Looking Back, January 2023
Recently, I “resurrected” Morris Venden. Going through the various sermon choices online, I found his sermon where he spoke about how he became friends with Jesus. I wanted a testimony from someone who struggled with this… because I did too.
I really never “measured up” at home or at school or anywhere else, for that matter. When I invited Jesus to come live “in my heart” on April 15, 1977, it was the result of the simple share of a close friend and was a beginning. I felt loved from the inside out and I was so grateful. He loved me with all my imperfections, just as I was. What a gift that was! I was accepted by this Person who actually died for me, so I could have a relationship with Him. My bad habits did not change right away, but my attitude did.
Soon, the question was, “Who are You? Show me who You are!” Then, “Where do You want me to go to church?” The journey was extensive, and I needed to experience what I did because when I ended up at the Mt. Ellis Academy church service that Sabbath in October of 1979, I no longer worried about measuring up, looking perfect, feeling alone, etc. because I was in a place where I sensed God’s presence, and I was never the same again. It was unforgettable and eventually, the cultural and personal habits were shed one by one as I learned about Jesus and studied the Bible.
So what does that have to do with Personal Ministries? Sharing what Jesus has done for you or what He means to you can be a pivotal point in someone’s life. For those who don’t know Him, it is especially helpful to hear a hope-filled tidbit from a friend. That is what He told the demoniac in Mark chapter 5 to do. “…Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you” (verse 19, NKJV). The seeds were planted so that when Jesus came back to that area, people came to Him. They wanted to see Him.
Will you join with me this year and remember the story of how you met Jesus and what He has meant to you? There are people waiting to hear from someone they know who can introduce them to the Savior and bring light and love into their dark lives. MB
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
Hosea 6:3 KJV
Happy New Year!