Healed of Asthma - Baptized in the Spirit

Yes God really worked in my life and is still working.

I am now 16 and gave my heart to Jesus when i was 12 years old.

Before I was saved I was a religious person,thinking that i could please God through going to church and living better.
I was living a double life constantly seeking fame in my school , trying to please people.I was molested by older children when I was in grade 2.After that I suffered from guilt an obsessive compulsive behaviour.

My mother was saved 2 years before me and told me about all the miracles she experienced on church camps, all the miracles.Which interested me quite a lot.

I was a good athlete but suffered from severe asthma.My lung capacity ranged from 40% - 60%

One day my mom took me to a sermon , given by a man who have performed physical healings. Afterwards we went to the guy and asked him,if he could pray for my asthma.He prayed, and I instantly felt the Holy Spirit working in my lungs.It felt very warm.I decided to throw away all my asthma pumps and when I went to the doctor about six months later for tests.My lung capacity have shown to be ranging between hundred percent.The doctor could not believe her eyes and we told her afterward about the healing.

Praise God for what he has done for me.

Then last year(2006). I encoutered another dvine experience with God.Whe were on school tour. And I talked alot about God, learning people principles sharing my faith.Some of the guys later came to me and said that God wants to baptize me with the Holy Spirit.Now i never heard about it, and thought they were nuts.But then later they convinced through the scripture.

That night when we prayed that I would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I believed it and the Holy Spirit came upon me.I felt this sudden warmth coming over me. Matthew 3:11 explains this warmth very clear.I felt Gods presence more clearer than ever. I cried and sang and was verry jolly in the Lord that night.We slept 4:15 am and awoke about 6:00 am and wasn't even tired.God gave us new strength to share this Godly Intervention with others.

Yours in Christ Johan le Grange

My email adress is mwlegra@mweb.co.za

A Way Out from Sexual Addiction

Dear Friend in Christ,

I thank God for you that I have another opportunity to share what God has done in my life. I would like to share one of my testimonies.

I pray that God will continue to strengthen and enlarge your territory.

In Christ

Rhonda Miller

Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

When I read the scripture, with every temptation, God will provide a way of escape, I felt like I found a million dollars. I found my breakthrough. I didn’t have to keep living a life that included adultery, lies, and pretending. I could be free.

I wanted to break free from the lustful relationship that I shamefully found myself in. But the gifts were too nice and the money was too good.

I couldn’t believe that I was in such a mess. I had just come back to the Lord after being a backslider for five years. I was on fire for the Lord - quoting scriptures, reading my Bible, praying every day. I wouldn’t settle in a church, though, because I was still afraid to commit myself.

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty; now I know that I needed a pastor and a fellowship of believers to help me. But anyway, I wouldn’t settle in anybody’s church. I had settled, instead, on a married man who eventually had my full attention.

He was handsome and financially secure. He spoke with confidence and intelligence. When he asked me to go out of town with him during a holiday break, I emphatically said “”no!”" and told him in a very holy way that adultery was sin and I wanted no part of it.

He kindly backed off and apologized. The next day, he sent a bottle of perfume along with a card. I kept it. The Holy Ghost told me to give it back and to stay away from him. I knew better. I knew what the Word said about adultery. But I kept it. The cologne was one of my favorites.

A few days later, he left me another small gift. Many times, he gave me money. The next time that he asked me to go out of town, I went. I ignored the convictions. I ignored the knowledge that I was selling myself for money and gifts.

After our last rendezvous, I felt ashamed and stupid for allowing myself to get in this situation. I told God I wanted out. I felt horrible that I failed God again and again. I picked up my Bible and the page fell on the scripture that saved my life. It said, “”with every temptation, God will provide a way of escape.”" There was actually an escape route for me. There was a way out. I was relieved. Through tears, I praised God. I repented, for sinning against God. I knew that God forgave me. I knew that I had the victory. Little did I know that victory would come through humiliation.

The next day, I received a phone call from his wife. She told me that she knew that her husband and I had been together. She said that she wanted to talk to me. I was flabbergasted. I was afraid. I was dumbfounded.

I managed to say “”sure, come on over.”" I hung up the phone and couldn’t believe what I said. I was humiliated beyond any explanation that I can say.

We agreed to meet at my home the next day. She didn’t need directions, she said. She knew where I lived. At that point, I could have died. I sat on my couch in a daze. How could I have let myself get in such a nasty mess? James 1:14 says that “”each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”"

The next day, she came over. We talked. I told her the truth. She told me not to see her husband anymore. I agreed. I never told him that his wife came to see me. I just ended it. I didn’t explain anything. I promised God that I would be faithful to Him. I promised myself that I would never allow myself to be in such a pitiful position.

That was fifteen years ago. I have remained faithful to Jesus in my singleness. I learned how to put my flesh under subjection. I prayed. I cried. I told God about every pain and the loneliness that I felt. I took showers. I spent time with strong women of God.

I love and honor Him for giving me strength and mercy. There is no way that I could have made it without my Savior.

e-mail: shunammite777@cs.com

Freedom from Sexual Addiction - God's Mercy on someone shipwrecked through Online Adultery

In Aug. of 1999, my husband, Randy, and I decided to get the Internet. We got it for the kids to do their homework. My mother-in-law had just bought the computer for the kids. From Aug. to the night of Oct. 15, 1999, I was learning to chat, surf the web, ect, but it started to get boring to me. I went back to watching TV. When I was on the Internet, I was careful of not going into chat rooms and causing any problems. I was getting to the place, I rather be off the line, than be on line. Then one night, my (Non-Christian) friend, Sheri called, me and asked me if I would like to meet her on line friend, Frank. I hesitated, but ended up saying, “Yes.” I went on the computer to say hello to him and we chatted. He was very nice he always gave me a reply on everything I said on the buddy chat. Something I always wish people would do for me including my husband, Randy.

At first, it was supposed to be innocent, just sending pictures, friendly cards. There were times; I tried to witness to him. He even asked for my phone number and called me. I believe it that was October 1999. I found out he was Italian. Randy was home, when he called. It was supposed to be a friendly call. The more we chatted on line and the more he called me, the closer we got. Weeks, turned into months, and the more chatting it become. I guess I did something to make him think I was in love with him, because when he called up the second time he asked me if I loved him. Not thinking much of it at the time… I said, “ yes” but I would have to explain my whole past to explain my way of thinking. So, We kept saying I love you a lot on the buddy chat until it was felt in the heart. I also put the computer in my room away from everybody.

I have gotten a job because he asked me to and I started to lose weight for him because I knew we would meet one day. My job was at a dog kennel, which I liked, but there were lots of days I could not function. Days, I would be walking a dog while praying, telling God, I love him and this man too while tears rolled down my face. Days, I would be cleaning out the cat cages and couldn’t wait to get home to chat with Frank. Days, I would be cleaning the outdoor dog cages and my mind would be stirring like crazy. And there was times, I’d grab a cage pole and wish someone would rescue my stirring mind.

We finally made plans to meet in May, but I cancel at the last moment. I felt strangely disturbed. He got upset with me and I did not want to lose the friendship. We made plans again on the phone and I went to see him in June 2000. It was in Albany NY. Once more, I fell in love with him and committed adultery. I was uncomfortable at first and wanted my husband. But as time went by, I went deeper into sin. He even showed me the sites in Albany, NY and took me on a small cruise. I was there for four days. In July, I met him again, committed adultery and stayed four days. I chatted with him until, Oct. 15th, 2001. I have been feeling something inside of me. I couldn’t take the disturbance any longer. The feeling that something is wrong. I had been having it for a while. I told Frank goodbye and started to seek God once more.

Before I met Frank, I have been in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for four years. Now why would a Christian fall into the hands of Satan? How could a person turn away from God? How can a Godly person do an ungodly thing? They were so many unanswered questions but after a years time I am getting some answers. Let me tell you how I crawled out of Satan’s pit…..

I still had my job and I still wasn’t functioning. My sister told me to praise God that I still had a job and go forward, but in my head, I did not see that. I tried praising God. I carry a Walkman to work and to listen to Christian music and Christian stations, but Satan was in my head also conflicting everything I did. I just could not function. All I saw was…

“”How could I do this to my husband and two children?”" “”I am a Christian, Christians don’t do this!”" “”How dare I?”" Things like these came into my mind and many times suicide did too. I was mad and sometimes I wanted to get even. Frank had bought me two nice wine glasses that had some the color red in them. I got up early one morning, went to the cabinet, got them out, went outside into the pasture, and broke them against a tree.

Everyday, except Sunday I went to the kennel to work. Everyday, I could not see past my nose. Thoughts of suicide were consuming me more and more. I made a doctor appointment with a doctor I did not know in a city near us. Then I woke up one Friday morning, I called in sick. I went to my mother’s house, snuck in and took her sleeping pills. I went to the doctor I made an appointment with and got more sleeping pills. Plus I had some already at home prescribed by another doctor. Then I went home, wrote {goodbye, love} notes to my husband, kids, sister and parents. Took three bottles of sleeping pills around noon, I think. I laid down in my bed and went to sleep. They had the rescue people coming to get me around 6 PM. One of my lungs had collapsed. I spent 4 days in a hospital and 8 days in mental hospital. I remember nothing at the hospital, but at the mental hospital is where I started the healing process. There at the hospital, I had the biggest headache ever! A migraine that lasted four days!

My parents came most of the time to see me in the mental hospital, but my sister came a few times, brother-in-law once. My sister told me what happened while I was at the other hospital. But I think I can explain it better by her journal….

“”Well, Fri., 2/9/2001 - We were at Church (7:00) for the TLW. Wanda and family had not shown up. So I called Mom’s at 7:15 PM to see if they were there at their house. Dad answered the phone and said Scarlett was on the other line saying Wanda had been rushed to the hospital cause they couldn’t wake her up. Paul and I rushed to the hospital with mom and dad close behind us and we left our kids at church. Well, about midnight or so, we were told she overdosed. We were shocked! I screamed, NO! I went crazy, screaming and crying to God, Why?!!! No, God, No. Laura, Paul, held to me and cried to comfort me. I was on my face. Paul and I went to her house (2:00 am) to see if we could find evidence of drug overdose. We found, empty bottles, drug receipts, doctor receipts. All made during that week. Also a beer can she used to take the pills. Then I found a balled up letter in the trash to me. “”Oh God!”" I felt and screamed! Paul cried with me. I don’t remember much after that. I went to her bathroom and got sick. Paul and I got back to the hospital (about 4:00am.) I read the letter to mom, dad and Randy. And we all sobbed profusely. 4:30 am, we went with Wanda to ICU. She was in critical condition and not expected to live past the first 24 hours. They said her heart world probably go crazy or stop. She would probably be a vegetable from lack of oxygen, (her lung collapsed from vomiting while she was asleep and then inhaled it into her lungs). Her organs might shut down, ect. Once she made it through the first 24 hours, they said she might die the next 24 hours. Me, mom, dad, Paul and Randy slept on the N.I.C.U. (concrete) floor every night, waiting and praying, crying, praying - Oh, dear God, What’s going on? We’re all exhausted. After 48 hours the odds looked better. We claimed healing for Wanda. On Sunday, 2/11/2001 at 7:30 am, Donna, Wanda’s nurse came out and said at 6:00am Wanda opened her eyes for a second and followed some commands a little. We all cried profusely again! Thanking God over and over. Now we were awaiting tests to let us know if Wanda would be normal again, or remain a vegetable. Slowly the tests came back 1 by 1, and each showed there was no permanent brain damage. We shouted with Thanks to God again crying all the more. We are all now past exhaustion!! 2/16 - Wanda would sometimes squeeze my hand when I asked her to. My dad was a mess by this time! Now wants to take her home and lavish her with gifts, ect. He thinks he can make up for four years of mistakes in a few years of time. He disregards the nurse and doctor’s requests because he wants her to go home. He wants all this nightmare to go away. Once they took the tubes out of Wanda’s mouth and nose, she tried to whisper to us, we couldn’t understand and we cried and cried. Each day, she made more progress. On Tuesday Night. Randy and I took her to Holly Hill, straight from Wake Med. She is still there today. Yesterday, the counselor told Randy and I that she has now been diagnosed with Bi-Polar. The doctor says it’s a chemical imbalance in the brain, and it’s easily treated with medicines. They’ve already started her on it. Dear God, Please show me the details on this disease. Give me an understanding of this and help the medicine to work quickly. I rebuke Satan from casting any other diseases or chemical imbalance on my family. Bind Satan and his work up. Cast him under the sea. Father, I want to write more about how I feel now, but I so tired … I Love You - Marti Feb 18, 2001 - Sun. 10:26 PM - I continue to visit daily at Holly Hill. My emotions are upheaval although the joy of you sparing her life, override all else. Today was my first day back to church service. I praised you for your almighty deeds and works of healing you have given graciously to my family … Thank You Lord Jesus”"

Now I will quote to you what my brother-in-law (Paul) said that happen to him while they was waiting and praying… “”It was about 4:30am that Sat (2/10/2001). The family had just been moved up to the ICU waiting room. The lights were off and there were s few people on floors and propped up in the chairs, trying to sleep. We took our place in some chairs with blankets and we all just cried. Paul got to sobbing loudly and then began to shake; he stopped crying and got real quiet. Marti asked, “”Are you OK?”" He said, “”I just felt the presence of the Holy Spirit come all over me.”" He told Marti “”Wanda is gonna live.”" He got up and went into the bathroom and as he got he got in there, his hands went up and started praising the God. When He came out of the bathroom, he saw an evil presence leave through the double doors and he saw peace come in.”"

Since I been home from the mental hospital, I been putting my life back together. My family was upset with me and I ask them for forgiveness. I told my husband the whole truth, because by God’s law he can throw me out of the house for adultery and I wanted to give him that right. But I did come down on my knees and ask him for forgiveness and he did. It was rocky at first but by God’s grace we had made it this year. God can put a marriage back together again.

My mind was still spinning for a while, but God was helping me to come out of it slowly. I believe so I can understand each thing he was trying to tell me. I didn’t go back into Bible Study Fellowship, but enrolled in Joy Of Living, that was held in my own church. Where I started to heal also. It is just like BSF but it easier for me since I learn at a slower pace so it was easier for me to grasp. In this 2001 - 2002 year class we studied II Samuel and Psalms and through David I learned that I am a sinner and I am forgiven just like David. He committed sins like I did. Who could say we committed worst sins or point fingers. We all are sinners God measures them the same. God has forgiven me and I forgiven myself. It taken me a little while, but now it is in the past, and there where it lays. I have been to counselors, but they drove me more crazy, so I quit going. God is the answer for me and to seek what he has to say.

Once I got out of the hospital, I did not want to sin again, ever! I wanted to be perfect. Watch the right shows, which wasn’t many. Make the house perfect. Make sure the kids was perfect. I drove the family crazy. I surely didn’t win them back that way. Then I went back into my old nature and started watching TV, but God didn’t let me stop there either. I still wanted to do what was right, so I kept trying even if I failed. It had been a year since I dropped the guy. A year since I worked any job. I couldn’t work at what reminded me of what I done, so I quit the kennel. I had a year of good bible study that was on David. A year of healing, crying, hurting, wanting to throw something, but hey don’t we all feel like that sometimes? All we need to do get out of bed and ask the Lord to get us moving and help us to make it though the day. We going to fall, but God love us anyway. By the Grace of God, he loves us! We live in a world that causes us to struggle with every step we take, but keep holding the hand of God. Don’t let it go. Take time out for God. I never learned that when I was saved at 13 years old. Getting saved is all I knew, but it doesn’t stop there. Having bible time everyday doesn’t stop there. It’s applying it to your life and having a real relationship with God. I have enjoyed reading “”Lord, Give Me Grace To Make It”" and “”The Power Of A Praying Wife”" and there are many books out there to help us take a step at a time, at the right time for us.

Today is June 23, 2002… And in two days I have written this testimony. I would like to tell you, that I have been blessed. I still have my family. I still have a home. My husband, children, sister and family, parents, friends! Who still loves me. My old car had broken down and through my father God blessed me with a new car. My father surprised me with it a few weeks ago. My parents paid for some dentist work that I needed. They didn’t have to do this. God knew what I needed and by God’s grace, I was blessed. I can see my son play basketball. Watch them as life goes on. As we hold our children’s hand to help them to grow. Hold God’s hand so he can help you to grow spiritually.

As I look back God has had his hand on me the whole time. I was saved at 13, like I said. God wasn’t going to let me go. I just needed to grow up spiritually, and to find out that I had a chemical imbalance. There I lay in Holly Hill hospital. At first I did not want to be there. I laid there in my bed with that headache, looking at the curtains, asking God “”Why? I kept asking why? I had a searching heart. There was a nurse there that was a Christian and let me borrow a book that helped me some. Then when I heard what my sister and brother-in-law said, I knew God was at work. But I had to do a lot of healing and God was with me step by step. Doing the bible study and getting a lot of junk out of me has helped. We all can be saved, but if we need to see the world through God’s eyes we need to be crushed to be weaken so then we can be strong. 1 CO. 12:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Deliverance from Drugs (Eric)

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36 (NKJ)

Hi, I'm Eric. On a lucky day in 1973, in Bremerton, Washington, I cost my parents five bucks when I came into the world. Being in the military does have its benefits, I guess.

My parents raised me in the way I should go, but sometimes we don't all feel like going the way we're told. In 1979, we moved up to Alaska, and we stayed there until 1989. Then, my parents decided to sell their house, and we moved to Vancouver, Washington.

In Vancouver, during high school, I decided that I didn't want to be a Christian nerd anymore, and that I needed to party a little bit. So that's what I began to do. Although I still attended church on a regular basis and participated in youth group activities, I led another, different life. I made lots of non-Christian friends, ignoring my father's advice, "The friends you choose is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make." My parents soon gave up trying to keep me in line, because I simply didn't want to listen.

I dove right into the party world, living for myself. I started smoking, drinking, doing drugs, the whole bit. I didn't want anything to do with Christianity anymore. There were too many questions that I simply couldn't answer, and too much fun that I simply wanted to have.

I graduated high school in the top five percent of my class, with practically straight A's. I started college in 1991, and started dating a non-Christian girl who dominated the next few years of my life. I either spent time with her, or I partied. One or the other.

I came close to death more than once. One night, all tweaked out on drugs, I was downtown Portland and a guy pulled a gun on me. I laughed at him. That's how much I cared about life.

One night, after a long, crazy night up near Tacoma, Washington, my friend Tom and I cruised down the I-5 freeway toward Vancouver and a Cadillac rear-ended us and sped away. His 1979 Datsun B-210 flipped a bunch of times and ended up upside down on the median. We sustained minimal injuries. We could easily have had the windows open and had limbs fly out and get crushed. We could easily have ended up in the freeway instead of on the median. We weren't even wearing our seatbelts. My dad picked us up from the hospital the next day and we went to look at the car. It really didn't look like anyone could have survived. The back window fell out when we touched it. All four tires were popped. It stood only a few feet high. My dad told us that my mother had got up that night, in the middle of the night, to pray for us. God knew that we needed protection.

One day, I rear-ended a new Lincoln Continental that was at a dead standstill. My car was going around 40 miles per hour. I didn't have my seatbelt on. I broke my windshield with my head. Yet I only sustained a minor cut to my chin (I have a hard head, as you will soon see).

One day, I did a back flip off a cliff into a river. After an eight foot fall, I came down head first and cracked right onto a rock that lay hidden just under the surface. It didn't even faze me. I bled a little and just kept living.

The drugs didn't satisfy me. The girls didn't satisfy me. My friends didn't satisfy me. My family didn't satisfy me. Basically, I lived for number one and I lived to get wasted. But God still remained near. And I knew it. The promise from Scripture never left me. "Raise your child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it." I knew that if God was true, and his promises sure, that His plan would supercede anything I desired, no matter how much I tried to run away. And believe me, I kept running.

My parents moved back to Alaska, in time, and so did my sister. I lived alone for the first time. Actually, I had lived alone for a while in an apartment and wasted about $7000 that I had received as settlement for the auto accident. But this time I felt that I was actually alone. I didn't even have any relatives around. Now, I had to survive.

I moved in with Tom, and finally checked myself into a drug rehabilitation center. While in there, I received a note from a guy named Steve. I knew he had to be one of those Christian annoyances, but for some reason I called him anyway. He informed me that he had a place I could stay if I wanted to get away from the drugs and partying lifestyle. I thought about that, and finally said, "Why not?" I felt the end of my rope creeping nearer. Little did I know that the end of the rope was still afar off.

I moved in with Jim and Mark. New rules abounded. No drugs, no women, attend church, get a job, etc. I had to take care of the basics. I couldn't really find a good job, because I had a terrible job history. I worked temporary jobs all the time. Every year I had at least 10 different employers. Jim and Mark bought my food, payed for my rent, gave me whatever I needed to live, and more. I hit some lady's car and ran off in Jim's car and he got his insurance cancelled. I smoked pot in the basement. I broke all the rules and took advantage of these nice people. And what started as a temporary living arrangement somehow turned into many months. Finally, we moved out of that place into an apartment. I lived there for a while, and then said, "Forget it." I decided to drive up to Alaska in my truck and move in with my parents. I thought a new environment might help me with my problems. I smoked pot the entire way up to Alaska, and used my credit card that Jim had helped me pay off to finance the trip and the drugs. I got up there, and instead of trying to fix myself up, I immediately found the bums in town and maxed out my credit card with cash advances for drugs. One night, some "friends" and I went to the beach and drank a half-gallon of whiskey. On the way to the store, I wrecked the truck and broke the windshield with my forehead (again). I wasn't wearing my seatbelt, of course. My dad and uncle bailed me out (in the middle of the night) and the cop, miraculously, let me go. They aren't easy on drunk drivers in Alaska. My cousin almost got arrested for driving too slow. The cop thought she was drunk. In this particular instance, I was a stark raving lunatic. I couldn't even walk or talk sensibly. I think my dad wanted to knock me out. Anyway, my "friends" stole my tent and other camping gear and left town. I decided to check myself in to a drug rehab program in Portland.

So, in Portland, I checked in and started living a clean life. This place didn't mess around. The commitment was a year, and I lived with a bunch of other guys. I've never had so many rules in my life. I had to memorize scripture. I had to clean, and cook, and go to church, and man, did I get sick of being bossed around. They forced me to give up my girlfriend (the same one still) and I couldn't take that. I quit the program so I could be with her. She wouldn't have anything to do with me. No money, no truck, no job, no rehab . . . . I had nothing. To her, I was a failure. And she had me pegged. She drove me back to the rehab house and dropped me off. She left. They didn't want me back. So I decided to just forget everyone. I lived on the streets for about two months. Hitchhiking around, bumming money, smoking pot, drinking whiskey or tequila or cheap beer, and going to bars defined my lifestyle. In order to get back into the program, I just had to keep attending church at their church. They had to know that I was making a serious commitment to the program and to changing my life. They finally let me back in with the requirements that I not see my girlfriend at all, and that my attitude improve. I lasted about two weeks and got booted out. Nobody wanted me now. Nobody.

I lugged all my stuff to the street corner and tried calling everyone I knew. Jim and Mark were my last resort. Of course, they took me in. Once again, they paid my rent, my credit card, my bills, and everything else. I continued to take advantage of them, being the self-centered person that I had become.

Finally, my long-time girlfriend cheated on me and dumped me and I started drinking and smoking pot in earnest. Every day, all the time. I became super-depressed, and happiness only came when I could get high or drunk. I can't really even describe this part of my life. I had no job, not many friends, no church, and life just went on that way. The drinking and smoking and depression and loneliness and tiredness and emptiness just kept getting heavier and more intense.

Then one day, in the midst of it all, I met this delightful girl. It was Thanksgiving of 1997. I had nowhere to go so I went with Jim to his family get-together. His second cousin once removed or whatever you call it, was Don, and Don was a deacon in our church. So we went to this get-together, and being bored as usual with Christians, I decided to leave. But I had been playing cards with this most delightful girl, Don's stepdaughter. I thought she looked quite appealing, so I called her the next night and asked her to dinner. She said, "NO." Being used to rejection, I had to just shrug it off. Her excuse? She had to return to Corvallis the next day, to continue her education at OSU. For those of you not familiar with that place, well, their mascot is a beaver, if that tells you anything. Anyway, she said she would email me. And surprisingly enough, she did. We became good friends over the email, and soon she decided to come to Portland and attend PSU, where I planned on attending school.

In the midst of all this, I still kept on doing the bad things, while Jim and Mark continued to put up with me. Not only did they put up with me, but Jim encouraged my schooling, and he also funded it! Can you believe this guy? What was supposed to be a few day living arrangement had turned into what seemed like a lifelong commitment and investment (hopefully a good one) in me. Why? Because God wanted it that way. I sure didn't deserve it.

Anyway, one day, while visiting my new love in Corvallis, I noticed some dark bruises on my legs. Weird, dark suckers. They scared me. The doctor checked me out and told me that my liver needed help. He said, "A few more years of this and you'll be dead." Right then and there I quit drinking. A few weeks later, a run-in with the cops scared me into quitting pot. So, at that one point in time, my life turned around. Jim's investment finally started paying dividends. I quit everything cold turkey. The drugs, the drinking, the cigarettes . . . . everything. I started going to school. I got a job that I kept for the next two years. I started school full-time and graduated with honors earning a BA in English at Portland State. I married my sweetheart. Jim married us, and Mark agreed to be my best man. Tom agreed to be a groomsman. God decided to turn something nasty (me) into something nice.

So now, without bragging, I can safely say, beyond any shadow of any doubt, that Jesus Christ worked many miracles in my life. He saved me from death many times when I didn't deserve it. He brought the people I needed into my life at the times I needed them. He healed my bruises. He took away my addictions. He gave me a wonderful wife that I couldn't live without. And let me tell you, two people have never been better matched. He gave me a caring family. He gave me my mother and father, supportive Christian parents, and a supportive Christian sister. He gave me Jim and Mark, two selfless Jesus freaks. He gave me dear Christian parents-in-law. He gave me two genius Christian brothers-in-law. He kept me from going to prison. He funded my schooling. He fed me. He gave me the guitar I've always wanted. He gave me a nice apartment. He gave me a great church. He supplied the finances when I didn't have them. He gave me the power to overcome. It's impossible to run from God when you're one of his. Jonah proved that to us. And I've proved it too. His Word says, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it . . ." My friends, if you've ever even thought about following Jesus, then it's already too late for you to turn back. If He starts a work in you, He will be faithful to complete it. Jesus lives and He heals! Praise be to God!

Muslim to Christian (Abdullah - Saudi Arabia)

Abdullah was a faithful Muslim. He lived just an hour’s drive from Mecca, prayed in the mosque five times a day, practiced all the Muslim beliefs, and, of course, regularly visited Mecca. Like many Muslims, he was taught that Christians had evil spirits and that he must keep away from them.

One night Abdullah dreamed he was in hell, burning in a blazing fire. The next morning, very worried, he prayed to Allah, ‘I have done everything well; why would I go to hell?’ During the following days he grew increasingly troubled. One night he was sleepless because of fear, when at midnight a bright light lit his room and a voice said, ‘I am Jesus. Come to me. I am the way to heaven. Follow me and you shall be saved from hell.’ Abdullah fell on his face crying and said, ‘Please help me find you.’

Within days Abdullah found a Christian Bible and began reading it. He soon committed his life to Jesus. Filled with joy, he started sharing his new-found faith with his family and friends. By his country’s law, however, a Muslim who leaves his faith must be killed. Abdullah’s family turned him over to the authorities. He was jailed and tortured for months.

When Abdullah refused to deny Jesus, he was taken to the Sheria Court, where the most dangerous criminals are tried. The judge said to Abdullah, ‘Deny your new beliefs and you will walk out a free man; if you don’t, you will be beheaded.’

‘I will never deny Jesus,’ Abdullah replied, ‘If you kill me I will go to heaven, but my blood will be on your hands.’ Abdullah was sentenced to be beheaded the following Friday.

He was returned to jail and bound hands and feet. On the day of his execution, however, no one turned up. Next Monday morning the guards removed his chains saying, ‘Run you demon, we do not want to see you again.’ Unable to believe his ears, Abdullah asked for an explanation. The guards said that on the day Abdullah was to be executed the judge’s son had suddenly died. As a result the judge reversed his decision.

Like most Saudis, Abdullah was from a wealthy family and had everything he needed. Not only was he rejected by his family, he had no source of income, and could not get a job because he was considered a betrayer. All of his identification papers were taken from him and he could have been arrested again at any time. And yet despite this pressure Abdullah continued to live for several years in Saudi Arabia, actively telling others about Jesus.