How I Was Saved

Hi,

I was a weak young man, spiritually as well as physically. I didn`t believe in anything God, the devil, I just wanted to have a good time ; never mind the consequences.

  I had no self confidence whatsoever, although when I started work, my confidence did improve, but not by much. I was thin, very thin and used to wear jumpers under my shirt to make my self look bigger. No, I did not like myself very much, in fact I would say that I hated myself. No self esteem at all, I found it hard to make friends and form relationships, because I was so shy and without confidence. I became a heavy smoker and gambler, I played the fruit machines, sometimes I lost all my wages, including my keep. Then I had to borrow money off work colleagues so I could give my parents my keep, it was a vicious circle, sometimes I would win the jackpot and then proceed to put it all back in. I did not know why I did this,I was hopelessly addicted to those machines, and because of this and the smoking never had any money.

This all drove me to the brink of suicide, I tried to cut my wrists but never even had the " courage " to do that. I used to cry myself to sleep, feeling inadequate and alone in my suffering. I couldn`t see any way out, any way in which I could go on living.

What I didn`t know was that this was all part of God`s plan for my life. Sometimes you have to be in a position like this to hear what God is saying to you. God used a young man where I worked called Clive, to bring me to Him. This young man saw the state I was in ,as I was unshaven and hadn`t had a decent night`s sleep for weeks. He asked me if I was o.k. and I said no and began to tell him all about my life, the addictions and the attempted suicides also how I was crying myself to sleep.

He listened to me, here I was pouring out my life to a person whom I hardly knew.I knew Clive was a Christian, but didn`t really know what a Christian was. I thought, as many people thought, that he was just a "bible puncher" pushing his religion at people and annoying them.

Clive listened attentively, listening to every word I said. He never interrupted me, just waited for to finish what I was saying. Then he asked me if I have ever heard of Jesus. I said I knew of Him, because I won religious knowledge prizes at school,so I knew He was a prophet or something and He died on a cross. Clive then proceeded to tell me who Jesus was and what He did for me through His death and resurrection. I didn`t really take what he said in, and he could see I was confused, so, he wrote down a few Bible verses for me to read when I got home.

 To cut a long story short, I found my old Bible, the one I had won for a peek prize many years ago, I do not think that I ever opened it. I went to bed early, which in itself was unusual, as most times I used to stay up watching t.v. until the national anthem came on at the end of the broadcast.

  I started to read the gospel verses that Clive had wrote down, nothing made much sense, then I  came to the part where Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, it was like suddenly I was there, standing beside this poor man, I saw the man`s hand being healed. I saw the bones forming ,then the veins and sinews and the skin stretching over the bones as Jesus touched him, and then I had a revelation, if this Jesus could do this then HE MUST BE THE SON OF GOD  Suddenly my room was filled with light, so bright I had to shield my eyes. Then I heard a voice, this voice said one word " Colin" my name. I knew then I was saved, I knew then I had changed, in an instant Jesus had called my name, and I was filled with so much joy it was overwhelming. 

 The following Sunday I couldn`t wait to get to a church and tell everybody I was saved. I sang, and as I sang tears were rolling down my cheeks. I knew that God was softening my heart, giving me His love and His truth, the truth of the gospel of Jesus, God`s only begotten Son.

 Within a short space of time the addiction to gambling was gone.I was no longer held by the devil in this area. God had taken this addiction from me .

There are still lots of things in my life that need to be dealt with, I will always be a sinner while I am in this body, and will continue to sin although I will try  not to. For I love Jesus and know what He has done for me, because He loves me and chose to die for me, I will try not to sin, but seek the way out that God has provided for me.

  . I have learned many thing now, but still have lots to learn about the way God uses people to do His work,to destroy the plans of the devil. The devil is defeated, Jesus achieved victory at the cross and His resurrection, the problem is the devil does not know that he is defeated, and there is nothing he can do to avert his fate that awaits him and those that follow him. Which is eternal damnation in the lake of fire.

Now I am free from the addiction of tobacco, again, I give God all the glory. I just want to move forward in Christ now, to know Him more to be more like Him, and to Praise and Glorify His wonderful name, for there is no other name under heaven by which you can be saved.....Believe and be Saved..

 If you do not have a Bible, there is an on line one for you here......http://www.keyway.ca/bibles/kjvindex.htm