My Testimony

I was saved at 16. I was the typical renegade teenager who grew up living for excitement. I was mixed up in the wrong kind of music and my dad was a race driver. I lived for the thrill of the moment. However; when the band stopped playing and the racing season was over I felt alone. There was this huge hole in my soul that nothing seemed to fill. I went to a Baptist church at the invitation of a friend. This is where I met the church youth director. I could tell that his excitement did not end when he went home. After attending that church for about 4 weeks, I realized that who he had in his life was Jesus Christ and I didn’t. I went to the pastor and asked if I could be baptized. He asked me if I was saved and I said yes. He said that one has to be saved before they can be baptized. I assured him that I was saved. I was not saved and was lying to the pastor. He set up the baptism for that coming Sunday.

When I arrived at the church that Sunday morning the pastor was not there. His uncle had died and he was away preaching his funeral. That whole next week it seemed like God was hanging me over hell. I remember waking up during the night afraid that I was going to fall out of bed and drop straight into a burning hell. I could not wait for Sunday to come. Sunday finally came and I was looking forward to getting baptized. The pastor preached about Jesus is the only door to heaven. He explained that anyone trying to get into heaven any other way than through Jesus Christ was just a liar, thief and a robber. The pastor gave the invitation and invited those who needed to get saved to come forward and accept Christ as their personal Saviour.

I went forward. I remember getting on my knees under conviction. I sensed the Spirit of God showing me that I was a lost sinner headed for hell. I knew that I did not want to go! I remember praying and asking God to forgive my sins. I told God that I was sorry for playing games with Him. I was playing games in that, when the “church people” would ask me if I was saved, I would say “Yes!” I was not saved! I just wanted to fit in, so I just said what I thought they wanted to hear. God showed me that there was none more ready to forgive me of my sins than Him.

While I was kneeling and praying one of the deacons came and knelt down beside me. He asked me why I came forward. I said that I had come to get baptized. He asked if I was saved. I said that I was. He asked me when did I get saved. I told him that before he came up to me I asked Jesus to save me. He showed me some verses like, Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;. That was me, I knew that I was a sinner. He showed me, Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;…, I knew that I was in trouble with God and needed His forgiveness. Then he showed me that God loved me and that Jesus died for me, Rom 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. To think that Jesus would die for a sinner like me was overwhelming. To think that God loved me that much to allow His Son to die for my sins. I wanted Him to save me.

Then the deacon showed me that all I had to do was ask Him and Jesus would save me. Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I explained to the deacon that is what I had just done before he came up to me. To summarize it all. On January 27th 1980 God showed me I was a sinner headed to hell and that I did not have to go. I asked God to forgive me of my sins and for playing games with Him. I then asked Christ to save me, He did and now I am saved! Praise the Lord – Hallelujah! Friend, I invite you to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour today.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.