My faith is permanent. I am saved, and I will always be saved. I have my passport stamped to heaven, and I am going. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be with God forever when I die. My salvation is secure.
I grew up going to church, and I went to a Christian school until high school. I had good Christian teaching. I saw the good and bad of Christians in school, and it hurt my faith because the Christian teachers were hypocrites with favorites. It was sad.
After College, I was a banker, and then I bought and sold businesses. I quit going to church and reading my Bible. I got very, very far away from God. All I was worried about was making money. Somewhere along the way, I knew something was missing, and I needed more. I started reading the Bible in 1997. My grandmother was a strong Christian, and she died in 1998. She was 100. I was driving home from one of my businesses struggling with business issues and life issues, and I had a vision. In a group of clouds, my grandmother talked to me. She told me it was all true and it will be ok. Don’t worry. It was a fantastic experience, and I did not tell anybody about it for a while, but it changed my life immediately.
I read my Bible every day. I prayed every day. I quit reading other books except for Christian publications. I went to church on Wednesdays and Sundays. I joined a Sunday school. I was baptized or born again in 2000. I quit cursing, and I cared about other people. I stayed in my first marriage (unpleasant marriage) for another few years. I started participating in church ministries. My attitude changed from a greedy, selfish, mean spirited person to a generous, kind person. I still have my moments, but I am nothing like I was before I was born again. People noticed.
I began very evangelistic reading and studying different ways to share the gospel. I made it my duty to share the gospel. I look for opportunities. I have planted many seeds, and I have harvested a few. God used me to harvest a Muslim. What an experience.
My vision of God is straight out of Revelations when God is on the throne, and the martyrs are under the throne, begging him to finish it – to bring justice. When I think of God, that is what I imagine now.
I have taught Sunday School, small groups, and children groups. I was so busy for Christ; I taught children at the local trailer part on Sunday, small group Sunday night, small group Tuesday, and Thursday night. The best thing they were all different people. I learned more from teaching than I ever learned from reading and studying. What a blessing.
I have never been on a mission trip because I feel I am on mission every day. I visited homes sharing the gospel, passed out tracks, visited individuals in the hospital every Wednesday for a year or two, took children to summer church camp, slept overnight with homeless in programs, gospel, teach small groups, and became a Stephen Minister.
Stephen Minister is a layperson program where you take 40 hours of training along with continuing education weekly. As a layperson, you are assigned people from the church to help through their grief. If it is a severe issue, then you pass them on to the pastor. I did this for three years, and it was difficult. I had some interesting people, but they were hurting humans. I took on this challenge because I was not very emphatic, and I wanted to become more caring. A better listener. A great rewarding experience. I use the tools that I learned every day.
I believe Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead, and if you believe this, then you are saved. You have your salvation. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation because of the example of the thief on the cross. I think works come from your belief, and you want to help others. I believe the more works you do, and the less sin you commit, the closer you get to God. The Holy Spirit is increased in you, and it is how you get closer to God. If you do not do works and you sin, then you lose the strength of the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence in you is reduced. I have moved up and down on the Holy Spirit scale. I love God. I am saved, and I am excited about my faith.
