- Feb 5, 2005
- 2,748
- 1,099
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Baptist
- Marital Status
- Private
Both of my parents were Christians, so my brother and I grew up going to church twice on Sunday, every Wednesday night and pretty much any other time the doors were open. My father certainly "Trained his children in the way they should go..." because we didn't miss a week's worth of Sundays, of going to church, in my first 15 years of life. (I just recently thanked him for his dedication to my spiritual well being.) I was very fortunate to have Christian parents, doing their best to live a Christian life and that, I believe, brought us fewer hardships while I was growing up.
I came face to face with "knowing right from wrong" when I was about 12 or 13. Being raised in the church, I knew all about what a sinner was, who the lost were, where the lost went when they die, the return of Jesus and the rapture. And now I KNEW that that lost sinner was ME. Our church had a typical Southern Baptist preacher, preaching hell, fire and brimstone. Pounding on the podium and hollering at the top of his lungs. And he made sure we knew what hell is all about. Having reached the age of accountability, boy, was I scared of going to that place. (And rightfully so.)
Funny story...Shortly after I reached the age of accountability, I was riding my bike around the neighborhood and there was a couple walking up ahead of me. They had turned the corner to go over to the next street, which was the same way I happened to be going. It was only a matter of 15 seconds or so before I made the same turn after them and they were gone. They were not there! There was no way that they could have made it to the next street!! I was sooo scared, I thought the rapture had just happened and I had been left behind!!! I pedaled as fast as I could to the next street and that couple must have jogged down the side street because there they were just a short way down the next street. Boy, I was sooo relieved and KNEW I absolutely had to do something about this.
Shortly after this incident, I went off to youth camp for a week or two. On the last day of camp, March 18, 1982, at the end of the day's sermon, I walked the aisle, along with about 20 other people, and ask Jesus to come into my heart. My word, you have NEVER experienced ANYTHING until you have felt the Holy Spirit and God's Love being poured into you. Am I right? Amen!! To go from a life that was full of fear and emptiness, to complete peacefulness. Thank you, Lord! I was baptised the following Sunday at my regular church.
I was saved at an early age so end of story right? Not exactly. Saved at 13, started growing in my faith, fastforward a year and a half, age 15. My parents get a divorce. My mom taught the children's Sunday school class and was the church's pianist, my father was the song director and a deacon of the church and my father had an affair with the organist of the church. After divorcing my mother he wound up marrying the organist and is still married to her today. Not only was my family ripped apart but my very core beliefs of Christianity, God & right and wrong were all brought to their knees. I didn't know what was what any more. Not only did I blame my father for what had happened, but I blamed God too. How could he let this happen? How?!
I was only a young man at the time and only a babe in Christ. It took many years before I understood that God had no blame in what had happened, it was all my father's doing and that no man, even my father, is perfect, except for Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, by the time I was 17, I had fallen so far, so fast, I did not even resemble my former self. I had stopped going to church altogether. I fell so deep into "sex, drugs & rock n roll," for so long of a period of time (10 yrs.) that I'm surprised that I made it out "alive and in one piece." Only by the grace of God!
Towards the end of the "wild life" I met my wife. We have been married for 7 years and have a 6 year old son (light of our lives). She gets the credit for my stopping the "drinking & drugging." After I met her, I just didn't need none of that stuff anymore.
Even though I've been out of the grip of "sex, drugs and rock & roll" for about 10 years, I have only recently (7 months ago) rediscovered God's Word and we have been back in church for about 5 months. I have been a Christian for 23 years but am still just a babe in Christ but am growing in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ each and everyday. To all of you who are seeking, it is my prayer that you choose Life, Jesus Christ. God bless!
I came face to face with "knowing right from wrong" when I was about 12 or 13. Being raised in the church, I knew all about what a sinner was, who the lost were, where the lost went when they die, the return of Jesus and the rapture. And now I KNEW that that lost sinner was ME. Our church had a typical Southern Baptist preacher, preaching hell, fire and brimstone. Pounding on the podium and hollering at the top of his lungs. And he made sure we knew what hell is all about. Having reached the age of accountability, boy, was I scared of going to that place. (And rightfully so.)
Funny story...Shortly after I reached the age of accountability, I was riding my bike around the neighborhood and there was a couple walking up ahead of me. They had turned the corner to go over to the next street, which was the same way I happened to be going. It was only a matter of 15 seconds or so before I made the same turn after them and they were gone. They were not there! There was no way that they could have made it to the next street!! I was sooo scared, I thought the rapture had just happened and I had been left behind!!! I pedaled as fast as I could to the next street and that couple must have jogged down the side street because there they were just a short way down the next street. Boy, I was sooo relieved and KNEW I absolutely had to do something about this.
Shortly after this incident, I went off to youth camp for a week or two. On the last day of camp, March 18, 1982, at the end of the day's sermon, I walked the aisle, along with about 20 other people, and ask Jesus to come into my heart. My word, you have NEVER experienced ANYTHING until you have felt the Holy Spirit and God's Love being poured into you. Am I right? Amen!! To go from a life that was full of fear and emptiness, to complete peacefulness. Thank you, Lord! I was baptised the following Sunday at my regular church.
I was saved at an early age so end of story right? Not exactly. Saved at 13, started growing in my faith, fastforward a year and a half, age 15. My parents get a divorce. My mom taught the children's Sunday school class and was the church's pianist, my father was the song director and a deacon of the church and my father had an affair with the organist of the church. After divorcing my mother he wound up marrying the organist and is still married to her today. Not only was my family ripped apart but my very core beliefs of Christianity, God & right and wrong were all brought to their knees. I didn't know what was what any more. Not only did I blame my father for what had happened, but I blamed God too. How could he let this happen? How?!
I was only a young man at the time and only a babe in Christ. It took many years before I understood that God had no blame in what had happened, it was all my father's doing and that no man, even my father, is perfect, except for Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, by the time I was 17, I had fallen so far, so fast, I did not even resemble my former self. I had stopped going to church altogether. I fell so deep into "sex, drugs & rock n roll," for so long of a period of time (10 yrs.) that I'm surprised that I made it out "alive and in one piece." Only by the grace of God!
Towards the end of the "wild life" I met my wife. We have been married for 7 years and have a 6 year old son (light of our lives). She gets the credit for my stopping the "drinking & drugging." After I met her, I just didn't need none of that stuff anymore.
Even though I've been out of the grip of "sex, drugs and rock & roll" for about 10 years, I have only recently (7 months ago) rediscovered God's Word and we have been back in church for about 5 months. I have been a Christian for 23 years but am still just a babe in Christ but am growing in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ each and everyday. To all of you who are seeking, it is my prayer that you choose Life, Jesus Christ. God bless!
