Enter into Eternal Life and Experience Heaven in Your Heart

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2: 4-5 BSB)

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two – edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)

“Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23 BSB)

Here we go…

…Now that I had responded to the Holy Spirit’s call to enter the family of God He began changing me from the inside out. I had gone to Church every Sunday since birth, and enjoyed the social aspects of getting together with other families (especially Ice Cream Socials and Pot Lucks), but really had no desire for spiritual growth. The Spirit immediately changed that and gave me a burning desire to buy my own Bible using my own money. Problem was that as an 8 year old I didn’t have any money. Knowing that my Dad had been paying my older brothers to work in his small lumber business I quickly came up with a plan.

I remember going to my Dad and for the first time ever asking him for work to do (I wasn’t exactly motivated for manual labor as a child). I let him know that I wanted to earn money to buy a Bible. I don’t know what pleased (and shocked) him more, the fact that I was willing to work (Dad is one of the hardest working men I have ever known. For years he worked 50 hours a week in a local factory, farmed, and ran a business making pallets.), or that I wanted to use my money to buy a Bible (along with the many hours that Dad put into providing for us he was a Deacon, Sunday School teacher, and Choir Director at our Church). Once I had the money Dad and Mom took me to the Christian Book Store where I bought a leather bound King James Version Bible with a fancy snapping cover. That Bible was my prized possession and got much use over the next 4 years. Somewhere between the ages of 8 and 12 I knew that the Lord had special plans for me. He gave me a love for speaking (gift of gab) and music (singing and trombone). I wanted to use both of them in serving Him.

Let’s move forward to 1972. At the age of 12 I was given my first opportunity to preach. On “Children’s Day” I preached a message titled “Who Will Listen To Me?” The following year, in 8th grade at Napoleon Junior High, along with 2 friends, I started a “Lunch Time Bible Study.” We had the privilege of sharing the Word of God in a public school with a number of kids. Even better than that is the fact that we experienced the thrill of leading a few of them into a personal relationship with our best friend, Lord, Savior, and King, Jesus. I was on fire for Jesus, living a blessed life, and ready to enter into the greatest time of a young man’s life – High School.

We will pick this up in 1975 tomorrow.