Testimony | A People for His Name

Why I Still Do Not Drink Alcohol Now That I Am a Christian

April 18, 2013

Whether or not Christians should or even may drink alcohol is a hotly debated subject these days. In this post, I offer my testimony concerning this issue. I hope that it will strengthen other brethren to continue to refrain from drinking alcohol.

Before My Conversion

As an unsaved college student at Western Illinois University, I had many opportunities to drink alcohol in social settings. Although I also encountered suggestions that I should drink alcohol on at least a few occasions, I never drank alcohol throughout my years of being an unbeliever.

In my thinking then, alcohol was a toxic substance that was not at all necessary for life and posed a serious risk of harming my body and enslaving me. I had watched some of my friends suffer harmful consequences of their drinking and had no desire to experience any of what they did.

In fact, I do not recall ever having in any context even the slightest desire to try alcohol, cigarettes, or any other such substances. As a very health-conscious person majoring in Fitness Instruction and Human Performance, I thought that it would be foolish for to me to drink alcohol.

For me it made perfect sense that if I never tried alcohol, there would be no possibility that I would ever become an alcoholic. Nor would I ever drive under the influence or engage in immoral behaviors under the influence of a mind-controlling substance that has destroyed the lives of millions of people throughout the world.

After My Conversion

After becoming a Christian, I devoured the Bible and much other Christian literature. Nothing that I read in those early years of my being a believer signaled to me that I should change any of my thinking about drinking alcohol.

Over the rest of the years that I have been a believer, I have not heard or read anything that suggests to me that there is any value for me as a believer to drink alcohol. Moreover, my present belief that abstaining from alcohol consumption is the right position on this issue is even stronger than when I was an unbeliever who abstained from drinking alcohol.

My Encouragement to Other Brethren Facing Pressure to Change Their Views

If you are a believer who has abstained from alcohol consumption in the past, I encourage you to stand fast against any pressure you may be facing to change your position. If you never try alcohol in the first place, you will never become an alcoholic. If you never try alcohol, you will never become drunk.

Even some unbelievers recognize the value of not ever drinking alcohol and resist the pressure to do so; we who have the Spirit of God in us have incomparably greater resources and motivation to do so!

In Discipleship, Health, Testimony

The Value of a Tract on a Windshield

April 5, 2013

Most believers believe that tracts are a good way to share the gospel with people. For various reasons, however, many are often reluctant to pass them out personally to people.

Leaving tracts impersonally in various locations for people to find at a later point is an alternative way of evangelism that probably not many believers use very often today. My testimony of salvation shows that God does use this means of evangelism.

While living in Cookeville, TN, in 1989, I was working retail at a local K-Mart store. One day, I returned to my car to find a piece of paper that someone had stuck under my left windshield wiper.

I do not remember now whether I was annoyed at that time or not. I do remember removing the paper from my windshield and looking at what it was.

Finding the title God’s Simple Plan of Salvation to be interesting, I proceeded to read the tract. (I’m not sure now whether I read it right away or later on that day, but I did read it sometime that day.) Sometime soon after reading that tract as well as other materials, God saved me by convincing me of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!

What’s more, if I am remembering correctly, I think that the tract was from Calvary Baptist Church in Cookeville, which turned out to be the same church that God led me to attend shortly after I was saved! I look forward to finding out in eternity who shared the tract with me that helped me to be saved.

We never know how God will use the tracts that we give to people and the tracts that we just leave in various places for people to find later!

In Evangelism, Testimony

What If Almost $6,000,000 Worth of Books Were Burned at One Time Today?

March 5, 2013

Acts 19 records an occasion when people who became Christians showed their genuine repentance in a remarkable way:

Act 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

¹⁹ Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

²⁰ So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

To put these numbers into some perspective, consider that one of the pieces of silver mentioned in this account was worth roughly “a day’s wages.”[1] According to the US Social Security Administration, “the national average wage index for 2011 [was] [$]42,979.61” (http://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html; accessed March 5, 2013). This works out to an average US daily salary of $117.75.

For books to be burnt today that roughly would be worth the equivalent of what was burned in the account recorded in Acts 19, people would burn $5,887,617.81 worth of books ($117.75 x 50,000)! Such a public display of true repentance would be an amazing testimony of the power of God’s word.

Although I did not do so publicly, after I was saved, God led me to destroy a large amount of ungodly music items that I had accumulated over more than two decades. I have no way of knowing what the total value of that material was, but I am sure that it was worth a fair amount of money.

If you profess to be a Christian, have you truly repented by ridding your life of any ungodly material possessions that you may have had over the years that were a vital part of your past sinful ways?

May God grant us all the grace to do whatever we may need to do in this respect in our lives today.

[1] “A drachma was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages.” (Footnote in The Comparative Study Bible, 2831)

In Exhortation, Testimony

From Heavy Metal, Soft Rock, and Pop to Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

February 6, 2013

As an unsaved child and junior high, high school, and college student, I listened to a wide variety of music, including heavy metal, soft rock, and pop. Growing up in an Indian home, I also had very extensive exposure to Hindi music, especially music from Indian movies.

Music was an especially vital part of my life from about junior high onward. At one point, I even wanted to be a lead guitarist and vocalist for a rock band.

In college, I took guitar classes and lessons and longed to learn how to play rock music. Although I tried very hard to learn how to play it, I never was able to figure out how to play the rhythms of that music. Most of the few rock solo parts that I did learn to play, I learned from a few close friends who also played guitar.

In contrast to my very limited success in learning to play rock music, I was able to develop extensive abilities in note reading and strumming and picking chords for songs that did not have a rock beat to them. In addition, considerable exposure to classical music during these years, both through my guitar lessons and through close connections with many college friends who were classical musicians, developed a deep love and appreciation in me for classical music.

Although I had listened to many different styles of music in my life, I did not have much exposure to Christian hymnody before I was saved. In the years leading up to my conversion, I did attend services occasionally at an Assembly of God church, but I have no recollection of the music that I heard on those occasions.

Shortly after I became a Christian, I began attending services regularly at an independent Baptist church in Cookeville, TN. In that church, I first experienced extensively Christian hymnody and other sacred music that was sung and played in a way that was distinct from all the music (except for the classical music and the other sacred songs that I had heard before) that I can recall ever having heard prior to that point in my life.

My experience of this new music was not just that I was singing words that I had not sung before—there was an entirely different feel to this music. This sacred music did not bring back to my mind the earlier styles that I had saturated my mind with over the years.

Now, after 23 years of being immersed in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, I am readily able to detect a difference between what I first heard in my first church and what I hear today in Christian music sung and performed in contemporary styles. Whereas the former never recalls to my mind secular music that I have heard, CCM readily does so.

As one who first had his mind immersed for many years in the world’s music and then immersed for many years in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, I find it regrettable that good brethren assert that CCM is acceptable music for divine worship. Not having the background that I have, many of them do not understand the harmful effects that the musical styles of CCM—regardless of the words—are having upon them.

Furthermore, even after years of being a believer, I find that I still have within me a deep affinity for rock music, pop, and other music that is played and sung in worldly styles. Based on my extensive experiential knowledge of the world’s music and of sacred music that is clearly distinct in style from the world’s music, it is clear to me that CCM has no place in the life of a dedicated believer and should be eradicated from every church that desires to glorify God in its worship.

See my post Resources That Provide Answers to Key Issues Concerning CCM for much more biblical information about issues concerning what music God accepts in corporate worship.

In CCM, Music, Testimony

Let Us Sorrow Not without Hope!

December 29, 2012

In a small Midwestern town, a fierce ice storm raged. The howling of the frigid winds was suddenly joined by the piercing ringing of a telephone. In the wee hours of the morning, the phone call informed a family that they needed to come to the hospital immediately.

Because their car was not working, a police car took them to the hospital. As they walked into the hospital room, a far greater storm began to rage in their souls. Lying there on the hospital bed was my dad dead of an apparent heart attack. Seeing him dead, our world suddenly fell apart.

The immense sorrow of that time was accompanied by times of longing and dreaming that somehow, someday, I would see my dad again. But, our sorrow was without hope because none of us were believers at that time.

As I did for many years after my dad died in 1982, many in this world sorrow without hope for their dead loved ones. Praise God that He does not want believers to sorrow without hope for their believing loved ones who have died:

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

This passages teaches us that in order for us to sorrow not without hope for our loved ones who have died, four things must be true.

1. We must believe that Jesus died and rose again (1 Thess. 4:14a).

2. Our loved ones must believe that Jesus died and rose again, so that when they die, they will be asleep in Jesus (1 Thess. 4:14b; cf. Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:6, 18, 51).

3. We as believers must not be ignorant concerning those who are asleep in Jesus (1 Thess. 4:13a).

4. We as believers must comfort one another concerning the dead in Christ so that we will not sorrow for them without hope (1 Thess. 4:18).

Brethren, let us sorrow not without hope for our loves ones who sleep in Jesus!

In Exhortation, Exposition, Testimony

Twenty-five Times through the Book of Psalms in 2012!

December 27, 2012

I began 2012 with a great longing to read the Psalms again and made it through the book by January 17. I made it through the book again by February 29, which was the first time I had read the book through two months in a row.

In March, God laid a burden upon me to immerse myself in the book for the rest of the year. Having read the book through 25 times before this year, I decided that I would try to read the book 25 times this year to get to 50 times through the book in my lifetime.

By the end of June, I had read the book 10 times, and it seemed that getting to 25 times through would not be possible. At the end of August, I was at 14 times through and thought that I was not going to make it.

I almost gave up on this project more than once this year. Still, God worked to make me persevere.

This morning, God allowed me to finish my twenty-fifth time through the Psalms this year, including one time through the book in the LXX and once in the RVR60 Spanish Bible! Praise God!

In Bible reading, Testimony

Twenty Times through the Book of Psalms in 2012!

November 19, 2012

This morning, I read Psalms 102-118. Tonight, I read Psalms 119-150.

The Lord has now allowed me to read through the book 20 times this year, including once in the LXX and once in the Reina-Valera. I am now 80% done with my goal for this year—reading through Psalms 25 times.

Praise the Lord!

Update: Praise God that I made it through the Psalms 25 times in 2012!

In Bible reading, Testimony

In Gratitude for Those Who Help the Multitudes Who Have Need of a Physician

October 23, 2012

All the Synoptic Gospels report that Jesus affirmed that sick people have need of physicians (Matt. 9:12; Mk. 2:17; Lk. 5:31). Through the experience of helping my sister with a recent surgery that she had to have, I have a greater appreciation for dedicated doctors and other medical caregivers.

Recently, my sister suffered an accidental orbital fracture to her left eye. She had to have surgery to repair the damage. The surgeon commented something to the effect that her fracture was an extensive one.

I drove my sister from Cookeville, TN, where she lives, to the surgical clinic in Nashville where she had her surgery. The Lord mercifully allowed her surgery to go well, and we were all very grateful when we were able to see her in the recovery room.

For the next 48 or so hours, she needed considerable help with her post-operative care. For the first twelve or so hours, she needed assistance with walking and moving around the house because of the aftereffects of the anesthesia that she had received.

To reduce the swelling, frozen peas in snack-pack sized Ziploc-type bags had to be continually kept over wet, cold compresses placed over her eye. The compress had to be changed whenever it was no longer wet and cold, which typically took around 30 minutes or so. In addition, drops had to be placed in her eye four times a day and antibiotic ointment applied three times a day to the area immediately by the outer corner of her eye.

For various reasons, I ended up being the one who did most of the work of changing her compresses and applying the drops and the ointment. Doing so, I had a small taste of what many medical personnel routinely have to do in providing necessary care for those who are sick.

I thank God for the wonderful work that millions of dedicated medical personnel do in caring for those who have need of a physician! May God richly reward each one for his labor:

Psa 41:1 <To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.> Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

² The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

³ The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

In Health, Testimony

Evangelism Testimony 7.26.12

July 26, 2012

This week, I had a great opportunity with a friend to witness to a middle-aged Spanish man. When we first started to talk to this man, he said that he did not want to talk about religion. He said that he respects other religions, and that he was a Catholic, and that he did not want to argue about religion.

I thought this witness was not going to go anywhere after hearing him say these things to us. My partner and I kept talking with him, however, and he opened up to us and shared much about his life.

Hearing how God had spared him on one occasion from being shot point-blank in the head by a rifle, I challenged him that God in His goodness had spared His life for a reason. As we continued to talk, he became friendlier and more open.

I asked him if he knew where he would go when he would die and shared with him a Spanish tract that has that question as it title. I even tried witnessing some to him in Spanish. Even the few points at which I was able to share something with him in Spanish seemed to help reach him, which was an encouragement to me in multiple ways.

A turning point came when I asked him if he had ever sinned. He replied that he had not. I was surprised to hear him answer that way, so I asked him if he had ever lied. He said that he had not.

Undeterred, I then asked him if he had ever looked inappropriately at a woman whom he was not married to and engaged in unrighteous thoughts in relation to her. God used that query to set him back, but he still tried to avoid acknowledging fully his sinfulness.

As our conversation continued, I challenged him about what happened on the Cross and testified to him about the Resurrection. I warned him that he would one day stand before Jesus, the God-appointed Judge, and give an account to Him for his sins.

We spent nearly our entire visitation time witnessing to this one man. We left with him assuring us that he would read the tracts that we gave him.

What started out seeming to be a very unpromising contact turned out to be an excellent witnessing opportunity! Please pray that this man will yet be saved.

I praise God for giving us another opportunity to share His glorious truth at length with another needy person!

In Evangelism, Testimony

Glorious Illumination from God!

April 21, 2012

Yesterday evening, I had a somewhat extensive conversation with a friend about a very serious matter. As we ended our conversation, I exhorted him not to quit and emphatically assured him that the Bible has the answers to the issues that we talked about.

Later, I found myself burdened to read Scripture. Not knowing where to read, I decided to continue reading in Ezekiel, where I had read in the morning.

Thirteen verses into my reading, God gave me insight into a statement that I had noticed many times before. This time, however, the statement opened up to me in a striking way that directly addressed the exact matter that I had discussed with my friend earlier in the evening!

What’s more, this insight came from reading that I did after praying earnestly and specifically that God would fulfill His words in James 1 about granting wisdom liberally to all who ask. Although I have had many previous instances of glorious illumination from God, last night’s experience was of such a nature that I am sobered and awed at God’s ability to grant specific illumination from passages that I had read more than two dozen times previously.

Praise God for the glorious illumination that He graciously gives to us, as He sees fit!

In Prayer, Testimony

Archives For Testimony

Before My Conversion

After My Conversion

My Encouragement to Other Brethren Facing Pressure to Change Their Views

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