[Gospel Web Globe]

CONVERSION TESTIMONY "FROM INDIANA"

This is a True Testimony about one person's experience of conversion, as
understood by him, and sent in to us for use on our "Testimonies Page".


"You ask, on one of your web pages, for testimonies. I normally don't talk about what Christ has done for me in the past, as important as that is. Instead, I like to talk about what Christ is allowing me to do for Him now. And I may share some of that with you in the future. But, for now, I'll make an exception and tell you about my salvation experience.

I was one of those "Nice guys" on my way to hell. I didn't smoke, I drank very little, I paid my bills, worked hard, and helped others when and where I could. I sold real estate for a living, and always tried to treat others as I would like them to treat me. One day I crossed paths, or should I say the Lord led me across the path of, a Christian with a real estate need. He once commented to me after I was later saved, that I was more Christlike than most Christians. WAKE UP CHRISTIANS - YOUR TESTIMONY IS SHOWING!

Anyway, he invited me to church, and I went. I was so naive that, when the invitation was given I considered the invitation as "The church's wrapping up time." See John 6:44. (We "soul winners" try so hard to "win" someone to Christ by talking them into saying, praying, or doing certain things when the Holy Spirit isn't dealing with them at all, or when we aren't sensitive and obedient to the Holy Spirit. The end result is we deceive lost people into thinking they are saved when they are not!)

Anyway, I went to that church several times, and got absolutely nothing out of the services. Like most church goers, I felt I was doing the right thing just by going.

Then one day, the unexpected happened. The pastor and the real estate customer knocked on my front door. The Holy Spirit preceeded them. They talked about insignificant things at first to gain my confidence, as they should have, and then they talked about what they had come for, my salvation. They handed me a tract and showed me the "sinner's prayer" near the end of the tract. After acknowledging that I was a sinner and that I believed that the Bible was true, I asked, "Do you mean that if I pray this prayer and mean it, that I will go to heaven?" The pastor said "yes," and then asked me if I wanted to pray it. Then I said "yes!" Then he did what seemed like a strange thing - he said he had other people to see - and he left. As I look back, I see now that he wanted me to pray to God, and not to him. He truly was being led by the Holy Spirit, because I then prayed to God.

Nevertheless, I spent the next two years anguishing about whether or not I was saved. (The devil didn't like loosing me!) Finally, one day, I realized that I wasn't anguishing anymore. God had won!

Sometime shortly after that, as I recall, God confirmed that He had won, and He started the molding process. I was driving home on the interstate from downtown, and my car died. And it died right between the slums and the ghetto! I coasted as far as I could, and finally pulled over just before an overpass that I feared I didn't have enough momentum to cross. I got out, looked under the hood, and behold, the motor was still there. Oh well!

I then remembered a bible verse - Matthew 21:22 -"And all things, whatsoever yea shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." So I did what any new naive Christian would do, I told God that He knew what the problem was and that He was able to fix it. Then I asked Him to do so. HE DIDN'T! So I looked up and, as sarcastically as I could, I said "Thanks!"

I then got out of my car and started walking toward home - only about three or four miles away. Yeh, that was dumb, but God isn't.

Before I could cross the overpass, a truck stopped in front of me and the passenger door flung open. I was so infuriated by God's "failure" that, unthinkingly, I got in.

The driver was a Baptist preacher from a nearby town who was doing some volunteer work in the inner city. He took me to where he was working and let me use the phone. I called a gas-service station I was familiar with, and was told that they had a serviceman available, and that he would meet me at my car in a few minutes. God had that all planned out too.

The pastor then walked me back to the front door and pointed me to my car - about a half block away. Isn't God good! That's not a question! GOD IS GOOD!

Then, and here's the whole point, as I walked back to my car the Holy Spirit came onto me like a ton of bricks, and boy, did I ever feel little. As sincerely - not sarcastically as before - as sincerely as anyone could, I looked up and said, "I'm sorry!" And I haven't been the same since - PRAISE GOD!

(Note to Webmaster from writer) --- If you choose to use this testimony in any way, please feel free to do so, but no names please. Just sign me "From Indiana." You have my e-mail address if you desire to contact me for any reason. God bless, and keep on keeping on until Jesus comes."
---- 'From Indiana'