H
holy_viltglance
Guest
My grandmother introduced me to the Lord Jesus Christ at the age of ten. Until this time, I was unfamiliar with the Bible and church. I had no concept of salvation or how to be saved. When my mother and father separated, my mother, my brothers, and I moved in with my grandmother for a couple of years until my mother was able to get on her feet to support three children. It was during this time that God used my grandmother to minister to three children and their mother who were in need of hope and encouragement. I can remember my grandmother sitting in the rocking chair and reading from this black book about a man who died on a rugged cross. At night she would take out her hearing aids and lay them on the nightstand next to the bed. Since she could not hear, she would not realize how loud she was praying at night. Our bed was right next to hers in a single room. Each night one of the children would sleep in that room with my mother in the bed next to grandmother's bed and fall asleep listening to the words of her prayer. I can remember her calling out each member of her family as she lifted their needs to her Lord.
Those three years were the seeds that were planted in my memories and in my heart. She passed away before my high school graduation, but another special event took place. I was almost eighteen, and my mother and I went to a Billy Graham crusade. I can remember the words as Billy Graham asked who would like to receive Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior. I remember walking down those steps of William Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. and down around the stage on the football field. It was that night that I truly believe that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I struggled with my salvation years later because I wondered how a person could be saved and yet his or her life is not changed.
Yes, I know that upon salvation there is a change - a new heart according to 2 Corinthians 5:17 - but I was so unfamiliar with the Scriptures that I did not realize that the battle with the old man is a continuing battle until we die. After being saved, I was as a sheep that was left to the wolves. I had no nourishing of the Word or weapons to use against the enemy. It was not long and I was back in the world still living as if there was never a day in Columbia. Ten years, a great job, land, money, and building a little nest egg later and my Aunt Ethel came by my house to invite me to Northside Baptist Church. I had not been to church in several years, but I was very enthusiastic to go. Little did I know that this would be a turning point in my life. The Lord began to work in a new way in my life that I had never experienced before. I joined the church a couple of weeks later on Father's Day, June 8, 1997. This was a very special time for me because the Lord became my true Father who would love me for who I was. Two months later, I was baptized.
The Lord began to work in my life in a different way that I had never experienced before. I felt as if I was being called to the ministry. Since I had little knowledge in the Bible and knew nothing about God, I assumed that there was a big mistake. I spoke to the pastor of Northside who was Pastor Mike Sides about this calling, and he advised me to inform the church. Pastor Mike told me that the prayers of the church will be needed as well as my own as I find God's will in my life. After much prayer and struggle, I left my job of ten years, family, friends, and relationships to venture with God into His calling in my life. I attended Piedmont Baptist College and am currently enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary to prepare for a lifetime of serving my lord in full-time ministry.
Those three years were the seeds that were planted in my memories and in my heart. She passed away before my high school graduation, but another special event took place. I was almost eighteen, and my mother and I went to a Billy Graham crusade. I can remember the words as Billy Graham asked who would like to receive Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior. I remember walking down those steps of William Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. and down around the stage on the football field. It was that night that I truly believe that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I struggled with my salvation years later because I wondered how a person could be saved and yet his or her life is not changed.
Yes, I know that upon salvation there is a change - a new heart according to 2 Corinthians 5:17 - but I was so unfamiliar with the Scriptures that I did not realize that the battle with the old man is a continuing battle until we die. After being saved, I was as a sheep that was left to the wolves. I had no nourishing of the Word or weapons to use against the enemy. It was not long and I was back in the world still living as if there was never a day in Columbia. Ten years, a great job, land, money, and building a little nest egg later and my Aunt Ethel came by my house to invite me to Northside Baptist Church. I had not been to church in several years, but I was very enthusiastic to go. Little did I know that this would be a turning point in my life. The Lord began to work in a new way in my life that I had never experienced before. I joined the church a couple of weeks later on Father's Day, June 8, 1997. This was a very special time for me because the Lord became my true Father who would love me for who I was. Two months later, I was baptized.
The Lord began to work in my life in a different way that I had never experienced before. I felt as if I was being called to the ministry. Since I had little knowledge in the Bible and knew nothing about God, I assumed that there was a big mistake. I spoke to the pastor of Northside who was Pastor Mike Sides about this calling, and he advised me to inform the church. Pastor Mike told me that the prayers of the church will be needed as well as my own as I find God's will in my life. After much prayer and struggle, I left my job of ten years, family, friends, and relationships to venture with God into His calling in my life. I attended Piedmont Baptist College and am currently enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary to prepare for a lifetime of serving my lord in full-time ministry.
