I decided some time ago to make public the miraculous transformation of my life through Jesus Christ. I have shared it verbally and in print via Words for the Day for many years. Additionally a large number of articles have been published about it both in print and over the Internet and have been distributed throughout the world.
Readers Digest has a readership of over eight million and in April they will publish an article about my life and how I publicly acknowledge that the power of God changed me forever and it will be spread even further.
As most of you know I am also writing a book about my life and in about six months it will be complete and the entire story will be spread even further. I am told that I will have to travel throughout the country and appear on radio and TV to promote it, which will no doubt stimulate more speaking engagements etc. and I will likely continue telling my story for some time to come.
I was recently asked if it bothered me to go public with the information about my dark life before I was a Christian. The answer is yes! A thousand times yes! I would much prefer that millions of people do not find out that I was at one time a totally depraved, homeless, penniless, reprobate criminal drug addict alcoholic. Who in their right mind would want such information to get out about them? I am now a happily married family man, recently retired Chairman and CEO of a large highly admired and respected company, successful entrepreneur, and am active in my church and community. I do not even like to “think” about my former life; much less publicize my wicked – wicked ways to millions of people all over the world. It is especially painful to reveal it to the people whom I personally know in my church and elsewhere.
I know that the Apostle Paul felt the same way when he wrote parts of the Bible. Nonetheless he included first-hand accounts of his former life of persecuting and martyring Christians. I feel sure that it was especially painful for him to mention the martyrdom of Stephen and that he was the one responsible for his being stoned to death. One reason that Paul shared his story was to show that God can transform anybody, even the seemingly impossible task of transforming the belief system of one of the most devout Hassidic Jews of the highest order.
I know it had to be very humiliating to David to reveal that he had an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba and ordered her husband to be killed. And yet he put it out there for all to see. His story demonstrates that even a devout man of God who was handpicked by God to rule His chosen people can fall.
Noah, Abraham, and others throughout the Bible made their mistakes and the penalties for them which were revealed, and billions of people have read about their transgressions throughout the ages. The disciples fled like cowards when the Romans came to arrest Jesus and to a person deserted Him after spending years being taught at His feet and watching Him perform untold miracles. Peter even denied knowing Him on three separate occasions. They later wrote about their acts of cowardice and personally agonized over it.
John Newton a wretched slave trader understood that concept when he wrote the song Amazing Grace and declared to the world his miraculous transformation from a wicked slave trader to a man of God. If you have ever read anything about his life, you know that he was tortured by his former wretched life virtually for the rest of his days, but he loved God with all of his heart and tried to make up for it the best he knew how.
The lesson they taught is that we are all mere flesh and regardless of who we are or think we are, we have ALL sinned and come short of the glory of God. But the story does not end there, it goes on to say that we have a loving God full of mercy and grace and no matter how badly someone has been broken by sin and satan, God can and will fix it provided we will ask Him to come into our lives and do so. We are weak but He is strong.
Without their examples, people would not have as much hope as they have today. God offers hope and that is what I am telling people with my story. No matter how bad things are for you today, God offers HOPE!
I do not believe that God saves us so we can quietly worship Him in a closet when no one is watching. He wants us to tell the world that we are His followers! If you study your Bible you cannot come away with any other understanding. He has power to change lives. You and I should be spreading the good news to anyone who will listen using whatever means at our disposal. Our personal feelings about the matter are irrelevant. It is not about “us”. It is about Jesus Christ and His power to miraculously save us, (regardless of how low we might have sunk). God can save anyone through His amazing grace. It is about obeying Him and spreading the good news to a suffering world.
I urge you to consider your contributions to the Lord this morning. Do you ever witness to others and share what Christ has done in your life. Anyone can stand up and be counted and tell others that Christ has changed their life and that they are proud to be counted as a Christian. If one soul turns to Christ and is saved from eternal damnation in hell, it will all have been worth it.
So the long answer to the short question is yes, it embarrasses me to no end to tell all, but it is not about me; it is about Him. He saved me from myself and he can save us all if we will simply place our trust in Him. In spite of any potential embarrassment, I will continue to glorify His holy name until I cannot utter another breath. My hope is that you will join me. Time is running out…
Zephaniah 1:14-18 2:3
The great day of the Lord is near. It is near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on that day will be bitter…I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath. In the fire of His jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for He will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth…Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”
It is not about us
Feb
23
2009
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Feb
23
2009
Posted in, Witnessing