kick-off
Alright,
I figured I would kick this off properly. Instead of trying to remember where I was at on my last post, I would start this one off with the greatest event ever to happen.
The year is 2008, things for me seemed to by spiraling out of control. I was having problems at work, home, pretty much everywhere. The reasons for it though..... I had no idea. As was my custom for the past few years I had decided to once gain be a counselor or whatever was needed at Teen Camp. I really had been enjoying it because i got to see God make some changes in a teens life. Either in their changing of attitudes, convictions or salvation. To be honest I struggled right up to the first day of camp. As we headed out to Twin Bears, I was still not sure I wanted to be there (I really had no idea or strong opinion of why that was). Anyways, camp kicked off and I had a new cabin of boys to look after. It was different this year because the boys got the side of camp the girls normally did. If I remember correctly this was because more girls than boys had shown up this year. At any rate, I was assigned cabin C. It was nice having some kids in my cabin that I did not know at all. Not to mention some of the younger campers that year as well.
As always the preaching at camp was powerful and to the point. I normally enjoyed every one of them and from previous years thought I was allowing God to use these camps to work in my life as well. So I thought. This year was different. I could not put my finger on it and it was getting aggravating. Finally, it happened. If I remember correctly it was on a Monday or early Tuesday that the topic of our lives affecting others and their decisions was brought up. I thought to myself that this was a great topic for the teens, and I prayed that God would really confirm this with some of the teens that I knew were struggling. The problem was that God would not leave me alone about it.
Moving on through the day, I had a very troubled spirit and did my best to "hide it". I had no idea what was going on? What did God want? Then Bro. Dave preached a sermon that God used to punch me in the gut, spin me around backwards, mess me up, and turn my world upside down. Thank God for Bro. Dave and his willingness to obey Gods leading!! He preached a sermon out of the old testiment on a king and his advisors who had received a letter from a prophet pointing out things that they needed to cahnge. But instead of heeding the warning, the cut the letter apart and said that this or that part did not apply to them. Dave, used this as an analogy of how we treated Gods Word in our lives. And as was pointed out to me by God This is what I was doing when it came to salvation. yes, I had asked God to forgive me of sins. But I had asked Him to forgive me of the sins I had done. Not for the sin nature that was in me. Yes I knew that God places all sin in one category, but I still did not think I was capable of what I considered to to be the "vilest" of sins.I made it through the service, but came out of it troubled beyond belief. I did not know what God wanted. I was saved........ was I not?
To be honest, pastor preached a good message that night as well, but I was already under such heavy conviction, that I remember pretty much nothing about it. Bro. Dave finished off the night with a powerful message about underground churches and I remember some about it because God used some points in that sermon to continue tearing me apart. I remember well the walk to the Chow Hall to get my Bible back (they had taken everyone's away from them for the last sermon in order to bring to light how it was for an underground church. That and a couple other things....). It was an odd night, I was tore up inside and did not know why and my campers were all in bed already sleeping. I felt like I was carrying the world on my back as I walked to my cabin. I walked in and collapsed beside my bed and the tears flowed even more. "GOD!! What is it!! What do you want from me!!" I cried out to Him. And as only God could two things happened almost simultaneously, He said to me" I want you to accept me as your saviour. You have not asked me to forgive you of all you have done, are doing, and could do". I knew He was right but started to argue anyways, and this is when the second event happened. The youngest camper in my cabin stirred and heard my crying. He may have been able to see my there I do not know, But God used a very small phrase from him to drive it all home. That young camper under the influence of God said (and I quote) "It will be okay brother Paul." THAT WAS IT! I WAS DONE! I jumped up from beside my bed and said "No, it's not!!" and tore out of my cabin. I was looking for anyone. And there was Jarrod Dropps heading back to his cabin. I made a beeline towards him. He looked at me and said "what's wrong?" "I need to get saved" I cried. Thanks God for people who will not argue the point or will try to convince you that you are already saved. We went behind the chapel and there on my knees I finally asked God to forgive me of all that I had been, was, and could be.
WHAT A FEELING OF RELIEF! As soon as I got up from my knees, I knew I was saved. That weight of the world that was on my shoulders was gone. GONE!! there was no draining away, there was no easing of the pressure over time. It was instantly gone. Praise the Lord. My first thoughts were Thank you Lord and I need to tell someone. Jarrod, mentioned that I should tell Bro. Dave... well, duh I thought why did I not think of that... I ran, floated... I dunno really to the chow hall to tell him. What a joy I had in my heart. I then finally left there and wandered around a bit just praising and thanking god for what he had done. I then saw people over by the fire and headed that way. LOL, Jeremy Butcher was there with them and saw me coming. As I got closer he asked me "what's up?" in a what are you up to kind of way. I almost laughed because the way he questioned me and told them all the same thing, "I just got saved!" Now I knew that some people already thought I was saved, but I did not care what anyone was thinking at that point. All I wanted to do was tell anyone who would give me a minute or two what had just happened. And if you are still reading this well, I am saved and you are reading my testimony.
Man did I want to tell my parents, but unlike others I had to wait until I could get to a phone that would reach out to Fiji where they were serving as missionaries at the time. What a time I had telling them what God had just done in my life!!
So there you have it. May, 28 2008 I received Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. Has it been a perfect life for me since then? Nope, but I know that God is with me through it all. Even when I decide to try and do it all on my own and not ask Him for guidance or His leading. He has never failed me even when I have failed Him (to my shame).
I will sign off now so that I can compose myself, and get ready to face a new day. My only prayer for those of you who are still reading this..... if you are not saved, accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Saviour. He came to earth as a child born of a virgin. Was beaten, rejected, and crucified on a cross for you and ALL your sins. Rose again in three days and is now in heaven. He is at your hearts door knocking. He has a FREE GIFT just for you. It's not that hard to receive. We as humans make it that way. Well, adults anyways. I can tell you this, you will not regret it one day. It was the greatest day of my life and it can be yours as well.
I figured I would kick this off properly. Instead of trying to remember where I was at on my last post, I would start this one off with the greatest event ever to happen.
The year is 2008, things for me seemed to by spiraling out of control. I was having problems at work, home, pretty much everywhere. The reasons for it though..... I had no idea. As was my custom for the past few years I had decided to once gain be a counselor or whatever was needed at Teen Camp. I really had been enjoying it because i got to see God make some changes in a teens life. Either in their changing of attitudes, convictions or salvation. To be honest I struggled right up to the first day of camp. As we headed out to Twin Bears, I was still not sure I wanted to be there (I really had no idea or strong opinion of why that was). Anyways, camp kicked off and I had a new cabin of boys to look after. It was different this year because the boys got the side of camp the girls normally did. If I remember correctly this was because more girls than boys had shown up this year. At any rate, I was assigned cabin C. It was nice having some kids in my cabin that I did not know at all. Not to mention some of the younger campers that year as well.
As always the preaching at camp was powerful and to the point. I normally enjoyed every one of them and from previous years thought I was allowing God to use these camps to work in my life as well. So I thought. This year was different. I could not put my finger on it and it was getting aggravating. Finally, it happened. If I remember correctly it was on a Monday or early Tuesday that the topic of our lives affecting others and their decisions was brought up. I thought to myself that this was a great topic for the teens, and I prayed that God would really confirm this with some of the teens that I knew were struggling. The problem was that God would not leave me alone about it.
Moving on through the day, I had a very troubled spirit and did my best to "hide it". I had no idea what was going on? What did God want? Then Bro. Dave preached a sermon that God used to punch me in the gut, spin me around backwards, mess me up, and turn my world upside down. Thank God for Bro. Dave and his willingness to obey Gods leading!! He preached a sermon out of the old testiment on a king and his advisors who had received a letter from a prophet pointing out things that they needed to cahnge. But instead of heeding the warning, the cut the letter apart and said that this or that part did not apply to them. Dave, used this as an analogy of how we treated Gods Word in our lives. And as was pointed out to me by God This is what I was doing when it came to salvation. yes, I had asked God to forgive me of sins. But I had asked Him to forgive me of the sins I had done. Not for the sin nature that was in me. Yes I knew that God places all sin in one category, but I still did not think I was capable of what I considered to to be the "vilest" of sins.I made it through the service, but came out of it troubled beyond belief. I did not know what God wanted. I was saved........ was I not?
To be honest, pastor preached a good message that night as well, but I was already under such heavy conviction, that I remember pretty much nothing about it. Bro. Dave finished off the night with a powerful message about underground churches and I remember some about it because God used some points in that sermon to continue tearing me apart. I remember well the walk to the Chow Hall to get my Bible back (they had taken everyone's away from them for the last sermon in order to bring to light how it was for an underground church. That and a couple other things....). It was an odd night, I was tore up inside and did not know why and my campers were all in bed already sleeping. I felt like I was carrying the world on my back as I walked to my cabin. I walked in and collapsed beside my bed and the tears flowed even more. "GOD!! What is it!! What do you want from me!!" I cried out to Him. And as only God could two things happened almost simultaneously, He said to me" I want you to accept me as your saviour. You have not asked me to forgive you of all you have done, are doing, and could do". I knew He was right but started to argue anyways, and this is when the second event happened. The youngest camper in my cabin stirred and heard my crying. He may have been able to see my there I do not know, But God used a very small phrase from him to drive it all home. That young camper under the influence of God said (and I quote) "It will be okay brother Paul." THAT WAS IT! I WAS DONE! I jumped up from beside my bed and said "No, it's not!!" and tore out of my cabin. I was looking for anyone. And there was Jarrod Dropps heading back to his cabin. I made a beeline towards him. He looked at me and said "what's wrong?" "I need to get saved" I cried. Thanks God for people who will not argue the point or will try to convince you that you are already saved. We went behind the chapel and there on my knees I finally asked God to forgive me of all that I had been, was, and could be.
WHAT A FEELING OF RELIEF! As soon as I got up from my knees, I knew I was saved. That weight of the world that was on my shoulders was gone. GONE!! there was no draining away, there was no easing of the pressure over time. It was instantly gone. Praise the Lord. My first thoughts were Thank you Lord and I need to tell someone. Jarrod, mentioned that I should tell Bro. Dave... well, duh I thought why did I not think of that... I ran, floated... I dunno really to the chow hall to tell him. What a joy I had in my heart. I then finally left there and wandered around a bit just praising and thanking god for what he had done. I then saw people over by the fire and headed that way. LOL, Jeremy Butcher was there with them and saw me coming. As I got closer he asked me "what's up?" in a what are you up to kind of way. I almost laughed because the way he questioned me and told them all the same thing, "I just got saved!" Now I knew that some people already thought I was saved, but I did not care what anyone was thinking at that point. All I wanted to do was tell anyone who would give me a minute or two what had just happened. And if you are still reading this well, I am saved and you are reading my testimony.
Man did I want to tell my parents, but unlike others I had to wait until I could get to a phone that would reach out to Fiji where they were serving as missionaries at the time. What a time I had telling them what God had just done in my life!!
So there you have it. May, 28 2008 I received Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. Has it been a perfect life for me since then? Nope, but I know that God is with me through it all. Even when I decide to try and do it all on my own and not ask Him for guidance or His leading. He has never failed me even when I have failed Him (to my shame).
I will sign off now so that I can compose myself, and get ready to face a new day. My only prayer for those of you who are still reading this..... if you are not saved, accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Saviour. He came to earth as a child born of a virgin. Was beaten, rejected, and crucified on a cross for you and ALL your sins. Rose again in three days and is now in heaven. He is at your hearts door knocking. He has a FREE GIFT just for you. It's not that hard to receive. We as humans make it that way. Well, adults anyways. I can tell you this, you will not regret it one day. It was the greatest day of my life and it can be yours as well.
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