His Word in Action...
"His Word in Action" - This page and its objective.
Although my self-description does contain some Christian information,
I have found that this page has been very much secular in outlook otherwise,
which is not something that is reprehesnible in itself. However, I feel that since my faith
is a focal point of my life, a homepage devoted to my interests and thoughts should
include a segment dedicated to my faith. This segment is not intended to offend those
who do not share my faith, but merely as a testimony and outreach to those who read. This page now consists of a bible study that I have prepared with the Lord's help for my youth group recently, as well as my testimony dealing with how God has worked in my life. More material dealing with Christianity and Christian issues is sure to be forthcoming, so be sure to come back from time to time to see what has been added to this site. Until then, thank you for your patience, and God Bless You. :)
Bible Study and Devotional: "Standing strong in a fallen world".
This bible study/devotional, entitled "Standing strong in a fallen world", deals with a section of verses in Jude and elsewhere in the bible, which encourage us, though we see corruption and immorality all around us, not to fall in despair but to stand strong in our faith and our witness to the world. To access this section, please click here.
Devotional: "Keeping the faith on campus".
This devotional, which I orignally wrote for an ISCF group article in the school newspaper, speaks of the difficult task that we as Christians have in keeping true to Christ on campus, and offers encouragement for all those who are facing such a situation. To access this section, please click here.
My Testimony - An illustration of God's work in my life.
Though the foundations for my Christian life were laid from my birth, as my
parents had raised me in a Christian home and had given me the opportunity to go to
church to learn about Jesus, it was not until I was eight years old that I was born again,
and thus a follower of Christ in my own right. Even though I don't remember the exact
date or time, I will always remember how it happened and what accepting Jesus Christ
into my heart meant to me. One Sunday morning, as part of our regular service, there was
a special puppet show for the children that talked about accepting Jesus into our hearts.
Afterwards, the pastor asked that anyone who wanted to accept Jesus Christ into their
hearts come forward to the altar, where he would pray for us that we would be born
again. Perhaps the Lord had opened my young heart for this purpose, but as soon as I
heard this, I went up and accepted Jesus into my heart, and from then on, I began to grow
in my walk with Christ.
Yet in the years that were to follow, as hard as I tried myself to keep on the right
path and to live in accordance to his word, I found that I had faltered at times along the
way at times and had fallen short of the mark. I asked for forgiveness, and thanks to the
Lord's incredible mercy that is described in the word, I know that he has granted this, yet
still I felt guilt for my sins. For the next nine years after I gave my heart to the Lord this
had continued, where I would grow in Christ by fits and starts, yet be taken aback by my
own sin and guilt, as I had relied on my own means instead of giving my situation over to
the Lord.
However, last fall, as I attended a youth conference not unlike many others which I
had gone to in the past, the Lord brought about in me a change that was to bring me far
closer to him then in the past. After a great night and a powerful sermon on the topic of
giving your decisions over to the Lord, among other matters, the pastor who was speaking
opened up the altar first to those who wanted to accept Jesus as their personal saviour.
But instead of leaving it at that, he then opened up the altar to those who wanted to
recommit their lives to the Lord and repent of their sins, that already knew and followed
Jesus Christ. Though at first I did not want to go forward, I was eventually led, not by
others, nor by my own will, but by God's direction to go forward and recommit my life to
Christ. Through this, and thanks to the prayers of others and the Lord's answering of these
prayers, I grew in Christ more during the months that were to follow than in the years that
preceeded my recommittment, though I faced difficulties and challenges to my faith in that
time from others. I also thank God for the opportunity that I had to meet other Christians
for fellowship and encouragement, which has definetly been of help in my growth in Christ
during this time.
Yet as far as my walk with Christ is concerned, the best was yet to come, as the
Holy Spirit continues to work in me. After my recommitment, I had been thinking of
getting baptized of my own free will in obediance to Christ's will for our lives, so when the
opportunity presented itself with a baptism ceremony in June at my church, I jumped at
the chance to do so. Before the actual baptism, the pastor had spoken of the symbolism of
the ceremony, the testimony which were to give to the church to declare our faith in Christ
to those who were present, and also of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as described in Acts
2:4. Yet I was somewhat concerned about what I was going to say in front of the church
as my testimony, so I prayed continually before I was to be baptized that the Lord would
give me the words that were to be said as my testimony, that were not of my own mouth
but of him. In addition, even though I had always been somewhat skeptical of speaking in
tongues and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I asked of the Lord to do a special work
through me in my baptism, and to cleanse me of my doubt so that I might recieve these
giftings.
As I lowered myself into the baptismal tank and came to the microphone to speak,
I found that my worries about what I would say were pointless, as the Holy Spirit did in
fact give me the words to say for my testimony. After being baptized, I felt giddy and
joyous...but the best was yet to come. Later, when everyone was baptized and dried off,
Reverend Joe called us all forward again for prayer, and he asked if we wanted to recieve
the giftings of the Spirit. I wanted to recieve, but I first asked him to pray that the doubt
might be removed from my mind so that nothing would hinder me from partaking in what
the Spirit had for me. Immediately after we both prayed, I underwent an awesome
experience that was truly of the Holy Spirit...first speaking in a strange language, and then,
the next thing I know, falling to the ground not by stumbling, nor by being pushed, but as
I was later to find out, I was slain in the Spirit. While I was on the ground, I felt better
than I ever did...my body tingled as though a million sparks were running through me, I
praised the Lord in tongues, and my hands felt as though they were being pressed against
and lifted to the air...but not by myself or anyone else, since there was no one around me.
Even though I can be cynical when I hear of these types of experiences, I know for a fact
that it was not of my imagination, but of the Holy Spirit, and I will always remember how
the Holy Spirit worked through me that night.
As far as my future is concerned, I had always wanted to choose a career and a
path for my future that would advance God's kingdom, yet too often in the past I tried to
plan out every aspect of my life myself, without relying on the Lord. Yet as I finished high
school last year, I found that the plans that I was so proud of for the future just were not
for me, nor were they something that I could live by for the rest of my life. Through much
prayer on this matter...the Lord has given me a direction for my life that I am to use my
giftings for his service...either through teaching or ministry. Although I have yet to
discover exactly what career the Lord intends for me to enter, I am confident that he will
direct me in this, and that through this path I will be able to further his word.
Though it is somewhat faint as not to distract you, the reader, from the words that are
on the page, you will probably notice a background with Jesus directing a young man at the
helm of a ship. I thought this illustration to be quite appropriate to this page, as although
there are times when I am uncertain, like the young man in the background picture, Jesus directs
and guides me through the most turbulent times of my life.
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Last Updated: January 8th, 1999.
