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First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, Springfield, OR
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Sister Lynda M. Sister Lynda Morris October 2001 My testimony of salvation, baptism and church membership "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" I Peter 3:15 I was raised in a New Age home. My parents didn’t keep my sister and me from attending church, though- sometimes we’d go with our Lutheran neighbors, sometimes with our Catholic neighbors, and we housed Mormon missionaries in our basement during the summers. At age 28, my husband and I had a baby. I realized I wanted to find out the truth and teach it to our son instead of dooming him to "muck around" for meaning in life like I had done so far (Eph 4:14), and repeat all the blunders I had made in life. And so began 5 years of searching. I found a Bible-teaching church in Eugene, where I was "baptized" and taught for a few years. Scott wasn’t much interested in attending there, so I eventually moved us to a Campbellite church here in Springfield (II Tim 3:7), where I also taught Sunday school. Scott still wasn’t interested in religion even though it was much closer to home. I was having weekly Bible studies with Sister Helen and I followed her to the Lord’s New Testament Church here in Springfield. The first service I came to had me hooked- Brother Crabtree was preaching about demanding obedience from your children. This was something I had felt strongly about for years but was getting no support from Scott or my girlfriends. I wanted to join this church even though Scott was opposed. I brought the kids with me as I attended every function the Church offered and so heard God’s Word on a regular basis. Several events in the past three years of my life, I thought, could be called salvation. So I chose one and presented myself for church membership, thinking that re-baptism was a "hoop" I’d have to jump through. The Church voted to accept my profession of salvation, baptize me, and add me as a member. That evening, during the message leading up to my baptism, I was in torments. I couldn’t figure out why, but maybe I felt so awful because I wasn’t even sure that the date I had given had been the real time of my salvation. I stood before the Church and said so, but that I was sure I was saved. The Church voted to baptize me anyway. Even after the baptism, the torment continued. Though headaches don’t usually plague me, I had a roaring one even after I got home and I couldn’t get to sleep that night. It wasn’t helping that Scott was practically not speaking to me because of my decision to go ahead and join this church even though he didn’t like it. I realized I was accountable to this Church body and I was committed to coming to services three times a week-- and that without my husband. It felt like a ball and chain. How was I going to get out of this graciously? Doubt and uncertainty were tormenting me. The headache was pounding. I was turning around and around in my mind what could be the solution to this nameless torment? Around 2 a.m, I had reached the end of my reasoning powers and felt completely helpless to feel better. I didn’t understand what the truth was, where it was, but I was sure I wanted to have it. Suddenly, I realized that this was something I could pray about. So I prayed to the One I knew had the answers- I asked Jesus to help me sort it all out, show me what’s right, and rebuke the devil. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen, but I was caught by surprise as total certainty flooded my mind and heart. Every shred of doubt and torment fled instantly. Everything was right and perfect. I was filled with certainty, peace, and purpose. I grinned in the darkness as the headache faded away. I got out of bed and spent the next two hours recording all this in my journal and writing a letter about it to Brother Crabtree, who was leaving to take Sister Bertha and Brother Bert to Indiana early the next morning. The next month, when I asked him if he’d received the letter, he said that yes he’d gotten it and that it had ‘made’ his whole trip. I didn’t really understand at the time how something I considered fairly insignificant could have had such an impact on him. Over the next few months, I realized that I’d been "born again" that night (John 3:3) and that it wasn’t an insignificant event at all. It took me several months to come to terms with the fact that scriptural baptism must follow salvation (Acts 2:41-42), even if the baptism had been just a few hours before the salvation. By this time, Scott had been born again, baptized, and added to the Lord’s New Testament Church, and it was now with his full support that I presented myself to the Church for scriptural baptism. This was during the Spring of 2001. The Church voted to baptize me and I was then added to one of the Lord’s New Testament Churches (Acts 2:47). Church is no longer a "ball and chain," but an honor and a joy, since I’m not only committed to the church members but mostly to the Lord and meeting with Him there. A Sister urged me to be studying earnestly and now that I had the Holy Spirit as Comforter and Guide, I would have my understanding of the Scriptures flourish. She was right. Though I had studied the Bible a lot before, the doors of my understanding were flying open as I was continually digging through the Bible for answers to my questions. It’s wonderful to no longer be blown about by every wind of doctrine that comes my way but to be anchored in Jesus, the Rock. I can comprehend my sin and my purpose in this life now, and by His grace I will never stop learning. Now I’m the one who leads Bible studies with different ladies who are interested in one-on-one learning about Jesus through His book. Five years after writing the above testimony, I can say that I am still learning! |
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