I Found New Life in Christ

This is my sister Janet's testimony about how she found new life in Christ, as shared with me during a recent phone interview on April 18, 2026 (audio on Youtube). In consultation with her after the interview, this written transcript has been corrected to remove any mistakes, revised for smoother reading. So this is more accurate and easier to read than the audio recording.

Janet's Testimony

Janet: Hello. 

Len: Hi, it's Len here and just wanted to have a conversation with you about your testimony of how you came to know the Lord. So as we get started, I just thought it'd be good to just open with a word of prayer and invite the Lord in here, to help us, and so that he'll be glorified, and then we'll get started. 

Janet: Yes. Alright. 

Len: Well, heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this opportunity to just hear what you have done in Janet's life, and give you all the glory for it, Lord God. And we're just praying right now that you would anoint Janet and me as she shares her testimony, Lord, and just bring forth all those things that you want her to share that will help other people, Lord, who are still searching for Jesus. They're still outside the fold of your flock, Lord God, so that they too may hear the truth and know that you can reach them, too, Lord, that there's hope for them. Yes. And we ask it all in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. And right now we just also, we just bind every evil spirit that would seek to interfere in any way with this call. In the name of Jesus Christ, we plead the blood of Jesus upon me, upon Janet, upon this call, and all the technology. And right now we just pray that you would flow, Holy Spirit. Just come and flow through us, and have your way. We give you full control. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Well, praise God. 

Well, first of all, Janet, why don't you begin with telling us about your upbringing. I mean, you're my sister, so we grew up in the same family. But you can just share a little bit about what kind of upbringing you had in our house as a child, and anything you want to share. Start anywhere you want to, as far back as you want to go, and then take us into your childhood and then your teen years. Start wherever you want to, and just kind of walk us up to through those pre-Christ years that you had. 

Janet: Alright. Well, I was brought up in a very religious family. It was a Catholic family. My parents loved the Lord in their own way and brought us up in the way that they knew how. They always brought us to church and we thought that was the way it should go. We didn't know any better. And it was good at the time until we found out differently down through the years as they went by.  We have very loving parents that brought us up in a loving family, like I said, and knowing God. At least they brought us up with the way that they knew how. And then, as I got older and I was on my own, I started to get pretty wild out there, and I was doing my own thing, knowing that I didn't have the covering of having to answer to my parents anymore. So my life was quite different. 

Len: And now was that when you were still living at home or after you moved out? 

Janet: This was after I left the house. I was on my own. And, I was just doing things that I’m a little bit of ashamed to talk about, that I didn't even want my parents to know about, but my mother knew that I was living a life that really wasn't something that God would be proud of. And she used to pray for me and tell me that you can't burn the candle at both ends. And I just didn't want to listen at the time. 

Len: I have a memory from that period in time, Jan, which I can share here. I remember at that point in time, I was just a little boy, maybe five years old, and mom was very concerned about your soul. She shared that with me one day that you were on your way to hell. I remember it was just me and mom talking privately, and I replied to her, “I would be willing to go to hell, so that she doesn't have to go.” And my voice cracked when I said that, and I felt really tender in my heart toward you about that. And thank the Lord we found out later that we don't have to go to hell to keep someone else from going to hell, because Jesus already paid that price. But that was how I felt. And it was a big concern of ours -- of mine, of mom's -- for the salvation of your soul. 

Janet: Right. And I still believe that our mother's prayers did help me along the way, since they were still prayers to our Lord for my soul, because she knew I was on the wrong path. And, and I do feel that her prayers really helped me along the way. And so eventually down the road,  after going through the life that I thought was the right way, things started to change, once I found out and started to connect with other people who knew the Lord. Like the man that I met, that I started dating. We both started going to a church that his brother was going to and that's when we started to hear a lot about the Lord. 

Len: That was Dave, right? 

Janet: Yes, Dave. And, we were both actually baptized together in 1986, and that was the beginning of a new life. From then on, it seemed like the Lord did so many different things in my life. It started to change little by little, and things were just not the same anymore. And it showed me that God is real, and that it was not anything I ever experienced before in the Catholic Church at all. It was not at all. I never felt the spirit like I did, and it just felt so alive -- something that I had never experienced before. 

Len: I remember I had just gotten saved back in February of 1986, and I was back in our hometown --  because I got saved down in Georgia -- I was back in New Hampshire in our hometown between May and June for about 30 days there in 1986, and shared the Lord with you over in your apartment with you and Dave. And was talking to you about the Lord, sharing my testimony, and sharing the gospel with you and everything. But there wasn’t receptivity to it. It seemed more like there was resistance at the time, but those were seeds that were planted still.

Janet: Absolutely. 

Len: And then through prayer, God was faithful because Dave's brother Ray started to share the Lord with you and invite you to church. And you started to attend church and hear the gospel preached there. And you heard the Word of God. And then that drew you, and then you finally made your decision. You got baptized in water. About what time of year was that in ‘86? 

Janet: It was August 16th or 17th, 1986. 

Len: Wow. Yeah. The other thing I remember is that then after my being there from May to June of ’86, I went to Berlin for the next year and a half for the second half of my Army enlistment. And while I was over there, I continued to pray for you. 

And then what I remember is that sometime shortly after you gave your life to the Lord, I don't remember exactly which month (I thought it was November but it might have been sooner than that) that I got a letter from you in the mail. I opened it up, and you said that you were so happy to tell me that you had now given your life to Jesus, and your whole life had changed. You and Dave were now following Jesus. You were born again. And everything was different. When I read that, I just locked the door on my room. I was living in the barracks. I had roommates, but they weren't there at the time. I just locked the door, got down on my knees, and I was just praising God for answered prayer -- for saving your soul. So I still remember the beginning of your walk with the Lord back then. 

Janet: It was wonderful. It's hard to explain, but how the Word of God can really change a person. There is power in his Word, and I found that out through the years that there is power to change whatever is in your life that needs to go. He can change it just through his Word. He can bring healing and life into your own life. He can deliver you from things that you want to be delivered from, but you can't do it on your own. But he certainly can help you with it. And His Word does that the more you're in his Word. I found out that that's definitely a big key -- being in His Word. 

Len: Absolutely. That's life transforming. If you don't have that, then it's really just kind of dead. But when the Word of God... 

Janet: Yeah. And we weren't brought up to read our Bibles at that time, so we didn't -- we went to church, we did the motions. We came back home, and we didn't know any better at that time. But when you experience the difference, it feels like a totally different life. 

You wish that you could talk to your family and tell them, “If you only knew,” but it's a very hard thing to change once you're in that religion. God doesn't want religion. He didn't die so we can have a religion. He died so we can have a personal relationship with him. He wants to be able to have that relationship with us, and us depending on Him for everything, because He's there for us. 

Len: That's right. And it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. And all things have become new.” And that's a beautiful verse about the new life in Christ. And that's what happened to you. And I think that one time I heard you summarize your life before coming to know Christ by saying that you were basically living a selfish life. 

Janet: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Len: It was all about satisfying your pleasures and basically living a life of hedonism. In other words, you were just fulfilling your own pleasures, and you were the center of that. And it's a very self-centered, selfish type of a lifestyle (which is what I was doing before I got saved) until Jesus came in to your life, and then everything changed and then it's all about him. And it's a Christ-centered life after that. 

Janet: Yes. And I know that if you end up not being in the Word for a few days, you will notice the difference. I know I had done that for a while. Like I felt like I was backsliding a little bit and not reading the Word. And you can get right back into your old habits and you'll get in trouble. You need to stay in God's Word. You really do. That's the important thing, 

Len: And in prayer. 

Janet: Absolutely. 

Len: The Word of God and prayer every single day -- in prayer all the time. We have direct access to the Lord. You can talk to Him anytime. He wants you to Talk to him anytime. Because you can come to the Father through Him. It's the only way. We don't have to go through mediators, angels, and through Mary. We have our own personal, direct relationship with God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. 

So we can talk to him about anything. It could be while we're driving, while we're walking, while we're showering, while we're lying in bed, while we're kneeling -- at any time. It doesn't matter what the situation. We can just talk to him. It's just a conversation with him. 

Janet: That's right. It's very easy to be able to just talk with Him. 

Len: Yeah. And one of the things I remember was that I had sold my stuff and went off to Bible school in Rhode Island. I wasn't home very often in New Hampshire, but when I did come back to Manchester, which was rarely, (I usually remained on campus for breaks and stuff like that, even during the summers), but when I would come back for a short period of a few days, you would let me stay at your apartment most of the time. During my three years of Bible school, I had a place to stay at your apartment. There was a room there that I was able to stay in. 

And those were good memories of having times of fellowship together, being in the Word, being part of your Wednesday night Bible studies that you had -- your husband Dave was there, and his brother Ray, a group of people that were there each week -- and just to be able to participate and then have fellowship one-on-one with you during my time there. So it was great. 

But I do remember that there was a period of time during your early years with the Lord that you continued to smoke cigarettes. And it wasn't until later on in your walk with the Lord that God took that away and set you free. I was addicted to cigarettes myself, before coming to Christ.

From the time I was about 12, I started. And I was a pretty heavy smoker, during my teen years. I think that when I was in the Army, I can't remember exactly how much, but it could have been at times, maybe a couple packs a day. So it was a lot; whatever it was, it was a significant amount of cigarettes that I was inhaling. And they say that nicotine is harder to give up than heroin. It's a stronger addiction than heroin. 

So it's a very, very powerful thing. But do you remember that point in your walk with the Lord where the Lord finally set you free from that? 

Janet: I do, I do. And I believe it was in 2005 that I was freed from the nicotine. I remember the next day when I got up in the morning…

I had wanted to stop, and I had tried different times and just kept failing and I was just down about it, thinking there's no hope for this. But God knew I wanted to, and it certainly was not anything good for my health, and I didn't seem to care that much. At one time I would just continue to smoke, smoke, smoke, and think nothing of it. But then one morning I got up, and it was like I didn't have the desire anymore, and I never smoked again after that. After that morning when I got up, I was free from it. And I knew it wasn't anything on my own, because I never could do it before.

But all of a sudden, I just didn't have the desire anymore. It was gone. It was the most wonderful thing. And I remember at the time, my husband thought, “Oh, you'll be smoking tomorrow.” But I never did. I never smoked again. And it was wonderful. It was a wonderful deliverance from the Lord, and I know it. 

Len: That's a deliverance. It was Him for sure. He gets all the glory for it. So praise God for that. 

Janet: Yes, yes, for sure. 

[Editorial note: In the interest of complete honesty, Janet stated after reading this transcript following our call: "I tried hard to remember back on when I quit smoking and I believe I did use the nicotine patch (a form of nicotine replacement therapy) to help with the withdrawal; but then towards the end, got off from using them. I still to this day give God all the glory for total freedom from nicotine."]  

Len: And then over the years you have been, and are now a part of [church name redacted for privacy and security] Christian Church. 

Janet: Yes. 

Len: And I know that now at this point in time, your eyesight is such that you can't really drive in the dark. You can't really go to home group meetings. But I remember that there was a point in time where after your husband David died, that you were not really going to the house group meetings and so forth. And I had suggested to you that you really try to get into that, because I think at that time you were kind of drifting away from the Lord a bit. 

Janet: Yes.

Len: And so I think that at that time, the way that you felt was that you didn't really feel comfortable being in a small setting like that. You felt more comfortable in a big meeting where you can kind of blend in with everyone. But in a small group where you're going to be noticed and everything, you're a little on the shy side and didn't really want to be in that sort of setting. 

Janet: Do you know that the Lord has changed me in that way? I used to always be afraid to talk to people and the Lord has really turned me around in that way where now I just freely talk to people, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I feel so free now. I never was like that before, so I know that's one thing he has helped me with 

Len: Hallelujah. 

Janet: Yeah. I mean, I can talk to anybody now. I was never that way.  I was very quiet, always afraid to say anything. But He opened me up to be able to share things now, and I can talk to people like they're my regular sister or brother. It's wonderful to be that way now. I love the freedom of that, so I feel that's one thing he really helped me with for sure. 

Len: Yeah. That's where I was going with that was I really think that he brought about a freedom there for you, because back in that period of time you were still like that -- not wanting to go to a small group meeting. When Dave was alive and you were married to him, you would go together to home group meetings. But this was something different. Now you're on your own at night, and you didn't really want to be in a small group setting like that, but there eventually came a point where the Lord gave you the freedom and then you did begin to attend small group meetings that were part of your church. 

Janet: Right, right. 

Len: So God broke that fear and gave you the liberty there to be a part of that. That's wonderful. Praise God for what he did in your life. 

Janet: Yeah. 

Len: Is there anything else that you want to share about -- any big answers to prayer that you've seen for yourself or others, or any miracles or healing the Lord's done in your life? 

Is there anything at all that you want to share -- anyone that you've ever prayed for or shared the Lord with and you saw God do something? 

Janet: Well, I know just recently, with my own health, I've been struggling with my breathing a lot. And, I had asked for prayer, and I feel like it's a total turnaround from two nights ago. I could hardly breathe going up the stairs, and it's like now I go up the stairs, and it's like night and day. I see that the Lord has brought healing right there in that situation, which is wonderful, that I can breathe again. I always thought of my sister Elaine, who actually died of COPD -- and she had stage four, the worst that you could have, and that took her life -- I always thought of her when I was having a hard time breathing. 

Len: But we're believing God for a complete miracle for you. He is doing a complete miracle. But you have an appointment with your doctor coming up in a couple weeks. And what I would suggest you do is, we're going to pray that that will be a documented miracle. The doctor will document your miraculous healing from that. And when he does so, keep a copy for yourself. Tell him that you'd like to have a copy of that, because that will be a testimony to other people that God has done this miracle for you. 

Janet: Yes, I certainly will. Because my memory isn't wonderful, isn't always as good as it used to be. But I do remember a lot of different things, and maybe I’m not remembering them all at this moment. But He has totally turned my life around for the better now. And He continues to. It's a daily thing -- He continues to -- and he'll never leave me alone. He'll never forsake me. He's always with me. 

Len: That's right. That's right. Hallelujah. And I was just thinking when you were sharing that testimony about how the Lord led me to call you up, because you had asked for prayer in a text message, and I told you we were praying for you. And then the Lord led me to give you a call and pray for you over the phone. And when we began that call, I shared with you that even though the doctor had diagnosed you with COPD, I said, “I'm going to tell you what your actual real condition is.” And I said, “You want to know what your real condition is” And, you said, “What is it?” And, I said, “It's not COPD. It's B-H-S-I-H.”. I said, “You know what that is? That's 'By His stripes I'm Healed.'” And you said, “Oh, wow. I've been quoting that very verse to the Lord. I was going up the steps…I would stop, because I was having a hard time breathing. And I would just say, ‘Lord Jesus, by your stripes I'm healed.’” And you said, “I kept quoting that.” And the Lord had me share that thing with you to encourage you at the beginning of our call a couple days ago. And then I prayed for you and you said you felt something happened where I prayed for you. 

Janet: I did. I did. I mean, I was really being touched by the Holy Spirit in our time of prayer over me on the telephone. I really felt like the Lord was bringing healing there. 

Len: Yeah. And then the next day I asked you, “How are you doing?” And you said, “It's like night and day. My breathing is better. I was able to sleep well. I did two nights now.” (see Woman Healed from COPD). Only God can do that. Hallelujah. 

Janet: Absolutely. Only God can do that. That is for sure. So anyone that's out there that's struggling with something, just know that the Lord is there for you. Just when you come to Him, He's there ready to help you with anything you need deliverance from. Or if you're addicted to something, just know that there's freedom with the Lord. 

Len: Yeah, right. Or fears, like fear of being around things, groups of people, things like that. All those things --  fear, addictions, you name it. 

Janet: Amen. 

Len: It says that you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Jesus said He whom the Son sets free will be free indeed. Free indeed! And that's what you are now. 

Janet: Yes. Hallelujah. 

Len: Yes. Well, that's wonderful. Let's take a moment just to close in prayer and give thanks to the Lord and give praise. And perhaps you could close us in prayer and just pray to give praise to God and glory to God for what he did in your life. And pray for anyone who is going to read your testimony that they too would come to know the Lord. 

Janet: Yes, Lord, I thank you so much, Lord God, for being with us during this conversation. We know that you're always there with us and hear everything and know everything about us, and I thank you for all that you have done in my life, and I pray that all of those who are listening will have a spark of hope in their life to know that if they bring the Lord into their life, that he can change them. He's there for you and he loves you. There is no love like his. There is no love that you that can compare to it. And we just thank you Lord and we give you all the glory for all the changes that you continue to do in our lives. 

And I pray that you will touch the lives of those that are listening, Lord God. Help them to hear what is being said and know that is the truth, Lord God, and that you are real, and you are powerful, and you are Almighty. And we love you, Lord, for all that you have done and all that you are doing, Jesus. Praise you God. You're wonderful. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Len: Amen. Hallelujah. 

Well, thank you very much for taking time out, Janet, to share this with your little brother and it was really a blessing to hear your testimony like that in full for the first time. 

Janet: Oh, I appreciate that. I'm glad that I was able to give it to you, and I hope it'll help somebody. 

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read Woman Healed from COPD, The Night the Lord Came into My Hut, Healed from a Breathing Obstruction, The Body Parts Storehouse in Heaven, Amazing Healing and Deliverance in Uganda, and Pastor Shocked Upon Receiving Baptism with Fire. Also see the Home page of this blog for more testimonies. You are invited to view my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?

If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Delivered from Bondage and New Age Deception

I would like to share with you the testimony of one of the Kenyan students in our discipleship training school called Doulos Training School. She recently came back to the Lord following nine years of backsliding in sin after she initially came to the Lord in 2002. Here is the testimony in her own words:

The Testimony of Mwendwa
Born in the early 80s, my childhood was traumatic -- riddled with chaos, sadness, torment, and despair occasioned by living with an abusive alcoholic father. My father committed suicide when I was 17, while my own first suicide attempt was at the age of 15. I struggled with severe clinical depression, low self-esteem, rejection, self-hate, OCD, social anxiety, fear, suicidal attempts and ideations, and sexual bondage from my early teen years to my late twenties. 

I first got born again at age 20 alone at home, in 2002 after an abortion which left me guilty and filled with torment. I backslid two years later however without a foundation of the truth of God and always feeling not good enough and rejected even in church. I got pregnant at age 22. At age 29 after years of severe sexual sin, depression and constant suicidal ideations, I cried out to God in repentance in my bedroom as I could not go on any longer as I had been and he set free instantly from all my sin. I got active in a local church in worship team and teaching Sunday school, and also had my own ministry to the poor slum women and feeding street boys.

Sadly, five years in 2014 later following a series of bad experiences with cults and false churches with false teachings, and being dismissed from the church I served as a leader in for questioning some of the things being done, I was tired and disillusioned and kissed formal religion goodbye opting to follow Jesus away from organized Christianity. However, isolated, wounded, and alone I found myself an easy prey to the devil. I got sexually manipulated by an apostle who took advantage of my vulnerable state, and this filled me with deep self-condemnation and I stopped reading the bible and praying, and eventually found myself back to the sins of my past worse than before, effectively opening the door to Satan's deceptions.

I began accepting and embracing new-age spiritual beliefs which seemed to offer me some semblance of a relationship with God since I no longer identified as a Christian. Over the next 9 years, these new age beliefs had taken deep hold of me and I became a 'spiritual' teacher in the metaphysical, law of attraction, and new thought community. I published 3 books and had clients and a growing following on social media. My new beliefs were a mixture of Gnosticism, Hinduism, Buddhism, eastern philosophy, and mystical Christianity. I had embraced beliefs such as non-dualism, reincarnation, Christ-consciousness, and oneness, and believed all paths led to God. I thought I had found the ultimate truth but was deeply deceived.

As a ‘spiritual’ teacher I had also gradually developed a drinking problem and by 2022 was a full-blown alcoholic unable to save myself despite years of trying everything I could. My spiritual beliefs could not save me. I knew only Jesus could help me, and I cried out to him for help over and over. Finally at my lowest point when I felt I would surely die and gave up on all self-help, the Lord Jesus set me free instantly and miraculously in rehab. In rehab I began to study the teachings of Jesus in the bible daily, desiring the truth. The spiritual deception took longer to be free from because I still believed I was on the right path. However, Jesus was slowly opening my blinded eyes.

By April 2023 the word of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus had done their work and opened my eyes it seemed almost overnight to see how greatly deceived I had been. Through a convicting work only the Holy Spirit can perform, I was shown the depth of my deception for those 9 years and how I had turned to other gods. It felt like I had woken up from a deep sleep. I truly was the prodigal son. I had wasted all I had in prodigal living. Jesus said that the prodigal son "came to himself", and said, "I will arise and go to my father." Jesus opened my eyes, set me free from years of sin and deception, and revived my first love for him which had been lost. (Revelations 2:4)

Through godly sorrow and repentance, I knew I had to leave my old life behind completely. It was clear I could not maintain my old life and a walk with Jesus. In obedience, I left it all behind to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11). This included pulling down my books from Amazon, my old social media accounts, and all my articles on my website. I also made a public confession to my followers on social media and to my clients making it clear I could no longer teach what I had been.

It was not easy and there were many consequences to this change-financially, socially, and emotionally. Sin and rebellion always have consequences. But Jesus promised to be with me always if I obeyed him and he has.

Jesus has changed my life. I now truly understand the Grace of God. The old self-righteousness and works-based Christian life that always led to condemnation, frustration, and backsliding was been exposed. I finally realized that I cannot please God through my own efforts, and my efforts cannot save me. It is all by the Grace of God, and only by looking to Jesus Christ am I sustained. My salvation is the work of God. It is he and he alone who opened my eyes when I was greatly deceived, it was all him and none of me. I am grateful for his mercy, long-suffering, and kindness. He did not allow me to die and perish in my pitiful state. I was dead and now am alive again, was blind but now I see. All my life I felt not good enough and had adopted a performance mindset even with my relationship with Jesus, but now for the first time I feel truly accepted in the beloved without the need to DO things to be loved by the Father, but instead overflowing with good works as a response to his love, and not to gain his love.

END OF MWENDWA'S TESTIMONY

Closing Words

I trust that this testimony has blessed you by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you have been in a similar situation to hers, I strongly encourage you to repent and ask the Lord to forgive you and set you free, trusting Him to do so in a very powerful way.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read The Truth Set Me Free, My Overflowing Joy in Knowing Jesus, and Lifted Out of a Slimy Pit, which are the testimonies of myself and two of my other children. Also see the Home page of this blog for more testimonies. You are invited to view my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Supernatural Encounter While Striving to Draw Closer to God

This past weekend I was exchanging emails with Catherine, one of the first-year students in our Doulos Training School (DTS), regarding my article called Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, which I wrote several years ago. She was expressing her appreciation for the article, which was a new teaching for her, since she had never heard it taught in any of the churches in the UK where she lives. She initially said, "I have always believed and lived a relationship with our Lord, but not by striving before."

However, a couple days later, she remembered a supernatural experience she once had while striving to be closer to the Lord, when she was just a teen. It's such a remarkable experience, and such a great example of biblical striving, that I felt I should post it here, so that everyone could benefit from it. Here is the testimony in her words:

Catherine's Testimony

The Lord brought back to remembrance, the true short story of what happened when I was fourteen, I hope you don't mind me sharing this with you.

I was at a Butlins holiday camp in Minehead, UK, with my foster parents and they went to their son's wedding, they didn't want me with them so after breakfast she gave me a green, 1-pound (£1) British banknote for lunch, I felt more rejection.

There is a big hill nearby so I made my way to this hill and walked up to the top, determined to strive and seek and find God. I had nothing to eat or drink all day (after only a light breakfast), as I was determined to meet with God. I spent all day at the top of this hill and found God and His love and peace. I felt so loved and happy, and no more pain of rejection. But as I came down to the bottom of the hill, I realised that I was lost, and I couldn't remember the Chalet number at the holiday camp either.

I asked Jesus for His help, then I met a man called Paul (he had a beard, and he looked Jewish, like I had seen in books at school). He Said, "You are lost aren't you?" 

I said, "Yes," 

He had a green jeep, so I accepted a lift from him. He told me about my foster parents and about my vision that I had received from the Lord a month earlier, which I thought I had only told my school friend Sandra about. I wondered, "How does Paul know so much about me?" He took me to the right chalet, and I turned to say thank you and wave goodbye, but Paul and his jeep had just disappeared.

My foster mother said, "Where have you been, it's 7:00 pm?" 

I said, "I got lost, and your friend Paul found me and brought me home." 

She said, "We don't have a friend called Paul, You must have been with a stranger, and what have  I told you about not talking with strangers."

I went to bed and read in the Bible, the Scripture that says, "You will entertain angels and not know it." (paraphrase from Hebrews 13:2). So I knew God had sent His angel to save me.

So our Lord told me, "This is what I am teaching you to do every day to diligently seek Me and strive to come closer all the time and I will bless you."

So thank you so much for your amazing article, it has been such a revelation and a blessing to me, and I feel closer to the Lord already.

I only wish I could teach others, I will pray about other people joining the (DTS) studies as it is so important for the church.

Praying for you all.

Bless you all.

Sister Catherine

[END OF TESTIMONY]

-----------------

Closing Words

What an amazing testimony! Let me just comment regarding the Jewish man named Paul, who met Catherine at the bottom of the hill, told her all about her life, and then disappeared after he dropped her off at the chalet where her parents were staying--even though she didn't know which chalet it was. She told me that the picture to the left most closely resembles him. While it could have been an angel, since the Bible clearly tells us we may encounter angels without being aware of it, it is my belief that this was the apostle Paul. It is just as easy for God to have one of the living saints in glory appear and help us in some way, as it is for Him to send an angel or another earth-dwelling human being. 

When I told Catherine that I and my family all believe it was the apostle Paul, she replied, "Yes I agree with you, I do believe it was St Paul that was sent to me. He had so much love and compassion just as he does in his letters to the churches in the New Testament, and his love and passion for Jesus our Lord is awesome. When I read his letters in the New Testament, it's like I know him in Spirit and I remember my encounter with him."

She continued, "As our Lord has shown me, this is such an important teaching. I have had so much joy being closer to our Lord since I learned this teaching and remembering my encounter with St Paul. Striving to be closer to our Lord brings a stronger faith and blessings."

Why should any of you consider it incredible that God could do this? He is the Sovereign Lord and nothing is too difficult for Him. Just as Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36), so the Lord can permit anyone He so wishes to have this sort of experience. 

This is all part of the communion of the saints that is spoken of in Scripture and in the Apostles' Creed. We believe in the communion of the saints. According to the apostle John, "...if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." (1Jn 1:7). Those who walk in the light in this way not only have fellowship with the Lord, but with the saints here on earth. And if God chooses to allow it, they also have fellowship with the saints in glory. 

However, we are not to seek to initiate direct contact with them. Such encounters come to those who diligently seek the Lord Himself, like John did on the Isle of Patmos. While he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, he had an amazing revelation from God that he wrote down in the book of Revelation. Not only did he see the Lord Jesus Christ and the heavenly Father, he also saw angels and saints in glory, including the twenty-four elders. In fact, he spoke with one of the twenty-four elders (Rev 7:13). And many believe that the particular angel who spoke with him and showed him things in heaven was actually the prophet Daniel. John wrote:

"At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.'" (Rev 19:10)

The reason many believe this was the prophet Daniel is that he told John that he is a fellow servant with him and his brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. A fellow servant (Gr. sumdoulos) of John and other disciples of Christ signifies being one of them and coequal with them. And the reason he is believed to be the prophet Daniel is that God gave Daniel an apocalyptic revelation of the end times, too, as written in the book of the Bible that bears his name. The books of Daniel and Revelation fit together like a lock and a key. How fitting it would be for Daniel to speak with John during his heavenly encounter and show him the things he showed him.

Dear friend, I hope this brief testimony from Catherine has encouraged you to diligently seek the Lord and strive to draw closer to Him all the time. Press in to know Him more. Ask Him to draw you close to Himself. And may the Lord give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him more.

Epilogue

After I posted this article with Catherine's testimony, we exchanged more emails about it, and she explained that a month before this trip to the holiday camp with her foster parents, she had received a vision from the Lord, in which he sent Mary to her. She wrote:

Jesus gave me vision, in which He sent His mother, to say to me, "You are a child of God, " Then I heard Jesus' voice saying, "Do not fear for I am always with you." 

Mary had dark hair and brown eyes, and looked like a young Jewish girl (closely resembling woman in photo to left). The Catholic Church portrays her as English with fair hair and blue eyes. She doesn't look like they portray; they have her wrong. She spoke with great authority, and a strong voice. She spoke the same English as I do, with the South London accent, as I was brought up in South London. 

Then a month later, when I sat in Paul's Jeep with him, he said, "Jesus sent you a vision of his mother to tell you that you are a child of God and Jesus told you not to be afraid, as He is with you always." 

And I said, "Yes, you are right." It was then I thought he must be an angel, as he knew everything about me and I had only told my school friend Sandra about the vision, no one else knew about it. 

The Holy Spirit later told me that Jesus sent his mother to me, to help heal the trauma of having an abusive foster mother, and never having a loving mother. 

When I tell people about this vision, I always point out that Jesus sent his mother to me so that I would know who I belong to -- 'Jesus' -- and not to become a Catholic as some people have said. For although I didn't see Jesus that night, He was still there, because I heard his voice loud and clear, which is a witness to Catholics that Jesus is our Saviour, and they must not pray to or worship Mary. 

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read The Communion of the Saints, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, The Truth About the Roman Catholic Church, The Night the Lord Came into My Hut, The Truth Set Me Free, My Overflowing Joy in Knowing Jesus, and Lifted Out of a Slimy Pit, which are the testimonies of myself and two of my other children. Also see the Home page of this blog for more testimonies. You are invited to view my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master. 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Lifted Out of a Slimy Pit

I'd like to share with you the testimony of my oldest daughter Charity, who is now twenty-five years old (in 2024). This is her own personal account of how she came to know the Lord, and how the Lord brought her back to him later after she drifted away from him. This will bless your heart!

Charity's Testimony
My relationship with God began at an early age. I grew up in a solid Christian family, where each family member was encouraged to have their own personal walk with Jesus. I believe that back then, I had started off at a very young age, really knowing God in a personal way and having a sincere love for Him, bubbling with joy and possessing childlike innocence. Yet I had a rebellious streak in me. And as we know, the enemy will exploit any opportunity he can.

Somewhere along the way, I opened a door and allowed the enemy to take over part of my life. I became disconnected from God and for a season, I lost that precious relationship from earlier years. At one point, I even stopped reading my Bible and spending time with God in prayer, yet I never realized the indispensable gift slipping from grasp--my salvation. I became vulnerable to the voices of demons and began to succumb to the lure of sin. At the time, it never occurred to me that my sins were even sins, since my eyes were blinded over. Being unfamiliar with God’s Word, I failed to realize the Bible clearly states in 1 Co 6:9-11 that no unrighteous person will enter the Kingdom of God.

It was between the ages of 8-10 that I got involved in secret sin. I had no idea that it was even sin, but the devil had me hooked like a fish to the bait. All along, I kept it under wraps so that my parents would never know. But sin will find you out! The illusion that you can keep it hidden is a hellish deception to keep you in bondage and eventually, you reason within that you’ll never escape it’s hold. You can’t hide from God. He sees everything in our lives, whether good or bad.

As the years progressed and I kept my sin hidden, it snowballed. I was self-deceived as my ever-present curiosity got the best of me. 

Beginning in 2008, I made some very foolish mistakes. The open door I had neglected to close only enabled the enemy to gain a bigger stronghold in my life. Before long, I was even lying and stealing, all within my own family. Not even twelve years old yet, I also took advantage of my father’s computer to view adult content on the Internet. I would usually arise early in the morning to do this, so that I would not be discovered.  But as the story often goes, I was eventually found out, and I recall the grief this inflicted. I was disciplined, but I don’t believe that I was truly repentant. I believe I was more remorseful that I had been found out than I was really sorry for what I had done.

About two years later, we moved. There, my sin continued. The youthful lusts of my past and my intense curiosity grew like a weed. I brought much disgrace upon my head through the dishonoring of my parents, among other sins. Meanwhile, I thought I was a Christian, when in reality, I had drifted far from God. The lying and cover-ups continued. I was really convinced that I would get away with it. It amazes me that at the same time, God had been granting me so many dreams in which I was overcoming demons and I would see Jesus and heaven, but I never lived a life worthy of my calling as a Christian. I wrote a number of poems that spoke of God and how we need to live a holy life, but I wasn’t starting with myself!

In December 2012, revival was brought to my family through Pastor Kim’s holy fire books. I received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with new tongues, and there was deep repentance. I believe that the initial experience was absolutely of God, but I don’t recall ever repenting for the sins I was currently involved in. It shocks me that I never even gave a second thought to that. The truth is, I was a hypocrite. I wasn’t really changed. I might’ve thought I was, but I was fooled. Granted, God did some wonderful things in my life, but I had not yet turned from my wicked ways.  I continued in the pattern of my strong will and disobedience. Did I ever stop to think that I was only hurting myself? I’m sure that thought crossed my mind more than once. But I kept on in the pleasures of sin, which as we know, are only promised for a short time (Heb 11:25)

About five years prior to this spiritual awakening, I, along with my two younger sisters, had begun a Life Transformation Group\ (LTG) where we were assigned a specific amount of Bible reading and a list of lost souls to pray for daily. I was ten or eleven at the time. We would meet weekly to discuss each other's lives, and answer certain questions, which included the confession of sin. Although there were sins that I was confessing, I kept many other things hidden. If I recall correctly, there were times that I lied about having completed the assigned Scripture reading. And, like I said, I wasn't coming clean with any secret issues.

There were so many dreams I had where God gave me victory over demonic creatures, but in reality, I was in bondage. I did what they told me to do and never gave it a second thought. Heaven and Jesus were also revealed to me through dreams during my childhood. I had so many heavenly experiences with God throughout my life. Occasionally I would receive words of encouragement for others. I also received inspired poems from the Lord. In addition to this, I was blessed with artistic talents.

Regardless of how much He did through me, I was in a dangerous place when I was caught in the web of sin. As long as it was hidden, I was bound. So the cycle continued.

I eventually stopped committing these sins around age 15 or 16. Gradually, every sin from the past faded from memory, as I pushed them aside and under the rug, until I really paid no consideration to the need for repentance

After returning from Eastern Europe, by the time we had settled in North Carolina, I thought my relationship with God was actually going well. I was hearing from God, had re-established my daily prayer and Bible reading, and I felt that now, I was really starting to lead my life in a way that was pleasing to the Lord. I didn’t necessarily feel like I was a sinner, or that I was presently practicing sin. I was even starting to think differently. My perspective of everything, both spiritual and physical, seemed very different. Now, I was so careful about being honest to my parents and not lying about the smallest thing. God seemed to be at work in my heart. I was under the impression that He was “changing my thinking”, as I recall telling my dad one evening. And He was beginning to do a deep work in me. This was only the start of a cleansing that would take place over a period of weeks. I had no idea the transformation that was on the verge of happening.

The true start of this transformation was the night my dad and I were having our customary one-on-one together, quality dad-and-daughter time. I was telling him all about how God was changing my thinking and how personal He was becoming to me. During that flow of thought, my dad suggested I recommit my life to God. He explained that often, people know God at an early age, but as the years progress, the need to refresh their commitment becomes necessary. The same could be applied to me. I had known God from an early age, but I hadn’t been faithful in my walk.

As my dad was discussing this with me and even after we talked, the idea of recommitment was still a consideration in my mind. As it turns out, the very next day, February 15, 2014,  at the age of 15, I took this vital step. Following this, everything changed.

Two days transpired until one morning before school, I was simply going about my normal routine when it struck me out of literally nowhere: I came under the powerful conviction of the Holy Spirit concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. It overtook my thoughts. I was overcome with mixed feelings, such as fear, guilt, shame, and remorse. I thought to myself with a lump in my throat, I could never confess these sins to my parents. They’d never understand! All this time they were so convinced I was a godly girl. I had their trust. And besides, I can’t bear the shame this will bring.

All throughout the first few hours of school, the conviction of the Holy Spirit weighed so heavily upon me that I could think of nothing else. I tried to get my mind off of it, but it overpowered me. I felt like my heart was sinking beneath the ground. I wanted to run and hide. But we cannot run from the Holy Spirit, The Spirit of God is everywhere.

The same day, out of desperation, I brought the issue up with my mom while avoiding specific detail. All the while, tears were welling up in my eyes. I couldn’t help but cry. Could I have been so blind? For so long, it had somehow sufficed to sweep it all under the rug and “forget”. It never ceases to amaze me that God would chose to reveal my sins to me at such an unlikely time! I had become the object of His abundant mercy. “What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—“ (Rom 9:23)

Later that day I went straight to a closet, shut the door, and poured out my heart to God in repentance with so many tears. I must’ve cried for at least a half hour or more. I earnestly repented to God for everything I could think of that the Holy Spirit had brought to my remembrance. With everything in me, I repented as hard as I could, and I believe it was there that He granted me sorrow unto repentance.

However, even after I stepped out of the closet, the reassuring peace I longed for was lacking. I felt a pressing obligation to go reconcile with my mom or dad, but fear held me captive. I just couldn’t!  I took my Bible and searched the Scriptures for verses or passages that referred to sin and confession of sin. Part of me wanted to find an excuse, a way out of having to confess. The other part of me sensed that I really ought to confess to my parents, that I could not hide it from them. Then I came across 1 John 1:9, which says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” I realized there are two different ways to confess -- to God and other people.

As hard as it was, I began the painful process of confession. Yes, it was heart-wrenching. Yes, there was a sea of tears shed. But after that period of confession, peace came into my heart at last, peace that passes all understanding. I knew that God had forgiven me. Joy came and I was able to sing with a freedom in my heart once again. I have now begun to experience a certain degree of intimacy with God. Thank God for new beginnings! He allowed me to start over again. What a gift! In his great mercy, He delivered my feet from the snare. He has truly changed my life, and I am eternally grateful.

It’s truly an act of God’s mercy that He brought my past sins to my attention. Praise God! However, the cleansing still had a long ways to go. As the Lord brought more things back to my remembrance, I would confess those, too. There were so many things I had forgotten about! I tried my best to be as honest and transparent as I could. Slowly but faithfully, the Lord dealt with my heart. I recall this time of my life as a trail of tears, if you will. Many tears, but much joy in the Holy Spirit! It’s in those darkest times of my life—the deepest valleys—that I’ve found He has been the closest to me. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Ps 34:18)

As with any process, He continues to drive the foolishness and disobedience out of my heart. He continues to purge me and cleanse me in this purifying process, which is what I’ve been seeking anyway. I am so grateful that God delivered me from what once bound and held me captive. The “old me” has been swallowed up in life!

I urge you today, if you find yourself reading this testimony and know you’re life isn’t right, that you seek the Lord for His forgiveness. He is willing and ready to receive you back. Don’t believe the lie that you’ve gone too far! There is no one who’s sunk too deep that His mercy can’t reach. He is pursuing you with passionate love, hoping you’ll hear His voice. Even if He has to leave the ninety-nine just to go after you, He’ll do whatever it takes. Please don’t forfeit the indescribable gift that can be readily yours.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy put, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God…” (Ps 40:1-3)

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. 

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read The Truth Set Me Free, My Overflowing Joy in Knowing Jesus, and Given a New Heart and Sweet Peace, which are the testimonies of myself and three of my other children. Also see the Home page of this blog for more testimonies. You are invited to view my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Spiritual Awakening of Richmond King

Richmond, King, evangelist

I would like to share with you the testimony of a twenty-nine year old man from Liberia, named Richmond King.

Richmond's Testimony
I got saved at the age of fifteen and was trying my best to serve the Lord. Unfortunately, I backslid at the age of sixteen, and fell back into sin and lustful desires. After approximately ten years, I started cohabiting with a girl without fear of any punishment from the Lord. During this ten years period, I heard some salvation messages, but my heart was still filled with the lust of the world.

In March 2013, my girlfriend and I decided to visit her mother. When we arrived at the house, her mother told us that there was a testimony of a girl whom Jesus took to heaven and hell. After witnessing the video, my girl friend and I wept bitterly for our sins that night and decided to rededicate our lives to Christ. After that, we started making plans to get married, and we got married December 27, 2014. We did not get married with rings, because of my research on jewelry from the Bible. Our families persecuted us, yet we stood strong and for the truth.

There were two encounters that I had with the Lord. One was the next day after we rededicated our lives to  Christ and the other was few months later. These experiences brought a tremendous change in my life. The first one happened the next day after we rededicated our lives to Christ. I decided to take a fast that day and while going through the fast, I decided to take a little rest. But before taking my rest, I made a statement and I said Lord what will you want me to do in the future. And after making this statement, I when to sleep. It happen between sleep and wake, I hear a voice speaking to me but I did not see anybody. The Bible I was reading before going to sleep was right over my head. In the vision, a small book was attached to the Bible and the voice told me to eat the book and I ate the book and swallowed it. After that, I awoke from sleep.

From that time until now, Scriptures can just be coming to my mind any time I am teaching the Bible. And when people ask questions, I can answer them directly from the Scriptures.

The second experience was between sleep and wake. During this encounter, I heard my name announced on a huge stage, and the people were speaking about healing happening to them, but I did not see anything. However, I heard the noise of the crowd. In this encounter, I was announced as an evangelist.  After this experience, I knew my calling in the five-fold ministry.

Thank God I did not die in my stubbornness against God and perish in hell. By the grace of God, I will stand for Jesus in this generation.

-- Richmond King

[END OF RICHMOND'S TESTIMONY]

Richmond's Wake Up Call
Praise the Lord for making Richmond to be a testimony of the saving power of Jesus Christ!  He could have died in his stubbornness against God and perished in hell like so many others do every day. But instead, when the Lord awakened him to his true spiritual condition, he repented with all his heart. He and his girl friend wept bitterly for their sins and rededicated their lives to Christ.

Look at what God can do! He can do the same for you or someone you love. But when they determined with God's help to live godly lives, then their families began to persecute them. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Tim 3:12).  The devil was satisfied, as long as they remained asleep spiritually. But as soon as they woke up and began to follow the Lord according to the Bible, then the persecution came. As soon as they determined to embrace the Scriptural requirement of inward and outward holiness, then they were persecuted by their own loved ones. But they stood firm in the truth.

Let me encourage you that if you desire to live a godly life in Christ, you will be persecuted. Count on it! But stand firm, and rejoice that you are counted worthy to suffer. Endure to the end. Those who endure to the end will be saved.

And not only did the Lord rescue Richmond from a life of sin that was taking him down to hell, but He called him to preach. That call was on his life since before he was born. The Scripture says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph 2:10). Now we can see why the devil deceived him away from the Lord after he got saved and wanted to keep him from serving the Lord. The devil knew that any preacher who fulfills his God-given calling is going to do serious damage to the kingdom of darkness by the power of God.

The experience Richmond had when the Lord called him to preach was not unlike what happened to the prophet Ezekiel, who wrote:

"Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning and woe. Then He said to me, 'Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.' So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, 'Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.' Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth." (Eze 2:9-10 - 3:1-3)

Richmond asked, "Lord, what will you want me to do in the future," and God directly answered him. That was nothing less than a supernatural encounter with the living God. Praise the Lord!

My Personal Invitation to You
In closing, please let me say that if you are backslidden -- you were once saved, but are now away from Jesus Christ,  He is calling to you today to return to Him.  He leaves the ninety-nine other sheep in the flock to pursue you -- that one lost sheep. Wake up from your spiritual slumber! Return to Him with repentance and weeping.  "Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity And receive us graciously, That we may present the fruit of our lips.'" (Hos 14:2). He will forgive you, and heal you. If God could do it for Richmond, who was away from God for ten years, He can do it for you.

There is nobody on earth more miserable than a backslidden Christian.  It's a terrible place to be. You might fool yourself into believing that your having fun, but the truth is that deep down inside your soul is aching. You have no peace.  The only answer is to cry out to the Lord for mercy and turn your back on sin. Stop sinning. Don't ever go back that way again! Separate yourself from the world and consecrate yourself to the Lord once again. Pour out your heart to God in a covenant prayer something like this one.

And when you return to Him, find out what the Lord wants you to do for Him. Then serve Him with wholehearted devotion. "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (2Ch 16:9). Work hard for the Lord and you will have a great reward in heaven. Live your life in holiness, righteousness, and truth, and strive to enter the kingdom of God through the narrow gate.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the NASB.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like to read Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Why Not Live Together Rather Than Marry?, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Drifting Away, The Lord Healed My Backsliding, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Five Divine Revelations, Tattoos and Body Piercing, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, The Evil Spirit of Alcohol, The Truth Set Me Free, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, The Straight and Narrow Path, Ask for the Ancient Paths, James Agboola Revelation of Heaven and Hell, and Aim for Perfection. You are also invited to view my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master. 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Saved By a Vision of Second Coming - O. Moses Alabi

Omolade Moses Alabi

This is the testimony of my friend, brother Omolade Moses Alabi, a Nigerian man living in the United Kingdom. He has been married for twenty years to his wife, Celestina. Together they have four children, three boys and a girl. He is currently 48 years old and was born again in 1988.

Here is his testimony:

“I was born in the United Kingdom but had my early life in Nigeria, and came from a nominal Christian family. We seldom went to church on a regular basis, and when I did, it is just to go and 'eye' and 'spy' the ladies! I was 22 years old; I was not ready to be born again. I had a few girlfriends and I wanted to enjoy life, which included lots of fornication. Fornication was the only sin I knew. I hated beer, since it's not that sweet; I hated cigarettes, because my Dad didn't smoke. I somehow planned out my life, ‘Maybe when I’m forty or fifty years old I will get religious, But not now.’

One night I was asleep, and in the middle of the night, and I saw the sky parted. Jesus Christ descended on a white horse. Out of fear and shock, I woke up trembling. Fear gripped me. If there was anything I knew about Jesus, it was about His second coming, which I was totally unprepared for.

As I was about to go down on my knees to repent, I heard a voice say, ‘Don’t do it now. Remember your girlfriends.’(for the first time, I recognized satan's voice!) As I thought about those words, then I heard another voice in my right hear say, ‘This may be your last opportunity.’ I knew that was the Lord, so I got on my knees and repented right there.

I went back to sleep. When I awoke the next morning, the sky was so brand new! I felt light! I felt clean, holy. I felt like a new baby. When I looked at the sky it was like heaven on earth.

I began to read the Bible at that time and it came alive like never before. I had read the Bible previously, but now I began to understand it for the first time. Initially I did not want to tell my mother, because I knew she would want to bring me to church right away, and my conversion had not really sunk in yet! Yet I had no doubt already received the peace and joy of the Lord.

A few days afterward, I was sitting on my front porch. I used to like wearing a lot of jewelry. So I had my rings and my gold necklace. And as I sat there, I heard the Voice of The Holy Spirit calling my name. I turned here and there, wondering where the voice was coming from as I saw no one! The voice continued saying ‘Lade, look at yourself.’ I looked at myself and it seemed strange for the first time, although I had never heard anyone preach about jewelry. So I went inside and took off all my jewelry. I put it into an envelope and later buried it. Some time later I heard a sermon against wearing jewelry, and also read it from The Word of God.

One or two months after I was born again, during one of the church services, when the preacher gave an altar call invitation. I thought within myself, ‘Oh, that's not for me. I have accepted the Lord genuinely in my bedroom.’ But the Lord said, ‘Go forward and give your life to Me publicly.’ So I did.

After we said the sinner’s prayer, the pastor instructed us to go to one side where a counselor would speak with us. But the Lord said to me, ‘You go sit down'. (I had already become a regular member and known by the small group leaders)

Then when I moved to England twenty-five years ago, I had the opportunity to go to school, but the Lord said, ‘Don’t go to school.’ I thought, ‘What? What will people say?’ I did my best to apply to colleges two consecutive years, but they could not trace nor find my application details that were duly submitted.

So I chose a day to sit before The Lord to hear right and not hear amiss! So I prayed, ‘Show me, Lord. Where is that in the Bible?’

Then something amazing happened. I didn't know where to start reading or scroll to in the word, so I just flipped open the Bible to Acts 4 and read verse 13, which says, ‘Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.’ (Act 4:13). Although the apostles were uneducated and untrained men, the rulers and elders recognized that they had been with Jesus.

So I prayed another prayer which came into my heart that the Lord will remove from me any spirit of fear, so that I may be able to stand before wise, learned and unlearned people of the world with complete boldness, with no inferiority, or inadequacy complex. He did it instantly and I arose from prayer with full confidence and assurance that all is well.

The Lord also laid upon my heart that I will be his signboard or signpost. This meant that I would be the one to raise banners for him throughout my nation, as it says in Psalm 60:4-5.

So I have learned that if you want to receive direction from the Lord, He can direct you so easily. It’s very simple for Him to do that, if you ask Him to. The problem is that we are so deaf when He does speak to us. Just listen to His voice and obey Him. He will lead you.”

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog, such as The Truth Set Me Free!, The Joy I've Come to Know, and The Lord Healed My Backsliding.  There are more testimonies on the Home page of this blog as well. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Lord Healed My Backsliding

I’d like to share with you about the unlimited grace and mercy of Jesus Christ in the life of my nephew, Denis.  I had the privilege of leading him to the Lord twenty-six years ago, and was so blessed to see him recommit his life to Christ not too long ago.  He states in his testimony below:





How I Came to Know Christ Initially
I was raised a Catholic, so I knew some information about the Lord Jesus, but I didn’t know Him personally.  I had never heard the gospel message of salvation or how to be saved. I was a typical youth in high school, into the party scene and living for myself.  I was not seeking the Lord at all.

Then in May of 1986, my uncle Len, who was serving in the military, returned home to NH on leave for 30 days before being deployed overseas.  He had recently given his life to Jesus, and as he began to share his newfound faith with me, I could easily see he was a changed person. You can read his testimony on “The Truth Set Me Free.”

The Lord convicted me of my sin, and my need for Jesus, so I repented and gave my life to Him.  During Len’s 30-day leave period, I spent a lot of time in the Word with him, learning about the Lord and what He expects of us. I joined a local church, where I attended regularly for worship.  I was baptized in water, baptized with the Holy Spirit, and I began to attend the youth group, where I eventually became a leader.  At first, I was full of joy and willing to lay it all down for the Lord. After graduating from high school, I even got married to a young lady from the church, and we went to Bible school, where I began preparing myself for full time ministry as a youth pastor.

I Had No Roots
But things fell apart there in Bible school.  My wife had different goals and the marriage didn’t work out.  I was crushed when she left me.  The hurt from that experience was overwhelming to me. 

Jesus described the seeds of the gospel being cast upon four different kinds of soil.  And you could say I was like the seed planted on rocky soil.  Jesus said, "Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.” (Mat 13:5-6).  That may be the best way to describe me.  I was full of joy and quickly sprang right up, running ahead with my plans to serve God.  But I had no roots, and the trials I encountered in life were more than I could handle. 

Drifting Away from the Lord
That’s when I began on a long journey that would take me away from the Lord for over two decades.  In fact, for me it was a period of significant rebellion against the Lord and backsliding. After a while, I didn’t want to hear anything about the Lord.  I lived for myself and did whatever I wanted. 

I won’t go into the ugly details of all that I did during that time.  But I stopped praying and reading my Bible.  I caved in to all media temptations excessively  (secular music, television, and Internet), and had absolutely no regard for financial spending.  I stopped attending church and tithing.  With no more joy or peace in my life, I turned to heavy drinking and drug use (prescription and illegal). I became more of a sinner than I had been before I ever knew the Lord!

I then attempted marriage again, this time to a non-believer, and that didn’t work out.  It only caused more hurt and bitterness inside of me.  I didn’t realize that the problem I was running from was inside of me, not primarily with someone else. 

I began living together with another non-believer, whom I later married, and she is still my wife today.  Needless to say, all of this sowing of bad seed in my life began to bring in quite a harvest.  I really began to reap what I’d sown all those years.  As the Scripture says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal 6:7-8)

How the Lord Got Me Back

Denis Lacroix

I thank the Lord that He didn’t give up on me.  Like the good shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep to seek after the one lost sheep, I can see clearly now how He was seeking me out in so many ways that simply cannot be dismissed as mere coincidences.  For example, He provided me with a job as a dispatcher at a small trucking company, which was owned and operated by an older, married couple. They were very precious, born again believers, who cared for me and prayed for me.  And so did Len, who always treated me with love, even when I was away from the Lord.  I may not have liked it when he tried to tell me that I needed to return to the Lord, but I knew it was true. 

There were a few times when the Lord allowed me to “coincidentally” run into Len at Walmart, and we would stop to chat briefly together.  On another occasion, when I decided to go to church one Sunday, Len just happened to be led to visit that same church that morning with his family, rather than attending his home church as usual.  I recall how he and his family sat right behind us in church that day.  He would also phone me from time to time, and remind me that the Lord still loved me, and that He was waiting for me to return to Him. 

Looking back, I can see God’s grace in my life.  Even while I was away from Him, in my state of rebellion, He delivered me from an unplanned suicide attempt I made while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.  Had I succeeded in killing myself, I would have perished eternally. And then after He rescued me from death, He healed me from my injuries. What a loving Savior! He was calling out to me, as the Scripture says, “Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.” (Jer 3:22a)

I guess I just felt like I had fallen so far away that even if God was willing to forgive me, I couldn’t forgive myself.  I knew I deserved hell for my rebellion against the Lord. I was just waiting to die and face my certain judgment.  I came to understand first-hand what the verse to the Hebrews means that says, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.” (Heb 10:26-27).  Let me assure you that you don’t ever want to experience that like I did. 

There were a couple times over the years, when I did attempt to return to the Lord.  Aside from that time I attended church one Sunday, I also repented and prayed to give my life back to the Lord. I was finally crying out, “Indeed we do come to You, For You are the Lord our God." (Jer 3:22b). But the strongholds were so entrenched in my life that I was never able to follow through on my commitment.

Len recommended a couple churches for me, and I said I would check them out.  But for years I kept putting that off for another day, until recently.  Finally in 2011, on Easter Sunday, I finally decided to attend a church, where Len was preaching.  I asked the Lord to cleanse me by the blood of Jesus Christ, and forgive me from the darkness and sin that I allowed to bind me in chains.

He's Healed My Backsliding
Since then I have continued to serve in a local church, and watched the Lord heal my backslidings.  As the prophet Hosea says, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him." (Hos 14:4).  He has loved me freely and turned away His anger from me.  I am so grateful for His love and mercy toward me.

Just to show you how He has healed my backsliding, here are some of the areas that God has delivered me from, and continues to work in my life through the Holy Spirit. I have joined a home group through the church. He’s also been using the weekly Bible studies and Sunday morning services to restore all that the worms have eaten in my life.  He has restored my communion with Him, and I once again enjoy an active, daily prayer life, as well as daily time spent in His living Word. He has set me free from alcohol and illegal drugs completely!  He has broken my addiction to video games, which once consumed over fifteen hours of my time each week. He also set me free from my addiction to Facebook games, although I continue to pray for complete deliverance from this as well. He has delivered me from two of the prescription meds I have taken for over 10 yrs.

He has also healed me of the anger and bitterness inside my heart, as a result of all the evil in my past.  The change in my behavior has been like night and day.  Though I still fall sometimes, He has really been faithful in this area of my life. He has helped me to put Him first in my finances. He has given me spiritual boldness to share the Gospel of Christ with my immediate family, and given me a burden to pray for my unsaved extended family and friends.  And He has put within me a desire to do more, in terms of sharing Jesus with those I don’t know. 

Sharing Jesus with My Loved Ones
As a way of helping my friends and family to focus on the real meaning of Easter, and to invite the un-churched ones to worship with me at my home church for Easter services, I sent out a shortened version of this testimony back in the spring of 2012. I sent it as an email, which I believe went to nearly all 250 people on my distribution list. Though I probably lost a few people on the list, who didn’t appreciate it, there were a few who thanked me for being so open about my life as it was both before and after I was saved. And of course, as a result of the Holy Spirit moving through what I shared, my mother, two sisters, and brother-in-law, as well as my nephew and niece attended the services. The Lord has been working in their lives since then, drawing them to himself.

My mother got water baptized at my church, and so did my younger sister, along with her significant other, who have since just recently been married.   My other sister shows an interest in the Lord and openness to the gospel.

The Lord has allowed other changes to occur in my life that I may not have listed here. And I also realize that these changes are not because of who I am or what I have done, but because of who Jesus is, and what He has done for me. I truly believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and if it were not for His birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and intercession on my behalf before God, I would be damned to Hell for my sins. I repent daily for any darkness that I have allowed into my heart through my eyes or ears. I ask God that He would allow the Holy Spirit to purge me from the things that He detests and hates, so that I too would detest and hate them as well. I know that I am nothing but dust that the Lord has chosen to breath life into, and all I have comes from Him.  I pray this testimony will be a blessing to you, and those who may be facing the same deceptions and evil traps from the enemy.

Denis Lacroix

[END OF DENIS'S TESTIMONY]

Praise the Lord for making Denis to be a testimony of the saving power of Jesus Christ!

My Personal Invitation to You
In closing, please let me say that if you are backslidden -- you were once saved, but are now away from Jesus Christ,  He is calling to you today to return to Him.  He leaves the ninety-nine other sheep in the flock to pursue you -- that one lost sheep.  Return to Him with repentance and weeping.  "Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity And receive us graciously, That we may present the fruit of our lips.'" (Hos 14:2) He will forgive you, and heal you.  But don't ever go back that way again!

There is nobody on earth more miserable than a backslidden Christian.  It's a terrible place to be. You might fool yourself into believing that your having fun, but the truth is that deep down inside your soul is aching. You have no peace.  The only answer is to cry out to the Lord for mercy and turn your back on sin.  Separate yourself from the world and consecrate yourself to the Lord once again. Pour out your heart to God in a covenant prayer something like this one.

And if you know a Christian, who is backslidden, don't give up on them.  Keep praying and loving them.  Keep telling them, "You will not miss your destiny. You will be a mighty man (or woman) of God. You will be a testimony of the saving power of Jesus Christ." Keep telling them that they need to return to the Lord.  The Lord will hear your prayers, and send His angels to move them out of that dangerous place into a place of safety where they can find a door to God.

Lastly, if you are contemplating suicide, I need to warn you that it's a trap of the devil.  Suicide will not solve any of your problems.  I don't know any other way to say this more kindly, except to say that suicide will only assure you an eternity in hell.  Your life is valuable to God, who made you, and you do not have permission to kill yourself. What you need right now is to cry out to the Lord Jesus, and ask Him to save you.  If you're desperate enough to consider taking your life, then you have nothing to lose.  And you can be sure that He will answer your sincere prayer. The new life He gives will be unimaginably better than the one you're now seeking to end.  He has a purpose for your life! And when He's finished fulfilling His purpose for you, then He'll take you up into glory to be with Him forever in heaven.

It all begins with giving your life to Him. Won't you do that today?

Len Lacroix

The Shepherd loves His sheep

He’s sad when they get lost

At times they choose to stray

Once saved at such a cost

He takes the time to train them

To listen to His voice

To follow His commands

But still, they have a choice

-- excerpt from "Good Shepherd"
by Charity V. Lacroix