Galatians 5:19-26
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
I once lived continually in the acts of the flesh, could not escape them no matter how much I tried. God saved me in 1980 as I pleaded with Him to forgive me for all my horrible sins and the way I treated others. I was a hater, one who used and abused drugs, a fornicator, abusive speech, behavior, fits of rage getting into fights all the time. I didn't like school/college and hated to read. I wanted nothing whatsoever to do with God and in fact was internationally running from Him. My mother was a believer as was my future mother in law. They would preach at me but I had no interest.
That evening I was born again by Gods Spirit. I knew something happened to me as I desired to seek God through His word. I couldn't put the bible down. I started going to church to learn about Jesus with my future mother in law. I no longer hated people but felt shame for all the harm I had caused to others. My hate was replaced with love for others, I quit drinking and drugs immediately. I was experiencing the fruit of the spirit in my life. For the first time I had real peace, joy and self control as I sought Jesus and learned about the Christian life. I was discipled one on one with the Pastor and joined a small group bible study. That has not changed for me since 1980. I read and study His word daily and have continued to witness to others and have led many people to the Lord through witnessing how God had changed my life through the miracle of the new birth. God had changed my life completely and I had done a 180* turn around in the opposite direction.
God promises Eternal Life as per
1 John 5:11-13. I believed Gods word and His promises. My faith and security is in Him alone and when I do stumble or sin I'm immediately convicted of my sin and repent.
I knew about Jesus and there were always alter calls at those seminars I had gone to over the years but I never went forward because I did not want to be a hypocrite, I was not willing to give up my life and I knew that was a requirement.
We had a big blow out and we were over, I had promised many times I would get my anger under control, drug and alcohol as well. I use to get drunk and look for fights with anyone and everyone. She had broken up with me a few times before but I always talked my way back and made promises I would be different this time. Well finally my anger got the best of me and the worst of her and I won't go into details but I physically abused her and I knew it was over and I had lost who I loved most in my life.
I knew about Jesus and there were always alter calls at those seminars I had gone to over the years but I never went forward because I did not want to be a hypocrite, I was not willing to give up my life and I knew that was a requirement.
So that evening in my bedroom I was a broken young man who not only ruined my life, but her life and her families, my families because they loved her and my mother and her mother had become friends.
I wept like never before , humbled myself before the Lord and pleaded with Him to forgive me of all the horrible things I had done to others over the years. I asked Him to come into my life and change me because I know I was a complete failure and did not have the power or the will to change my life. That night Jesus gave me a new heart, new desires and my hatred for others became love for them. I started reading my bible because I actually had the desire to know Jesus and be His disciple and serve Him the rest of my days. I no longer had the desire for alcohol or drugs. My only desire was to know Him and to obey Him.
From that day until now I have studied His word every day and have not stopped. I prayed for her salvation and I started to go to church with her mother who forgave me for the horrible thing I did to her daughter. I became friends with the pastor and he mentored me and we would take walks and run together a few times a week. I was a quick learner and was a student of Gods word. I became an active member at that church.
About a year later she called me out of the blue for she had been told by several mutual friends and family that I had really changed this time and I was a different person than she knew. So we started hanging out and I was witnessing to her and after a few months she gave her life to Christ and we started dating again. Fast forward we married in 85.
So that is what brought me to Christ in a nutshell
We have 4 adult children who all serve the Lord in ministry as missionaries, children’s director, associate and youth pastor and professional Christian musician.
God has truly blessed my family beyond what I could ever imagined. I've seen the Lord answer so many prayers over the past 40 plus years that I could write page after page of His faithfulness in our lives.
