My Testamonies

[Soldier4Christ]

My Testamony (Part one)

Testamonies are such a wonderful thing. I know that it helps me to see what God has done and is doing for other Christians. We tend to start taking for granted the many wonderous things that God does for us. Through testamonies we can be reminded that God does not forget us nor does He leave us (Heb 13:5).

I was raised in a Christian family. The Bible was my first reader. I came to accept Jesus as my Saviour at the early age of 8 years. I served the Lord along with my parents and 7 other siblings through our local church. Following the examples of Jesus, my parents set an example for all of us kids.Being poor and a large family, we did not have much, but we always had what we needed. Food on the table, clothes and a warm home to live in with lots of love to go around.

One day a group of young children came to our church without their parents. Their clothes were ragged, just jeans and a white t-shirt, and some with out shoes or socks. All of them were dirty. My Dad picked up the youngest one and carried him into the church. As usual for us back then we had a potluck dinner after services. Those visiting kids ate just about everything in sight to point of actually getting sick and then coming back to eat more.

My Dad, being raised in the old Swedish traditions, was not lent to showing his emotions. When we got home from church that day I saw him crying for the first time. He didn't say a thing but went about collecting things into a box. Potatoes, carrots, home canned vegetables, Grandmas home made soap, clothes. He told us kids to pack them in the car then took us with him to this family.

We went to the local dump. There was a small lean-to built out of old lumber taken from wood crates. Holes in the walls everywhere. He took the boxes, left them at the door and we drove off.

The next day my Dad went to talk to a local farmer. The farmer went to this family and hired the father right away and moved them into a farm house on his farm.

The following Sunday the whole family came to church and eventually all of them accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

I learned many lessons that day that have helped me in my walk with Jesus.

[Soldier4Christ]

At the age of 19 I joined the U. S. Navy. Within a year I was placed in the Viet Nam war. During this time I slipped away from the service of the Lord. It was not the Navy influence nor was it the war. It was simply my fault. I started doubting my faith. I even got to point that I doubted the existance of God. Thank God that he did not forsake me nor did He leave me. God opened my eyes up wide and I do mean wide. He showed Himself to me in so many, many ways. I saw His hand all around me, not just in Viet Nam, but throughout my entire 20+ yrs in the Navy. Unfortunately I blinded myself to Him. Now that I look back at those times I know it was Him for no one has the power to do what He did.

Just one example of the many (If the opportunity arises I will try to share many others with you);

During Desert Storm I was stationed in Bahrain with a hospital unit. The entire hospital including our berthing was all tents. Our compound fence was made of sea vans ( a metal box that fits on the frame of a semi-truck trailer that can be removed and placed on ships). These sea vans were stacked two high around us. There was a military air base about 10 - 15 miles south of us. Every night scud missiles that were aimed at the air base were blown up by patriot missiles above our heads. When Desert Storm was declared over we started dismantling the hospital. As we took the sea vans down to pack the tents and supplies into them we discovered scud/patriot schrapnel all over the tops of them yet not one piece was ever found inside the compound. Many of this schrapnel was large enough and sharp enough to have easily gone through a tent.

The base Chaplain pointed this out to us and thanked God for placing His hand over us.

I was reaching a point in my life where I started assessing my own life. What have I done with it, where was I going from here, what was it all worth? I was also being placed under conviction for my lack of faith. I could feel that God was asking me why I was not faithful to Him. I answered, but Lord I have read my Bible, I have prayed to you when the times got rough, I have even gone to church occassionally. I shrugged it off still.

I left the Navy at that time and worked my way from an electrician journeyman up to an electrical contractor in just a few short years.In 1997 I suffered a heart attack that put me in the hospital. It was minor and in a few weeks I was back at work. In 2000 I had another heart attack, emergency surgery requiring a a quadruple bypass. At this time I also found out that I had another heart attack back in 1991 cause by a blocked vein to the heart that had been corrected by a natural bypass. (A natural bypass is one that is not done by man).  On top of this the Gulf War Illness took me over. I was suffering from this and did not know it until the trauma of the surgery made it worse bringing it out full blown.

This time I lost my business, my homes (three of them), all my trucks, my car, everything but my family. Praise God I still had them. I was on my knees and couldn't get up. I asked God why, I am going to church regularly. I read my Bible every day. I got my answer....

I heard a sermon that Sunday titled "Give Your All To Him" and on the radio that afternoon a song. I don't remember the song. The only words of it that stood out and stick with me today are "give your all unto Jesus".

It was not enough. He wanted my all, not just a part of me. Now I spend everyday with Him and for Him.

Have you given your all to Jesus?

[2nd Timothy]

Great testimony brother!  

Grace and Peace!

[Brother Love]

Great testimony brother!  

Grace and Peace!

I agree

[emory7]

I was quite moved by that Part One. Thanks Brother.

[Shemaya]

that is sad,but so wonderful at the end.A very good testimony.Amen

[Soldier4Christ]

Psalm 23, Psalm 91

The book of Psalms is a wonderful book of comfort and reassurance. It has guided me often during times of need. It is comforting and reassuring because we know that even through death of this fleshy body that we have Gods promise that He will take care of us. David faced many crisis with great difficulties and with his faith in God he made it through everyone of them. He tells us in the book of Psalms the many times that he became depressed, faced fear and just how God had delivered him from these troubling times.

These same lessons helped me through such times. I clearly remember a time during the Viet Nam war when I was caught in an ambush. Bullets were flying around us with no place to take cover. I won't go into the grisly details but the Lords hand covered us and protected us from harm. I also remember many times going through things such as typhoons, tornadoes, floods, ice storms and even a house fire. The Lord was always there to protect us.

The ice storm was one of those rare things that hit Memphis, TN. Memphis usually gets some ice and snow during the winter. This was one that was unusually harsh for that area. The city was not prepared for such a storm. No salt trucks or plows like there are in areas that get these kind of storms more regularly. The trees were not used to this either. The storm took a lot of trees down and with them power lines. Roads were closed for three days and many were without power for up to four weeks.

Real late the night before the storm a warning was put out. It was to late for people to prepare for it and many didn't know what to do to prepare for it. We gave our nightly prayers and went to bed. On waking the next morning we weren't aware of the devastation at first. We had lights, heat and water. I got ready for work as normal but when I stepped outside it was a totally different story. So much ice on the car I couldn't get into it. Looking down the streets I saw trees down everywhere blocking all the roads. Then I saw the neighbors. Many of the homes were damaged and had their power lines down.

My wife and I started checking some of these homes especially the ones that had elderly living by themselves. We helped people out of their homes and restored power and heat to many. Some we ran power cords from our house to theirs in order to do this. At the end of the day my wife and I sat down to a cup of hot chocolate and had the time to reflect on the situation.

We have gone through many of these types of situations and the Lord has always seemed to protect us, to keep very little if any damage happening to us which has permitted us more time to be able to help others that were in more need of help.