By The Word Of Our Testimony

Text:

Revelation 12:10–11 (NASB95)

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Before Christ:

I grew up in a church, but it was not a Christian Church.

I liked to go to church because there were many cute girls in my Sunday School class.

So I went to church nearly every Sunday.

I joined the military when I was 17 years old.

I learned to enjoy a lifestyle of drinking and partying.

In my military years, I did not go to church, or pray, or read my Bible.

My parents, however, chose a different path, Jesus showed them how much they needed Him, and they were saved.

They started to pray for me, and they told me so.

I got angry with them and told them to stop.

My relationship with my parents suffered greatly.

My mouth was vulgar.

I drank too much.

I did what I wanted to do.

After I served my time in the Air Force, I moved back to my hometown.

I did not have a job right away.

My parents offered to let me stay with them until I got settled.

During that time that my parents asked me to go to church with them every week.

Every week I told them that I was not interested.

Until, Easter Sunday. I knew it was a big day for Christians, so out of kindness to my mother, I went to church with them.

I do not remember what the pastor talked about that Sunday.

But his message interested me enough that I wanted to go back the next Sunday.

I actually went to church many Sundays. My parents didn’t even have to ask anymore.

A few months after Easter, I was invited by my dad and my brother to attend a Christian activity.

I wasn’t excited to go, but again I went out of kindness.

Salvation Was Given:

Promise Keepers, a popular Christian Gathering for men during the 90s

It was done at a stadium that normally is used for football and baseball events.

The stadium could hold around 50,000 people and it was full.

A message was given by a man named Tony Evans.

It was a message about what God expected men to be.

It was there that I was given an understanding.

I knew that I was a sinful man and I needed forgiveness.

I did not wait to be called to the front like many others did that night.

I got down on my knees in front of my seat and asked God to forgive me immediately.

The change that came over me was incredible.

I knew that there was something very different right away.

The words that I was reading in the Bible made sense to me.

The songs that we were singing to God had meaning to me.

I had hope for tomorrow for the first time in my life.

Of course, I did not change completely.

Most of my changes were gradual, but there was no doubt that God was working.

The Life I Now Live:

I was saved by Jesus in August of 1995.

It was a Friday evening, at about 9:00 p.m.

After praying that God would forgive me, there was a hymn that was sung.

It’s called “How Great Thou Art.”

I remember it well, because it was the first time I sang a Christian song that meant something to me as I sang it.

The last part of the songs says.

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation.

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow in humble adoration

And there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!

I didn’t really understand what all of that meant, but somehow I knew it was an awesome truth.

I was eager to learn what it all meant.

I went home, and joined a men’s group that was a part of my parent’s church.

They patiently answered my questions, and invited me into their lives.

I noticed that they didn’t talk like I talked.

I noticed that in all the times we got together, they didn’t drink any beer.

These were things that I knew Christians stood against, but I hadn’t really seen any living out these beliefs.

They were honest.

The were kind.

They were genuinely concerned about my walk with God.

They corrected me from time to time, but it was like the Apostle Paul tells us to do it in Ephesians.

They spoke the truth in love for building me up, not to knock me down.

I continued to grow in my faith and God continued to help me change.

I need to back track.

This part of my testimony is not so easy to share, I am not proud of what I am about to share.

It’s the only way you will see how God has worked mightily in my life.

I was married.

I got married during my final year in the military.

We both liked to party and drink a lot of alcohol.

We were both lost souls.

When we moved back to my hometown - after the military, I went my own way.

She and I did not see eye to eye on much of anything.

I immersed myself in work, and provided materially for her and my coming 3 children.

I have always been an addict of work…even after I was saved, I continued to work too much.

My ex-wife and I were both save about that the same time.

She wanted kids, but I did not.

She continually complained that I was never home.

So I gave into having kids, but did not slow down on my working.

I got very involved with the church, and then I was home even less.

In my mind, I was doing God’s work so it was ok to neglect my family.

I learned much about God, and loved to share His Truth with others, but I didn’t share my life with my wife and children.

As I look back, there was not very much encouragement to spend time with my family.

Instead I was encouraged, they told me I was being a good example to others, so I continued.

Some of the men in my life encouraged me to get a degree in ministry.

I was not a scholarly type person at all, but the idea of ministry intrigued me.

I signed up for college and started working on my Bachelor’s degree.

Even less time with my family.

In the meantime, we had moved to my ex-wife’s hometown, which is on the border of Mexico and the U.S.

I fell in love with the ministry in Mexico, and became a missionary.

I loved the life of a missionary, but I was home with my family even less.

I crossed the border into Mexico nearly every day.

It was long hours of work and long hours on the bridge to cross back into the U.S.

My ex-wife started to have health issues.

My co-workers in Mexico convinced me to stop the missionary work, so I could help with the kids.

I got a job at a church in El Paso, TX.

I was the pastor of the church and in charge of a Christian School.

As part of may salary, my kids were allowed to attend the school for free.

It was great, I was spending much more time with my kids, and we got closer to each other.

The kids liked to help at the church, and school and they spent a lot of time doing that.

My ex-wife, who was doing better with her health, was angry because the kids were with me all the time and not with her.

She did not want to join us in our work at the church.

Our relationship grew further apart than ever.

At this point, God was telling me that I needed to work on my marriage, actually, I am sure He was telling me this all along, but I was too busy to listen.

I did make an effort to reconcile and work on the marriage, but for her it was too late.

A couple of more years went by, and I continued to make an effort, but she was done.

She never said that she was done, but her attitude was clear.

Shortly after my youngest son graduated from high school, I was informed of an affair that she and one of the men in our church were having.

She left me, and I was devastated.

I had sincerely crossed over, and was trying to make amends, but the effort was too late.

During this time, Covid hit the world.

Our school lost many students and we were forced to close it.

Our church continued to meet together through the Covid situation, but many people were afraid to attend.

The church and the school both ran out of money, and I was no longer a pastor.

My marriage and my job were both gone, and I was angry.

How could God do this to me?

After all, I was giving Him everything that I could in the ministry work.

I worked 70 to 80 hours every week, what more could I do?

This was the attitude that I had.

I tried to get past it all, but the pain was great and depression took hold.

I went back to drinking.

I stopped going to church.

I stopped praying.

During the time of my rebellion, my father died.

Then I was guilty for missing the last months of his life.

My depression got worse.

My brother and sister intervened and between my children and my siblings, I was convinced to move home.

When I got home, my sister and brother invited me to church every Sunday, just as my parents had done many years ago.

Eventually, out of kindness, I started to go to church just as I had done many years ago.

I slowly came back to God, but I did not have any desire to spend time with Christians.

During all the things that happened with my ex-wife, she told many lies about me, and convinced a lot of people that I was bad.

They did not take the time to ask me about it, nor did they listen when my kids told them the truth.

I did not trust, and did not want to trust.

Then I found Narcy.

She was such a breath of fresh air.

She was real.

She was kind.

She was loving.

We talked to each other every day through Messenger.

For 9 months, we dated everyday on line.

I proposed and she graciously accepted.

I came to the Philippines and was given the love of my life in more than one way.

I was given a wife, who I dearly love.

My relationship with God has flourished.

And I am ministering again.

I read and study and pray more than I ever have.

God was waiting all a long for me to return to Him.

And when I did, He overwhelmed me with His love.

I had intended to stay here and live with Narcy for several years, if not forever, but that is not what God had in mind.

After much prayer, we decided that I need to go back to the U.S.

Narcy’s paperwork for a U. S. visa is being processed, and she will join me in there as soon as its completed.

God’s church in much of the world is not healthy.

I believe that part of the reason why He is calling me home is that He wants me to stand for His Truth. The U. S. has rejected God in many ways. Some Christians are standing against the world, but many are standing with it.

Unbiblical teachings are taught.

There is much ear tickling as Paul told Timothy would happen in one of his letter.

I am so glad He is calling me to make a difference for His Kingdom.

Their is a lost world that needs a Savior.

I have a testimony to share.

The enemy will fall. How will it happen?

By the blood of the Lamb and word of our testimony.

Your testimony, if you are saved, you have one, and it is meant to be shared.

Think about what God has done in your life and tell the world.

Praise God for Who He Is.

Pray