Praise the Lord, Brother Wagoner! What a powerful testimony!
Isn't our God WONDERFUL?
My conversion experience was somewhat different. I was raised in a Christian home, my parents being SDA before I was born. Because of city influence, my parents moved to a remote rural community 30 miles from the nearest town and 90 miles away from the nearest city. Attending an organized church happened about once every 5 years, so we were isolated members .
There in a little rural community of Nova Scotia, I grew up. Being raised on a farm, we had the finer things in life..beans and potatoes, and potatoes and beans. I never missed a meal that I can recall, but the variety was limited. As my father had said, "being your own boss had its limitations."
All my education was in the public school system, which for the most part in the 1950-60's could have been worse. Of course, Boy Scouts was out, as well as other "community activities" because of Sabbaths. But as community leaders later said, "We always knew where Oz's boys were", when there was questionable ruckus in town. Oz's boys were home whre they belonged.
At the age of 18, I was baptized in the Atlantic Ocean at a camp meeting. No there were no flashing lights, or bells ringing, but what I do remember was that one of my buddies invited me to a dance that very evening. R had been baptized with me that very afternoon. I didn't go, and R never attended church again.
I then attended Oshawa Missionary College (now Kingsway) in Oshawa, Ontario and graduated from High School, attended college for 2 years, and then went on to take xray training at North York Branson Hospital, a wonderful SDA institution. (It has now closed).Beverly trained as a Registered Nurse there also, and the day after her graduation, we were married.
We then moved to British Columbia, and I became chief technician of a small SDA hospital located on Vancouver Island-Rest Haven Hospital where we resided for nearly 3 years. While working on the lawns one day, I came down with a severe case of Asthma, which changed the course of my life.
The treatment of Asthma in those days was broncho-dilators, and pills that made your head spin, and cause light-headedness, along with being drowsy nearly all the time. My Dr. suggested that I move to another climate, so back to college I went..this time in Alberta ,Can...Canadian Union College (CUC), and I will never forget what Elder Heimo Hegheson said one day when teaching "Life and Teachings of Jesus" (I majored in Religion):
"Laurie, IF YOU were the only person on this planet, Jesus would have died for you."
That "blew my mind". I went home a different person. This time the "bells rang, whistles blew", and life now had a real purpose. My goals changed, and now Bev's and my life became a life of service to others.
Brothers and Sisters, when YOU find Jesus, don't ever look back. As I discovered, "we" can know all the doctrines, have all the right answers, eat healthy, etc., but if we don't have Jesus, we don't have anything!!!
BUT, what I REALLY NEED IS TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
Jesus Christ died because of my sins, and He wants me to acknowledge that without Him I have no hope.
Is Jesus REAL to YOU? Only through the merits of the blood of Christ can any of us hope to have eternal life.
My friends He is Coming Back to receive His subjects. Let us endeavor to belong to Jesus. Right now, Jesus is pleading with YOU and with me to get our act together for He's coming SOONER than we expect.
Knowing ABOUT Him is NOT ENOUGH. We have to KNOW HIM PERSONALLY.
Jesus Christ IN YOU, the HOPE OF GLORY (Colossians 1:27).
Oh Lord, our Lord! How excellent thy Name is, How excellent is thy Name in all the earth!
Dear Heavenly father! Thank You for the wonderful privilege we can have of being Your children. You have told us that we are Your sons and daughters (2 Cor.6:17). Father we just want to thank You and praise You for Your love and grace to each one.
Father, please help us to "stand like a rock" in defense of Your truth. and as we go into these closing hours of earth's history, I just pray that Jesus Christ will become REAL to each and ALL of us, as we continue to give the 3 angel's messages to a dying world.
Dear Father, may we "Keep the faith as it is in Jesus", and be ready when He comes again. This I ask through the Name of our Intercessor, Saviour, Redeemer and Friend,JESUS.. AMEN and AMEN.
Brother Laurie