Author Topic: Personal Testimonies (Read 145803 times)

Richard Myers · « **Reply #220 on:** July 21, 2001, 08:17:00 PM »

While spending some quiet time with Jesus today, I decided to drive down a road in the mountains where I had never been. The road led steeply down the mountain to the river far below. It appeared to be a very seldom traveled road. I saw only one car that trip. It was a young family that had a seven week old baby in the car. They had camped by the river last night and were headed home when they had a flat tire. With the baby and no one to turn to for help, they decided to drive the car out of the canyon on the flat tire. The tire and rim were ruined and the front end was soon to go when I came upon them. They were very delighted to find help and attributed it to God (before they knew I was a Christian).

We had quite a bit of time to spend together as they wanted me to help in finding a friend that could get a new rim and tire for them since the spare they had did not fit the car. I was able to develop a friendship with them and told them where my church was. I also told them that the chances of me being on that road today were very slim unless you believe in divine guidance, with which they agreed. You see, it is the only time in my life when I have dropped my family off at church and then went for a Sabbath drive into the country. I had no responsibilities today and wanted to be alone with the Lord for a few hours in the majesty of His creation. Instead, I found myself getting an "ox out of a ditch." How much more precious a family with a seven week old baby!

Let us pray for this family that needs Jesus and are especially open now that they have a newborn. The father's name is Chuck.

Richard

WendyForsyth · « **Reply #221 on:** July 21, 2001, 08:52:00 PM »

I love it when the Lord does that!

Praise the Lord Brother Richard!

WendyF

Richard Myers · « **Reply #222 on:** September 11, 2001, 08:25:00 PM »

Mom was traveling in Europe and was happy that we would pick her up at San Francisco International at 11:55 am today, Tuesday, September 11. We always call the airlines, this time United Airlines, to make sure the flight is on time. We had worship, breakfast and readied for the two hour drive into the city. I called United and was told the flight would not land in San Francisco. I asked why. The attendant would not say, but asked if I had not heard the news. I said no. She said to turn my television on. I said I did not have one. She said the flight was diverted to Canada. I asked why. She would not say. I was concerned thinking the flight may have been hijacked.

I turned on the news and learned of the tragedy in New York and Washington D.C., and began to pray that Mom's United flight would not be hijacked as the other four had. We did not know where the plane was and if the pilot was in control. All domestic U.S. planes were soon accounted for and on the ground, but international flights were still in the air. Soon, we got word that her flight had landed safely in Canada.

Thank you dear Lord for your faithfulness to hear our earnest prayers.

Richard

Joan · « **Reply #223 on:** September 12, 2001, 12:02:00 AM »

Richard,

Now that was a story showing how personally connected to the situation you were. The anxiety swelled up at the thought of possibly have a loss of your own come upon you. It was quite a feasible thought that the plane could be highjacked as well for another attack on some vital power icon of America.

But praise the Lord that your mother is safely landed in Canada. They'll fly her home in a few days when the ban is lifted. It's just a part of sitting tight and waiting it up.

My gentle smile to you, our dear purist, for not having a tv in the house I have no kids to raise and have control over what I watch so my tv stays put for the time being at my place. So keep glued to your Forum board because I will be the first to inform you of the next coming USA calamity. Maybe I'll even email you swiftly so you'll be in the know.

Let us know when you get your mom back

Joan

Dugald T Lewis MD · « **Reply #224 on:** September 12, 2001, 09:14:00 AM »

Dear Richard,

Great to hear that your Mom landed safely. I hope that she makes it easily across the border.

It is a good practice to call about flights before leaving home to pick up airline passengers. Another leson learned.

Dugald

Wendy · « **Reply #225 on:** September 13, 2001, 10:07:00 AM »

Having your loved ones involved in something like what's happened is everyone's worst nightmare. I'm glad your mom was just delayed and not invloved.

Something else to thank God for.

------------------
WendyL ~ Maranatha!:)

Joan · « **Reply #226 on:** September 14, 2001, 07:18:00 AM »

My Alfred is an Art teacher. He came home today with stories of how he had to comfort the kids in many of his hourly classes because they had this WTC attack on their minds with the possible World War III coming out of it. I told him how it might cause backlashes from the parents when they hear at the mealtable their kids relating that he had told them how God was behind it all in end effect. That might be twisted by the kids who have not read the Great Contoversy 4 times through like he had. Nor were they as kids Literature Evangelists like he was for ten years long and had sold 700 GC's, among other books, because he found the prophecy within to be so pertinent.

A radio program today interviewing teachers here was relating how kids are really affected by the whole America crisis. Knowing that as a NATO partner we in Germany will be pulled into any bit of the fighting if it goes public retaliation, the kids are fearing nuclear fall out, bio-chemical retalitation from the arabs if bombed in any way which effects will reach Germany and cause awful suffering.

The best help for the kids, the teachers noted, was a brief factual sober report and then going into lessons for helping get their minds of fantasy off in another field.

Joan

[This message has been edited by Joan (edited 12-06-2001).]

Richard Myers · « **Reply #227 on:** September 14, 2001, 12:43:00 PM »

Counting our blessings makes it hard to complain about our trials. Mom called at 1:30 am Thursday and said she was going to depart Canada for San Francisco at 9 am. We tried to confirm the flight Thursday morning before driving to SFO, but all lines were busy to United Airlines (and stayed busy). We could not get through and their automated answering system said the flight was cancelled from London to SFO. Mom did not call again and she had checked out of her hotel so we left for SFO. When arriving we were the only car there at the International terminal. It was going to be quite a day. I went to the United ticket window and the lady said she did not know anything about the flight. She left and came back in a little while and said the flight had been cancelled and would depart Canada at 4 pm. We listened to the radio reports. Many things happened that Thursday. Flights that had not been completed were granted permission to fly, but none were coming into SFO. An airplane had flown close to the D.C. government buildings and this caused and uproar. Suspected terrorists had been arrested in N.Y. boarding a plane. Bomb scares were at N.Y. and SFO. A San Francisco television reporter did an interview with me and in it I was granted the opportunity to say how blessed I was even after a day of frustration. We truly are blessed in our greatest trial and in this case my mother was alive and well. She was not one of the thousands killed or injured. How could I complain? I could not. God blesses us daily even in the midst of our trials.

Mom arrived at 8pm that night and like us was thankful for God's protecting hand.

Richard

Wendy · « **Reply #228 on:** September 14, 2001, 03:19:00 PM »

That sounds like so many of the other people they were interviewing at airports. They kept saying, "How can I complain after what happened to others." The only person I heard complain was a Hollywood actress who got stuck in Canada.

We're glad she's home safe.

------------------
WendyL ~ Maranatha!

[This message has been edited by Wendy (edited 09-14-2001).]

Joan · « **Reply #229 on:** September 15, 2001, 12:06:00 AM »

Yes, we are all grateful for seeing in print that your mother is safe. It is not easy for the country to get all this air traffic back to routine. As a matter of fact it must be a walking nightmare for many in management.

Well, Richard... I'd look with loving interest at the newscast this coming evening to see if they show the interview but having no idea how you look in the flesh at present I guess you'd not be recognized by me

Joan

Liane H · « **Reply #230 on:** September 15, 2001, 09:17:00 AM »

Richard:

You were indeed blessed by our mother being safe. Yet we know now that each of these flights were starting from home base direct flights to Los Angeles on each one of them and not from Europe.

It is also known that these were all special executive flights, which is learned that very little was done in search and very lacking in security. These terrorists had done their homework and used our own weaknesses against us.

If I still go back east for the Thanksgiving Holiday to visit my friends at Uchee Pines, I will be watching and learning of the changes I will need to know in order to fly out there to see them.

I feel so sorry for those that are now traveling and learning what Europe has been doing for many years now. It had to come sooner or later.

Liane

Joan · « **Reply #231 on:** September 28, 2001, 03:16:00 AM »

Riding along in our nice small compact car, on a two lane suburban road,behind a freight truck on a semi-busy traffic day on the way to Holland, was what I was doing yesterday. Do you all get a feeling of being like an ant on the move when those big trucks are up front, behind and coming from the opposite direction ? I know they aren't four stories high but they sure give me that impression when they buzz by. Especially with the very narrowly measured roads we have here.

Thanks to the Lord I was way within the speed limit as the oncoming double rigged flatbed truck swerved out of track and heading for my car's position. With swift instinct I swerved a curve right to avoid the collision.

Thanks to the Lord that he didn't topple the rest of his rig on my car as he swerved a sharp left to avoid me.

Thanks to the Lord that I was able to right my car on four wheels and keep on driving.

Thanks to the Lord that no accident occured. It was hair-close to it.

Whoooo....I have not had such epinephrine output in my blood for years and years. Such near misses are most upsetting !!

///Joan\\\

Liane H · « **Reply #232 on:** September 28, 2001, 07:12:00 PM »

Dear Joan:

I can imagine it all so well from your post. What an experience. But the Lord kept you safe and well. We can only count our blessings at such times.

It remind me of the time I was behind a truck with a load of hay. A little voice said get over, just get over.

I did, and all that hay started to come off the truck right after I moved over. Bales, one after another came down, cars going in all directions trying to avoid the hay on the freeway.

No one was hurt, but I am sure many hearts pounding and minds in shock. I keep listening to that voice now.

Liane

Clive Nevell · « **Reply #233 on:** October 16, 2001, 07:05:00 PM »

Two Sabbaths ago we had a retired minister come and take our service at Harrisville. He used as his text Isaiah 43:2
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you."
He told us how God does not promise that troubles will be gone. As we meet and go through them He has promised to be with us.
Last night I went out to our garden and all our beans had been eaten off. The wild ducks had got them.
He talked about the troubles he had went through as a minister and related how through it all God was with him.
Brother Ray told me this morning of a person who told him at the nurses headquarters in Boonah of how they lost 20 acres of beans to the ducks. My small amount was nothing compared to their loss.
I am glad I can look back on the service and see that God is still with us even though we do not have the beans and some other vegies they ate.
God has promised that He will be with us as we pass through the waters. Amen.

Last Sunday we had just under one inch of rain, today it is raining again. The best rain for over six months. We needed it so much as all the dams are getting low.
We have all been praying so much for it to rain. It does get people down when it is dry all the time. The main dam here is low and the farmers have been stopped from using the water to irrigate as it is now below 15 percent capacity.
I think we should have enough water to last another six months. We do need more rain.
Living where we do it is so easy to relate to the stories of Jesus and the parables He told.
The seed falling on stony ground, the latter rain must be proceeded by the former rain, the lost sheep, the list is endless.
Jesus tells us how much He was willing to "gather the children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" We see that happening with the young chicks at our place.
Jesus is calling each of and is willing to have us be under His wing.
I am thankfull for the service we had a few weeks ago, more than ever with this drought and then what we grow getting eaten by wild ducks.
Blessings
Clive

[This message has been edited by Clive Nevell (edited 10-16-2001).]

Clive Nevell · « **Reply #234 on:** November 19, 2001, 10:14:00 AM »

I believe it is always good to tell others what God has done for them and how He has very patiently brought people to see the truth, I hope this will help someone, as I share God's leading in my life.

Being brought up an Adventist, going to Avondale High School at Cooranbong and the off to work at Sanitarian health Food Co. Everyone got baptised at School and so did I. The problem being there was no conversion. As years went by my Mum had a solid contribution to my life style. My father passed away when I was nine so it was Mum and myself and of cause younger brother.
Anything good in my life I can say thanks to my Mum and the Lord Jesus Christ. People do not live forever and she passed away when I was nearly thirty. She taught me the health message and praise the Lord I was able to stick with it through out my life. At least not drinking, smoking, or taking drugs. As far as I was concerned they were bad.

With Mum gone and it took me many years to get over that. I went to Papua New Guinea in 1982. I was a very competitive person. I had what all sportsman need, the killer instinct. I would train and play every hour I was not at work, of cause not Sabbath. Then in P.N.G. I really started to play well. Still not on Sabbath. Going to Church up there was very hard. Catch a bus, walk many miles, listen to a service not in English. It just got easier to stay in the single men's quarters. Bit by bit I slowly drifted out. But I still held onto the health message, vegetarian, no smoking, no drink, and no drugs. I was not even tempted to do them.
Never had any in my life. Now I started to climb up the rankings in P.N.G. and got asked to play in the national titles. Playing sport with such a killer instinct, meant that to play on Sabbath was now no big deal. From 1984 onwards I played on Sabbath and then if I could play why not work.

I got promoted and was in charge of the Pit Machine Shop, sometimes when acting as relieving supervisor I would look after over 35 men. I had the same desire to achieve at work as I did at sport. Often doing triple shifts to get the jobs out. Can you imagine even at first aid the same driven desire to succeed came through. I was picked to captain the P.N.G. First Aid & Rescue team to take part in the Australian championships.

I was club pres. and won many titles. I had some health scares along the way. At 17 my heart was diagnosed as having a murmur and was told to retire. My Mum helped me here and got me to keep going. Then I had malaria (in P.N.G.)very bad and was placed on a drip as they thought it had started to effect my brain. (may be it did). Now at this time the civil war was in full swing and sometimes I would wonder if we would get out of there alive as by now I was married with two young kids.

Things were starting to play on my mind, even if I was lost I did not want my kids to be lost.

We all came to Australia on Feb. 24, 1990. I knew that I had to get back to religion. Really I did not know Christianity. But I was determined not to work on the Sabbath. At this stage my wife was not at all convicted about religion. We wanted to go back to P.N.G. where the big money was. The job offers started coming in. We had shifted out of the city because we could see that it was no good and a bad influence on everyone. I was contacted by the same guy who hired me for P.N.G. and wanted me to work overseas for a mining company. My work in the Engineering Shop was world class, this great desire to succeed came through and again world records had been set, some jobs that had never been able to be done had been done with people from all over the world coming to see how they were done and ask question to me about the techniques and procedures that I had used. He new all this and was wanting me to go back and work overseas with my salary approaching close to $100,000.

Here I was determined not to work on Saturday and my wife wanting me to go and take up the jobs. This happened at least four times.
At our Church at Harrisville we had a minister who was on fire. He would preach like there was no tomorrow every time. My wife became convicted and wanted to get baptised and I knew that I also should get baptised again considering what I had done in regards to trampling upon the Sabbath.
We got baptised together six years ago.

Since then I have been the Evangelism-P/M leader at our Church and now I put the same desire to succeed into the Lord's work as I did into sport.

As I look back I see that much of what made me change was what I had remembered from my childhood days being taught by my Mum. I will have a big story to tell her one day.
Days like today make it all with while when we see people respond to the call of our Saviour.
I reckon it is just great to be back home. (in God's Church)

Blessings
Clive

Clive Nevell · « **Reply #235 on:** December 03, 2001, 12:53:00 PM »

Sometimes there are experiences that take place in our lives that are very dramatic, may be even things that are just unexplainable. Then there are other times when you know that you have felt and heard the still small voice of God in a way that only you would discern.

Such an thing happened to me last Monday morning. I had misplaced the car keys and now I needed them in a hurry. The day before I had looked everywhere for them without finding them. getting up early I was going for one last look and before looking I stood an the bottom of the stairs and bowed my head and prayed to our Lord asking and pleading for an answer to my prayer, that I would be shown where the keys were. I opened my eyes and immediately shifted the coat near me and to my great surprise there were the keys that I had been looking for all the day before. I had not prayed for them the day before and now after exhausting all my effort I turned to the Lord. If only I could learn the lesson of turning to the Lord earlier and not trying to do things in my own strength.
It is in the small things of life where I see that God is there, just waiting for me to rely upon Him.
I came in and shared with the rest of the family my experience and all were that God is with us despite our unwillingness to reach out and put our hand in His all the time.

Blessings
Clive

Joan · « **Reply #236 on:** December 03, 2001, 11:11:00 PM »

Now that's a lovely way of our Lord taking time to train our hearts to reach out to Him in those moments of helplessness over something important

I figure the majority of us all, sad to say, have also had that moment of not finding the car keys

Your humble prayer of trusting Jesus in helping your thinking or movements,along with the happy answer, cheers us by showing how Jesus has this really intense interest in the trifling happenings of our lives.

thank you for encouraging me to Praise Him !

Joan

Clive Nevell · « **Reply #237 on:** December 06, 2001, 03:51:00 AM »

I believe we all have a story, or at least should have. Some are very dramatic and I praise the Lord for such stories. But most are like myself who have had no great turn around but have felt and heard the still small voice of God in our lives. We know He is with us by these small experiances that are given to us to show us that God is there.
I was never a drinker, smoker, or drug taker and as I hear these folk tell of their conversion I see that some in our midst feel that they do not relate to such things. I have often heard the comment "if only I had been a non-Adventist and came to know the truth like some have". Through these small things I see that God is real and with me. I do not need to have smoked or drank to know what damage it can do and am thankful I never went down that track.

Blessings
Clive

Clive Nevell · « **Reply #238 on:** February 01, 2002, 08:23:00 AM »

Today at Sabbath School our Fasheena will be looking after the program. She said to me last week "dad what am I going to do" dads are always supposed to have all the answers. Thinking about it I suggested that she ask Henry to speak about how he became an Adventist. That is what will take place today. From what Henry told me it will be a very interesting Sabbath School. Henry comes from the Cook Islands, South Pacific. He grew up in New Zealand and fell into bad company and has some amazing experiances.
He is a big man. Once at a night club brawl a gun was pointed at him. We will find out the rest today and then I will try and put some more on here if I can remember it.
I had the welcome last Sabbath at Church and in the congregation were two folk who had been to our recent mission. The thought came to me while I was up the front that I should announce what will take place this Sabbath. While I was introducing the second hymn I said what would be happening this Sabbath with Sabbath School and invited all to come along and be early for Sabbath School.
Please pray that Ruth and Ken will be there.
Clive

Clive Nevell · « **Reply #239 on:** February 03, 2002, 07:56:00 AM »

It has been a very dry and hot summer, the creeks and gullies have long stopped running. The dam that supplies the valley with water for farming and towns for drinking is below nine percent. Our water tank is low and has only three inches of water in it before the weekend. By this you can see we are in need of urgent rain. We have been praying for rain. Last Sabbath afternoon we had 16mm and on Sunday another 18mm. We need much more but at least we have enough in our tank to stop it being blown away. Some parts of the valley had more and some less. On Sunday morning I was able to plant out some tomatoes and some flowers for Church. All of January I put nothing out as it was too dry and hot. There is more rain on the way according to the weather map and we pray that our Lord will send us some of it here. We praise His name for what we have already.
Blessings
Clive