to place the responsibility of our duty upon others, and wait for them to tell us what to do. We cannot depend for counsel upon humanity. The Lord will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Our hearts will often burn within us as One draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God will know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will be imparted to them, as Christ has promised (The Desire of Ages, pp. 667, 668).

---end of quote---

I received this as a devotional this morning and wanted to share it with all of my friens. I was blessed by the entire passage but this sentence really touched home:

"Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us."

I did not really understand how true this is until recently. I work in an enviroment (warehouses and around truck drivers,etc.) where my co-workers think nothing of using swear words. I was not always a Christian so I too use to swear...Praise the Lord for the victory He has given me over this. But I have noticed in the last month how hearing the tamest swear word cuts at my heart, especially when I hear it from a professing Christian. I want to praise God for giving me the power to overcome in His name and for His continual working in me.


In The Blessed Hope

Avalee


Laurie Mosher

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« Reply #76 on: June 15, 2000, 06:14:00 PM »
6T367
 "Let all bear in mind that in every assembly of the saints below are angels of God listening to the testimonies, songs, and prayers. Let us remember that our praises are supplemented by the choirs of the angelic host above."

  "While we review , NOT the dark chapters in our experience, but the manifestations of God's great mercy and unfailing love, we shall praise far more than complain.
 We shall talk of the loving faithfulness of God as the true, tender, compassionate shepherd of His flock, which He has declared that NONE shall pluck out of His hand." Ibid.
(emphasis mine-LM)

  Isn't that beautiful?

The angels TOO love to hear these wonderful testimonies of God's love for His children!

 Keep "the" faith!

   Br. Laurie

Keep "the" Faith,  Brother Laurie

loryn

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« Reply #77 on: June 16, 2000, 08:15:00 AM »
Thanks for these testimonies. You've inspired me to post mine.

-------------------------------------------

I grew up in a christian family, yet didn't know Christ until I was 24. My parents were strong in the faith, and lovely people. My Dad was a teacher and lay preacher. I was shown love and care as a child. I was baptized in my church when I was 13; but I didn't yet know Jesus Christ. I was baptized because my father wanted me to, and the minister wanted to meet his baptismal quota. In all probability, I didn't understand exactly what I was committing to.

I drifted along through my teen years. I knew the Bible. I could argue theological points. I taught the Bible. Once I even preached a sermon. When I was 17, I began to feel God might want me to enter the ministry. I certainly did not want to do that. I had just begun university, studying linguistics. I had recently begun courting a girlfriend, Tammy, whom I knew I would marry. I didn't want to complicate my life; nor extend the period of time till I was earning money. I ran from God. I shut Him out of my life. Tammy and I even stopped going to church for the social connection once our first child was born. I felt separated from Christians; strangely uncomfortable in talking about spiritual matters. I could not even communicate with my grandparents.

I was successful at university. I was successful at earning an income. I was motivated and driven. I graduated with a BA in Linguistics with 1st Class Honors; and I earned a six figure salary at age 21. But it took long, long hours. I earned lots of money; and spent most of it building my business. I worked from 2:00am till 6:00pm five days a week, and from 9:00am till 6:00pm on Sundays. Saturdays I slept. This lifestyle began extracting an excruciating toll on my life and marriage.

I became withdrawn from my wife. Completely uncommunicative. Robotic. She was there to serve me. I became increasingly self-centered. Little by little, the morality with which I had been socially imbued became degraded. My character looked inward. Unwittingly, I began destroying my wife's self-esteem, and began evaluating everyone on the basis of what they could do for me. My marriage was at a breaking point. When my wife begged for us to see a counselor, I told her to wait until I had finished my current project (3 months hence). Despite my self-obsession, she waited. The sin-sickness with which I was embroiled was destroying myself and my family. God could see I needed healing.

My company began moving me from Sydney, Australia, to Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, I observed a Southern Baptist who loves God dearly. I saw that he prayed over his lunch in front colleagues. I began to feel a sense of shame: shame that this man loves God from the depths of his heart and I did not. God began to pull at my heart-strings. Gently.

I returned to Australia to assemble my household for the final move. While I was there, I found I was suddenly able to communicate with my grandparents again. I confided that God was drawing me. Grandpa told me to study Romans. I read through it. I forced myself through it. I had never read a complete book of the Bible before, and it was hard going. (Despite being extremely literate: reading hundreds of pages of other material with ease.) When I finished, I thought I understood Romans: "We accept Jesus Christ's gift by faith, and then we try really hard not to sin ... and where we fail, God makes up the difference."

I tried not to sin. I tried to beat the animalistic urges that I had indulged previously. I earnestly prayed that God would help me to beat this sin. I failed. And failed. And failed. I wondered why God wasn't making up the lack between my effort and obedience.

Then I happened to read a book called "Righteousness by Faith and Your Will" (by Morris Venden). I learned that justification, sanctification and even repentance are issued to us through God's grace; that they are activated in our life through a seed of faith that He places within us ... and that He can help us believe should we ask Him to (Mark 9:24). Suddenly, the scales fell from my eyes. Bible reading became a joy: I read book after book after book, becoming almost maniacally obsessed with reading the Bible and grasping at ideas and truths that I had never understood. Where before I had seen nothing but a tired old book written in a schematic and antiquated fashion, now I began to perceive current truth. Now, God began to speak to me through the Bible. (I found that sometimes, when reading a certain passage, God would make it jump out at me. Kind of like hitting me over the head with a two-by-four, saying, "This is for you.")

I learned the importance of daily devotions: to find God's will and His power. I learned how to achieve victory over sin: by giving over my desire to sin to God.

I began to see miracles. I made a bargain with God: "If You want me to spend time with You each morning, then You wake me up in time." He did. At first, He gave me only 15 minutes of worship time before my children woke. Then it stretched to to 30 minutes. Then 45. An hour. 90 minutes. God has woken me for devotions each morning for the last six months now.

Another miracle. I began praying for my two daughters: that God would impress them to follow Him. The second day after beginning that request, God showed Himself. My eldest daughter—completely without prompting—began to ask for us to say grace before a meal. (We had never prayed with her. We had never said grace in front of her.) The next week, she asked her mother to say "grace" before going to bed. (How did she know about that? It's a God thing.)

After a while, the intensely inspiring relationship with God began to mellow. You might use the word blase. Hey! I thought I was getting along OK. But I know I am meant to be riddled with sin-sickness. I know I am, yet I couldn't see it. One night, I lay awake asking God to show me His perception of me. I began to earnestly desire and plead and beg Him to show me who I am. Wish a rush of power I felt this feeling intensify. I was emotionally struggling with another power. I felt God's presence. He worked another miracle: Over the next 56 hours, God revealed to me my true motivations. Almost everything I was doing was tinged with selfishness. I felt aghast and horrified, yet praised God for drawing close to me. I have never felt closer to God. Eventually, I asked that God withdraw this perception from me. He graciously did so. I was humbled. Broken. Utterly dependent on God.

Now I am ready for healing. Now I am ready for God to change me. Now I am ready for God to heal the scars my sin-sick self-centeredness had caused. The seven long years of pursuing money, ideas and selfish desires had wreaked a toll. But now God has brought me to a point where He can heal me and those around me.

Now and then, during my devotional time, God presents a fault to me. Something He wants changed in my life. When I try really hard to change, I fail. When I ask God to change my desire completely, he does. He rescues me from the slavery of my habits, so that I am left on a level playing ground—where I can choose to obey or not. By depending on God, I can obey. Jesus grants me this power.

I could tell you a whole lot more about what has happened to me in the last six months. I have been invigorated, filled with joy, struggled with pain and grief, seen numerous miracles, had prayers answered, been rebuked and corrected—all with the arms of my Savior wrapped around me, lovingly empowering me. But the greatest miracle of all is this: Yesterday, my wife and I smiled and laughed and hugged and cried and truthfully laid out the hurts of our hearts. She is starting to live again, and we are being healed.

I beg you, If you don't yet know Jesus as your Savior, leader and personal friend, just talk to Him, then listen. My life had became hell without Him. Yet these last six months, I have begun to live. So can you.


[This message has been edited by loryn (edited 06-16-2000).]


Gerry Buck

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« Reply #78 on: June 16, 2000, 09:20:00 AM »
All I can say to that is........
WOW!!!!!

Wow.

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Abstain from ALL  appearence of evil. 1Thess.5:22
Gerry B.

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me: try my reins and my heart.Ps.26:2
Gerry B.

Richard Myers

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« Reply #79 on: June 16, 2000, 06:24:00 PM »
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! Praise God, Brother Loryn. He does not forsake us, but rather continues to speak to our hearts even when we run from Him! God is truly love. Thanks for sharing your testimony. It will be an encouragement to all who read it. 
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.