I have been told, and I truly believe, we should always be prepared to share with others why we believe as we believe. The problem I always have is they tell me I should be able to share
I wouldn't have time to tell how He took a sinner headed for hell and totally changed my behavior, thoughts and actions. I wouldn't have time to tell how He removed the desires of alcohol from someone that loved the effects of booze. I wouldn't have time to tell how in the nursery of a Southern Baptist Church on a cold winter night I prayed and asked the Lord to Baptize me (in)with the Holy Spirit.
So since I just can't do all that in 3 minutes, sit back my friend and I will tell you a wonderful but true story how glory came down and touched an undeserving sinner like me.
I look at salvation in 3 tenses.
1.)I was saved from the penalty of sin. ( John 3:16 )
2.)I am being saved from the power of sin. ( 1 John 4:4 )
3.)I will be saved from the presence of sin. ( 1 John 3:2 )
I never want anyone to envy my sinful past life, I believe when we share some things, a weak person might be enticed by the devil and by their own flesh to stumble into a time of weakness. Because of this I prefer to talk more of the changed life I have had since Jesus saved me. I try to only share things that will reveal the changed life in Christ.
On menu tab "About Us", you saw how I was in the USAF but it didn't tell of me marrying my High School sweetheart. I sometimes think that was the only good thing I did in my younger days. My sweet wife endured a lot during our sinful days.
We some times hear how a sweet old mother would pray years for her child to be saved. Well I believe someone started praying for me fervently when I was 28 or 29 years old. I became miserable, I had chest pains, stress, palpitations, I got so bad this sweet little wife at one time said she wish I would just go ahead and die.
I didn't believe it was work related, I was with the in crowd at work, stag movies at work during lunch, out drinking with co-workers after work. My free time was spent out on my motorcycle. In the world eyes I had it made! But I felt terrible! I thought I was dying!
For some reason one evening I picked up the Bible and started reading it. Peace! I didn't understand much, but while I read there was peace. All it seemed to me was history, but there was peace while I was reading. As I remember I would read for hours at a time just to have that peace. I developed a desire to go to Church but Toni always found a reason not to go. Kids or over sleeping always kept us home. One Sunday I got up and went on my own, there was that peace. The next Sunday, the whole family went. Neither of us knew what Christianity was all about. You see we had joined a Baptist Church years before to "raise our children right", in fact I was baptized and later we taught Sunday School(kindergarten). When this Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church asked about our Christianity, I guess we had enough churchianity language to fool them. Since I had been baptized and was a member of a church all I had to do was move my letter of membership. Listen, being a member of a local church does not make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car. I was now a member of a Southern Baptist Church and still on my way to a sinner's hell that was prepared for the Devil and his followers.
One day in the early spring of 1972, I rode my dirt bike to work and was taking a short cut home from work. Where we lived in Illinois is known for some nasty storms. I was caught in a heavy wooded area miles from any roads and lightning was seemingly hitting all around me. I had fear like never before, I could smell the ozone from the lightning and it seemed like there was no delay between lightning and thunder. To me death was imminent at any moment. I don't know what words I cried to the Lord, but I know I had to put my trust in Jesus. You have heard of foxhole salvation, soldiers making promises to God as they face danger. Perhaps that was what I was doing, except something was different something changed, ME! Where I was moments earlier crying for forgiveness and for salvation, now fear was gone. Where I had been riding was next to the shipping canal. There was a hill of debris next to the canal which I climbed with the lighting still flashing and cried to the Lord to take me home, I want to be with the one that had just saved me. As I was on that debris pile, I heard in my heart, go down it wasn't time for me to come home yet.
There was no doubt in my mind or heart at this time that I had met the Creator of heaven and earth, I knew with all certainly that if I died I would be welcomed into heaven for all eternity. I knew my sins were forgiven. Talk about PEACE!
So did I start telling everyone? NO!
At lunch I found somewhere else to go. Quitting time came I went straight home, after awhile my boss and co-workers cornered me and asked what was wrong? Quietly I said "I'm a Christian now".
My boss said get a shovel and dig him a grave.
Just over night they went from friendship to rejecting me. Not because of me preaching to them but because I became light shining on their sins.
The Lord kept me at that job for another 4 years even tho I was black balled because of no longer blending in with the boys. Being black balled does not matter if you are being blessed by God. Here is just one example of His blessing that came one day.
I'm sure we all sometimes become discouraged, especially if you are being teased or ridiculed. One day I was sitting at my desk working when this young man came and stood next to me waiting for me to acknowledge him. I noticed a big red button on his shirt with the letters "PTLA". Of course we know what "PTL" means but I had no idea what the "A" stood for so just imagined it was some joke or insult. I looked up disgustedly and said "okay Arnie what does "PTLA" mean?" Arnie's answer was barely loud enough for me to hear, he said Praise the Lord anyway. Completely off guard I said, "where did you come up with that?".
Arnie's answer of "I read it in a book" started an even more excitement in my job at Nalco Chemical. I too started wearing buttons that proclaimed Jesus, soon what I thought was a wasted land void of Christians, became a blessed environment. People that I had causally known before became great friends and fellow servants in the Lord. We were able to start a lunch time Bible Study, where a year ago there was filthy movies but now, Christian fellowship where I had thought was void of all Christian influence.
God is good (all the time ).
God gave me a hunger. I wanted more of Jesus. I wanted more of His Word. Now His word was not just history and good stories, now the Bible had become a book of love letters to me from God. I wanted more Spiritual power in my life and witness. I wanted to be able to share Jesus more effectively.
One cold winterly night in early 1973, a friend of ours, my wife and I were in the nursery at church praying and seeking the face of God. I had prayed before for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit yet I couldn't speak in tongues. I think my problem was I was seeking the gift and not the Giver. Now I was seeking the Giver and trusting Him.
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"My friend laid hands on me and prayed, I heard testimonies where people started speaking in tongues right there, I didn't. I received a peace, a joy, an assurance that by Faith, I was baptized by and in the Holy Spirit of God.
My wife and I went home went to bed, I have no idea how long I was asleep, but I awoke praising and worshiping a Loving, Merciful, Gracious God. I knew I was praising Him, but it was not in English. It was beautiful.
After this, there was a new boldness in my actions and speech.
We saw miracle after miracle, God provided our every need. Some good friends at church asked us one day why we didn't pray for a new car? We told them we would as soon as God laid it on our hearts to pray for one, as for now, which is the greater miracle, to give us a new car or to keep this car we had running on faith and fabric.
Well one day we felt we needed a bigger home, a newer car, and a new job. The company I worked for used a lot of equipment from a company called Foxboro and the Regional manager knew a little about my abilities. He transfered to Atlanta GA and gave me a call to offer me a job in Atlanta. The job was to be a Field service rep. in the Southeastern US.
God answered our prayers, a new job, a new home (my wife's dream home) and a company car available for personal use. Isn't God wonderful.
two years later our church licensed me to preach. Later we (the whole family shared in the call) quit the great job, sold my wife's dream house, gave up the company car and went to a Bible school for preachers in North Carolina.
From there we preached around in NC and easter TN, pastored in East TN, went into prison ministry and served as a volunteer chaplain on Tenn. Death Row. conducted chapel services in the River Bend Maximum Security prison.
My old company ( Foxboro ) talked me into coming back to work for them. I was promised Sundays would be free as a general rule and normally Wed nights. This would permit preaching and prison ministry.
In the late 90's I started having trouble with my eyes and shaky hands. One night in Birmingham AL, I was leaving a job site to go back to my motel when I noticed I could not control my eyes, they were jerking and unstable. At that time I figured I was just over tired.
When I got home I went to the Doctor and was referred to a Neurologist. The local Neurologist thought it was Multiple System Atrophy but referred me to the movement disorder department at Vanderbilt where they said it was Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
My working days were over. They told us the life span after diagnosis was normally just 10 years and walking would become harder and harder until I would be confined to a wheel chair.
Now I respect my doctors and I feel they are very competent. Walking became very hard in just a short time. My wife feels the only thing that kept me walking in the early years of this disease was the prayer and anointing with oil by this dear lady, the senior adult Pastor, Betty Tyler
Yet, now looking back, I listened to a lie for over 10 years. I had been told it was hopeless, I was going to die with this disease, I was going to just waste away.
I forgot a couple of verses.
On February 16, 2009 I went forward at the end of a revival service to be prayed for. The altar was full but I waited, Wes Sesler came and anointed me with oil and prayed. I accepted what Jesus did. By His Stripes I was healed. It was no longer I will be healed someday, it was I was healed by His Stripes.
On Feb. 16 it will have been a year, I no longer use a cane, my eyes no longer jump around or as my doctor referred to them saying "ratcheting eyes".
God is good! all the time.
What about the future?
We have a glorious future, not because of what we have done or might do but because of what Jesus has done.
An evangelist friend once told me what we all need to do say "live, die, sink, or swim I'm going to live for Jesus".
|
|
|
Born on:
December 15, 2005 |
