My Testimony

I claim to be a Christian.  This is my personal testimony of how I came to the Lord.

Every Christian’s testimony is different, but the plan of salvation always includes the following:  the realization of the need to be reconciled to God; a conviction of sin; repentance (changing the mind); a willingness and desire to accept Jesus Christ as personal Saviour; belief in His death, burial, and resurrection; and faith in His merit alone. 

The following is how God worked in my life to bring me to salvation.

While growing up, I attended church with my family every time the doors were opened.  I was taught Bible stories and knew the plan of salvation from an early age.  I was baptized as a youth.  I served as janitor of the church, cleaning it every week with one of my siblings.  In addition, I mowed the church yard and shoveled the sidewalks.  I was in the youth group and sang in the church choir.  At times I even participated in church services, but through all of these things I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The fact that I did not have a relationship with Christ was manifested by my eagerness to sin as I struggled to get out from under my parent’s authority.  My life became characterized by the things done by those whom the Scriptures describe as being alienated from God, but I was having a great time or so I thought.

The difficulty with the sin (disobeying direct commands of Scripture) and having a great time participating in this lifestyle, was the emptiness left within.  While a student at a small college in the Midwest, I wrote the following: Love is eating away at my soul, and I can do nothing for its control.  I wish someone could help me, but no one can.  I’m destined to die a lonely man.

There were two things wrong with that statement.  First, it wasn’t love eating away at my soul, it was sin. Second, it wasn’t true that no one could help me, the Lord could.  He heard my cry, but He had to put me in a position where I would want His help.

The tragic deaths of four young men got my attention.  They died doing things that I had done under similar circumstances.  Something would happen to me, and then it would happen to one or two of these young men, resulting in death.  The first events were over a year apart, the second set of events were months apart, and the last events were just seven days apart.

When those last two young men died, a fraternity brother said to me: That was you and me last Friday night!  His words became the writing on the wall.  I wasn’t ready to die.

I knew something had to change in my life, but I wasn’t exactly sure what or how.  My sister was home for Christmas, so I asked her if I could go back to Florida with her after the holidays.  She consented after a couple of days of prayer!  I had no job, no money, and no wheels, so I attended church with her where I heard the plan of salvation again.

One night in the spring of 1973 I got on my knees beside my bed and read through the Romans Road in my Bible (see blog article entitled the same).  I admitted to God that although I knew how to be saved, my life gave no evidence that I had a relationship with Him through His Son.  I told God that I wanted to be saved, and it was then that He not only changed my heart, He began a work in me which would change my life. 

That is my testimony of how God brought me to Christ.  What is your testimony?

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.  II Corinthians 5:17

This world is full of religion.  Religion is man’s plan for god.  Most of it involves some type of activity to please a god or some type of search to find a god.  Actually the one being pleased is man himself as he creates his own god to worship in his self will.

Every culture has intertwined into its roots, some sort of religious belief and practice meant to soothe and bring relief to man’s troubled conscience.  This religion pleases the people because it allows them to do something to secure their religious obligations and then quite often, to live as if there is no God at all.

This religion is not God centered.  It is man centered and it focuses on what man can do to secure his soul.  It is full of religious tradition and religious activity which is external and powerless.  Religion often parades in the clothing of Christianity.

Man is not seeking or searching for the true God.  Scripture tells us that “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to his own way”, “there is none that seeketh after God, no not one.”   Even so, mankind knows there is a God.  The laws of God are written on man’s heart, so that he is without excuse.  Man loves darkness rather than light because his deeds are evil.

Religion is not a new problem.  It has been around since the beginning.  Cain worshiped God, but he did it his way.  He was rejected by God, because he brought the fruit of his own hands, showing that he did not accept God’s provision for his sin.

The Israelites had God dwelling among them with His presence manifested in the tabernacle and in the temple.  How quickly they turned their worship into a religion.  Their hearts grew cold and their worship external.  Through their self will and disobedience they incurred the judgment of God.

In Jesus’ day, Christ confronted the Jewish religious leaders concerning their outward religion.  They had pedigrees that they could trace back to Abraham.  They followed their religious traditions to the minuscule letter, but the Lord called them whited sepulchers (white washed tombs), full of dead men’s bones.  

These religious leaders knew the Scriptures.  The Pharisees even believed in the resurrection, but they did not have a personal relationship with God’s Messiah.  Instead they hated Jesus Christ, the very one the Old Testament scriptures prophesied would come and deliver them from their sins.  

They were the blind leaders of the blind.  They made every effort to discredit Christ, to frame Him and to kill Him.  

The Lord said to them, “And ye have not his (the Father’s) word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.  Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” John 5:38–40.

So what about you and I?   Do we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or are we just religious?

My wife and I attend Heritage Baptist Church in North Sioux City, SD.  The church website is at heritagebaptistnorthsioux.com.   Messages by Larry Bunton, our teaching elder are available for listening and/or downloading at the website.

There is a song that I occasionally hear on the radio that says; Lord I want to know you, in its lyrics.  It is a beautiful song and is very moving.  It expresses a sentiment that I’m sure is shared by many believers, but it doesn’t really address the “how to“ of knowing Him. 

Jesus gave some wonderful teaching and a marvelous promise concerning the “how to” of knowing God in John 14:21-23.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

They that love God live according to His word.  His promises and instruction in Scripture are precious and highly prized by those who love God and seek to obey Him.  

To those who keep His words, Jesus has promised to reveal Himself.  He not only promised to manifest Himself to believers, but He promised that He and God the Father will come to them, and abide with them.  

Would you give anything to know Him?  Do you really, really want to know Him?  You don’t have to climb a mountain.  You don’t have to sit out in the woods.  You don’t even have to find yourself.  All you need is a Bible, a willing heart and some quality time.  

Note: Make sure the Bible is a translation and not a paraphrase.

• “O Saviour, as my eyes behold the wonders of thy might untold,
  The heavens in glorious light arrayed, the vast creation thou hast made,
  And yet to think thou lovest me – my heart cries out, how can it be?”
• “As at the cross I humbly bow and gaze upon thy thorn crowned brow,
  And view the precious bleeding form by cruel nails so bruised and torn,
  To know thy suffering was for me, in grief I cry, how can it be?”
• “How can it be?  How can it be?  Was ever grace so full and free!
  From heights of bliss to depths of woe, in loving kindness thou didst go,
  From sin and shame to rescue me, O Love Divine, how can it be?”
• Chorus: “How can it be?  How can it be?  That God should love a soul like me?  O how can it be?”

                                                                   Avis B. Christiansen 1895 – 1985

It is not hard for me to believe the Bible.   After all it claims to be God’s word.  Either it is or it isn’t.  I believe it is.  If you haven’t investigated for yourself, you’re making a foolish mistake.

By investigating for yourself, I do not mean that you collect other men’s opinions about it or you believe that whatever religious organization you belong to has the right idea about the Bible.

Investigating for yourself means you have personally read the Bible, seeking honest answers, and asking God to show you the truth.  

You owe it to yourself and to your children because, if it is true, your soul and the  souls of your children are at stake.  “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?”

A well known preacher, years ago, put it this way; “If you’re a gambling man, you would figure that there is a fifty per cent chance that I’m wrong about believing the Scripture.  If you choose not to believe and you’re wrong, you lose your soul, for eternity.  If I choose to believe and I’m wrong, I lose nothing.  I’ve lived a good life with few regrets.”  Who do the odds favor in this situation?  Are you willing to gamble with your soul?

The stakes are high; eternal life or eternal death.  The apostle Paul said, “To be absent from the body (for the believer), is to be present with the Lord.”  Eternal life starts when one trusts Jesus Christ and His merit alone as one’s only hope of salvation.  Eternal death is referred to in Scripture as eternal damnation or everlasting punishment.  

Something that is eternal does not start and stop, it never ends.  If one leaves this life without security in Christ alone, there is no hope according to the Scriptures.

Do you really believe this?  Have you warned anyone?  Have you warned your family, your friends, your neighbors, the people you rub shoulders with every day?  Do you live in such a way, that your life gives credibility to the message?  When a person truly believes something, it will show up in his or her life.

In Luke chapter 16 there is an account that Christ gave about the rich man and Lazarus.  Just before He gave this account, Christ addressed the Pharisees as follows: “For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”  

In accord with their keeping up of appearances, the Pharisees most likely regarded the rich man as blessed of God.  The plight of Lazarus as the down and out beggar surely disgusted them.  He was a sinner and God was his judge.

The rich man fared well, dressed well and ate well.  Lazarus laid at his gate desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.  Moreover, it says, the dogs came and licked his sores.

 Lazarus died and went to heaven (Abraham’s bosom) while the rich man also died and was buried.  “And being in torments in Hades (hell), he lifted up his eyes……..then he cried and said…..send Lazarus that he may dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.” 

Abraham replied; “…..between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”   

The rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus to his father’s house, because he has five brothers; “…that he, Lazarus, may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.”

Abraham replied; “they have Moses and the prophets (Scripture); let them hear them.” 

The rich man countered; ”…but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 

To which Abraham gave this final answer; “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets (Scripture), neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

So what are you waiting for; a sign, some miracle, a voice from heaven?………..Why not just read the Bible?

“For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  Hebrews 4:12

When it was discovered that our daughter had a mass in her chest that needed to be removed, I wanted to do for her what I think most parents would want to do for their child; I wanted to take her place.  I asked God for this.

Perhaps you may be thinking that this would be impossible.  I guess that would depend on who you worship.  I worship the living God; He who spoke the universe into existence and who holds it together by the word of His power.  

With man, such a request would be impossible but with God nothing is impossible.  All He had to do was to will it so, or to speak the word and it would be so.

I remember the day before our daughter’s surgery, consciously breathing in measured breaths to see if her symptoms were now mine.  On the day of her surgery there came a point where I realized that God was saying “no” to my request.  

This would be our daughter’s burden to bear. This would be her suffering to endure.  This is what God was going to use to continue the work in her life that He had begun when she became a Christian.

There has only been one other time in my life, that I can remember, when I prayed this way for someone.  The other individual, however, was not a believer.  He was terminally ill.  

I was willing to take his place if it would have allowed him more time to make things right with God.  I am saved.  I know that I have eternal life. The only thing better than death for a believer is the Rapture.

The apostle Paul said, For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; Romans 9:3&4.  

While I have a burden for the lost or unbelievers, I have not been able to say, as Paul did, that I could wish myself accursed on their behalf.  I have a long way to go in my spiritual growth.

I do, however, know the One who actually did that for us.  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. I Corinthians 5:21.  

Jesus Christ took upon Himself the curse of our sin, paying our sin penalty and redeeming us, who believe, from the curse of the law. He took my place.  Will you accept that He took your place too? Will you accept God’s provision for your sin?

He was buried and rose again from the dead triumphant, offering salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life to all who would believe on Him and His merit alone for salvation.

The Lord’s love for us makes it possible for believers to intercede on the behalf of unbelievers and in so doing, become more like Him.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; “

“Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”

“Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:”

“For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” I Timothy 4:1-6

When our daughter was diagnosed with a mass in her chest in May (see blog dated 7-14-15), the initial prognosis was not encouraging. She and our son-in-law are the parents of two small children.  

We were crushed by the news……what if they can’t…?  What exactly is this mass…..what if it’s….?  This condition is extremely rare….what if it is not…?  How much damage has been done….what if she is….?  Will they be able to remove the mass…..what if they….?  Will she be able to resume a normal life……what if she….?

As you can see, the “what ifs” were killing us but these “what ifs” were really just speculation founded upon fear .  We had to overcome the “what ifs” and our fears in order to get through this.  

We overcame the “what ifs” by permitting ourselves only to be concerned with definite/concrete information.  Definite/concrete information is information that we know to be true at this very moment, not information that we fear maybe true.  

For instance, we did not know whether or not the mass was cancerous.  The biopsy was inconclusive.  Rather than fearing the worst, we could not allow ourselves to worry about “what if it is cancer?”  Until it was an established fact, we would be “anxious for nothing”.

There were unspoken fears about whether or not she would survive the operation and about what quality of life she would have if she did survive.  There were unspoken fears about the grandchildren not having a mother and about how our son-in-law would survive and raise two babies if she did not survive.  

Each of these fears was based upon uncertainty.  These speculations or fears were situations that did not exist at that very moment.  They were not real at that given time.

We could not allow ourselves to speculate.  We simply had to acknowledge that this was not a surprise to God, that He was in control, and that He would take us through it one day at a time………..and He is doing exactly that. 

Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,…think on these things.  Philippians 4:6-8

One of our kids always wanted to debate with me about the location of heaven.  His contention was that if I pointed up towards heaven and someone on the opposite side of the earth was pointing up to heaven, we would be pointing in opposite directions.  I’ll leave you to figure it out from there.

The location of hell may not be so complicated.  If it is beneath our feet in the center of the earth, then individuals on opposite sides of the earth would point in the same direction.  

There are many references in Scripture which speak of going down into the pit or into hell.  Some of them are merely references to the grave and some are references to a literal hell into which one would descend.  

Hell is described as a place of fire and darkness.  There are also references to a lake of fire.  Hell is described as a place from which there is no escape.  Each of these descriptions is compatible with a center of the earth location.

There is a passage in Scripture that says, “Hell hath enlarged itself.”  I often think of this verse when I hear of volcanic eruptions and I wonder if hell is indeed enlarging itself under our feet.

Another consideration for hell’s location could simply be a black hole.  This frightening cosmic phenomena reminds one of an oceanic whirlpool which sucks everything within reach down to destruction.  The black hole pulls in everything including light. There would certainly be no escape from such a thing as that.

Hell is more frightening than a black hole because it is eternal (unending) and it is able to confine that which is of a spirit nature.  Satan and his demons are spirit creatures.  Man is a spirit creature who will live somewhere forever when his physical body expires.  The hell of Scripture has the ability and capacity to contain, confine, and restrain spirit beings.  

We could engage in endless debate and speculation about hell’s location, but we can only rely on what the Scripture reveals to us. A piece of literature from the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago contains a simple but profound description of where hell is.  It says simply this: “Where is hell?  Hell is at the end of a Christ rejecting life.”