My childhood was not unlike most, I had loving and caring parents who worked hard to give me a comfortable life through a lot of sacrifice on their parts. I now know what sacrifice is, being a parent myself. I was taught values and morality growing up but without much, if any, discussion of salvation or heaven. I attended church up until the seventh grade when I grew disinterested and stopped attending. I finished high school, voluntarily enlisted in the Marine Corps for three years and settled down to college and the rest of my life.
It was while I was a Marine that I first began to sense a need to know more about God, the Bible, heaven and such things. The Lord's invitation was heard through my conscience and heart; like "why don't you go to that church you pass on your way to work this Sunday?". I resisted that invitation many times but occasionally I would say "why not" and go. I always felt better after going to hear God's Word, but I still wasn't ready to make a lasting commitment to live the life that Jesus Christ taught in the Bible.
I completed my three years of active service and moved back to the West Coast to begin college. It was here that the Lord continued to call me through people placed in my path. It was through people that God showed me that being a Christian, a dedicated follower of Christ, was much different than what I had seen in church growing up. I began to see people who really believed in a better life and who not only spoke of the Christian walk but lived it themselves. It was among these people that I, after much resistance, humbled myself and released the reigns of my life to Jesus. This did not happen overnight though. I considered this decision (to live for Christ) for some time knowing that if I should make such a commitment that it would change my life style greatly. I knew that the change, although not required before my making a commitment, would naturally follow in the years following such a decision. A saying I like to quote is "Jesus, like any fisherman, catches His fish before he cleans them". The Lord welcomes us into His kingdom as we are and changes us as we allow Him greater contol in our lives.
So...one evening after doing some food shopping and on my way back to my apartment near the college, I decided to stop by one such Christian's home just to talk about some biblical perspectives. Please understand that I had no intentions of making a decision for Christ that evening, I was just going to talk for a short while. The Lord had other designs for me and three hours later I made the decision to open my heart and acknowledge Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. The one question that I feared the most in my times of indecision was posed to me that night and I will never forget it. My Christian friend said, "Would you like to just kneel right here in my living room and ask the Lord to come into your life?". The hesitant half of me screamed NO!, but the Lord had His way that night and I said yes and the rest is history. I never will forget the wonderful feeling of weight being lifted off of me and I can remember to this day equating it to the long marches we went on in the Marine Corps with heavy packs on our backs and the refreshing feeling of having those packs lifted off our backs at the end of the march. This is exactly how I felt when the weight of sin was lifted from me and I accepted the forgiveness and new birth Jesus was always ready to offer.
The foundation that was built during the times I spent studying God's timeless words will transcend this life. Although the occupation I have now as an Information Technology professional does not directly employ my ministerial training and Bible learning, I am a better employee and person because of the faith that I have and the principals I have learned from God's Word. My life has not always been smooth sailing, but when troubled seas have surrounded me, I have always seen the Light of His "light house" to guide me to safe waters. The Bible speaks of the importance of finishing this race we run called "life". Please consider your life and what you may be lacking if you think, "I lack nothing, why do I need Jesus?".
The scripture says of the church of the Last Day and the End Time in Revelation 3:17-22, "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
If you have never made a decision to follow Jesus Christ, there is no better time then the present. Read these scriptures from your Bible and make that decision now.
Romans 10:9-10 & 13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" and "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Acts 2:21 "And it shall come to pass, that whosover shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
A simple salvation prayer might go something like this: "Lord, as Your creation I know I have fallen short of what You desire for me and have lived my life to please myself. In doing this, I have not acknowledged You and therefore have sinned in Your eyes and ask forgiveness desiring now to live in harmony with Your teachings. I now open my heart for You to come in and guide my life. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for my sins and I now confess Him as my Lord and Savior. Amen (or so let it be).
Now accept His forgiveness and walk in faith and your new birth. Seek out a church where people are Born Again and Spirit Filled.
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