My Testimony

[Bro. Allen]

I was raised in a strong Christian family and was taught good morals and the Bible.

I made a false profession of faith at the age of 10. I went to the altar because it was normal to see people walk the aisle at our little country church and I wanted to be like the rest of our church family. I wanted to be included with them.
I didn't understand the significance of Christ giving His life up for me or the plan of salvation.

I remained in church , was even elected the president of the youth group as a rebellious teenager ; I was living a life with constant sin.

It seemed the more rebellious I got , the further I slipped from my Christian upbringing and soon began to run with the party crowd my mother had always warned me about.
I thought I was living the life!

I remained unsaved and uninterested until God broke me and showed me His power. I was under conviction but still I was fleeing from God and holding onto sin. I just didn't want to give up my party life...now I regret I lived so many years of my life for Satan.

Jump to later in life.....

I was married now with two children.

My youngest child developed a serious medical condition. He was hospitalized and all hope was gone. The ICU had given up hope and suggested we pray beside his bed. I didn't have a pastor so the hospital Pastor on duty was summoned to our side.

We prayed and I plead with God to restore my son's health. After prayer , I remember looking at his swollen body. All life was gone from this happy child I remembered. I'm just glad now that saved people were praying for my son. I believed in God and believed that Jesus was God in the flesh but my prayers were from a person with iniquity.... an unsaved person.

With tear filled eyes , I removed myself to call our families to tell them that my son wouldn't be with us much longer.

As I walked back down the corridor to reunite with my wife after making 3 or 4 sobbing phone calls , I passed by the ICU unit and I felt a power unexplainable. It was scary yet peaceful.

At that time , I heard my son scream out .."Daddy , Daddy"! I had passed the double doors of the ICU and quickly ran back to swing them open. The sight I gazed upon was my son sitting up in the middle of his bed and he looked as healthy as any normal person. It was like he had never been sick a day in his life! He had saw my head pass by those little round windows. The nurses started hopping around and talking among themselves. Although there was joy present , I feel the nurses were shocked and in disbelief.

I ran and grabbed him and I remember my wife came running in. I held him as tight (and as loosely) as possible because of all the instruments and needles still attached to him and just cried. I knew Jesus Christ has entered that hospital room in ICU.

I started talking to God constantly asking for direction. I was under heavy conviction but still had not submited. I believe in God. I believed Jesus was the Son of God. I believed all the Bible. I believed the Blood of Christ saved old sinners.
I believed in the blood but I had never applied the Blood.

A few weeks later , I was in bed late one night. I awoke and felt pressure all around me. I was still under extreme conviction and as thankful as I was to God for restoring my son , I still hadn't submitted. All I knew was I had to get right with God right then and there , no matter how long it took.

I rolled out of bed and started praying , begging , pleading , crying for Jesus Christ to save me. I didn't want to go another minute lost and unsaved.
I got things right with God that night and was forever included in the Lamb's Book of Life. I realized my sinfulness and realized that the only way possible to receive salvation was through accepting the finish work of Christ and His sacrifice on Calvary's Hill.

God had sent a man to me. His name was Bro. John McCarty , pastor of Faith Baptist Church outside of Nashville , Tennessee.  He has been an inspiration to my walk with Christ. He became my pastor and I respect him for his meekness , humbleness and his dedication to the ministry. He had visited me several times to talk about salvation and coming to church. I would talk to him and I respected him wanting to see me saved but I turned a deaf ear.
I always told him I would think about it.
He discipled me and was a great influence.
Both my brothers were a powerful influence on me also.
My oldest brother has since gone home but he had a great walk with Christ while on earth. His passing was in the background of all these troubles that were happening with my son.
The last time I spoke with my brother was one day I was at work. I saw him at the shop. I walked over put my hand on his shoulder and shook his hand. I asked him how he was doing? He said I'm doing great ; I'm saved! He was leaving so I told him that was great , see you , take care and a couple of days later he was in ICU and never came out of his coma. He always witnessed to me...always! The angels may have shouted when I accepted Christ but my brother probably drowned out their shouts! The rest of my family did a little shouting too!

Since then my wife has been saved and both my sons. My whole family...my Dad , Mom , both my brothers and their families will be together forever in Heaven. In fact , my Dad and oldest brother is in Heaven right now with Christ waiting for the rest of us.

If I was still unsaved , I would be afraid to lay my head upon my pillow each night knowing I was just one heartbeat away from eternity in everlasting torments.

Sometimes people ask , why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Sometimes it's obvious , God uses these situations to bring others to Him! Without this experience ; who knows if I would have ever submited to God? Without my influence , my wife and children may have never been saved.

I want to add before closing ; looking back on my life , I can see times when I could have been killed and left this world prematurely. Honestly I believe , God heard my old gray haired momma's prayers and preserved me for her through the rough times.

I can't stress enough how Satan has confused people on the plan of salvation. To many people think if they live a good enough life or they accomplish enough good deeds , this will get them into Heaven.
People think because they are church members ; they are of Christ.
People may think that they inherited salvation from their Christian parents but the Heavenly Father is the only way to this inheritance!

Satan has falsely convinced people that you are child of God if...

You've ate a wafer? Nope...you can eat a whole box of Fig Newtons and still be a Hell bound sinner with a full belly!

You've been sprinkled as a baby or baptized in water.....Nope ; this will only make you a wet Hell bound sinner!

You've joined a church and attend regularly? Nope ; Hell will be full of church goers! You might as well sleep in on Sunday!

You've joined a lodge or some social club that raises money for charities? Nope ; The Grand Puba will go to Hell if he's not saved! Your good works can't gain or retain your salvation!

Oh there are so many ways that Satan has deceived the masses through his workers. As praying your loved ones out of limbo or purgutory , baptism of the dead in the name of your loved one , worshiping a pagan idol ......no...all of these are "another Gospel" and won't save any soul from eternal punishment in a lake of fire and brimstone!

Things surely changed for me once I was saved and this is my life verse....

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I know the old me and I know the new me....these are different people.

After I was saved ; I even lost a lot of my old friends but I gained a new friend that will never leave me!