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The 23rd Psalm
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MY LIFE WITH JESUS
I was introduced to the Lord when was 17. My best friend witnessed to me and put in perspective what Jesus had done for me. It came at a time when I was looking for acceptance from anyone. I had spent the previous four years in high school trying to gain acceptance. The Lord was the best decision I could have made.
The first major decision that I encountered as a member of the Christian family was shortly after I was saved. I felt a strange tugging on my heart. I felt I needed to do more that just learn about Jesus and have a personal relationship with the lord. It was then that I felt God's calling on my life. Of course, like so many others before me, I misread it. I thought because I had been involved in music since I was in the 6th grade that naturally this is what God called me to do. So, I started studying the Music Ministry and devoted the next five years of my life to that study.
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. PSALMS 33:3
About this time, I was asked to be a member in a Christian New Wave band. For those of you who do not know what new wave music is, it is an all keyboard and drum synthesizer band. The other band members and I worked on music for the next year and a half. We played in churches and recorded tapes. We had a significant fan base and were about to record our first record.
Then, one of my best friends, the very talented writer for the band was killed in an automobile accident. This led me to doubt my Christian experience. My friend was gone and I was left to ponder so many questions. Why did my friend have to die just when his future was burning so bright? Why did God allow this to happen to some one who had so much to offer and carried the word of the lord before him? Why would God take someone at the young age of 17? This sent me into a tailspin of depression. I felt confused and had mixed feelings about so many things. I felt anger at my friend being gone. I felt pity for his family and their struggle to rebuild their lives. Mostly, I felt blame for his death. I rationalized that because the band had strayed away so far away from God, that he took John away from us. John was the only member of the band that had his feet on the ground when the rest of us were concentrating on fame and accolades.
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him,
saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"
MATTHEW 14:31
This lead me on a soul searching expedition for 3 years . . .
When I got to college I had come to grips with the fact that God had a unique purpose for my life. I believed, at that time, that my calling was in the Music Ministry. This is why I went to East Texas Baptist University. One Sunday night, I went to church as always. I was shocked to hear God calling me to preach. I had always been active in music and never considered any other path for my ministry. This was a very traumatic thing for God to ask of me. I was saved at a late age and had very little church education. After considerable thought and consulting my peers, I preached my first sermon then and have been preaching ever since.
Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel
should live from the gospel.
CORINTHIANS 9:14
The most recent discovery in my life, is an unusual one. I had always felt a burden to evangelize. I thought this was a result of the basic commandment to go and make other disciples. I was surprised to find out that I had a deeper need to fulfill. In the fall of my junior year, I started taking concentrated biblical study courses and began to ponder the Waco disaster. I did research on David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. I found that his sermons were based on versus in King David and Revelation. He tied these two books together to sanctify his messiahship. What scared me was that he used Bible scripture not for the glory of God, but to elevate himself in the eyes of his followers. These were the same scriptures that are quoted in a common church. This disturbed me and I felt the need to do more research. I wanted to find out how a group of people can give one man the power over their beliefs, freedom and their very lives. I also wanted to find a way to prevent it from happening to other Christians. The solution I found was that the every day Christian has to have a better knowledge of their own beliefs. I believe that knowledge will seal the gap that men like Koresh use to come between our God and our humanity. We need to have a better understanding of the Bible and what we believe.
Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. JOB 34:2
I continue to spread this message of hope, security and comfort in knowledge of our God. The knowledge can be attained in two ways, experiential and Biblical. Biblical is reading the Bible and trying to understand it the best we can. Experiential is what your experiences teach you and who to trust with such intimate matters.