What is your personal salvation testimony?

I can't speak for anybody else, but I've done all I can do for my salvation, and all I can do to make sure of it! Every last thing. I've believed in Jesus! (Jo. 3:16)
Ed

 

Mine is the second one in the third post down.

Science forum testimony: Click here

 

My Testimony
by Rev. Ronald W. Robey

I was born on Wednesday September 9th, 1959 in Tagiuria, Libya, Africa to American parents.
My Dad was stationed at the Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya. On Christmas day of 1960 my father drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while trying out a new scuba diving outfit that his
buddies in his barracks had bought him for Christmas that year. By January 1960, mother brought me, my twin sister, and my three brothers to the United States. We lived for a period of time at my aunts and uncles in Oakton Virginia. In 1962, we moved to Manassas Park Virginia. We lived in Manassas Park for three years and then moved to another suburb of Manassas. By 1968, we
were back in Manassas Park in a different house. We remained in that house until 1977 during that period of time I was somewhat of a misfit around the home. On my ninth birthday, my oldest brother who was 17 gave me a bowl of hash to smoke, and also introduced me to cigarettes. Through the next several years I tried several different drugs but found no pleasure in them. From hash, to marijuana, to speed, to kilo weed, acid and later cocaine.

Although I tried those many drugs I never felt that I was actually addicted to them because I could pass them up for weeks without accepting them. It was more of a social thing for me, but that's what most people who are addicted to these drugs say.

From the age of nine when I was first introduced to these drugs I would disappear from home for two and three days at a time without telling mother where I was. This went on until the age of 13.

At the age of 13 I moved to Pennsylvania with some Mennonite friends of mine. There I was made to go to church every Sunday which was an odd experience, seeing as it was a Mennonite community. I had been raised in the Assemblies of God movement. It was unusual to see the man sitting on one side of the church and women on the other during services. Also, they had foot washings, which I had never seen before in the assemblies. The Mennonites seemed to be stricter than the Pentecostal’s. I stayed with the Mennonite family for almost a year before returning to Manassas Park Virginia. And then it was back to the same old thing, I’d stay home one or two days a week, and be gone the rest of the time. Even though I was not home as much as I should have been, I still knew that I should be in church and stayed in church.

At the age of 14, I made a homemade bomb and placed it in a water drainage pipe in Manassas Park. The bomb went off, and Fire Company #9 was called to extinguish a huge fire. When the bomb went off, I was standing in the middle of a 50 foot wide road. The bomb was so powerful, it blew an 85 lb. manhole cover in the air about 4 feet and shot fire clean across the road and up an embankment. I ran in a friend’s house before the fire department got there.

After the fire was extinguished, the Fire Marshall and Chief of Police began knocking on doors to see if anyone had seen what happened. My friend answered the door, and before the police could finish asking the question, my friend told the police I did it. The Fire Marshall took me down in the drain pipe and told me he wanted me to see the damage I had done. With a little geologist pick, he tapped the concrete wall and it crumbled.


Just 2 feet from the wall was a gas line. I was told by the Fire Marshall that that line supplied gas to around 5,000 homes in Manassas Park and if the fire company had not extinguished the flame when they did, it could have blown up over half of that park; killing nearly 3,500 people in the fire, including my self. I was then taken to the police station and my mother was called. I had a court date, and received 6 months probation.

At the age of 16 a circus came to town. I saw the African elephant and several lions and knew immediately that I had to join. Upon talking to the manager of the circus, I learned that in order to join the circus I would have to get my mother's permission giving them custody of me since I was a minor. I immediately went home and told mother my plans to join the circus. Mother was adamant about the fact that I was not leaving home. I was rebellious. I climbed up on the roof of our home and told mother I was not coming down until after she signed the papers giving me permission to leave. After several hours mother came out of the house and told me I could leave. She said she would rather see me gone than to see me fall off the roof and break my neck. At that age I did not realize how much I hurt mother in my rebellion.

At the age of 17, I was told by an eye doctor that I would be totally blind in ten years time due to Retinitis Pigmentosa and retinal deterioration. Since then, my I have gone blind in my left eye and my right eye has lost all but a 4.5° peripheral field.

I traveled with the circus for four years as an assistant animal trainer. During my first year in the circus I met and fell in love with one of the high wire walkers. Judy was also a contortionist. Her family was from South America.

In October of 1977 my son was born in Jacksonville Florida. Three days later, his mother was killed in a car accident when she was broadsided by a drunk driver. One the measly pay of $75 a week I could not take care of my child. And so, I gave him over to his grandparents and aunts that were with the circus. They left the circus that week for Judy's funeral, and I never saw them again. I've heard stories from other circus members who say that my son Juan is walking the high wire like his aunts and mother did.

Upon leaving the circus in 1979, I was arrested in Manassas Virginia and charged with grand larceny, a crime which I did not commit. I was convicted and sent to prison with a five-year sentence.

Prison was the best thing that could've happened to me here on this earth. For it was in that prison that I realized that I was lost and in need of a Savior. A born-again Jewish chaplain, Charles Steinberg, and a Pentecostal Evangelist, J. Robert Wyatt, would come to the jailhouse twice a week and share from the Word of God with those who were interested. For the first couple weeks, I was bitter. I would just sit in my cell not wanting to hear a thing. After a while, I decided I could not do anything else so I may as well participate in the Bible study. As I would dig in the Word the Spirit would convict me more and more. I gave my heart to Jesus Christ there in that dirty jail cell. With Brother Steinberg's help, I got into a correspondent's Bible study outside the jail. Three weeks later, I was sent to the prison to serve the rest of my sentence.


Upon my release from prison, I continued in the Word of God and study. I went to live with my Pastor and stayed with him and his family for three and a half years. During that period, I attended minister’s meetings in Berkley Springs, West Virginia and Grantsville, Maryland twice a month.

I have been preaching the gospel since my release from prison. God is so good.

I served as an assistant pastor in Manassas, Virginia for two years before moving to Greensboro, North Carolina where I opened a fellowship called MorningStar Fellowship. I pastured in North Carolina for 6 years until I had to step down due to health problems that put me in the wheelchair. Doctors at that time told me I would spend the rest of my life in that chair. What was happening was this… When I would stand up, my blood pressure would drop and I would pass out within 8 – 10 seconds. Doctors tried several different medicines to bring my BP up, but to no avail. After four months of being in the chair, trying to stand only to fall to the floor and have to be picked up again, I told the Lord that I did not want to be in that chair any more. I told Him that I could not stand on my own and was depending on Him to keep me up. I stood that day and have not been back in that chair but a couple times since then; and that was because I was needing rest and other chairs were taken. I still have problems with my health to this date, but God has brought me out of the chair. I can walk into the doctor’s office today and the blood pressure will be ‘astronomically low’, as one nurse put it. On the average, it is around 97/61. When they scratch their heads and say, ‘I don’t know how you are standing’, I tell them, ‘I know!’ I am able to witness God’s hand upon my life!.

In December of 2005, God brought a very special woman into my life and on June 11th, 2005, we were married in a little church on a hill in New Market, Virginia.

All praise goes to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

 

I was raised in a Christian home, and heard the gospel at an early age. When I was 7, a children's teacher told us the story of Noah and the Ark, and explained that just as there was only one door in the Ark, Jesus is the only door to God. My best friend and I trusted Christ that night as our only way to Heaven.

 

that should read June 11th 2006 instead of June 11 2005

 

Standing Firm, What an incredible story. It is amazing how God uses such unique situations to lead us to Him.

My Testimony of Salvation:

I was saved April 19,1970 at a revival meeting at our church. I was nine years old. The evangelist was Neil Cadwell. I don't remember what he spoke on but during the invitation I raised my hand and went forward. A singing group from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College was there that day and a young woman from the group named Barbara Jones took me aside and led me to the Lord. I was really, really, painfully shy as a kid and I was so scared all I could say was "Oh, God, please save me." It wasn't a life-changing experience for me, but it has spared me from so many heartaches that the world offers. The changes came for me through the years after that.

After I accepted Christ I had a real hunger for God's Word. I hid a New Testament in the hay mow and would go up there and read. By the time I was 14 I had read the Bible through many times. My parents, although very strict, were your typical Sunday morning Christians and there was no talk of God at home. I remember once, when I was probably about 11 gathering my parents and sister together and trying to have family devotions. I wanted that SO much but it was very awkward and I never tried it again. Thankfully, my folks subscribed to the Sword of the Lord and had ordered numerous books through that publication so I had good, solid biblical reading. We also attended a solid IFB church. I gathered up enough courage to start attending prayer meeting when I was 21. I was still quite shy and was really scared to pray with anyone.

I had wanted to go to Bible college but shyness prevented me. I couldn't imagine leading room or dorm devotions. It scared me spitless.

During this time I worked on my father's dairy farm. (I loved it).

Finally, when I was 27 I read a book by Dr. Bob Jones Sr. entitled "Things I Have Learned". It changed my life and I knew I had to go to BJU. Nobody could believe it when they learned "the little backwards farm girl from Wisconsin was going to go WAY DOWN THERE to SC to college. My dad told me I wouldn't last 2 weeks.

It was almost culture shock when I got there. So many people and a big city too. This is coming from someone who thought it was a huge deal to go to K Mart.

It didn't take long for me to fit right in. I grew to love it quickly. Speech class---what a nightmare! The first speech I gave my legs were shaking so I could hardly stand. I ended up with 3 semesters of speech and got an A on every speech I gave. I began with a major in missions and later switched to education. I made the deans list every semester (this is someone who had a C-D average in public school-a result of my extreme shyness). I even took a semester of Greek. I was the only girl in the class and got the highest grade---THAT WAS FUN.

Being at BJU changed me so much. I got involved in Mission Prayer Band, was women's vice president of my society and also got involved in a jail ministry. If I had an endless supply of money I would have been happy staying there the rest of my life as a "professional student". So much to learn and so many books and so little time! My one regret about college is that I spent way too much time studying. I was at the library every Saturday morning waiting for the doors to open.

I soon found many students who were what I like to call "like-hearted" rather than like minded. For some reason, I have always prefered talking with men than women. I don't know if it is my practical side-- I am not a big-hair, nail polish kind of person--or what. So although I had many great women friends, the majority of my close friends at BJU were men. I would go to dinner with 7 or 8 guys and it was great. There was no romantic interest at all--I just enjoyed talking with them. Some were married, some were not. Some were 20-30 years older than me, some were 18. There just seems to be so much to learn from men. They just think so different and I enjoyed picking their brains I guess. I did date a lot but it wasn't until my senior year that I met my husband. After one date he knew I was the one God had for him. We were talking and I told him about my life on the farm and how I loved to go get the cows early in the morning. In the fall there would be frost on the ground and I was barefoot. To warm my feet, which were so cold they hurt, I would stand in warm cow pies. Ya, I know what you're thinking. But that is the story that made my hubby fall in love with me. (that and the fact that I had very long hair (still do) and I played the piano) He wanted an old fashioned girl and you can't get much more old fashioned than that. We met October 31, got engaged February 5 and married August 1, nine months after we met. I had really wanted a husband and kids while in my early 20's. I just wanted to be a wife and mom. God, however made me wait until I was almost 32 to be a wife and then I was almost 33 when our first child was born. God's ways are definitly not our ways.

God has been fine-tuning us ever since. We have known heart-ache. We got pregnant with twins 5 weeks after our wedding. I miscarried one twin at 4 weeks and the second at 3 months. We had a little girl(Mary Grace) 11 months later, then another girl (Elizabeth Joy) 16 months after that. We wanted a ton of kids, but the Lord only gave us four. Three years after Elizabeth was born we were pregnant with identical twin boys-Samuel and Daniel. Five months along, however, Daniel died in my womb. It broke my heart, yet at the same time I have never been more aware of God's love than at that time. It was like He was holding me physically in His arms. Samuel Christian was delivered by C section October 15, 98. We now know that Daniel probably died because I had an undiagnosed thyroid disease. The doctor said that it was a miracle that Samuel made it as his umbilical cord was barely attached. Samuel is the joy of my heart. He is really a special kid. Very tender-hearted and just a joy to be around. He slept through the night the first night home from the hospital! I had to wake him up to nurse him. He is just so easy going and loving. Four years ago we adopted an 8 year old boy (David Nathaniel)from a Bulgarian orphanage. It cost over $15,000.00 for the total adoption (money we didn't have) but we knew the Lord was in it and He provided every penny.

Like I said before, God didn't save me from a life deep in sin, but He spared me from a lot. When I married I was 31 and had never been kissed. Have never tasted alcohol or drugs. I did try a cigarette as a kid--my dad always smoked--but one was enough for me-Yuck! He did, however, turn around a very backwards, unreasonably shy girl. I was so sheltered that I was smothered. I can't believe the person I am today. It is like I don't even know the little girl I used to be. At times, I do feel a bit of the shyness, but I also see it at times as a sin. Self consciousness is self-centeredness. So although the Lord did not take me out of a horrible miry pit (so to speak) he did change my life!

Looking back, I can see how the Lord worked in my life in so many ways. What a great God!

 

"In December of 2005, God brought a very special woman into my life and on June 11th, 2005, we were married in a little church on a hill in New Market, Virginia."

You "were" married in the future?

 

LOL. messed up again. December 2004.

What year am I in? I don't know. I am still a newlywed!! Oh, and the date of marriage was June 11th 2005.

 

Truly amazing testimonies.

Mine's kinda boring. I was in my late twenties, had hair down to my waist, drank a lot of beer, and didn't have a purpose in my life. One night, a co-worker and good friend of my wife invited us to revival at her church the next night. I didn't care one way or the other, but my sweetie wanted to go, so I said sure. Long story short, each night I went, I listened more and more. On the last night, I was down at the altar crying my eyes out. I gave myself over to Christ that night. That was seven years ago, and I can honestly say, I've never once wanted to go back to my old life.

 

No heart changed by the Lord is ever boring!

 

My testimony story may seem like a joke, but I assure you it isn't.

In 1986 I was watching an episode of "Highway to Heaven". To make a long story short, the episode was about a dog that saved may people during a flood. When Michael Landon followed the dog it approached a crashed plane. The pilot was still alive, and when Michael Landon told him about what his dog had done, the man looked startled, and then looked beside him. His dog was beside him, dead. The inference was that the "dog" who had actually saved so many people was actually Jesus.

At the end of the episode they showed the dog sitting, and he put up his paw, as if to say "I want to be your friend"

I've always been a "dog-man", and that did it.
Jesus used this episode to tell me that although I was a sinner He loved me, and wanted to be my friend, and Savior.

I asked Jesus to forgive my sins, and come into my heart, and I've never regretted it.

Rob