I would like to thank God for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who saved me from all my sins.
It was December of 1995 when Jesus Christ walked my way. At the time, I worked at the airport doing various jobs, but mainly snow removal. Most employees were sort of cliquish, but there was this young man who would move from table to table in the lunchroom, and that got my attention. His name was Rick, and I noticed a light about this man. I wondered why he went from table to table until one day Rick sat next to me. I purposely said something offensive, and he got up and walked away. I said to myself, "I'm going to find out what Rick is all about."As time when by, I moved to the afternoon shift while Rick stayed on days. One snowy morning, I was called in early; I was now on Rick's shift. I saw the vehicle he was driving and took this as my opportunity. I had an objective as I pulled up and stopped my vehicle next to his. There in a private, restricted area, Rick was getting nervous, thinking I was spying on him in order to get him fired. I used various tactics to try to get him to leave his truck to no avail, so I offered him an orange, and he said yes and invited me into his truck. As I was going around to enter, a voice said to me, "This is your last chance Michael, your last chance."
Inside Rick's truck I noticed a Bible on the radio, and I said that I read the Bible, but I really didn't understand it. I began asking questions, and I liked what he was saying. Jesus Christ met me there. During the following weeks, I would come to work hours early just to meet with Rick. He invited me to a Friday night Bible class at his church on February 2, 1996. It was that night, after talking with a minister and Rick about my soul, I surrendered my heart to Jesus Christ. Ecclesiastes 7:13 says, Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? At age 15, I began to smoke cigarettes, and that opened the door to smoking marijuana, taking pills, uppers, downers, speed, acid, smoking hash, opium, drinking, and finally, my drug — cocaine. My cocaine addiction led me to burn the cartilage in my left nostril. I tried to quit smoking cigarettes once. I couldn't even make it through one day. I never even tried to quit drugs because I loved them too much. My cocaine habit led to late payments with my mortgage and eventually giving up my home. Once, on a 3-day cocaine binge, all I ate was a small bag of rice and gravy. I was killing myself — slowly committing suicide.
In John 8:21 Jesus said, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Had I died in that condition, I would have gone to Hell. On January 30, 1996, I bought an 8-ball of cocaine not knowing that it was the last time I would ever buy or use cocaine again. Three days later, after repenting of my sins and asking Jesus to help me with my addictions I became a new man. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). When I rose from my knees, I was cured! I never once had a nicotine fit; never had the shakes from drinking; never had withdrawal from the drugs. Jesus literally saved me! Praise God!!! Hospitals have programs to try to free people from drugs, drinking and smoking called a 12-Step Program. They substitute one drug for another. I thank God, I took one step to Jesus, and I have been clean ever since.
Six weeks after I got saved, I came down with a fever. I took my temperature; it was 103.7. I went to my doctor who knew that I smoked, but not about my drug habits. I gave the doctor my testimony of salvation and deliverance from substance abuse. He took his stethoscope and began to examine my lungs. He put the stethoscope on my chest eight times, then on my back, listening to my breathing. He then threw down his instrument and said, "It's a miracle; it's like you never smoked!" Doctors say it takes at least a year before your lungs are healed and cleansed from smoking, but God did it for me in 6 weeks!.
I believe God gave me that fever so I would go to the doctor, and see what He had done for me. While at the doctor's office, we never talked about my fever, but when I got home, I took my temperature again, and it was normal — 98.6! The Bible says in Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God. What God did for me, He can do for you. I challenge you to give Jesus a chance to change your life. If you are bound my sin, let Jesus set you free. If you truly mean it in your heart, He will come and help you. I'm so glad Jesus walked my way that day, and made what was crooked - straight.
Comments (1)
What a mighty God we serve!