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ChrisJD
Member



Joined: 2006/2/11
Posts: 2895
Philadelphia PA

 Personal testimonies - appointments

These are some personal testimonies that I have in recollection of hearing those given in the message Absolute Surrender by Keith Daniel available here at SI.


This morning in my devotional time I was greatly impressed with thoughts concerning the urgency and importance of the message above. And my mind was led to so many different incidents in my own experience that I wanted to share some with you all.

Though this may seem strange, the first testimony I have concerning this comes from the earliest years of my life, when I was not yet, and would not be for many years, a Christian.

Exactly how old I was I do not recall, perhaps between 6-9 years of age but the memory is nevertheless distinct. I was in my home with my mother and aunt and it was during the warm months, probably summer, in Canton Ohio. Some program was on the TV and whatever it was it scared me and in a fright I went out the door and down the steps to the base of the porch. The next thing I can remember is grasping at bits and pieces of trash and debris that were accumulated there. I grasped at them, urgently trying to gather as many up as I could and I was repeating this phrase which was also my reply to my mother and aunt who came to find out what was wrong: "they're all going to be lost, they're all going to be lost."

Needless to say they couldn't understand why I was so concerned about these bits of trash being lost, and as far as I remember, neither could I really. I only knew how strong the impression of that notion was: they would all be lost.

Now move forward 20+ years to a time not long after my conversion to Christ. My wife and I were leaving the public library one afternoon and on the way out a man was coming toward us in a wheel chair. He dropped something as I was nearing him so I picked it up and handed it to him. He was friendly and as I recall, responded with "God's love to you." As I kept going and headed towards my car I felt a distinct impression to go back and give him a tract. I didn't much use them at this time but couldn't get away from the feeling so I grabbed one out of the glove box and headed back.

By this time he was in the library and when I caught up with him I handed the paper to him and invited him to Church. He was friendly but raised some concerns about how to get there in his wheel chair. I assured him that if he called the number on it, we would make arrangements to get him there. After these few words of discussion we again parted and again he left me with "God's love to you."

I remember sharing this story sometime later before the congregation I attended and making the point to them that I wasn't sure that he had ever known God's love in Jesus Christ. You see, about two weeks later it was on the news that this man was struck and killed by a car as he was crossing the street in front of the library in his wheel chair. And it was in connection with this story that I remembered that incident that happened when I was a child. This was one of the major points in my life when I began to determine with God's help to always keep my "Divine appointments." Maybe I had been faithful in handing him a tract, but could I have done more? Could I have earnestly prayed for him or offered my own phone number? Many thoughts ran through my mind about this and I was sore grieved. Perhaps he was already known by the Lord Jesus or perhaps he was found by him in those short weeks. Only Heaven will reveal. But I knew I didn't want to ever be negligent with souls again.

Just a short time after I was converted to Christ my wife and I were driving home from Church one night and were stopped at a traffic light. The message that night had been on the Good Samaritan, and the emphasis was on the fact that he went so far as to bring him to the inn. How this man had been beaten and left for dead, but the Samaritan went all the way to help him.

So it happened that as we pulled up to the light there was a man standing there in the cold winter night, asking for money. As I instinctively went for change in the change dish to give him I looked over and saw a man that had one arm in a cast and had been beaten in his head and face. Thinking back he was much like the man in the story. He asked pleadingly 'can you help me please?' Later I felt sure that my next response was not me, but of God because I said 'get in.' He was very timid and questioned it, looking into the car to see if it was safe. Somehow I convinced him to get in and we drove off.

The man we picked up was a 50 year old homeless man and drug addict who according to him had just been robbed and beaten. It was during the winter in Maryland which isn't too harsh but hard enough to sleep outside in I'm sure. We took him home and had coffee and talked some and he ended up staying the night. Over the next couple weeks he stayed with us a few more times and I would sometimes have to go and pick him up somewhere when I got off work at night. During this time we got to talk quite a bit although he would often fall asleep because of coming off the drugs(he was taking methadone). He even prayed to receive Christ once, more on that in a moment. The last time he stayed with us, when he got up in the morning he told me he needed to go to the hospital and to call the ambulance. I was suspicious of this and was going to call my wife to see what she thought but before I could do that and without telling him of my intention he told me not to call her and that he really needed to go to the hospital. Within a week or so he had passed on. We got to visit him once before he went into a comma and he was very kind and wanted us to know that for the first time in his life he felt he was ready to die. After this when he was in the comma we got to visit with him to say our good-bye and pray over him. We both know, because he had told us, that for the first time in his life he had felt the love of God. I suppose it was through two people who had just newly experienced it for themselves. And we took consolation in that.

Continued...


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Christopher Joel Dandrow

 2006/3/1 23:13Profile
ChrisJD
Member



Joined: 2006/2/11
Posts: 2895
Philadelphia PA

 Re: Personal testimonies - appointments

Those are two of the nearest to my heart but there are others.

Once while still very new to Christ I felt impressed to go outside and share Christ with someone I would meet. I got up and went out quickly and found myself trying to be led of God to someone I was supposed to meet. I went out to the main street and felt impressed to cross over to the shopping center on the other side. Once there I felt to head in the direction of the wall-mart, and finally as I walked towards the parking lot, there on the edge of the parking lot was a solitary figure. As I approached him, I found a man who had been standing there, as far as I know just wasting time, who was also homeless. It was an odd place to be standing for sure. We had much discussion and I shared with him how much I felt God loved him in Christ.

Another time, very near to my conversion to Christ I was at work and had the distinct impression that something was wrong with one of my cowokers. I gently questioned him about it but didn't get much response. I think it was the next day he attempted suicide. I was able to visit him in the hospital and pray with him. He had some sort of mental deficiency to begin with and his life was very troubled. He was even robbed once, maybe twice waiting for the bus to go home. After praying for him and this situation his sister came to work there which enabled him to get a ride home everyday which was a great relief to him. I thank God for that and I think things improved greatly for him.

Another time at work a different employee came in and was standing at the counter where I was. I again had the distinct impression that something was wrong(he had been drinking), and this time I believe I had what could be described as a word of knowledge. Without any prior knowledge from him I said 'you're tired of living at home aren't you?' He nodded in agreement. I do not recall having any such knowledge about him but whatever the case I asked him if he would come to Church with me and he said he would. The next day, Sunday, I showed up at the job to pick him up as that's where we were going to meet. Unfortunately he never showed. He eventually left working there and died sometime later. I believe it was related to alcohol though I am not certain.

Another one of my coworkers who I had been sharing the Gospel with told me one day how she had started going to Church and that when she was there all she could do was cry. Within a year of that she had been killed in a car accident.

One time while leaving the grocery store I noticed these two young people sitting on one of the islands in the parking lot. One of them, a young man, happened to be Jewish. Again I felt that distinct impression that I must speak to them. I was able to share how the promise of Abraham had been fulfilled in Yashua the Messiah. Perhaps a few weeks later I saw his picture posted around the neighborhood. It said he was now a missing person and his family was looking for him.


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Christopher Joel Dandrow

 2006/3/1 23:14Profile
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re:

Thanks Brother, I have no words, just thank you for this.

Here is the message Chris mentioned;

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=1833]Absolute Surrender[/url] [i]By Keith Daniel[/i]


_________________
Mike Balog

 2006/3/1 23:35Profile
ChrisJD
Member



Joined: 2006/2/11
Posts: 2895
Philadelphia PA

 Re: such a blessing

Hi crsschk, actually thankyou for reading and in that, sharing them with me, it is a great blessing to me and part of our fellowship in the Gospel.

Chris



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Christopher Joel Dandrow

 2006/3/2 16:57Profile
Tears_of_joy
Member



Joined: 2003/10/30
Posts: 1554


 Re:

Hi Chris,

Thank you for sharing your testemonies.

Here is one mine:
Once I was planning to visit my grandfather and grandmother who live in village 10 km from my town. We usually travel with van taxi, but that day was too late for such taxi, but still I decided to go. I said 'may the Lord leads me'. I was thinking its too late to take tracts, but the Holy Spirit inspired me to took with me a bunch of tracts, many of them were Gospel of John. I left my home to look for taxi and there was no taxi to the village of my grandfather, but to the one near which is on the way. I decided to get in. I arrived at that village and continued to walk waiting something else for transport.
As I walked few minutes, other van was passing through and stopped for me, I got in. All in the van were muslims and they were talking on their language (turkish, we have minority of them here). The oldest of them was explaining something to other younger one , who was asking questions. I discovered that the talk was religious because he was mentioning Abraham. I ask them may I know what they are talking about. And they all started to talk on my lanugage explaining me what they are discussing, it was about the root of muslims and Abraham and Isac. I started to telling them what the bible says about that and all were listening carefully. As the trip was very short, at the end some of them said 'I want to read the Bible and to know what the Bible says' Immediately I told them that I have some tracts with me and some parts of the bible, and offered to them. All who were in the van were 'hungry' to get one, I gave out all what I have, even some of them were hungry for more, one of them said 'he gave to him two , I want two tracts also'.
I haven't seen them since then, I think even if I see someone I will not recognize them because was night and it was just 5 min. trip.

God bless you,
Kire

 2006/3/3 9:23Profile
ChrisJD
Member



Joined: 2006/2/11
Posts: 2895
Philadelphia PA

 Re: obedinece without understanding

Hi Kire, what a privledge it is to be able to share with other believers from around the world! I confess I do not know much about your country. Thanks be to God for the opportunity He gave you to share His name.

Quote:
I was thinking its too late to take tracts, but the Holy Spirit inspired me to took with me a bunch of tracts, many of them were Gospel of John.



This is so important isn't it, that we obey these promptings, even if we don't understand it and cant see why we should do it at the time? And look what happened, your obedience was a great victory for Jesus as His Truth was put in their hands.

This issue of obeying even when we don't understand is something I have slowly been learning. It has reminded me of another experience I had that I would like to share with everyone. Hopefully we can encourage each other and provoke one another to go on further with the Lord every day.

Anyway, probably about 2 years ago our congregation was doing an extended Daniel fast together, and my wife and I were also fasting. This turned out to be a time of great spiritual victory and progress for us I believe. So anyway, about half way through the fast, I decided to go out briefly to share the Gospel and stopped by a bustop that had been a sort of 'fishing hole' for me.

The bus stop was empty when I got there and as I stood around I noticed that two of the planks from the bench which made part of the seat were broken? off and laying on the ground. Now I don't know exactly how long I was there but I remember getting the impression that I should take the planks and make them into the form of a cross! I can remember sort of debating this and thinking it was silly perhaps but nevertheless I felt I should do it.

So I did.

After some time a young man comes to the bus stop and sits down on the bench. Sometimes you can look a person over for things that might help you start a conversation(a slogan on a T-shirt for instance). In this case he had a book and the title of it was... get this.. 'The Fall'.

So, I struck up a conversation with him about the book and soon learned that the subject was something that must have had some parallel with the actuall Fall of man, although I think the book itself was fiction. I explained to him that the book he was reading actually had an interesting correspondence with reality and the issues of life and death and so on. After I told him about the actuall fall of man and sin he asked something along the lines of 'so what is the solution to it?'

Now you have to picture this becuase I don't think it could have been actually scripted any better if it were an actuall movie. While we were talking he had gotten up and without knowing it had actually positioned himself DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE MAKESHIFT CROSS.

So get this, when he asked in affect 'what is the solution to the issue of man's sin and death' my reply to him was to point right behind him! It was the CROSS!

You should have seen the startled look on his face. He turned around and looked back then said 'who put that there!'

Heh, it may have been my hands but how could I have known that would happen! God is awesome.

I don't know what happened with him and he got on the bus soon after that, but this I do know, he had the Gospel presented to him in a most unsual, and I believe, a most compelling way.

God's love to you all brothers and sisters. God's love be with us all in Jesus mighty name!


_________________
Christopher Joel Dandrow

 2006/3/3 18:45Profile









 Re: Personal testimonies - appointments

I've got a testimony today.

Normally when I read this itty bitty print in long posts, my eyes dry out and that's just a bit painful.

Well, I read this whole thread and my eyes totally relaxed and I'm so thankful the Lord made this 'appointment' for me to get refreshed.

These leadings of the Spirit are the normal Christian life - available to all - if we just lean in dependence on Him - ask - wait and listen up close for Him.

Chris and Kire, thank you for blessing me today.

They say the Book of Acts never had an ending ... because we're still basically living it out.

I trust the Lord will bless others with Faith through both your testimonies. [u]Praise God ![/u]

 2006/3/4 5:17
ChrisJD
Member



Joined: 2006/2/11
Posts: 2895
Philadelphia PA

 Re: Absolute Surrender ~ Keith Daniel

Dear brothers and sisters, please allow me to bring to your attention again this message by brother Keith Daniel, called Absolute Surrender.


[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=1833&commentView=itemComments]Absolute Surrender[/url]



Chris


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Christopher Joel Dandrow

 2007/3/25 19:56Profile





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