Path to Salvation Ministry
"For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. "
Isaiah 43:19
As I look back, I can now tell that God has been tapping me on the shoulder for a long time. The more that I think about it, the more that it makes since to me. For about a year, I felt something missing in my life. I didn�t know what was missing because I thought that I had every thing that a person �needed� to be happy. I have a wife, two beautiful kids, a nice house, vehicles, jet ski and a bunch of other stuff that was supposed to make a me happy according to the world�s standards. So what was missing? I didn�t know, so I started evaluating the way I lived. I read self-help pamphlets (the books were too long) and never found anything pertaining to the void in my life. Over time, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into a depressive state. I was irritable, withdrawn from others and was just not enjoying life as I once did. Following are some examples of what I was experiencing�a lot of shows on TV started to bother me if I saw something bad happen to someone (especially kids). I would imagine myself or my kids in that predicament and it really brought me down because it would get stuck in my mind and I would dwell on it. On Easter morning, I did something really weird. I got out of bed to go to church with my family, and my wife was even going to let me sleep in that time. I just felt the urge to attend a church service that morning. I admit that I didn�t enjoy it very much, but I was there. During Memorial Day weekend of 2000, my family and other groups of families went camping together. I felt out of place and didn�t have a good time like I used to with them. I tried to make the best out of the weekend, but I couldn�t help but analyze everyone�s actions and think about how foolish they looked while getting drunk and partying. There were also many other situations that I experienced. You see, the whole time, God was convicting me. He was showing me different things from a different point of view. But stupid me, I still didn�t get it. I just kept muddling on through the days. Finally, I started having bad dreams, wasn�t optimistic about anything and everything bothered me like never before. Then in June of 2000, the night that changed my life came. I couldn�t sleep; I was severely depressed and thought that I couldn�t take life anymore. After tossing and turning, getting up and just pacing around the house, getting back in bed only to do it all over again. I thought that I had finally lost all control and went crazy. Finally, I did something that I have never sincerely done before. I prayed. I said a very sincere prayer to God. I said, �God, I don�t know if you�re really there or not. But if you are, I need your help.� As soon as I said those words, I felt the effects IMMEDIATELY! In all of my life, I�ve never felt the affects of a prayer like I did that night. A peace came over me that I have NEVER experienced before! It wasn�t the kind of peaceful feeling that a person gets when some thing good happens to them. It was an unmistakable feeling that only a Christian feels when he is anointed by the love of God. I was at perfect peace with myself, despite everything that had been going on in my life. I was filled with the Holy Spirit that night. I finally fell asleep and had the best sleep that I had in months. It was great! However, I think that it was only a free sample of the peace that God wanted me to have because when I woke up the next morning, I was back to my old depressed self and thought that I was going crazy again. But, knowing what had happened the night before, I felt that I needed to talk to someone about it. I decided to call a church. The only church that I knew of was Central Community Church because that is where my son attended preschool. So I called and talked to Pastor Brad Cooper and told him how I had been feeling and what happened the night before. He reassured me that I wasn�t going crazy, but was in fact, fighting a spiritual battle within myself and that I was indeed filled with the Holy Spirit that night and I didn�t know how to accept it yet. He invited me to come to the church and talk to him and Jim Cole, the New Believer�s Sunday School teacher at church on the following Friday. So I did, and from that day forward, I�ve never been the same again and wouldn�t change it for the world. I have been walking down the narrow path of salvation with Jesus Christ ever since.
You see, the Lord was knocking on my �door� the whole time that I was going through my time of depression. Please understand that I do not feel that God was causing my depression. There are valid medical reasons for depression. God was merely using it to get my attention so that I would invite Him into my life. You see, the Lord called me to service for him and I�m sure that he has called or is calling for you also. Please answer the �door� and invite him into you life if you haven�t done so already. I would love for you to experience the power of the Holy Spirit, if you haven�t already. I was 28 years old when I did, do you want to wait that long or longer before you realize that Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life?
God Bless,
Bobby Ridenour
Minister
