Salvation
The Testimonies on this page are dedicated to people’s stories about their salvation.
Personal testimonies are a great way to learn about each other, to appreciate the grace of God in our lives, be encouraged in our faith, and draw closer together.Each person’s testimony is unique. Each of us has come to God at different times in our lives. Each of us is eternally grateful for the light turning on, and our response to God’s initiative in our life.
Maybe something someone says will bring you closer to God. As we read each others testimonies we realize just how blessed we are and how close we came to missing life itself—Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords.
Personal testimonies are a great way to learn about each other, to appreciate the grace of God in our lives, be encouraged in our faith, and draw closer together.Each person’s testimony is unique. Each of us has come to God at different times in our lives. Each of us is eternally grateful for the light turning on, and our response to God’s initiative in our life.
Maybe something someone says will bring you closer to God. As we read each others testimonies we realize just how blessed we are and how close we came to missing life itself—Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords.
Kaitlyn Teachen and Julie Ulrich leading Worship
Karen Corliss Oh how I have stressed this task; putting my testimony into words. I so didn’t feel as if my story was of any interest. No date to recall, no defining moment, just a subtle awareness of God’s presence in my life and a desire to know him more. Is Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior? YES! Am I saved? YES! Did I truly know this before today? NO. It has been my struggle. Am I saved? Well I asked Jesus into to my heart. Does that mean I am saved, according to the Bible yes; so why the struggle? Well today, January 25, 2006 I had my defining moment. Why the struggle? Because until today, although I asked Jesus into my heart. I wanted to live for Him without dying to myself. I wanted to hang on to my past. I held onto my sin and my pain as if it belonged to me and not God. I didn’t truly release it to God. I went to the cross alright but I forgot to leave all that stuff behind. I took it with me. But today with the help of my Pastor I was able to finally leave it behind. Did I do it? NO. Did my Pastor’s talk with me do it? NO. GOD DID IT! And I let him. I finally let him love me. His Child, Karen Corliss.<br />
For God so loved Karen that he gave his only Son, so as long as she believed in Him she would have eternal life. DO I HAVE LIFE? YES I DO! Starr I was saved just four years ago, in July 2001. It scares me to think of how close I came to missing it all. I’m so grateful and so amazed at the patience, love and forgiveness of Jesus. Before I was saved, I thought of myself as a Christian. I believed there was a God, I believed he created the earth I knew of Jesus and the resurrection. I went to church off and on for years.
I didn’t think of myself as a sinner and 1 fully believed that God would not turn me away from heaven. I had never read the Bible; I knew a lot of the stories that are well known. I didn’t pray (only in church, along with the pastor’s prayers.) and most importantly, I didn’t know Jesus.<br /> I remember watching Billy Graham on TV when I was 15 years old. I silently asked Jesus to come into my heart then, hut I never did anything after that. In gratefulness, for not leaving me behind, I write this letter to my Savior. Jesus Christ: Dear Lord, How can I possibly put into words all that I’m experiencing. You accepted this lost soul of mine with patience, understanding, forgiveness and love. For years I went my own way, did my own thing and lived solely for me, myself and I, yet you welcomed me and accepted me just the way I was. I deserved nothing, you gave me everything. I remember the first time I truly prayed. I got down on my knees and I looked for you. I called your name, I needed you. Just as you promised, you were there! I saw you, father, standing and speaking to several people sitting on the ground. I was hiding behind a lot of bushes and trees. I wanted so much to watch, I wanted so much to be there with those people. I wanted to listen. I remember feeling intense shame. Here I was, this unworthy, selfish, empty person wanting to be near you! You continued to speak to the people on the ground. But the entire time your eyes were on me. You never spoke to me Lord, , but your eyes did, they clearly said five little words that resonate over and over in me. They said, “I’ve been waiting for you!” What an incredible father you are!! I love you so much! You re changed and are still changing everything about me. You taught me how to live and how to forgive. You taught me to pray and you’ve given me the desire to seek you and the wisdom to know that without you, I was, and am, nothing. Through your scriptures, I’ve learned that I am a sinner and that I need you every single day. You’ve filled me with grace and peace. I now have this beautiful” hope’’ of being in heaven with you and the joy in my heart uncontainable and overflowing.. You’ve given me this church, Lord of Lords, and this church family where I am replenished, taught and accepted. With their help I can try to stay on that narrow path that leads us home to you. Thank you. Lord Jesus, for every single blessing you’ve poured out on me. I’m looking forward to seeing you face to face again; but with your help, I will not he filled with shame, only love and gratefulness. Till then, Your Child, Starr |
Adele Shaw I was raised in Waretown Methodist Church. However, at that time, very little emphasis was placed there on receiving Christ as our personal savior. Eventually, a singing group called “The Hopefuls” from Ranch Hope for Boys visited the church one evening. They presented the gospel message, and I asked Jesus to come into my heart that night. I was about eleven years old. At that time, I had a Sunday School teacher from a Baptist background. She encouraged me in my decision, and had me memorize Bible verses. Before long, however, she left Waretown Methodist, saying she was not growing spiritually there. I could not understand what she meant by that, and I was extremely upset to see her go.<br />
When I graduated from high school, I decided to go into education. I worked as a summer camp counselor for two summers at Mount Misery and Tumethca, camps for children sponsored by the United Methodist Church. I thought about going into Christian education, but at Mount Misery I was told things like, “Many of the stories in the Old Testament are myths. You aren’t supposed to literally believe in stuff like the creation and the flood,” and “You can’t believe everything Paul says in his letters. He hated women.” These things troubled me, and I came to the conclusion that the only books of the Bible I could really trust were the gospels. After I was married, we lived in Seaside Park for a time. We started going to Grace Evangelical Church, where Reverend Dr. James McColl was pastor. I will never forget the first sermon I heard him preach. He had us turn in our Bibles to Psalm 22, and then cross-referenced back and forth to the gospel accounts of Christ’s crucifixion. He then explained that Psalm 22 was written approximately one thousand years before the birth of Christ. This totally floored me. Before, I had wanted so much to believe that the Old Testament was true, and had a purpose, despite what I had been told. Now, years later, I understood—not only was the Old Testament true, but it was packed with prophecies that pointed straight to Christ, right from the time of “crushing the serpent’s head” in the Garden of Eden. It also showed how a loving, holy God dealt through the ages with His people.<br /> Pastor McColl was a wonderful teacher and mentor in Christ. When he preached, he would read whole chapters of scripture at a time, and have us flipping all over the place to other passages that backed up the point, or amplified it. I began to really get a feel for where things were located in my Bible. He would say, “Don’t believe something just because I said it—believe it because you read it for yourself in scripture.” For the first time, I understood what it meant to “Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” I began really reading the Bible for myself at that time, a chapter a night, a practice I continue to this day. I have learned that commitment to Jesus does not end with taking Him as Savior, but only begins a daily, life-changing personal walk. After Pastor McColl retired, my family and I attended Forked River Baptist Church for awhile, then found our way to this congregation through my oldest daughter Sarah’s friendship with Julie Tate. It has been a real joy and privilege to stand with Lord of Lords Bible Community Church for teaching that goes beyond the “milk” to the “meat” of God’s Word. In Christian Love, Adele Shaw Laura Kropp When the pastor asked us to give our testimony—I said mine wouldn’t be too exciting. I haven’t seen any bright lights or miracles. I feel I was “born” into Jesus Christ. I guess I accepted him as my savior because he was placed in my heart by my parents—at my infant baptism. They taught and showed me his love by the way we lived. Church and Sunday School (all my life) has had an important part of how l lived my life.
As a teenager my church had a strong and active youth group. We learned, practiced, and saw the love of God at work. This “gang” changed as we all graduated and went in different directions. It was during this time that I again asked Jesus into my life and heart. I chose nursing, as I felt my calling was to help the sick and their families. I witnessed many times that could only be explained as the work of the Holy Spirit. What ajoy it was even on a bad day—like when a newborn baby was dying. The Parents asked me to baptize their child, since a priest or pastor couldn’t be there. It was my privilege to do this three times. I was so lucky to fall in love with a man—who also was a Christian, and we married in 1953. Our churches and Sunday schools were always a big part of our lives. We were blessed with two daughters and 3 granddaughters—that we taught to love the Lord. My faith has been a comfort and help. It got me through the low times like the illnesses and death of my parents and Karl’s. It really helps to know that there is a much better place ahead for my family and me. Even though I miss them I know they are in a far better place—and no more pain (I’m looking forward to this). He has also been beside me in serious illnesses of husband, daughters and me. My faith has been a comfort in all the changes of my life. Karl and I have moved a lot in fifty two years: We have lived in seven states! One of the first places we search for is a good church home. This is a great place to find comfort and new friends. I know the power of prayer—he has always answered my prayers—maybe not as soon or the way I thought I wanted, but I can look back and see he is always right! I feel God wanted me to go with our new church. He as been there everyday! Lord of Lords has strengthened my faith. What a joy! We now have a community that I never felt before. I know he is always there for Karl and me. I hope I don’t disappoint him, as I am looking forward to seeing him face to face some day. God is great and He is so good— God loves us all Laura Kropp |
Hearing God & Living to His Spirit
Finding Peace, Removing Fear and Anxiety By B. D. Tate The ministry of the Holy Spirit is probably the most neglected area of the Christian walk. We taste and see from time to time but to live in the Spirit seems very inconsistent for most. It is like letting the peace of God rule in our heart is a very fleeting experience. It doesn’t take much for us to lose our peace and it doesn’t take much for us to lose our spiritual walk. This should not be the case. This is all changing and I think mainly because we have finally been alerted to the most diverting practice that has kept us from being steady in both of these areas (the peace of God and walking in the Spirit). That diverting practice has been our continual entanglement with the law. We are just grasping how pervasive the law is in our life. Twenty-four seven the law in its perfection has been bringing back to us what we have sown, what others have sown, and witnessing to our heart the constant refrain—guilty. All of our days we have struggled and labored to measure up, to find peace enough to feel good, to justify or excuse our lack of right standing before God. Condemnation, guilt, shame, reproach, fear, anxiety, regret, insecurity, and never feeling truly accepted or acceptable, all of these things loudly indicate our issuing with the law’s judgments against us. Our own heart has never found peace except for short periods of time, from the constant barrage of accusations, prosecutions, and cross examinations to our own unworthiness. We have interpreted this whole business as being God’s anger, disappointment, and frustration with us. We have figured that God will never be satisfied with us so we’ll just do our best. Yet, we all know that doing our best is never good enough. Then the enemy of our souls has jumped on board convincing us that God will never accept us (except barely in Christ), never truly love us, bringing recrimination and self rejection along with it. (More?) |