Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
By the grace of God I have dealt with alcoholism. I have endured the affects of prison due to 3 DUI's, wrecked many vehicles, and nearly lost my children because of the affects alcohol had on me. The 19th of this month I celebrated my 8th yr sober and I owe it to the Lord above for each and every day I am able to face life and its trials without the presence of alcohol.Thank you Jesus one more time for another 24 hrs clean & sober, AMEN.
Re: Testimonies (rayz379)
PRAISE THE LORD! for that Ray. That's great news.
Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
Well, I'm new to this board and have enjoyed reading the many topics here. I enjoy bass fishing and that is what brought me to the BBC board in the beginning. Since discovering Increasin' Our Faith, I read it almost daily and today I feel I need to write a word or two.
I have been a Christian for over 30 years but haven't always lived like a Christian. I know that I probably speak for a lot of men when I say this. But I decided at some point in my life to make a change for the better and try to do a better job not focusing on what is best for ME. I decided to focus on the important things, the people who really matter the most and quality time with them.
In August 2004, I had a mild stroke while on the job and went through a bunch of tests the Dr. ordered and had some administered by a neurologist. My only symptom that anything had occured was my vision went bad....double....blurry. By the grace of the good Lord, after 3 weeks my vision returned slowly and I went back to work after one full month. Anyone who has experienced something dramatic like this knows about the thoughts that went through my mind. I decided that the Lord must have a plan for my life and it reinforced my decision not to be self indulged and to focus on the simple things in life because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Also, I try to keep a positive outlook on life with all it's negative influence and media coverage. When we pause and take a moment to look around us, it is a wonderful life with some wonderful people! http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif
Modified by bass4fun at 10:26 AM 4/1/2005
Re: Testimonies (bass4fun)
Welcome to the board James, and thanks for your testimony. I suspect that most of us have a similar story. I know mine is. It's amazing how God puts just the right person in our lives, at just the time we need them most. Praise the Lord that he is a God of second, and third, and so on chances.
Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
First off, let me say that I'm not much of a speaker and haven't shared much with anyone in person. I have trouble telling people how I feel. Maybe this will help me make another step in the right direction and come out of "my shell" and be able to be more vocal about what the Lord has done for me.
I grew up in a Christian home. My dad is a preacher and you know what they say about PK's. I am now 33 yrs old, married and have a 5 yr. old daughter. I was saved when I was 8, baptized by my dad and everything was great until my teenage years. I guess that's when the rebelion kicked in. I hear people say how tough it is to be a preacher's kid and I'm not going to argue. Everyone is constantly watching you and when you slip, it gets thrown up in his face. But being a PK is no excuse for the choices I've made. I made my own decisions.
I won't bore you with all the details, but I got into the drinking and other things during high school and let it carry over into my college years. I had a full paid scholarship and dropped out after 2 yrs. What was I doing?
I got married at 20 and wasn't a very good role model husband for the first 12 yrs. The reason I say that is because first and foremost, I DIDN'T TAKE MY FAMILY TO CHURCH. Instead, I was drinking and I had grown a rather extensive vocabulary of words that I wish now that I had never heard before. There was nothing in my life visible to the world to show that I had been saved.
Last year, my wife started taking my daughter to church. And I'm ashamed of that, only because as the head of the family, I should have been taking them all along. It took my daughter (4 at that time) comming home from church on Sunday and telling me she learned about God for me to get off my lazy butt and start going to church. So, I go to church with them one Sunday and have been going ever since. It's been about a year now since we joined the church and in October of 2004, my daughter got saved. What a blessing being able to witness your own child being baptized and seeing the difference that God has made in their life. One day she was staring up at the sky and I asked her what she was doing, she said "I'm talking to God". It made me want to cry.
I have now been married for 13 yrs. to a wonderful wife who knows the Lord and has been supportive in everything I've done. I have a 5 yr. old daughter who knows the Lord, and talks to him daily. I have a roof over my head, a job, a healthy family, an ongoing growing relationship with my Savior and a wonderful church family..............and I don't deserve any of it. God has been so good to us.
Sorry for being a little long winded but I hope that someone reading this gets half the enjoyment I got out of being able to write it.
Re: Testimonies (Stratos 285)
Chris, wonderful testimony! I believe that I was a lot like you when I was a teenager and a young adult getting married at age 20. You are a GOOD MAN because you recognized the need to make a positive change in your life and did it. It will have lasting effects on your wife and daughter in addition to yourself. GOD BLESS you Chris!
Re: Testimonies (bass4fun)
And all God's people said...
Amen!
Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
As some of you know, I am a Marine currently stationed over-sea's. My testimony is not earth shattering but never the less it is true. I was not brought up in a Christian home so I never really knew God until I was an adult and when I became an adult I chose to ignore him. Anytime someone would address me about God I would turn them off. Last year, in October, I was talking with a fellow Marine (close friend now) and I truly felt the spirit of the Lord working on me. Setting their that evening I just knew that God was in that office with us. I turned my life over that day to our Savior Jesus Christ and have not looked back.
I do the best I can to grow in him every day and it brings me extreme joy to report that since then my wife and 3 of my 4 children have been saved, one of them today! All the Glory goes to God, he has truly turned my life around for the better! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif
Re: Testimonies (stranz3529)
And all the angels in heaven rejoiced on that glorious day.
To God be the glory.
Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
Re: Testimonies (stranz3529)
An update...All of my Children have now been saved and Baptized..Glory be to God!!!
Re: Testimonies (stranz3529)
That is great news!
Praise the Lord!
Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
I haven't been a member long . Got on this web sight because I love boats and fishing but above those I LOVE the Lord !! What a great place to met a bunch of really nice people. This forum is the best. The testimonies were touching to me, to hear what GOD is doing in other lives is great. I also accepted CHRIST at a young age then strayed when I got older. I have now given all of my life back over to CHRIST and things couldn't be better. I could never repay what he has done for me. I just live my life like he wants me to, and tell others about the grace of GOD every chance I get. My wife is also a christian and we try to raise our three daughters up in church and teach them about CHRIST like my christian parents did me. I have truly been blessed. Thank you LORD for all you have done for me.
Re: Testimonies (ASTROCRAZY)
Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
early yrs in the church of god .late 50's early 60's
chaplin of a baptist after school club -youth for christ-1964-67
parents divorced in 69' and i blamed god.found the hippie movement,drugs,sex, and rock and roll music at 16,and also the humanist manifesto 1.
led a self indulged lifestyle for 30 yrs.me,me, me. this is my world and my world centers around me. if im happy its because of me,if i sad ,its because of me,you can only come into my world if i allow you to. that way i couldnt be hurt again.
16 yrs in a rocky wild marriage. bevorced in 87'.found my solemate in 91'.had my first and onlt child at 43 in 1995.
in 85' started my own business which after 22 yrs. i still run and own today.bought 55 acres for $ 44,000.00 and paid for it in full w/ cutting the pines off it in 93'
was a carpenter untill i started my video store and was able to build my own home on this 55ac. in 2000.
so, i owned my own successful business.i was debt free w/ expendable income.i owned my own home that i built on 44 ac. of debt free land.
i married my solemate and love of my life and had a beautifull daughterin 95'
what more could a man ask for .all the while i was a rank sinner.i woke up one morning and looked around at all that i had and was taking medication for DEPRESSION.what, what is this .what do i not have in my life to make me happy or at least content.GODS spirit spoke to me that morning.remember me,im whats missing from your life.ive let you have it your way for 30+ yrs. you and your self serving selfish ways.your an abomination to me .i want you to serve me,NOW, the same way you have served your self for all these yrs.
i told my wife i was going to church and i was going to the little holiness church i grew up in.she wouldnt go ,only because she didnt want to go to a holy roller church. those people are phoenatics.
i really didnt know what i was doing but i knew i had to go.sure enough the preacher, preached right to my sin, the conviction was so strong on me i wept sorely and wanted to go to the alter but was afraid.only afraid that i was going to have to give up the lifestyle i was comfortable in.i went home a sinner, but i told my wife im going back tonite.ive got to go to find out what this is about.that nite same thing the convicting and drawing power of gods holy spirit was to much for me to bear .i couldnt wait for alter call. i ran to the alter and begged god to forgive me of my sins and ways .and asked him to make me a new creature in christ.the weight of the sin i was carrying immediately lifted off my back and shoulders.the sin load was gone and so was all the guilt and all the worldliness,the drugs and alchol, and pornography, and pride and greed and self serving ways..... it was all gone never more to be remembered by god.
what a glorious feeling, my life was now complete.i could lay my head down on my pillow at night and rest in PEACE.the JOY came back into my life.the anger left.i dont have room to explain what that moment did for me.
that following wed. night my wife went to church w/ me and gave her life to god.we not only gave our life to god but committed to serving a wonderful savior and also accepted jesus as lord of our life.my daughter also embraced this holiness lifestyle and was saved and filled w/ the holy ghost at 10.joshua 20-5(i think)" but for me and my household we are going to serve the lord.")
since that day ive never taken another pill for depression, smoked another joint, drank another beer, watched another xxx rated movie.all for my lord jesus christ.
i thank him, i love him and i serve him and him alone.
it wasnt long after giving my life to jesus that i started teaching and preaching holiness and useing this testimony to reach the lost and i only share this today that someone who is lost w/o god or his son, or who is not living up to the standards that god requires may read this and committ or recommitt their lives to a caring loving, merciful,forgiving,BUT,righteous,holy, soveriegn god. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif
Re: Testimonies (gatrboy52)
A men Mike. I look forward to wakeing up everyday and praiseing GOD all day long !! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif
Re: Testimonies (gatrboy52)
Great testimony! Noticed your were from Lake Butler...I use to work over in Starke! Bunch of great places to fish and go to church in you neck of the woods.
Re: Testimonies (CajunBass)
I was reading over the posts here and felt led to post this. It's long and a two part story.
I have never known what it was like not to be in church. My mom took my sister and myself every time the doors were open. My dad, however, wouldn't go. I never new why but that was the way it was my entire childhood.
During the spring revival of 1982 this 10 year old boy found Jesus in a little country Baptist Church in Belk, Alabama. The joy I felt was indescribable. That night after church (it was a Tuesday night) we were eating supper and my mom told my dad what happened. He looked at me with a frown and began to tell me that I was too young to be saved and didn't understand what it was about. Without taking my eyes from my plate I said " Daddy I love you very much. You can keep me from going to church but you can't keep me from being saved." Nothing more was said.
The next night at church as the last song was ending I heard the outside door open. Yep you guessed it it was my dad and he didn't stop to sit with us he went straight to the alter and for about 20 minutes poured his heart out to God.
You see he was saved but had let bitterness enter his life over something that had happened at church before I was born. He apologized in front of the entire church and rededicated his life to Jesus. At that time the person with whom he had been bitter with also came to the alter and rededicated their life. That was the beginning of a revival that saw 9 more souls saved and countless rededications.
I claim no credit in this but give God all the glory for using a 10 year old boy to see his will be done.