|
|
I grew up in a non Christian home, a family of seven, four sisters and two brothers. I am the youngest. It was not a loving home. In fact, it was very abusive both verbal and physical. My father was an alcoholic. At the age of 13, I began drinking alcohol. It progressed from there. At 15, I began to experiment with drugs, a little marijuana. I thought, "After all everybody else is doing it so it must be okay." This pattern of behavior continued and at the age of 17 I left highschool, left home and pursued a life that I thought was fitting for me. My attitude was to live life to the fullest, I mean after-all you only live once. (Proverbs 14:12 says, " There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but its end is the way of death") At this point I began to use harder drugs (cocain, meth, heroin, you name it) Now at the age of 22 my life was consumed with this addiction. Still there was a void in my life. I thought perhaps getting married would fill this void. Maybe this could be the love that I desperately needed. After seven years my marriage failed. There were so many terrible events that transpired within those seven years, but I am not here to testify of how bad I was, but to reveal the lies of the devil and to bring glory to the Lord!!!! I tried to change, and at the age of 28 I was bruised and battered by my sinful lifestyle. I am here to say that if you are bound to sin, you are bound to suffer. I tried counseling, rehab, and AA. I thought perhaps change would come by turning over a new leaf. I thought I could reform my own life. It worked! That is, for a week or two. You see, Ephesians 2:8-9 says that it is BY GRACE you are saved THROUGH FAITH and NOT of yourselves. It is a GIFT of God At the age of 31, I remarried and a year later we were expecting our first child, eight months later, Morgan was born (premature) She developed complications with her llungs and had caught pneumonia. Two weeks later, she died. I can recall the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. I said, "Oh God how can this be? How could you allow this to happen?" I recall in the last moments of her last breath her tiny little eyes opening for the first time as if to say... I'll see you again. Morgan died. that day we held our child for hours asking God how could this be, weeping over the lose of our child. After Morgan's funeral weeks went by and my former wife and I began to drift apart. We eventually separated with our divorce pending finalization. The natural thing for me to do was to continue to live the life I only knew and at the age of 32 I was still bound by sin. After two failed marriages, the death of my daughter, and a continued battle with drugs and alcohol I finally came to the realization that I needed help. that help came when a friend invited me to his church. On January 2, 1994 I went to church. I sat clear in the back. Possibly to hide. The pastors message was entitled "Spiritual Grammar" It was out of 2 Sam 12:15. He began to preach, and asked "Are you ready in the back?" Life is like a storyline, in life we fail to understand the puctuation and the pauses in life, we misread what God is trying to do. He said, "Don't ever put a period where God has put a comma and never put a comma where God has placed a period. As God struck King Davids child and the child became ill, there was a death sentence upon the child. David pleaded with God for the child to live. David perceived that his child had died and asked his servants, "Is the child dead?" and they said he is dead. the pastor went on to say that As long as there is life in this room, there is hope in this room and if you will keep on believing and keep on praying, there is a God who can veto every word of man and bring forth His glory and sovereign power. "Don't you listen to man any longer, God has veto power, perhaps there is a pending divorce, I wish that divorce was not final, I wish you hadn't lost that love one, but listen you haven't lost that love one because you know where they are... God will move in His sovereign power as long as we trust and believe Him. When God put a period at the end of your past, I want you to know He is picking up the pen and writing a new chapter in your life. Yesterday is gone period, but there is new life tomorrow.... 1993 has past 1994 can be a masterpiece if you will let it. Calvary says come and bring yesterday under the blood... I will write a big cancel on it period and the old life will be over and you will gegin a new life in Jesus Christ. you can not out sin the love of God PERIOD. Come just as you are." The invitation was given and I got up from my seat clear at the back of the sanctuary. I ran to the alter weeping and asking God for the forgiveness of my sins. I accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, and finally at 32 years of age the love that I desperately needed for so long entered my soul. 2 Cor 5:17 says If any man be in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away behold all things have become new. My conversion was truly awesome. It was such a radical transformation. The Holy Spirit consumed me and set me on fire for Him. God's love and His amazing graxe, set me free from my old lifestyle, set me free from drugs and alcohol! It was an absolute miracle! Suddenly, I have a new walk and a new talk, my whole countenance changed, the scales fell from my eyes, things I never seen before became clear. Suddenly, I have purpose in life and direction, such an overwhelming love, and joy unspeakable, peace that surpasses all understanding, full of kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It was kind of funny, the people I used to hate to be around became my friends, and the people I had wronged, I sought their forgiveness. I began to testify to my friends and family about this miracle. They would say, "Man, Rick you really changed, what got into you... and I said "What got into me? JESUS got into me!!!!!" Thank you for taking the time to read this truly amazing miracle of God's grace! Click HERE to return to the edited story Click HERE to create a banner that links to this story! Your e-mail address will be kept private!
HE INVITES, INC., a non-profit corporation.
These testimonies are not intended to provide |
|||||
