While working at a restaurant, a beautiful young lady was hired as a waitress. I asked her out and she said we could go to church together. I though 'Ugh. ok, if I must.' This was no Methodist church. A very young Pastor Rouse had just taken over this Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. It was not monotone and it was not boring. I had never heard a clear presentation of the gospel like this. It was scary!
Eventually the young lady and I got married. She got saved I went through the motions. My interest in church was tempered by the liberal, Marxist propaganda that was being fed to me in college. My interest in church began to wane. Eventually, I quit church. I graduated close to the top of my class with a degree in accounting, and was ready to be the master of my own universe and make a lot of money.
I took a job with a large company and was soon offered a transfer to North Carolina. Wanting to do anything to advance my career, I accepted the position without properly consulting my wife. Needless to say she was not happy. To make it up I promised her all kinds of things including going to church with her on Sunday mornings.
Though this was another Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, the congregation and pastor were older and more mature. Less fire and brimstone and more interpersonal relationships. Now I had two churches praying for my soul. In addition, we bought a house next to another Independent Fundamental Baptist pastor, who befriended me. God had placed me right where I needed to be.
The Holy Spirit was convicting me. I knew I needed to be saved, but didn't want give up my life, so I fought it. After about two years in NC, I was offered a promotion and a transfer back to Corporate. My pastor in NC invited me over to his house after Sunday's service. I knew what was coming. We talked about salvation. I succumbed to the Holy Spirit and was saved that day (September 25, 1988, baptized October 12, 1988).
There was a profound change in my life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." I was no longer living for wealth and success. However, I was not totally surrendered to Christ as a Christian should be.
I continued to give Jesus more of my life each year but it was very, very slow. Too slow. God had a plan to speed things up. Late 2011, I came across a video called "AGE OF DECEIT - Fallen Angels and the New World Order." I watched some of it with my wife but she thought it was too creepy to watch. So my son and I finished watching it when she wasn't around. Then I went back to my "normal" life. But the world was starting to get crazy.
A few years later I was studying 9/11 and came across another video "NWO: Secret Societies and Biblical Prophecy Vol. 1" Suddenly, all the craziness in the world now made sense. God's prophecy was being fulfilled right before my eyes. I now was highy motivated to see others come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I created and was handing out 9/11 gospel tracts, but God still wasn't through with me.
On February 3, 2018, my beloved 20-year-old son who was studying to be a pastor, went missing while away at college. He was found dead two days later. This has provided me opportunities to witness to others, who would have never listened before. We have handed out hundreds of gospel tracks with with a short version of his story on it. So far, no one has rejected taking it. (See my son's final sermon on the brevity of life preached December 31, 2017 here)
The time is short, we all must be fully surrendered to Jesus and working to see others come to a saving knowledge. Now the question for you is, 'Are you saved?'
In Christ alone!
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