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First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, Springfield, OR
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Sister Tanda L. Re-Born: March 5, 1984 Baptized: April 23, 1984 Re-instated: September 9, 2001 Luke 21: (Jesus Speaking) 13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. Psalms 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. I grew up in a family that was torn between the world of the flesh and the world of the Lord. My mother did not go to church services unless it was a holiday. My grandparents, on the other hand, went all the time. They would come and get my brother and I and take us to Sunday School or to the youth group meetings. I grew up with the knowledge of the lord and of his saving grace, but sill had a heavy dose of humanism through out my life. I was nine years old and the Holy Spirit was convicting me. By March 1984 I was feeling sick and scared. I was at my grandparents house and did not want to go to school. My grandmother took me to see Bro. Crabtree. We talked, prayed, talked, and prayed some more. I finally gave up and humbled myself before the Lord. I asked Jesus to forgive me for not believing in his sacrifice and for him to come into my heart. I was on cloud “nine”. Everything was new. I had a peace that was never there before. I wanted to tell the whole world about it. A month later (in April) I presented my self to the church as a candidate for baptism and church membership. At nine years old I don’t think I fully understood the responsibilities and the type of service the Lord wanted from me. Within a few years I started following in my mother’s influences and became excluded. At 12-13 years old it wasn’t a big deal to me. I got into smoking, drugs, alcohol, and sex. Soon after that I got into crowds that only wanted me for my body and I only wanted their drugs. I did stupid things like dye my hair crazy colors and get holes pierced into my body for fun. At 18, I got pregnant with my daughter. I continued to be out in the world, even though I knew I wanted a better life for her. I wanted to give her everything. We rarely went to church. Finally at eight years old, grandma and grandpa invited her to VBS. She liked it a lot. They asked if she could go to camp. When she came home from camp she was so happy. She couldn’t stop talking about all the fun she had and all the things she did. She then left to go to another camp the next week. During that week, I was alone. I realized that as much as I wanted to give her everything, there was one thing that I could not give her. That was her eternity. I could not give her that inner peace that I was given by God. I knew what I needed to do, but I was still in that world and did not want to give it all up. We were invited to the Youth camp out Labor Day weekend. I saw how happy everyone was and it brought back memories of my own childhood. One night my daughter got scared about the rapture that is going to take place. I froze. I was so backsliden that I couldn’t help her. I knew all the things to say, but they would not come out. We got up and went to Bro. Dale Shrum to talk. After we went back to bed, I fully understood what I needed to do. Psalms 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. On September 9, 2001 I asked the Lord for forgiveness and asked the church to be re-instated into it’s membership. Two days later the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were blown up. It cemented my resolve to turn my life to the Lord because our time here is short. I have wasted nearly 13 years of service to the Lord because I thought the temptations of the flesh were more important than the Lord. Now I am able to help others deal with similar situations in their lives. He has blessed me with the opportunity to reach out to the world through the web and with his continued support, I can be a better servant for him. Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. |
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