|
From
Atheist
to
Evangelist !
I was conceived outside the Ivory Coast of Africa
aboard an old rusty merchant marine ship.
Born, raised, deep frozen and deceived
by loving adoptive parents, foster and step-parents.
I left home at age 17.
Through multiple jobs; as lead singer of 9 bands,
roadie or soundman, social worker, truck driver,
accountant, free-lance journalist and photographer,
handyman, home inspector, painter,
jack of all trades and master of a few;
on 9 motorcycles, 11 cars, a ferry and three merchant
marine ships and more airplanes than I can remember
I have traveled to 34 countries,
and 33 United States of America.
Through my upbringing and traveling around the world
I heard about God,…
just didn’t want to have anything to do
with those “freaks” talking about Jesus,…
I told these persistent “annoying” people,
who kept approaching me with flyers
about Jesus at rock concerts, local barn dances,
motorcycle rallies, and other events I attended,…
to leave me alone,…
”my” religion was between god and I.
Little did I know that the god I was referring to,…
is “the god of this world” ( Satan ),
who wanted me to continue
on the broad road to destruction.
I therefore in my ignorence never picked up on the fact
the Bible says we all need to ask Jesus into our lives
as our Lord and Savior,…by faith only,…
and there is nothing we can do
on our own, no matter how good it is,
to be saved and make sure we’ll go to heaven.
I kept resisting these “Jesus freaks” !!
I didn’t need their God,…
I had power and was well known as rock singer
and president for a bunch of bikers.
I rode a hard tail 1946 low rider Harley
I had custom re-built from scratch.
I was popular among the girls. I lived a wild hectic life
among lots of crazy people with lots of stuff going on,…
I was an unaware sinner with no inner peace,…
despite having all the stuff most people desire.
Early in January 1993 I started to dwell on the fact
I had never studied the Bible.
In all I do I always meticulously research things
before I get involved so this was out of character for me.
At this time I was not in any crisis. Life was going pretty well.
I started to get fear attacks at night.
I questioned my atheism and kept getting these feelings
of being lost in space when looking at the stars at night.
I kept wondering where would I go when I die ?
There had to be something more to this life
than I had figured out so far.
All of a sudden I remembered
the Lord's prayer
I had learned as a child. When I was little I said
the Lord's prayer before going to bed.
For reasons unknown to me I started praying
that prayer again, and was surprised I could remember it.
I need to make sure you know praying the Lord's prayer
as a riddle did not get me saved.
I started to reflect on the fact
I knew I had at least 7 close encounters
with death in motorcycle and car accidents
I miraculously had survived,…interesting choice of words.
I didn’t believe in God,
but I believed in miracles.
So, did I run out to buy a Bible
and find out about this JESUS
I had heard so much about through the years ?
Of course not !
Other things I do not put off until tomorrow.
In April of 1993 the drama with
David Koresch in Waco Texas unfolded live on T.V.
I watched the stand off for weeks,
and on the day the building went up in flames
I watched it live on TV with the nanny at the customers house
where I was working. I said; “look at them crazy Christians.”
Linda told me not to judge all Christians based on the actions of a few
who might have twisted the truth of the Bible.
She told me David Koresch was a false teacher.
Linda asked me about what I believed ?
I told her I didn’t know much.
I attended religion classes at school,
because I had to for the grades.
The confirmation at age 14 everybody did for the money and gifts
while swearing up a storm to a priest we could not stand.
Nobody cared about Jesus!
I got kicked out of Sunday school
at the Prayer House for swearing
and making too much noise with my buddy.
As far as I was concerned this Koresch guy
was just another religious freak I could do just fine without.
At some point I told Linda
I had been thinking about reading the Bible.
She gave me her Bible right there and then.
WOW !! I tell you that made an impression.
I at first refused ! I could not accept her giving me her Bible,
but she gently persisted,
and told me to ask her anything next time
I came to work where she was the nanny.
Linda suggested I should start reading
in the New Testament in the book of John.
She told me it would be a good place to start
to get an understanding of who Jesus is.
I had never heard of such a thing.
Who starts reading a book past the middle ?? !!!
That night I opened the Bible
as she suggested in John chapter one,…
and found to my surprise I had a very difficult time
reading the Scriptures.
After only about 15 verses or so
I had to push the book aside,... Very frustrated,
“The word is with God,…The word became Flesh”,…
this made no sense to me,..
Now in aftermath I understand,
because it is explained in 2. Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4,
2. Timothy 2:24-26, and in Acts chapter 26 verses 15 and 18
how we are blinded by the devil in our minds
and separated from God
Nobody can understand the Gospel of Jesus
without the help of the Holy Spirit of God.
When Linda asked me the next time I came to work
how the Bible reading was coming along?
I told her very rude as far as I was concerned
it was the hardest most stupid book I had ever read,
and that it was not for me she could have her Bible back,
end of discussion.
But God had another plan,…
In early June 1993 Linda’s friend, Meg,
“mysteriously”
one day dropped by to visit Linda around lunch time.
(I later found out Linda asked Meg for help to share
the Gospel of Jesus with me,
because I was too much for her to handle,..)
Linda is a very sweet gentle, quiet, soft spoken Christian lady,.
God bless her heart.
Meg however, now Meg is an entirely different story.
I have at times described Meg as a
“Persistent human hurricane”.
Because that was how I felt about her
before I knew Christ as Lord and Savior.
Both Meg and I are bold outspoken type A people.
I now in aftermath thank God for sending Meg my way.
I am grateful beyond words for the patience
and firm gentleness the Lord gave her
in dealing with me though at that time I thought
she was a major pain in the butt !!! LOL!
Meg was full time operating
a “Hot Line” foster home for troubled teens .
She had opened her home to help teens and had
up to 12 living at her home. Some of them were
sometimes dropped off straight from the police cruiser.
The Lord sent me someone who was used to “rugged” personalities.
She did not scare me, I got right in her face about this
“I LOVE JESUS”
button
she had “the nerve” to “wave” in front of me on her shirt.
How could anyone love Jesus ????
Meg was not impressed nor scared.
She gently kept sharing the Truth with me.
I need to take a breather here and tell you
how ashamed I am
over how rude I was to these two wonderful
Christian ladies God had sent my way
asking me difficult unpleasant
questions I had no answer for.
You need to understand I “always” have HAD
a quick instant reply to anything you throw at me.
Not so with Linda and Meg.
They asked me questions I had no answers for!
I defended myself by being rude and obnoxious !
I thank God for their forgiving hearts !
Stiff necked as I was,
I kept rejecting the Gospel of Jesus
so compassionately shared
with me for another five months,
while they kept answering
my many rude blasphemous questions
with great gentleness and patience.
To this day we still talk about what I put them through,…ouch !
How embarrassing,. I was bad! I mean REALLY BAD !
out of character bad !
Why did I get so mad about "this Jesus"
if there was nothing to Him ?
On numerous occasions did I turn down their offer
to receive Jesus into my life, mocking them in the process.
I was invited to come to their church on Sunday mornings,…
morning !? I am a night person. With one hour drive
to get to their church from where I lived I would have to get up
early in the morning!!!! That was way out of the question.
Sunday mornings was meant for sleeping !
They had to be nuts
to want me to be at church
early Sunday morning !
Why did I have to go to church to meet Jesus anyway ?
(now I know it was a battle for my soul
in need for much prayer in a church setting
to “snap” me out of the snare of the devil.)
Please read on, THIS is for REAL !
I was the lead vocalist for a local blues, classic-rock band.
on Saturday August 31, 1993 we played non-Christian music
for a Church of Christ in a park.
I later found out this Church of Christ believe baptism
is essential for salvation, which is not Biblical correct.
For Meg and Linda to come to this event by a cult was amazing.
Interestingly how on the picture Meg took of me singing
I raise my hand to heaven signing
“Knocking on heavens door.”
As time passed by I got curious about what this church thing
was all about and went to their 4 Square Pentecostal Church
in late October. I pretty much sat on last bench
and sabotaged the entire thing to prove these ladies wrong.
Nothing happened so I rudely said;
“ There you go it‘s all fake, it’s not for me”.
In gentle loving respond I was told I did not come forward
when the pastor gave the altar call
to publicly ask Jesus into my heart
and confess with my mouth that I believe He died for my sins
and God raised Him from the dead 3 days later
as written in Romans 10:9-10.
All who call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved,
verse 13.
Altar call? !!!
At this point I was sure these people belonged
in a house for crazy people! Phone calls I had heard of,.
But altar call ? !! I had just about had enough of church,
Christians and this Jesus they kept rambling about
and seemed to be so happy and excited about
they even got up early on Sunday morning!!
I am aware this testimony is long,...I actually have cut down
about 2 pages of details. I need to let you know
what a battle it was for my soul.
The Bible says
in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10-20;
“For our struggles is not against
flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness
in heavenly places.”
(NAS)
Because someone refuse to accept there is evil,
a devil and a real place called hell
Does not stop it from existing.
I would be selfish if I did not share my testimony
about what happened to me when I followed what Linda and Meg
shared with me the Bible says how to get saved.
The before and after dramatic change
all done by God's Holy Spirit is truly amazing.
In the words of a friend of mine who asked me to
tell him this testimony in November of 2008;
IT IS A MIRACLE!
I simply need to share with you;
The good news of salvation by faith
in our LORD and Savior JESUS CHRIST.
Why ?
Because we are all sinners separated from God
in need for Jesus to bring us back to God.
Heaven is real, Hell is real !
We will all live for eternity somewhere,
and it’s a 50/50 with God in heaven
or without Him in hell.
Your choice.
At the time of updating my testimony January
31,2023, some 29 years and 17 days later
the LORD has changed my life and me so much
to the better words can not describe it.
I give God Jesus all the glory !!
Back in the fall of 1993 the words bathed in much prayer
which got my attention to go to church one more time was;
“What have you got to lose ?”.
If there is nothing to this Jesus you may go on living your life
just as you have. There is only one way.
You need to ask Jesus forgiveness for your sins
with ALL your heart for Jesus to come into your life
as Lord and Savior!
It wasn’t the words.
It was God answering prayers of Linda and Meg,
their friends, and my aunts who prayed for 37 years.
God answered their prayers in His time
when I finally stopped hardening my heart.
In June of 2000 while I wrote this sentence in my testimony
in the computer a transformer blew up right outside my window
with a loud bang and sparks flying, and knocked out the power
on “my” street only. Later when I wrote an e-mail with a prayer
my computer broke down,
and I lost my file with the testimony in it,..
So I write again, wonder what will happen this time
as I attempt to put my testimony in the computer for easier sharing
of the truth that happened to me,..
The devil is trying to hinder me from sharing my testimony.
Why would he?
Because LORD JESUS is real and He is alive !
I now share this with everyone
because if you want to go to heaven
you too need to; "ask Jesus to forgive your sins
and for Jesus to come into your life
as Lord and Savior and surrender your life to Him.”
These words contains no “magic” formula .
The Bible is clear Jesus is the only way to heaven.
Ask Him whole heartedly.
God by His love, grace and mercy is the One who grants us
salvation from the sins we inherited from Adam and Eve.
Jesus paid our penalty for us by His own blood on the Cross.
Salvation through faith in Jesus
is a free gift from God.
On Sunday November 14, 1993
I went to bed around 2 A.M.
Night owl as I am I asked God, having no clue as how to pray;
“God, please let me know one way or the other
if I’m to get up and go to this church in the morning.
I don’t even know if this is a church of true genuine Christians,
I’ve heard about Billy Graham but other than that there seems
to be many strange people out there calling themselves Christians,
please let me know.”
At my bedside I had a digital alarm clock with easy read,
red numbers
which is the first thing I check when I wake up
to see how much longer
I can go back to sleep for. I did not set the alarm.
I went to bed anticipating to sleep to about noon as usual.
That night I woke up at
3.00 A.M
4.00 A.M
5.00 A.M
6.00 A.M
At 6.45 A.M
I WAS WIDE AWAKE !!!
I finally got it at 7.00 A.M !!
I didn’t get it at first,…
Numbers is my strong suit, I know numbers,
and God used it to get my attention.
This was simply unheard off !!
I was so restless I could not stay in bed.
I got up, took a shower, skipped breakfast, got in the car
and drove an hour and 15 minutes
to the church. I sat in the parking lot
when the pastor arrived
to open up and prepare for church
in the community house.
I was there more than one hour before the 10 A.M service.
I simply knew ; “this was it” !
I had to find out who Jesus was.
I had to make sure I followed what the Bible said
to do and make sure I did it with all my heart
this time and not to mock anymore.
It would probably be unfair to say I am a “shy” person.
I’m a type A person with probably too much boldness
having been on stage singing before a crowd of over 2500
and also been on local and national TV.
That Sunday morning
I was completely out of my comfort zone
with 40-50 people in church.
I therefore took my seat on the last bench
so I could keep an eye on things to make sure
nobody was tricking me into anything.
Interestingly since I was an hour early
I had time to ask the pastor
what he thought of Billy Graham?
The pastor gave Brother Billy two thumbs up
as the greatest evangelist of the century.
That did not help me any
since I was looking to find something wrong
with this deal, but it got my attention.
After people in the church had been singing and preaching,
which felt like it never would stop. I sat there uncomfortable
feeling completely as a misfit. A little before 11 A.M
“finally” the pastor asked
if anyone would like to be prayed over
and come forward and ask Jesus into their life ?
A young girl in her teens, who sat on the front bench,
smart move I thought later, tough girl I thought at the moment,.
responded. The pastor lead in prayer,
she accepted Jesus and it was over in maybe five minutes.
I could not understand why everybody
was so cheerful about it,. Big deal !
Pastor gave the call again,
and I found myself to my own surprise
get up from my seat on the last bench
walking forward (despite not being shy
this was a very personal matter I would have serious problems
doing in a large church).
When the pastor asked if I would like to pray
to ask Jesus to come into my life as my Lord and Savior ?
I heard myself saying to my own surprise;
“ That’s why I came !”
I had not planned to say that.
I repeated after the pastor as he lead me to admit
I was a sinner in need for a Savior, Jesus,
in need for repentance, asking the Lord forgiveness
for all my sins, and for JESUS to come into my life
whole heartedly, because I believe Jesus died for my sins.
It got very silent !,…..
Like a still before the storm,….Nothing happened,…
thoughts started to run through my mind,..;
“maybe I’ve been too bad of a sinner ?
I had done some nasty stuff in my atheist,
rock’n’roll and biker days,..”stuff” I had done
flashed before me,…maybe God will not save me ???? !!!
The pastor then said;
“You got to let it go”,…
I asked; “what do you mean ?”
The pastor continued;
“ You need to let it all go,
without fear give yourself and surrender
into the hands of Jesus.”
So I said in my native tongue,
because I wanted to make sure I did it right;
“ It’s been 37 long years God,
but I’m finally standing before You,
I don’t understand all of this,
but I do believe Jesus is for real even if
just as the mustard seed of faith
I have been told about.
I give myself to You God
asking forgiveness for all my sins,
Jesus, please come into my life !”
I had never before experienced
anything like what happened next!
For the next half an hour or so,..
I really have no words to describe it,…
I was “struck” by a POWER !!
So powerful, yet so gentle at the same time.
It totally overwhelmed me
with a “heating like electrical” sensation
in my entire body, especially my chest.
It kept going on ,and on, and, on,.
I could barely stand on my feet
as I was trembling
while tears flooded my face,.
It was so INCREDIBLE !
So WONDERFUL !
WOW !! Triple WOW !!
I remember hearing the pastor
shout out loud;
“ Hallelujah, Hallelujah !
It’s the Holy Spirit !!”
as the entire church was praising the Lord
it sounded like there were hundreds present
and that we just had won a major sports event !
I had to ask for it to stop,..
“Lord enough ! I believe !!!”
I was exhausted
as if I had played 3 soccer matches
each of 90 minutes back to back without rest.
When the power finally eased up,.
I was left with a warm glow in my chest,
and a new peace beyond words,.
I knew I had experienced the truth,
and that JESUS is for real !
There was simply put nothing any man or woman
could have done to make this happen to me.
The chill that used to come down my spine
when I thought about where I would go when I die,.
It was gone !!
All of a sudden I knew
100 % for sure I will go to heaven when I die !
Oh and YES ! I who all my life
had rejected being hugged, and who could count the times
I had cried on one hand,. found myself, much to my own surprise,
hugging these people who a short while ago had been strangers,.
it was if they were my long lost best friends and family
I had not seen in 37 years. I had such tears of JOY !!
It was like a flood of tears erupted after years of keeping
tough outward appearance.
I could care less.
I felt GREAT ! I had such JOY ! All I can say is;
“Thank You Jesus
for saving a wretch like me.”
My old self,...
that nasty selfish guy was now dead !
I was Born Again as a child of God
my new name is;
Zealous James
Bond-servant of Christ !
I count all I had for garbage
for the honor it is to personally
know JESUS CHRIST.
The Lord has called me
to be a evangelist and Ambassador for Christ.
The LORD says in His word
He will never leave us nor forsake us.
He is giving me strength every day
to live through good and bad days,
healing of the past hurts and help to endure
any present pain and suffering.
If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus,..
Please don’t wait another second !
The only thing we know for sure is one day we will die.
Why gamble with your life and put it off like I did ?
The Bible says today is the day of salvation !
Please allow God to touch your heart.
I can guarantee you will not
find real peace, love, joy nor happiness
any other way except through JESUS
who is the only Way, the Truth and The life.
Hallelujah !
When I stood at the alter that day
I had no idea what would happen next.
Afterwards the Holy Spirit
prompted me to get baptized and
publically porclaim my faith in Jesus
as my Lord, Savior and King
and my surrender and committment
to live for Jesus
guided by His Holy Spirit
not out of relgious control and have to
rather inner desire to want to
live according to God's word
in the Bible
which is so much better
than living for worldly stuff in sin.
I wanted to be baptized. But was told
they had no baptism tub.
I said "cut a hole in the ice on the pond
and drop me in with a line under my armpits."
they would not do it. So I left that church
searching for a church where they
would baptize me.
Sunday October 23, 1994 at 6 P.M service
I was baptized and publically
confessed my faith in Jesus
and to live for Him as His Holy Spirit directs.
Saturday May 3, 1995
I cleaned house and burned
all non Christian music and posters
and banners of evil music
and I surrendered to Christ.
It's been a spirtual warfare daily since
but so amazing to have
freedom in Christ
and the victory in the end
and eternal life with Jesus
forever.
May God bless you
With love and joy in Christ
no matter what !
Zealous James
Your bond-servant
for JESUS’ sake,
and those who need Him.
2.Corinthians 4:5,15
|
