Personal Testimonies of God's Grace
The following personal testimonies are from people who have experienced the transforming love of Christ in their lives. Although it isn't easy for them to discuss such personal information, they have a deep desire to share their experiences in hopes others will receive a blessing and be drawn to a relationship with Jesus Christ. May their life challenges encourage you to stay strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! Amen!
Linda Blivens - Tennessee
I love words. I guess that stems from the time when, as a little girl, I would climb the apple tree in our backyard and pick a pan and then disappear into the attic for hours and read my books 'till I heard Mama calling me in for supper.
One day a few years ago I was thinking…if I had to pick one word that was the most important in the entire world, what word would I choose? My mind drifted and suddenly, and with clarity, that word came to me...'Jesus.'
Likewise, I can name you the single most important day of my life. Monday morning, March 12th, 1984. My personal testimony does not get off to a promising start, but I am blessed beyond measure to share it with you today.
Back in the early ‘80’s, due to the tragic death of my kid sister, I began a search for the after-life. As I looked down on the dead body of Sandy lying in that casket, I could not believe she was “gone”. I sensed she was “somewhere” and I had to find answers. After dabbling in the New Age religions and getting no relief from my aching heart, I decided that I probably needed to go back to the “religion” of my youth.
So I joined a local church and was baptized and immediately immersed myself in attendance every Sunday morning and night as well as Wednesday evenings. I even started teaching Sunday School and began a weekly woman’s prayer group in my home. All that church activity made me feel great! Friends and family would comment how much I had “changed”. How did this transformation come about? The Linda they had known for years was certainly not a church goer. All I could think to say was, “I joined the church and was baptized”. Yet, my testimony bothered me a little. I instinctively knew that salvation had something to do with Jesus Christ. After all, I called myself a CHRISTian. Yet… since I did not grasp how to place Him into the equation, I just continued the ‘joining the church and being baptized’ mantra.
But do you want to know something very, very important? I did want to know God. The one, true God. And I told Him that one day.
In His mercy and love and by His Holy Spirit, God began to work in my life with His intent to bring me to Him through the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. He knew He had to show me I had embraced a false testimony and was lost and still separated from Him. Joining a church congregation and being baptized was not a substitute for the born again experience through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross He requires, according to His word. In His timing and in His way, He began His work.
FIRST…He had the task of dislodging my firmly held belief that I was already saved. Remember, I was in church every time the doors were open, taught Sunday School and had women in my home weekly for prayer for Heaven’s sake! I was considered pretty important in the church, you know!
Do you know why I railed against God’s Spirit as long as I did as He continued trying to get me to see I was lost? PRIDE! How in the world was I going to go back and let everybody know that I was not even saved to begin with! The lessons I learned from that regrettable period of time are two-fold:
# 1 Pride will split hell wide open one day.
# 2 We are not to base our testimonies on feelings. No one “felt” more saved than I. Our testimony must be based on the Word of God.
SECOND…even while still lost our gracious Heavenly Father prompted me to leave the church I was attending. You know…the church where the gospel was never preached and joining the church and especially being baptized was paramount. I did leave.
THEN God planted me in the middle of a wonderful Bible believing, Bible teaching, and Bible living church body. I remember the first time I attended that church and the pastor called for the welcoming of visitors. The overwhelming Spirit of God was so sweet in that building that I burst into tears when several people ascending on me at once to welcome me! I felt like I had been wandering in the desert thirsting to death and they had just given me a cool drink of water.
And there I began to hear truth from God’s Word as I’d never heard it before. As Pastor Mike preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and the need for salvation for every human being on Planet Earth, he urged all to “repent and turn away from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.” I would hear the message and try to internalize it but eventually I became deadlocked.
I was stumbling over “repent and turn away from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.” I thought that meant if I told God I was sorry I sinned (repent) and stopped sinning (turn away from your sins), then I would be “good” enough to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior. (What does God’s word say about any form of ‘earning’ our salvation?) Once again, my God who was so merciful and filled with such love for me would not let me miss out on knowing Him.
The Sunday finally came when Pastor Mike said from the pulpit, “Let me put it this way. I am going to separate two words…’SIN’ with all capital letters and ‘sins’ with all lower case letters. ‘SIN’ is the black condition of the human heart, the condition each and every one of you was born with due to THE FALL of mankind. This happened when Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, breaking their perfect union with Him thus casting all of future humanity into that broken relationship.
‘Sins’ such as lying, cheating, stealing, murder, lust, impure thoughts and motives, coveting, adultery, etc. are the rotten fruit that each of you naturally and willfully commit as a result of being born with the ‘SIN’ condition.
‘SIN’ is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you. In doing that, he took every one of your ‘sins’ – past, present and future - upon Himself and declared you guiltless when you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior.
When you accept Christ and are born again, the Holy Spirit comes instantaneously and indwells you and God begins the process of convicting you of your daily ‘sins’ and creating a new you in the image of His Son! You will then be in a daily earthly state of perfecting but not be made perfect until Christ takes you to be with Him forever”.
THEN, my friends, is when THE HOLY LIGHTBULB turned on in my mind and heart! I FINALLY GOT IT!!!
The next morning, with total brokenness and surrender, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me from my SIN and to forgive me and take away my terrible sins that had plagued me all my life. I asked Christ to start purifying me by the power of His Holy Spirit.
The miracle of miracles happened to me that day and Heaven came down and indwelled me and my life has never been the same. I have never once doubted my salvation but I wish I could say I have never rebelled against my Heavenly Father. A series of back-to-back tragedies hit me several years ago and like an angry child I stomped my feet and turned my back on my good and gracious Heavenly Father, blaming Him.
He let me wallow in the mud just like the prodigal son but He never once took His eyes off this sparrow. Through His convicting Holy Spirit and the deep trials he allowed me to face, I finally ran “HOME” where He waited with open arms.
And the incredible thing?
He held me, broken and sobbing, and gently reminded me that the hardships that had caused me to walk away from Him were caused by the freewill of others, not Him. Yet through those trials I faced, I learned more deeply of His love, mercy and grace than all the years prior in my Christian walk.
I love you, my Poppa God.
And thank you for allowing me to share my love story with you.
“I will tell of Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him…” (Psalm 22:22-23).
I love words. I guess that stems from the time when, as a little girl, I would climb the apple tree in our backyard and pick a pan and then disappear into the attic for hours and read my books 'till I heard Mama calling me in for supper.
One day a few years ago I was thinking…if I had to pick one word that was the most important in the entire world, what word would I choose? My mind drifted and suddenly, and with clarity, that word came to me...'Jesus.'
Likewise, I can name you the single most important day of my life. Monday morning, March 12th, 1984. My personal testimony does not get off to a promising start, but I am blessed beyond measure to share it with you today.
Back in the early ‘80’s, due to the tragic death of my kid sister, I began a search for the after-life. As I looked down on the dead body of Sandy lying in that casket, I could not believe she was “gone”. I sensed she was “somewhere” and I had to find answers. After dabbling in the New Age religions and getting no relief from my aching heart, I decided that I probably needed to go back to the “religion” of my youth.
So I joined a local church and was baptized and immediately immersed myself in attendance every Sunday morning and night as well as Wednesday evenings. I even started teaching Sunday School and began a weekly woman’s prayer group in my home. All that church activity made me feel great! Friends and family would comment how much I had “changed”. How did this transformation come about? The Linda they had known for years was certainly not a church goer. All I could think to say was, “I joined the church and was baptized”. Yet, my testimony bothered me a little. I instinctively knew that salvation had something to do with Jesus Christ. After all, I called myself a CHRISTian. Yet… since I did not grasp how to place Him into the equation, I just continued the ‘joining the church and being baptized’ mantra.
But do you want to know something very, very important? I did want to know God. The one, true God. And I told Him that one day.
In His mercy and love and by His Holy Spirit, God began to work in my life with His intent to bring me to Him through the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. He knew He had to show me I had embraced a false testimony and was lost and still separated from Him. Joining a church congregation and being baptized was not a substitute for the born again experience through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross He requires, according to His word. In His timing and in His way, He began His work.
FIRST…He had the task of dislodging my firmly held belief that I was already saved. Remember, I was in church every time the doors were open, taught Sunday School and had women in my home weekly for prayer for Heaven’s sake! I was considered pretty important in the church, you know!
Do you know why I railed against God’s Spirit as long as I did as He continued trying to get me to see I was lost? PRIDE! How in the world was I going to go back and let everybody know that I was not even saved to begin with! The lessons I learned from that regrettable period of time are two-fold:
# 1 Pride will split hell wide open one day.
# 2 We are not to base our testimonies on feelings. No one “felt” more saved than I. Our testimony must be based on the Word of God.
SECOND…even while still lost our gracious Heavenly Father prompted me to leave the church I was attending. You know…the church where the gospel was never preached and joining the church and especially being baptized was paramount. I did leave.
THEN God planted me in the middle of a wonderful Bible believing, Bible teaching, and Bible living church body. I remember the first time I attended that church and the pastor called for the welcoming of visitors. The overwhelming Spirit of God was so sweet in that building that I burst into tears when several people ascending on me at once to welcome me! I felt like I had been wandering in the desert thirsting to death and they had just given me a cool drink of water.
And there I began to hear truth from God’s Word as I’d never heard it before. As Pastor Mike preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and the need for salvation for every human being on Planet Earth, he urged all to “repent and turn away from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.” I would hear the message and try to internalize it but eventually I became deadlocked.
I was stumbling over “repent and turn away from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.” I thought that meant if I told God I was sorry I sinned (repent) and stopped sinning (turn away from your sins), then I would be “good” enough to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior. (What does God’s word say about any form of ‘earning’ our salvation?) Once again, my God who was so merciful and filled with such love for me would not let me miss out on knowing Him.
The Sunday finally came when Pastor Mike said from the pulpit, “Let me put it this way. I am going to separate two words…’SIN’ with all capital letters and ‘sins’ with all lower case letters. ‘SIN’ is the black condition of the human heart, the condition each and every one of you was born with due to THE FALL of mankind. This happened when Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, breaking their perfect union with Him thus casting all of future humanity into that broken relationship.
‘Sins’ such as lying, cheating, stealing, murder, lust, impure thoughts and motives, coveting, adultery, etc. are the rotten fruit that each of you naturally and willfully commit as a result of being born with the ‘SIN’ condition.
‘SIN’ is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you. In doing that, he took every one of your ‘sins’ – past, present and future - upon Himself and declared you guiltless when you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior.
When you accept Christ and are born again, the Holy Spirit comes instantaneously and indwells you and God begins the process of convicting you of your daily ‘sins’ and creating a new you in the image of His Son! You will then be in a daily earthly state of perfecting but not be made perfect until Christ takes you to be with Him forever”.
THEN, my friends, is when THE HOLY LIGHTBULB turned on in my mind and heart! I FINALLY GOT IT!!!
The next morning, with total brokenness and surrender, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me from my SIN and to forgive me and take away my terrible sins that had plagued me all my life. I asked Christ to start purifying me by the power of His Holy Spirit.
The miracle of miracles happened to me that day and Heaven came down and indwelled me and my life has never been the same. I have never once doubted my salvation but I wish I could say I have never rebelled against my Heavenly Father. A series of back-to-back tragedies hit me several years ago and like an angry child I stomped my feet and turned my back on my good and gracious Heavenly Father, blaming Him.
He let me wallow in the mud just like the prodigal son but He never once took His eyes off this sparrow. Through His convicting Holy Spirit and the deep trials he allowed me to face, I finally ran “HOME” where He waited with open arms.
And the incredible thing?
He held me, broken and sobbing, and gently reminded me that the hardships that had caused me to walk away from Him were caused by the freewill of others, not Him. Yet through those trials I faced, I learned more deeply of His love, mercy and grace than all the years prior in my Christian walk.
I love you, my Poppa God.
And thank you for allowing me to share my love story with you.
“I will tell of Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him…” (Psalm 22:22-23).
Katherine Holland Dubose
For a year or so now this has been a real roller coaster ride for my family and me. My mom has been up and down, good and bad days. She was doing well this past weekend when a nurse practitioner came in and in front of my mom kept saying – even though my mom was doing well – you have to keep going back to the first prognosis, which is cancer. Now I understand from her point of view she has to look at things from a doctor's stand point, but when you talk like that in front of a patient, you give them a sense of ‘no hope’ and no reason to live; that’s exactly what she did to my mom.
From the time that nurse left, my mom began a severe downward slope (this was Monday 7-8-13). I want to tell everyone something right now; unless the Lord tells you HE is taking that loved one home to be with Him, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up hope!!! I don't care if they are an infant or 90 years old. Don't stop praying; don't stop feeding them the Word of God, because in a twinkling of an eye, in an instant, God can perform a miracle. I don't care what the situation looks like, look to God. Keep your eyes on HIM and HIM alone. Glory to God!
The Lord has been showing me this scripture this past couple of weeks. John 10:10, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows)” Amplified Version. Stand firm on HIS word and promises. Don't let the enemy come in and steal your joy. To be perfectly honest, that Monday my Dad’s and my joy were gone. I have been praying and talking to the Lord, asking HIM about the situation and what I have written here is what the Lord put on my heart and I wanted to share it with all of you. Tell that loved one, Jesus is alive and well and God is still on the throne and that In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and by HIS blood rise up and be healed. Claim it till something happens! DON'T GIVE UP! I love you all and I earnestly pray your miracle comes today.
PSALM 103:1-5 (AMP)
1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--
3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;
5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!
From the time that nurse left, my mom began a severe downward slope (this was Monday 7-8-13). I want to tell everyone something right now; unless the Lord tells you HE is taking that loved one home to be with Him, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up hope!!! I don't care if they are an infant or 90 years old. Don't stop praying; don't stop feeding them the Word of God, because in a twinkling of an eye, in an instant, God can perform a miracle. I don't care what the situation looks like, look to God. Keep your eyes on HIM and HIM alone. Glory to God!
The Lord has been showing me this scripture this past couple of weeks. John 10:10, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows)” Amplified Version. Stand firm on HIS word and promises. Don't let the enemy come in and steal your joy. To be perfectly honest, that Monday my Dad’s and my joy were gone. I have been praying and talking to the Lord, asking HIM about the situation and what I have written here is what the Lord put on my heart and I wanted to share it with all of you. Tell that loved one, Jesus is alive and well and God is still on the throne and that In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and by HIS blood rise up and be healed. Claim it till something happens! DON'T GIVE UP! I love you all and I earnestly pray your miracle comes today.
PSALM 103:1-5 (AMP)
1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits--
3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;
5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!
Anthony Starchild Perry - TX
I started dialysis on 6/15/ 2013, six years ago and I'm still here. While learning to deal with this, I ask God ‘why me’ when it first happen. He told me “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ power may rest on me” (II Corinthians 12:9, 10).
That is just one miracle, but the one I'm here to testify about is this. On 10/17/ 2011, I went to do my dialysis which took four hours; afterwards, I drove to a friend’s house for dinner. We had barbeque Miami style! I ate some from my plate, covered it up and said I would eat it the rest tomorrow, but tomorrow never came for that plate of food, because I woke up in a cardiac unit. It was in Hollywood ten days later that I learned I had a massive heart attack and actually died!
Be that as it were, God stepped in and told death to ‘stay away’! In the days following, I had to undergo six months in a rehab – thank you Jesus for providing healing! Since that time, I have had four minor set-backs with my heart, but as of two weeks ago, God intervened and the doctor told me my heart was good and strong! I am a living testimony to the healing power of God through Jesus Christ! So never worry about the things you can’t fix, because the ‘Fixer’ of all things will step in and tell sickness and death to ‘stay away’! To God be the glory, Amen!
That is just one miracle, but the one I'm here to testify about is this. On 10/17/ 2011, I went to do my dialysis which took four hours; afterwards, I drove to a friend’s house for dinner. We had barbeque Miami style! I ate some from my plate, covered it up and said I would eat it the rest tomorrow, but tomorrow never came for that plate of food, because I woke up in a cardiac unit. It was in Hollywood ten days later that I learned I had a massive heart attack and actually died!
Be that as it were, God stepped in and told death to ‘stay away’! In the days following, I had to undergo six months in a rehab – thank you Jesus for providing healing! Since that time, I have had four minor set-backs with my heart, but as of two weeks ago, God intervened and the doctor told me my heart was good and strong! I am a living testimony to the healing power of God through Jesus Christ! So never worry about the things you can’t fix, because the ‘Fixer’ of all things will step in and tell sickness and death to ‘stay away’! To God be the glory, Amen!
Ruth Different - Bryam, MS
I was saved when I was about 9 or 10 years of age. I don't recall the age for sure and don't really recall much except talking to Bro Allen and then going down on the second verse of Just as I am. My grandmother was there. Often I hear people talk about when they were saved and so many have these great conversions. They were drinkers, drug users, things like that. But once they became saved they gave all that up and became followers of Christ. Not to say they still did not have sin because being a Christian is a growing process. We never stop learning or growing or changing. Or at least we should.
This always bothered me about my own salvation. I was no great sinner at that age, not by what the world considers sin anyways. But still a sinner. So I cannot profess to have some great conversion in my life such as some do,or as Paul did; but I do believed I was saved. Did I understand what I did, yes and no. I believed Jesus had saved me but I did still have learning to do. Again it is a growing process. I knew about the 10 commandments for the most part but some I did not really come to understand until I was older.
Now although I did not have a somewhat dramatic conversion, there was a change. I think for one, it kept me from doing a lot of things I probably otherwise would have done. Not to say I have not broken the commandments because I have; not to say I never sinned because I did and still do. I am not perfect, no one is, but I have always had a fear of God. Not a scared fear, but a respectful fear. I know God is real, I know He can do anything, I know He is the only true God. I know He is in control of everything, nothing that happens is a surprise to Him. I believe that Jesus is His Son and that He was sinless and died for my sins. I know that because of this: if I did do something wrong it is brought to my attention through the Spirit. I don't believe a non-christian is convicted in the same way. For most people we are raised to know right and wrong; like stealing, murder or such. But a conviction by the Spirit is goes deeper, into the heart of what is right or wrong. At least I believe it does. It is a daily dying to self.
Now the Bible tells us that even the devil believes and trembles, so what is the difference? The difference is FAITH. A christian not only believes, but has Faith in the Word of God and His promises - faith in Jesus and His death for OUR sins.
I know I am saved by the blood of Jesus. I could never be good enough or do enough good things to save myself. I am in the flesh and the flesh is weak. You can be a good person and not be saved. Being good is not going to save you from hell. Admitting you are a sinner and believing that Jesus died for your sins; through His blood you are saved and Confess Him as Lord. That is the only way to be saved.
Romans 10:9, 10 - "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
This always bothered me about my own salvation. I was no great sinner at that age, not by what the world considers sin anyways. But still a sinner. So I cannot profess to have some great conversion in my life such as some do,or as Paul did; but I do believed I was saved. Did I understand what I did, yes and no. I believed Jesus had saved me but I did still have learning to do. Again it is a growing process. I knew about the 10 commandments for the most part but some I did not really come to understand until I was older.
Now although I did not have a somewhat dramatic conversion, there was a change. I think for one, it kept me from doing a lot of things I probably otherwise would have done. Not to say I have not broken the commandments because I have; not to say I never sinned because I did and still do. I am not perfect, no one is, but I have always had a fear of God. Not a scared fear, but a respectful fear. I know God is real, I know He can do anything, I know He is the only true God. I know He is in control of everything, nothing that happens is a surprise to Him. I believe that Jesus is His Son and that He was sinless and died for my sins. I know that because of this: if I did do something wrong it is brought to my attention through the Spirit. I don't believe a non-christian is convicted in the same way. For most people we are raised to know right and wrong; like stealing, murder or such. But a conviction by the Spirit is goes deeper, into the heart of what is right or wrong. At least I believe it does. It is a daily dying to self.
Now the Bible tells us that even the devil believes and trembles, so what is the difference? The difference is FAITH. A christian not only believes, but has Faith in the Word of God and His promises - faith in Jesus and His death for OUR sins.
I know I am saved by the blood of Jesus. I could never be good enough or do enough good things to save myself. I am in the flesh and the flesh is weak. You can be a good person and not be saved. Being good is not going to save you from hell. Admitting you are a sinner and believing that Jesus died for your sins; through His blood you are saved and Confess Him as Lord. That is the only way to be saved.
Romans 10:9, 10 - "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
Amanda - WV
At the age of nineteen, I was told that I would never have a child. The news was devastating, as I had recently become engaged to a wonderful Christian man. I felt that if I went through with the marriage, I would be taking away his opportunity to be the wonderful father I knew he could be. After much prayer and talking to some of our friends that we went to church with, I realized that God had put us together for a reason. I loved this man and our marriage would be wonderful. I also knew the Lord would give us what we were meant to have.
Four years into the marriage, I underwent several rounds of fertility treatments and finally said ‘Okay Lord, I turn it over to you – if it is your will, it will be done. I know you have a child somewhere and it does not need to be of blood kin – hearts full of love makes a family.’ Three weeks later I had terrible food poising (or so I thought) and went to my family doctor after I couldn't shake the bug. She came in with the blood results and announced that she hoped we were ready, because this ‘bug’ would be sticking around for the rest of our lives!
I often read these scriptures to get me through and give me hope: Genesis 17:15-16 ESV, “And God said to Abraham, as for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Again, Hebrews 11:11 ESV, “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” This next verse, however, is my favorite one of all! Psalm 113:9 ESV, “He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.” Praise the Lord! I am happy and a blessed mother of a wonderful little boy that still carries the nickname ‘Bug’ almost nine years later!
Four years into the marriage, I underwent several rounds of fertility treatments and finally said ‘Okay Lord, I turn it over to you – if it is your will, it will be done. I know you have a child somewhere and it does not need to be of blood kin – hearts full of love makes a family.’ Three weeks later I had terrible food poising (or so I thought) and went to my family doctor after I couldn't shake the bug. She came in with the blood results and announced that she hoped we were ready, because this ‘bug’ would be sticking around for the rest of our lives!
I often read these scriptures to get me through and give me hope: Genesis 17:15-16 ESV, “And God said to Abraham, as for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Again, Hebrews 11:11 ESV, “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” This next verse, however, is my favorite one of all! Psalm 113:9 ESV, “He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.” Praise the Lord! I am happy and a blessed mother of a wonderful little boy that still carries the nickname ‘Bug’ almost nine years later!
C.J. King
My testimony is probably a little boring compared to some
others, but I hope it will encourage you. I was raised a Christian and have
always been one. My parents were great people and worked endlessly, but we were
poor, kind of like the Christian Appalachian Projects pictures and little
stories; yeah, I was that kid in that picture, but I could not be any more
proud and thankful!
I was in my 30’s before I understood most people's concept of "poor". I didn’t know any poor people like that. I knew some had to hand wash their best clothes in the morning to have it all dried and ironed by church time. I also knew of some that grew all their own food. I knew some that read the Bible, and helped others, and really tried to live by the Golden Rule.
My first job was when I was fourteen - a janitor’s position in the County's Summer Job Program for the poor kids. That is where I first saw my now ex-husband, Dan. However, I didn't know him very well until we were nineteen, and he already was in the process of a divorce. I married him in 1995. I worked five jobs that summer and it was I that paid for the wedding and the first apartment, etc. “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might”. The worst thing about Dan, come to find out, after I was deeply attached to him; he was a New-Ager. I didn’t know anything about the New Age Movement before, only that it was weird. His family was Christian... I guess I didn't take this very seriously. He started leading witchcraft meetings in our apartment and teaching everyone how to become possessed by demons, NOT COOL to say the least!
This was our situation when I learned Nicole was on the way. I planned to save all my money and disappear with my Baby in December, when the boat pulled out again – I didn’t have the money to do it on the October trip. However, Dan came home from the October trip and said he was SO SORRY and SO SAVED! He really applied himself to the Bible and in only a few months, he could find chapter and verse faster than I could. Thank you, JESUS!!! He was studying to be a Minister. He was a great Dad, and, for the most part, a great husband. When I was expecting Daniel the next year, he got another raise and I became a full-time parent, which I wanted, but had misgivings about. I never wanted to be ‘supported’; the buck has usually stopped with me. However, we trusted God and did without some things so I wouldn’t have to work, giving more time to raise my children as a Heritage of the Lord.
Around 2000 was some wonderful years of babies, church work, and ‘being somebody’. The only really bad thing to happen was the loss of my Dad. I set up his funeral all alone, and preached it! He died on a Sunday and I was right up there that night at my church leading my choir – “for the day of death is better than the day of birth”, if we are saved. Sadly, I also have lost my two brothers. They cannot come back to me; however, I can go to them.
Nicole was a fine baby, but Daniel, seventeen months younger, started to leave her in the dust, as toddlers. Kindergarten entry testing confirmed our fears; speech therapy and special slow classes were recommended for her. I started losing popularity because everyone ‘thought’ about how I had done this to her myself. I was twenty-three, and I swore off caffeine when I took that test (and slept for a whole week, LOL). I broke down only once and took two Tylenols. Some things in this world, we will never understand until the next – “for now we see through a glass darkly, but then, face to face, for we will see Him as He is."
Dan left me in 2007 with four little babies – two in diapers and one ‘special’ child. He is not the devil, rather, I believe he became tripped and distracted by the devil, which is something we all have to look out for at all times. "Let a man that thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall". I had been out of the ‘real job’ market for nearly a decade already. Daniel was eight and had some understanding; he was devastated as he and I lay down in the floor, kicked and screamed and pitched a fit together, after we hugged Dan goodbye and watched as he pulled out of sight, heading ten long hours away with plans to remarry someone else. Then I said; we'll miss him for sure, but we're going to get right back up and go right on and we did – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
I became a Substitute Teacher, but first I remained a full-time Mom. My children needed that more than ever. They did well; made good grades and received remarks from everyone about how they were the BEST kids they had ever seen. They most assuredly never did without anything. Two years ago, Dan (but mostly his wife) got tired of sending support, and they came against me with a bogus witch-trial, filed in the Courthouse only the very night beforehand and based only on me being POOR and they won! My babies are now with them and I “owe" as of today, $7500 in child-support, with $400 more piling up onto it monthly and even jail. I have narrowly and, only by God's Grace, avoided jail at every court-hearing so far since last August. The world paints me as a worthless deadbeat and many are falsely accusing me of drug use, as they "think", I'm really having trouble finding work and I have two big breaks in my front teeth, so there you go - Case Closed. The last two years have been by far the most difficult of everything else yet, all put together.
I said all of that to say this: All my life people have asked, ‘How do you do it? I always answer, GOD. I'm not bragging on myself, but bragging on Him. I have FAITH. I have so much because I KNOW God, for "He is near to the broken-hearted". Many times it’s been ‘Just me and Jesus’! For REAL! I imagine Him with me always, a Best Friend. He rides in the car with me to deliver my phone books. He sets on the other couch and watches every movie with me, telling me what He likes and what He hates about each part of it. He sets with his arm around me at all the funerals and He is the ‘why and how’ of all the good I have ever done. He is why I'm not scared of anything. "Be strong and of a good courage, for the Lord your God, He it is that does go with you, he will never fail or forsake you". He’s why I'm 100% sober and never even taken ‘medication’. “The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!” He’s why, when I could have saved my house, (most of Dan's *case*) by taking a drug-run to Florida for an instant $1000, I didn’t. You know, I (the real, old flesh) thought about going for a second, but Jesus, who was sitting beside me said, how can you even think it? NO you WON’T ‘get caught’, but you will live in Satan’s house and you will never be able to sleep again!!! So I replied, NO. If God doesn’t save this house, I guess He wants me to move. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord".
So He chose not to save it, and I had to move, to a BETTER house! However, Dan still had a *case*. Also, last summer, I found $17K that I could have stolen soooo quick and easily! It would have bought my babies back and made me ‘look good’ again, too. But NO, I couldn’t dream of it. I believe that GOD will fix this situation, without me clearly breaking His laws. The whole nightmare I am in could END with me signing a paper of the last shred of ‘parental rights’, but I would never, EVER do that! If God allows me to be put in jail, I will go there and be a witness (although I really HOPE He doesn’t allow that). If they burn me alive at the stake over this, I will never sign. I do not bend, break, or compromise in any way what I believe in. I have a promise from God, I WILL reap what I have sown, if not in this life, for sure in the next. When I'm buried under a cross it won't be a joke, a hope some relative has, or just to keep the vampires away; but it will be a cross I have carried all through these years.
I will be forty in December, so all of my stories would take a very long time to tell you, but remember, my brothers and sisters, "Many are the afflictions of the Righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all". "Be faithful until death and Jesus will give you a crown of Life!” Thank you JESUS! I Love Him today. He has been SO GOOD to ME!
I was in my 30’s before I understood most people's concept of "poor". I didn’t know any poor people like that. I knew some had to hand wash their best clothes in the morning to have it all dried and ironed by church time. I also knew of some that grew all their own food. I knew some that read the Bible, and helped others, and really tried to live by the Golden Rule.
My first job was when I was fourteen - a janitor’s position in the County's Summer Job Program for the poor kids. That is where I first saw my now ex-husband, Dan. However, I didn't know him very well until we were nineteen, and he already was in the process of a divorce. I married him in 1995. I worked five jobs that summer and it was I that paid for the wedding and the first apartment, etc. “Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might”. The worst thing about Dan, come to find out, after I was deeply attached to him; he was a New-Ager. I didn’t know anything about the New Age Movement before, only that it was weird. His family was Christian... I guess I didn't take this very seriously. He started leading witchcraft meetings in our apartment and teaching everyone how to become possessed by demons, NOT COOL to say the least!
This was our situation when I learned Nicole was on the way. I planned to save all my money and disappear with my Baby in December, when the boat pulled out again – I didn’t have the money to do it on the October trip. However, Dan came home from the October trip and said he was SO SORRY and SO SAVED! He really applied himself to the Bible and in only a few months, he could find chapter and verse faster than I could. Thank you, JESUS!!! He was studying to be a Minister. He was a great Dad, and, for the most part, a great husband. When I was expecting Daniel the next year, he got another raise and I became a full-time parent, which I wanted, but had misgivings about. I never wanted to be ‘supported’; the buck has usually stopped with me. However, we trusted God and did without some things so I wouldn’t have to work, giving more time to raise my children as a Heritage of the Lord.
Around 2000 was some wonderful years of babies, church work, and ‘being somebody’. The only really bad thing to happen was the loss of my Dad. I set up his funeral all alone, and preached it! He died on a Sunday and I was right up there that night at my church leading my choir – “for the day of death is better than the day of birth”, if we are saved. Sadly, I also have lost my two brothers. They cannot come back to me; however, I can go to them.
Nicole was a fine baby, but Daniel, seventeen months younger, started to leave her in the dust, as toddlers. Kindergarten entry testing confirmed our fears; speech therapy and special slow classes were recommended for her. I started losing popularity because everyone ‘thought’ about how I had done this to her myself. I was twenty-three, and I swore off caffeine when I took that test (and slept for a whole week, LOL). I broke down only once and took two Tylenols. Some things in this world, we will never understand until the next – “for now we see through a glass darkly, but then, face to face, for we will see Him as He is."
Dan left me in 2007 with four little babies – two in diapers and one ‘special’ child. He is not the devil, rather, I believe he became tripped and distracted by the devil, which is something we all have to look out for at all times. "Let a man that thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall". I had been out of the ‘real job’ market for nearly a decade already. Daniel was eight and had some understanding; he was devastated as he and I lay down in the floor, kicked and screamed and pitched a fit together, after we hugged Dan goodbye and watched as he pulled out of sight, heading ten long hours away with plans to remarry someone else. Then I said; we'll miss him for sure, but we're going to get right back up and go right on and we did – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
I became a Substitute Teacher, but first I remained a full-time Mom. My children needed that more than ever. They did well; made good grades and received remarks from everyone about how they were the BEST kids they had ever seen. They most assuredly never did without anything. Two years ago, Dan (but mostly his wife) got tired of sending support, and they came against me with a bogus witch-trial, filed in the Courthouse only the very night beforehand and based only on me being POOR and they won! My babies are now with them and I “owe" as of today, $7500 in child-support, with $400 more piling up onto it monthly and even jail. I have narrowly and, only by God's Grace, avoided jail at every court-hearing so far since last August. The world paints me as a worthless deadbeat and many are falsely accusing me of drug use, as they "think", I'm really having trouble finding work and I have two big breaks in my front teeth, so there you go - Case Closed. The last two years have been by far the most difficult of everything else yet, all put together.
I said all of that to say this: All my life people have asked, ‘How do you do it? I always answer, GOD. I'm not bragging on myself, but bragging on Him. I have FAITH. I have so much because I KNOW God, for "He is near to the broken-hearted". Many times it’s been ‘Just me and Jesus’! For REAL! I imagine Him with me always, a Best Friend. He rides in the car with me to deliver my phone books. He sets on the other couch and watches every movie with me, telling me what He likes and what He hates about each part of it. He sets with his arm around me at all the funerals and He is the ‘why and how’ of all the good I have ever done. He is why I'm not scared of anything. "Be strong and of a good courage, for the Lord your God, He it is that does go with you, he will never fail or forsake you". He’s why I'm 100% sober and never even taken ‘medication’. “The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!” He’s why, when I could have saved my house, (most of Dan's *case*) by taking a drug-run to Florida for an instant $1000, I didn’t. You know, I (the real, old flesh) thought about going for a second, but Jesus, who was sitting beside me said, how can you even think it? NO you WON’T ‘get caught’, but you will live in Satan’s house and you will never be able to sleep again!!! So I replied, NO. If God doesn’t save this house, I guess He wants me to move. "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord".
So He chose not to save it, and I had to move, to a BETTER house! However, Dan still had a *case*. Also, last summer, I found $17K that I could have stolen soooo quick and easily! It would have bought my babies back and made me ‘look good’ again, too. But NO, I couldn’t dream of it. I believe that GOD will fix this situation, without me clearly breaking His laws. The whole nightmare I am in could END with me signing a paper of the last shred of ‘parental rights’, but I would never, EVER do that! If God allows me to be put in jail, I will go there and be a witness (although I really HOPE He doesn’t allow that). If they burn me alive at the stake over this, I will never sign. I do not bend, break, or compromise in any way what I believe in. I have a promise from God, I WILL reap what I have sown, if not in this life, for sure in the next. When I'm buried under a cross it won't be a joke, a hope some relative has, or just to keep the vampires away; but it will be a cross I have carried all through these years.
I will be forty in December, so all of my stories would take a very long time to tell you, but remember, my brothers and sisters, "Many are the afflictions of the Righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all". "Be faithful until death and Jesus will give you a crown of Life!” Thank you JESUS! I Love Him today. He has been SO GOOD to ME!
Nancy Huggins - Kingsport, TN
“I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus ...” This is Added to my Profile on January 27, 2011, one day after receiving the news of my upcoming surgery. I want to tell everyone a little about myself and some of the things God has done for me since I got saved. I was saved on June 29, 1980, three years after I had my first open heart surgery. I contracted rheumatic fever sometime when I was a child, but being very poor we couldn't afford to go to a doctor.
On the night of my daughter’s birth, May 11, 1976, I almost died due to my blood pressure dropping so low. They thought I was leaving this world, but God was merciful with me though I didn't know Him at the time. On my daughter's 1st birthday, May 11, 1977, I had the mitral valve repaired during open heart surgery. God was with me then, but I still didn't know him. On June 29, 1980, I finally became born again and my whole life changed. I was in a very abusive marriage and had two children by then. My son was a miracle birth – no problems, though I was not supposed to have any more children. God still had mercy on me because my son was born in March 1979.
After getting saved, I prayed and prayed for God to change my husband. In January 1981, he did confess Christ as his Lord and was delivered from alcoholism and being abusive to my children and me. God gave him a great job making more money than he had ever made in his life, but after receiving his new job, he started staying late at work trying to work his way up – which he did – but started leaving God out of his life. Finally after a year, he started drinking again and became mad at God because of the death of his mother – who, incidentally, was saved before God took her home, another miracle. At first it wasn't too bad, but then the abuse started again. My husband had so much un-forgiveness in him he would take it out on his children and me, yet he was an angel to all who knew him at work and those he would meet. After 11 more years of praying and abuse, God finally set me free. I didn't want to get a divorce, so I prayed that my husband would initiate it, which he did, providing another miracle. He was the obsessive kind; if he couldn't have me no one else could.
Then after two years, God sent me my beloved husband, Dennis, the love of my life. We have been married now for almost 18 years. We met and dated one weekend and he asked me to marry him on Saturday night after going out with him on Friday and Saturday. I said yes, because I knew God wanted me to. We married on the following Monday, again another miracle. Some people thought I was crazy, but I knew in my heart God had sent him to me. During those 18 years he has put up with the many illnesses I have incurred. I am just going to name them and not go into details except for the fact that I had breast cancer almost six years ago and I’m now completely cured from it. I have esophagealperisis (which is where my food does not go into my stomach in the time frame that it supposed to), acid reflux, Barrett's esophagus, gastritis, diverticulosis, anxiety, depression, chronic back pain, vomiting almost every day except for the past week or two and now the biggie; I have rheumatic heart disease. Now, I have found out I need two of my valves replaced, because they can't repair the Aorta and mitral valve. I was told in 1977 when they did the first open heart surgery, that I would have to have it replaced in 5, 10, or 20 years at the most. Praise the Lord, it has been over 13 years longer than they thought, another miracle in its self. Do you think I am worried about having this surgery after all of the miracles that God has done for me?!
This is just the tip of the iceberg for what God has brought me through. He has performed so many miracles for me I couldn't relate them all, even if I wrote a book. So the answer to my question of whether I’m worried or not, no. However, I am human and have a certain amount of uncertainty that it might be my time to go home to be with Him, but God has not given me the Spirit of fear, but love, power and a sound mind. I would hate to leave my Dennis and my family alone, but I know that God's perfect will, will be done in my life, for He has never once failed me and will not fail me now. If I do go home, that will be the ultimate healing and who wouldn't want that? I will Post the outcome of my surgery when I get well enough. However, if you don't hear any more from me you will know that I have fought a good fight, kept the faith, finished my course, and henceforth I have a crown of righteousness awaiting me. Thank You Jesus for all you have done for me. Amen and Amen! Thank you my friends and family, for taking the time to read this. I love you all. ♥
P.S. – It has been over two years since I have had the surgery and it was a very horrible process and has taken this long to start feeling like a human being again. Nevertheless, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God will and has delivered us out of them all, praise His name! I cannot work anymore and still have a lot of other illnesses such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, many stomach problems, but it keeps me going and trusting my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now you know the rest of the story....Amen!
On the night of my daughter’s birth, May 11, 1976, I almost died due to my blood pressure dropping so low. They thought I was leaving this world, but God was merciful with me though I didn't know Him at the time. On my daughter's 1st birthday, May 11, 1977, I had the mitral valve repaired during open heart surgery. God was with me then, but I still didn't know him. On June 29, 1980, I finally became born again and my whole life changed. I was in a very abusive marriage and had two children by then. My son was a miracle birth – no problems, though I was not supposed to have any more children. God still had mercy on me because my son was born in March 1979.
After getting saved, I prayed and prayed for God to change my husband. In January 1981, he did confess Christ as his Lord and was delivered from alcoholism and being abusive to my children and me. God gave him a great job making more money than he had ever made in his life, but after receiving his new job, he started staying late at work trying to work his way up – which he did – but started leaving God out of his life. Finally after a year, he started drinking again and became mad at God because of the death of his mother – who, incidentally, was saved before God took her home, another miracle. At first it wasn't too bad, but then the abuse started again. My husband had so much un-forgiveness in him he would take it out on his children and me, yet he was an angel to all who knew him at work and those he would meet. After 11 more years of praying and abuse, God finally set me free. I didn't want to get a divorce, so I prayed that my husband would initiate it, which he did, providing another miracle. He was the obsessive kind; if he couldn't have me no one else could.
Then after two years, God sent me my beloved husband, Dennis, the love of my life. We have been married now for almost 18 years. We met and dated one weekend and he asked me to marry him on Saturday night after going out with him on Friday and Saturday. I said yes, because I knew God wanted me to. We married on the following Monday, again another miracle. Some people thought I was crazy, but I knew in my heart God had sent him to me. During those 18 years he has put up with the many illnesses I have incurred. I am just going to name them and not go into details except for the fact that I had breast cancer almost six years ago and I’m now completely cured from it. I have esophagealperisis (which is where my food does not go into my stomach in the time frame that it supposed to), acid reflux, Barrett's esophagus, gastritis, diverticulosis, anxiety, depression, chronic back pain, vomiting almost every day except for the past week or two and now the biggie; I have rheumatic heart disease. Now, I have found out I need two of my valves replaced, because they can't repair the Aorta and mitral valve. I was told in 1977 when they did the first open heart surgery, that I would have to have it replaced in 5, 10, or 20 years at the most. Praise the Lord, it has been over 13 years longer than they thought, another miracle in its self. Do you think I am worried about having this surgery after all of the miracles that God has done for me?!
This is just the tip of the iceberg for what God has brought me through. He has performed so many miracles for me I couldn't relate them all, even if I wrote a book. So the answer to my question of whether I’m worried or not, no. However, I am human and have a certain amount of uncertainty that it might be my time to go home to be with Him, but God has not given me the Spirit of fear, but love, power and a sound mind. I would hate to leave my Dennis and my family alone, but I know that God's perfect will, will be done in my life, for He has never once failed me and will not fail me now. If I do go home, that will be the ultimate healing and who wouldn't want that? I will Post the outcome of my surgery when I get well enough. However, if you don't hear any more from me you will know that I have fought a good fight, kept the faith, finished my course, and henceforth I have a crown of righteousness awaiting me. Thank You Jesus for all you have done for me. Amen and Amen! Thank you my friends and family, for taking the time to read this. I love you all. ♥
P.S. – It has been over two years since I have had the surgery and it was a very horrible process and has taken this long to start feeling like a human being again. Nevertheless, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God will and has delivered us out of them all, praise His name! I cannot work anymore and still have a lot of other illnesses such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, many stomach problems, but it keeps me going and trusting my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now you know the rest of the story....Amen!
Jackie Wood - Church Hill, TN
In the month of December, 41 years ago, I was facing major surgery on my kidneys. I was told by the Doctor I had a 50/50 chance of losing, or keeping my kidney. Immediately I thought of living or dying. I knew if I died I was surely going to hell in a hand basket!!! There was not one person with me when the Doctor told me the news. I started crying because I knew I was going to hell, however; I really wasn't alone, for I felt the presence of someone in the hospital room with me.
I called out to Jesus and asked Him not to let me go to hell and to give me a sign that I would be okay! Soon, after asking Jesus for the sign, God washed me in His blood. It was as if someone threw water on me as the Holy Spirit started at my head, went through my arms, my fingers, change my heart, down my legs, through my feet and out my toes. I had truly been saved, praise god, by the blood of the lamb! I stayed awake all night watching it snow, thinking how beautiful it was outside. I was not afraid any more - God had saved me and if I died I knew I would go to Heaven, but if I lived that was okay, too.
The next morning when they came to take me to surgery, I told my husband that no matter what happened to me I would be fine. Praise God I had been saved and that was all that mattered. Even though I had a 50/50 chance of losing my kidney, by the grace of God I have never doubted my salvation, although I have fallen short of the Lord's glory and failed Him many times! That is my testimony and I pray it will be a blessing to someone's heart! I had a good time in the Lord sharing this with you and felt the presence of the Lord with me.
I called out to Jesus and asked Him not to let me go to hell and to give me a sign that I would be okay! Soon, after asking Jesus for the sign, God washed me in His blood. It was as if someone threw water on me as the Holy Spirit started at my head, went through my arms, my fingers, change my heart, down my legs, through my feet and out my toes. I had truly been saved, praise god, by the blood of the lamb! I stayed awake all night watching it snow, thinking how beautiful it was outside. I was not afraid any more - God had saved me and if I died I knew I would go to Heaven, but if I lived that was okay, too.
The next morning when they came to take me to surgery, I told my husband that no matter what happened to me I would be fine. Praise God I had been saved and that was all that mattered. Even though I had a 50/50 chance of losing my kidney, by the grace of God I have never doubted my salvation, although I have fallen short of the Lord's glory and failed Him many times! That is my testimony and I pray it will be a blessing to someone's heart! I had a good time in the Lord sharing this with you and felt the presence of the Lord with me.