MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY
When someone says they are born again – what does it mean? When someone is saved from sin – what does that entail? I am going to share with you my personal testimony of the love of Christ and the grace and mercy of God in my life so far.
Whenever I have thought about my testimony, I have often pondered on the fact that it actually starts long before the world began, in the depths of heaven under the divine counsel of the Godhead. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. It amazes me, even before I was born, God set His love on me in Christ Jesus.
Well, my earthly testimony begins in Cardiff where I was born. My family didn’t go to church, but my sister and I were sent to Sunday School. I can’t remember much about what was taught there – I only remember a few songs which we learned. By the time I went to high school I’d lost interest in going and only went once a month, when the Guides had a parade service.
I have always been interested in religions and loved to learn about other people’s beliefs. I remember telling my sister that if I had to choose a religion I would become a Buddhist, but God had other plans for me.
When I was 17 I was chosen, as a Ranger Guide, to represent Wales in Thailand. What a brilliant opportunity it was to see how other people lived. I was to stay with five different families all over the country. One thing that struck me was the poverty. It was totally different to other countries I had visited, but despite the number of poor people, the temples and idols were covered with gold – copious quantities of it. Many of the idols were still worshipped even though their heads had fallen off – was this really the religion I was interested in? My illusions were shattered.
After coming home I finished off my college course and applied to be a nanny in the UK and also other countries. I went to work in London. By this time my sister had become a Christian and I remember when she told me, I was angry with God as I had been the one interested in religions, not her. Why her? Why not me? Hadn’t I been the one reading up on every religion I knew about? Little did I know that God doesn’t work like that!
My sister would talk to me about God and the love of Jesus, but I really wasn’t interested – I had my work, boyfriend, friends and a social life – why did I want (or need) God?
Across the road from where I lived in Dulwich, London, there was a friend (who I have lost contact with), called Debbie. She was a Christian and asked if I wanted to go to church one Sunday, so I went and got nothing out of it – I didn’t go to that church again!
Life drifted on (as it does) and after having a few jobs in the UK, I thought it would be a good idea to go abroad. So I applied for jobs in Germany, Sweden and Belgium – I got the job in Brussels, Belgium. While over there I was encouraged, by my employers, to see as much of the city as I could, but Sundays tended to be pretty quiet days so as I was looking through a magazine I saw an advert for a Baptist church in Wezembeek Oppem. As my sister went to a Baptist church I thought – why not, it will give me something to do! Little did I know that my ‘something to do’ would lead to a life-changing experience. The first Sunday I went I sat judging everyone, sad person I was! I was sitting next to a mother and daughter from Lebanon and one of them asked me how long I had been a Christian and for the first time in my life I admitted that I had no faith at all! I think admitting that was a break-through although not yet complete.
I went to that church every Sunday from then on and when I got home I started to read my Bible. My sister sent me tapes that her church had recorded – the series was on Hebrews. Amazing
My sister also recommended I read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress – I was hooked. It really got me thinking that there was more to Christianity than just going to church every Sunday and judging people. I devoured it – loving every part! I felt more and more in need of a Saviour – but a Saviour from what? What was I being saved from? Why did I need to be saved? This was new to me - the person who had read about most religions!
As time went on I could see how much I had offended the One who had created me in His image. The life I had led and was still leading was one of rebellion against the One who gave His all for me! In the past I thought all Christians were crazy people, but now I was being drawn to Christ.
On 10th December 1990 after 3 months of searching, by reading my Bible and praying, I gave my life over to the Lord. I saw that only Jesus could bring me back into fellowship with my Heavenly Father. I saw that Christianity is more than a religion – it is a personal, intimate relationship with someone – not something! I remember that evening so clearly; I was praying and crying with such agony over the sins I had committed against God, I was asking Him to forgive me and I wanted to turn my life over to Him and turn my life around. At about 9pm it was as if a burden had fallen away from me and a glorious light had entered into my soul – such a relief! For a few weeks before that day I had felt as if I was being pulled in all directions! Now the struggle for salvation was over – but a new struggle was beginning!
Although I have been saved and brought into new life with Christ, I am still not perfect, I am a sinner but one who is saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I still do wrong things, but there is One who has a heart full of love and forgiveness.
Even though I have been forgiven that doesn’t mean I can do what I like because God will forgive me, peace is only given to those who trust and obey. There is no blessing for those who disobey God’s commands and do as they please.
Since being saved I have often thought of those who say they don’t want to go to church because it is full of hypocrites etc, well, yes churches are full of hypocrites and sinners, but mainly saved hypocrites and sinners! Our focus must always be on Christ – when we take our eyes off Jesus our relationship goes dry and becomes dull and mundane!
Someone said to me a few weeks before I wrote this, that he wasn’t good enough to be a Christian because he had led a debauched life, well dear reader, if you are someone who thinks like that, I want to encourage you by saying – Jesus came to save corrupt, debauched sinners! People who think they are too good never come to Christ because they think they can do just as well by themselves! Those who come to recognize they can’t ‘go it alone’ and their lives are so bad they need help are the ones Jesus came to save.
Being a Christian means that you have come into a personal relationship with someone who loves you despite your faults and failings. He cares tenderly for those He saves and promises to protect them and one day will welcome them into His presence in heaven.
Just by going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, just by saying a particular prayer also doesn’t make you a Christian or doing good works doesn’t either. We cannot buy or work our way to God. The only way to come is to bring Him nothing but your sins and failures and to cast them onto Christ.
To sum up in one sentence what being a Christian is – Christianity is all about the Spirit within us.
I cannot boast oh Lord,
Of the work you’ve done in me
The work was finished, completed
By Christ at Calvary
AMEN & AMEN
Since writing this testimony, I have been through many dark times in my Christian life, many dry times, much walking in the wilderness with little regard for God and His ways, but despite the darkness and the dryness, I feel that God has never been far away! Isaiah 42:3a A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; - He mends the bruised reeds and He puts a flame of love in the heart of those who are His own. That verse has brought much comfort to me in times of trouble, barrenness, sorrow, trial etc!
People say - religion (or Christianity) is a crutch - well I'm pleased to say it isn't just a mere crutch - it's a life support system!
When someone says they are born again – what does it mean? When someone is saved from sin – what does that entail? I am going to share with you my personal testimony of the love of Christ and the grace and mercy of God in my life so far.
Whenever I have thought about my testimony, I have often pondered on the fact that it actually starts long before the world began, in the depths of heaven under the divine counsel of the Godhead. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. It amazes me, even before I was born, God set His love on me in Christ Jesus.
Well, my earthly testimony begins in Cardiff where I was born. My family didn’t go to church, but my sister and I were sent to Sunday School. I can’t remember much about what was taught there – I only remember a few songs which we learned. By the time I went to high school I’d lost interest in going and only went once a month, when the Guides had a parade service.
I have always been interested in religions and loved to learn about other people’s beliefs. I remember telling my sister that if I had to choose a religion I would become a Buddhist, but God had other plans for me.
When I was 17 I was chosen, as a Ranger Guide, to represent Wales in Thailand. What a brilliant opportunity it was to see how other people lived. I was to stay with five different families all over the country. One thing that struck me was the poverty. It was totally different to other countries I had visited, but despite the number of poor people, the temples and idols were covered with gold – copious quantities of it. Many of the idols were still worshipped even though their heads had fallen off – was this really the religion I was interested in? My illusions were shattered.
After coming home I finished off my college course and applied to be a nanny in the UK and also other countries. I went to work in London. By this time my sister had become a Christian and I remember when she told me, I was angry with God as I had been the one interested in religions, not her. Why her? Why not me? Hadn’t I been the one reading up on every religion I knew about? Little did I know that God doesn’t work like that!
My sister would talk to me about God and the love of Jesus, but I really wasn’t interested – I had my work, boyfriend, friends and a social life – why did I want (or need) God?
Across the road from where I lived in Dulwich, London, there was a friend (who I have lost contact with), called Debbie. She was a Christian and asked if I wanted to go to church one Sunday, so I went and got nothing out of it – I didn’t go to that church again!
Life drifted on (as it does) and after having a few jobs in the UK, I thought it would be a good idea to go abroad. So I applied for jobs in Germany, Sweden and Belgium – I got the job in Brussels, Belgium. While over there I was encouraged, by my employers, to see as much of the city as I could, but Sundays tended to be pretty quiet days so as I was looking through a magazine I saw an advert for a Baptist church in Wezembeek Oppem. As my sister went to a Baptist church I thought – why not, it will give me something to do! Little did I know that my ‘something to do’ would lead to a life-changing experience. The first Sunday I went I sat judging everyone, sad person I was! I was sitting next to a mother and daughter from Lebanon and one of them asked me how long I had been a Christian and for the first time in my life I admitted that I had no faith at all! I think admitting that was a break-through although not yet complete.
I went to that church every Sunday from then on and when I got home I started to read my Bible. My sister sent me tapes that her church had recorded – the series was on Hebrews. Amazing
My sister also recommended I read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress – I was hooked. It really got me thinking that there was more to Christianity than just going to church every Sunday and judging people. I devoured it – loving every part! I felt more and more in need of a Saviour – but a Saviour from what? What was I being saved from? Why did I need to be saved? This was new to me - the person who had read about most religions!
As time went on I could see how much I had offended the One who had created me in His image. The life I had led and was still leading was one of rebellion against the One who gave His all for me! In the past I thought all Christians were crazy people, but now I was being drawn to Christ.
On 10th December 1990 after 3 months of searching, by reading my Bible and praying, I gave my life over to the Lord. I saw that only Jesus could bring me back into fellowship with my Heavenly Father. I saw that Christianity is more than a religion – it is a personal, intimate relationship with someone – not something! I remember that evening so clearly; I was praying and crying with such agony over the sins I had committed against God, I was asking Him to forgive me and I wanted to turn my life over to Him and turn my life around. At about 9pm it was as if a burden had fallen away from me and a glorious light had entered into my soul – such a relief! For a few weeks before that day I had felt as if I was being pulled in all directions! Now the struggle for salvation was over – but a new struggle was beginning!
Although I have been saved and brought into new life with Christ, I am still not perfect, I am a sinner but one who is saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I still do wrong things, but there is One who has a heart full of love and forgiveness.
Even though I have been forgiven that doesn’t mean I can do what I like because God will forgive me, peace is only given to those who trust and obey. There is no blessing for those who disobey God’s commands and do as they please.
Since being saved I have often thought of those who say they don’t want to go to church because it is full of hypocrites etc, well, yes churches are full of hypocrites and sinners, but mainly saved hypocrites and sinners! Our focus must always be on Christ – when we take our eyes off Jesus our relationship goes dry and becomes dull and mundane!
Someone said to me a few weeks before I wrote this, that he wasn’t good enough to be a Christian because he had led a debauched life, well dear reader, if you are someone who thinks like that, I want to encourage you by saying – Jesus came to save corrupt, debauched sinners! People who think they are too good never come to Christ because they think they can do just as well by themselves! Those who come to recognize they can’t ‘go it alone’ and their lives are so bad they need help are the ones Jesus came to save.
Being a Christian means that you have come into a personal relationship with someone who loves you despite your faults and failings. He cares tenderly for those He saves and promises to protect them and one day will welcome them into His presence in heaven.
Just by going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, just by saying a particular prayer also doesn’t make you a Christian or doing good works doesn’t either. We cannot buy or work our way to God. The only way to come is to bring Him nothing but your sins and failures and to cast them onto Christ.
To sum up in one sentence what being a Christian is – Christianity is all about the Spirit within us.
I cannot boast oh Lord,
Of the work you’ve done in me
The work was finished, completed
By Christ at Calvary
AMEN & AMEN
Since writing this testimony, I have been through many dark times in my Christian life, many dry times, much walking in the wilderness with little regard for God and His ways, but despite the darkness and the dryness, I feel that God has never been far away! Isaiah 42:3a A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; - He mends the bruised reeds and He puts a flame of love in the heart of those who are His own. That verse has brought much comfort to me in times of trouble, barrenness, sorrow, trial etc!
People say - religion (or Christianity) is a crutch - well I'm pleased to say it isn't just a mere crutch - it's a life support system!
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