[edit-alter: 'comment and share if you like']

In the words of Don Francisco, 'I gotta tell somebody, what Jesus did for me...'

It is June 2005. The sun is filtering through the winter freeze, and some council labourers are outside putting in light poles. At last.

Thirty years ago, I was piled onto a Bedford truck headed for Saldhana Bay, to do my basic training in the South African Navy.

I had been expelled from school. My social life had intruded in on my school education and I had been duly expelled. So it was that I was sent to the Navy to learn discipline.

It was the opposite. Drugs, promiscious sex were many of my numerous vices. I was truly lost. Eastern religions were the fad and I was living in darkness. Empty and angry with the world, searching for some way to unify the war and hatred and racialism that was so in my face as naieve child of 17.

I finished my basic training and was returned a military killing machine, to Simonstown to do a Communications Course. Once again drugs and a promiscious lifestyle, plus all the numerous vices like heavy drinking, killed that future.

I ended up being sent to an outpost at Youngsfield Airforce base. I got a 30 confined to barracks for being absent without leave one weekend. Drunken driving on stolen petrol, stoned out of my little mind. I was a hopless sinner.

They could not handle me there and sent me to S.A.N. Barracks in Simonstown. I walked up the hill in my lee jeans, topless and barefoot, with a golden cross earing in my ear. I was a weed smoking, foul mouthed, whoremonger.

It did not take long for my bohemian hippie lifestyle to collide full ball with the Navy system of laws.

My boss at the Training Aid Production Centre, was a Lt. Cdr. and he was a bible teacher at the Assemblies of God in mid city. He was burdened for this teenager who was being torn to pieces by satan. So he approached the youth prayer group, made up mostly of hippies that had come to Jesus in a huge revival that was sweeping across our country amongst the young people. So they began to pray to Jesus for my soul.

In the meantime I had been arrested by the Military Police and I was 'off caps' duly charged and locked up in the Naval Prison.

Isolated from my drug addict friends at my flat in Muizenberg, I was naked and alone, I was forced to face the emptiness of my life. I tried to meditate myself into a peaceful place, I imagine I was with my friends.

I had a self styled religion, made up of bits of Buddhism and bits of Occultism. I believed that I could achieve Nirvana by freeing myself from this world, which I believed was an huge shell. I could not break the shell, so I decided simply and logically that if I could remove the shell of my existence I would be free to fly to what I call the Phoenix, the Phoenix was my God.

A few days after I had been locked up in the cold cement cell, with a cement table and copper bowl for one's ablutions, I recieved a visitor.

A little background here. Thoughout my life I had known that Jesus was appealing to me to accept him. I knew that the Holy Spirit was after me. Having gone to numerous Christian Events, invited by friends I had heard the message but resisted. I had tried a few times in my early teens to accept Jesus, but only to change my mind the next day. I could not give my whole heart, just little pieces and then when I woke up it all blew away like dust, like morning dew, I was still running my life my way.

So as I sat telling my boss in the visitors room about what I believed and what I had planned to do. I had planned that I would end my physical life, I did not view this a suicide, but a most logical step to take in order to achieve total fulfilment. I was really serious. I told him I had planned to buy a gun when I was released and end my physical life, so I could fly free to Abraxas...yes, that is the name I gave to the firebird that I imagined was Phoenix. Wierd.

Well, he said nothing.

Then suddenly in the middle of all this, I realized that it was time for me to choose. This had happened about 10 or so times up to that date. But somehow in my heart of hearts, I knew this was the day, for me to make up my mind.

I told my boss, 'I need to do something' One had to be respectful to senior officers. Right there and then in that cold cement waiting room, I dropped to my knees on the cement floor and raised my hands an asked Jesus to come into my heart. I had surrendered fully at last. I stood up quickly and said, 'Thankyou' to my boss.

I sat down as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, I had a peace knowing that finally I had made that step. I had obeyed the voice of Jesus to my heart to surrender ALL to Him.

My boss brought me a Living Bible and a book called Prison to Praise. As I read the book I realized that I needed to pray for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. With the same simple child like faith, I prayed for this, and continued breathing.

I was released a little while after that, and as I lit up my Dumont cigarette and looked back at the cell, I realized that in there was a dead man, and I was living a new life with Jesus.

The following weeked I was invited to a retreat above Llundudno. The place was called Apostle's Battery. The first day I went to pray in the pine forest above the bay, as I prayed in my own childlike way with clasped hands, I experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the early disciples had.

Life would have probably ended for me in 1976, and in a sense it did, for now I understand that when Jesus died on the cross, ... it was a life for a life. He took my messed up sinful and hopeless life, and gave me His precious and wonderful life.

The changes in my life I credit to the presense of God in my innermost being. He is the light of my life and though I have been through all the same things that everyone goes through, there is a mighty power in me, that has brought me through the trials. I am not a robot now, God will not violate my free will, if I do not obey Him, I will still pay for the consequences of sinning. But the best part about my life is that if I do fall, I can turn to my Lord and ask for forgiveness and He washes me clean in His blood. Just like the Bible says.

I have told this testimony to many and each time I do, I pray that you will surrender your heart, and let Jesus be Lord of you whole life.

Bless God, Praise God.

In Jesus,
Aeryck.
:-P

[edit-alter: 'comment and share if you like']

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Eric John Sawyer

This is a forum, a market place where people comment on things.

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Ron Bailey

Is your comment tacky, or does it just seem that way?

Lahry

Thanks for the testimony Aercyk and just to clarify brother we can't put stipulations in this way here. It can and has led into all kinds of problems in the past. I know that was not your intent and appreciate your encouragement for others to share their own here, which by the way is contained within this section:

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=44&878]Miracles that follow the plow[/url]
[i]Post Prayer Requests, Testimonies & Answers to prayer in your life. Use this as a place to share what God is putting on your heart and doing daily.[/i]

Many similarities in your testimony brother, hard not to comment on what the Lord can and has done to the likes of men such as ourselves.

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Mike Balog

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Robert Wurtz II

could it be that our brother would rather that whatever comments we have are inspired by the Holy Spirit rather than our heads? So we should not comment but the Holy Spirit through us?

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Farai Bamu

Hear Ye, Hear Ye !

I have made the neccesary edit-alt: comment and share as you like.

Sorry, dudes and dudettes alike, I went to get me some new 'soles' for me old shoes, and a nice pair of new leather one's, so I missed all these developments.

In all sincerity I appreciate your kindly words, and those that were a little on the caustic side too, they tickled me pink.

If you wish to testify, on my thread, by all means let it all hang out, if you wish to comment or ask or whatever, feel free to speak your heart.

Let everything that hath breath, Praise the Lord.

Praise ye the Lord.

In Jesus,
.A.
:-P

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Eric John Sawyer

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Robert Wurtz II

Hi Eric,

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Robert Wurtz II

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Ron Bailey