Faith

Faith, what is it and what affect does it have on our lives? Even if you are agnostic or atheist it takes a certain amount of faith just to believe there is no God. It takes faith to get in your car and make the trek to the J.O.B. You get in, crank up and you have faith that it will get you from point A to point B. If, by chance, it doesn't, you then take it to a mechanic you have faith in and hopes he can successfully repair the mechanical problem.

Religion

Did you know that the word religion cannot be found in the Old Testament? And there's only one verse in the New Testament where it can be found.

James 1:27 - Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Needless to say, there is very little pure religion in the world today. To find pure religion one must search the scriptures with much fasting and prayer and with a sincere heart. For those that seek will surely find and those that knock the door shall be opened. But with so many religions to be found in today's world how does a person know when they have found truth and pure religion? There's only one way my friend.....you must search the scriptures and find out for yourself. If you blindly accept the word of another then you will share in their fate. The road to damnation is filled with good intentions.

Trinity

Strangely enough this word is not found in scripture. Most man-made and conjured words are not. The Bible plainly teaches that the Lord our God is One Lord.

Zechariah 14:9 - And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Ephesians 4:5 & 6 - One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

So where did this fallacy (trinity) originate? I'll tell you, man's false interpretation of the scripture. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus is NOT Jehovah Junior. If what the trinitarians believe is true, God is a coward. If the world needed a savior why would the creator send his son to die for the redemption of his creation while he sit comfortably on his heavenly throne? I've got news for you my friend, he did not. He robed himself in flesh and came down to Earth in the form of a man. Jesus was the Father in Creation, the Son in Redemption and IS the Holy Ghost in the Church. And these three are one. Three offices and one deity. An egg has three parts, the shell, the white and the yoke. Yet, they are not three eggs.

Baptism

I challenge anyone to find anywhere in scripture where anyone was ever baptized in any way other than in the name of Jesus Christ as is evident throughout the book of Acts. And I'm not talking just once of twice here. Several times throughout the book of Acts people are baptized in the NAME of Jesus Christ. Don't you find it strange that the same ministers that preach to do everything in the name of Jesus Christ don't even use the name when they baptize. Try cashing a check without a signature at your bank and see how far you'll get. Baptism without the Name of Jesus Christ is not scriptural.

In fact, I have a $500 check waiting on anyone that can. Look on friend, it ain't there. So why do most churches baptize in the titles, father, son and holy ghost? It's all part of a great deception that is being played out by satan and his false church. Satan is the great deceiver. That is how he works. He perverts the scripture. There's a reason he is called the god of this world.

Acts 2:38 - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 28:19 & 20 - Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Notice that Peter in Acts 2:38 was obeying Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19 and 20 when he said on the day of Pentecost to be Baptized in the NAME of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Also note that throughout the book of Acts all baptisms that were performed were performed in the NAME of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus commanded his Disciples go forth and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19 commanded to be baptized in a name and that name is Jesus Christ. If you were baptized in any other way other than the name of Jesus Christ I'm afraid all you got was wet. The Blood is applied in baptism by using the name of Jesus Christ.

In all comes down to understanding who Jesus is. Jesus IS God. The name of the Father IS Jesus, the name of the Son IS Jesus and the name of the Holy Ghost IS Jesus. If you are honest and truly believe the Bible is the inspired and true word of God then you will accept this as fact. If you are more interested in tradition than truth then I'm sure you will have a problem with my stand. But, truth is truth and nothing you or I say will change that.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Satan has disguised himself as an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11: 14 & 15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light, Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Take a look on that one-eyed devil of yours (TV). They're everywhere. Calling themselves Christians and begging for your money. You know the drill, send me your cash and god will bless you with a BMW. Man, these charlatans make me want to hurl! If you're looking for truth don't expect to find it on TV. God is not about Hollywood and show. God is about meekness and love and charity.

Testimony

I was raised in a Methodist church going family. Born on November 6th, 1955 into a middle class family in Covington, GA. A historic southern city about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta. At the age of 11 I picked up guitar and pretty much taught myself to play. With a little guidance from a friend who showed me a few chords I learned that I had an ear for picking up tunes that I would hear on the radio and on records and tapes. There was an instant attraction to the guitar. The way it was shaped, the feel of the vibration as I played and it was a way to meet other people and make friends. It was, to say the least, an addiction. I had been blessed with a great talent and little did I realize where the journey would take me.

At 16 I played my first club gig. It was a black supper club in what would be called, back then, the bottoms. A low rent district of the black community where few whites were welcome. The bass player and I were the only white people in the joint. But we didn't care, the black community treated us with respect and we made great friends. I also learned a great sense of rhythm from that experience. I continued to play in several bands in my teens and in to my twenties. As with most rock musicians of that period I experimented with all the vices, drugs, women, etc. I guess you could say I lived the life.

But even then in the late hours and early hours after a night of partying my mind would often wonder to the things of God. Why wasn't I happy? I had a great life. Lots of friends, all the drugs I could ever want, women to satisfy my sexual appetite. I just could not escape this inner feeling of helplessness. Why did these feelings keep haunting me? It was almost like I could hear God saying "Okay, you can have your fun but, without me you'll never truly be happy". I could not escape this yearning for God. There was a battle going on in my mind, an emptiness that I could not seem to fill. Then after 11 years of living a life of excess I could no longer resist God's calling on my life. I started to slowly give in to his voice and asked him to help me. I knew I could not do it on my own. I was too deep into the lifestyle.

Within weeks after praying a short but very sincere prayer things started to happen that at the time seemed catastrophic. The band fell apart, my live-in girl friend left me. So, as a result I moved back to Covington and started trying to clean my life up and to try and make some sense out of life. Why was I here? What purpose could God have with my life? Why was God constantly dealing with my heart? These were all questions that I needed answers to. So I turned to reading the Bible and sought the council of those that I had learned to respect in my youth. Those that had not chosen a life of partying but a life of Godly living.

Search for Truth

After my initial decision to turn my life around and finally give in to the call of God I felt on my life I quickly learned that there were many types of religion. It seemed there were endless choices and frankly I didn't know which way was up (no pun intended). Everyone seemed to have THE answer. I visited many different churches and faiths. Listened to all types of radio and watched all the TV programs. One would tell me I needed to do this and one would tell me to do that. I soon became confused by all the choices and decided to just pray for the answer. God seemed to attract my attention to the book of Acts. There I read about the baptism with fire (whatever that was) and other spiritual experiences.

I really didn't know what I was searching for, only that I wanted all God had for me and was determined not to stop searching until I was certain I had found what it was my soul was searching for. After about 3 or 4 months of reading the scriptures and praying for guidance I had a very unusual experience one evening. I had a date that evening with a girl that I had lived with a few months earlier. She was still into the partying scene and I had mixed emotions about seeing her. For several months it had been a real emotional roller coaster ride and I was afraid of where my emotions might take me that night. Anyway, as I was taking a shower I began to pray for strength and guidance.

Suddenly I felt this presence. It was overwhelming! All I could say was, "God, I'm so sorry. Over and over as I repeated it the feeling became more and more intense. So intense that it brought me to my knees. I didn't know it then but I later realized that what I was experiencing was God's love and forgiveness. It was like I could feel God wrap his arms around me and comforting me. Telling me and reassuring me that he had heard my prayers and he would guide and help me make the right decisions. As the evening progressed I quickly realized that I would need the strength of God's love that I felt earlier to help me through that night. That night became a turning point in my life. There were things that were about to happen that would soon impact my life in a big way.

Man, This Is Weird!

It was hot muggy July morning in Georgia in 1984. As usual I made the trek to a little strip mall in downtown Covington which is about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta. I had decided to take a look around one of the music stores for some good Christian music. Being the rocker that I was all those years I was interested to see what type of contemporary Christian music I could find. As I got right in front of the store an old friend who used to come and party with our band stepped out of the store and we greeted each other. As we spoke I mentioned that I was no longer playing with the rock band and that I had been attending church. I was surprised to find that he had started going to church also.

As the conversation turned to God I mentioned that I had been praying for the baptism of the spirit that I had read about in Acts. I'll never forget how his expression changed and how he became excited to hear that I was searching for this experience. I mentioned that I couldn't seem to find anyone that could tell me how to receive it. He suggested I come to church with him the next day and was more than thrilled to agree. Especially since he seemed to know exactly what I was searching for. Later that day he stopped by my house and brought me some literature to read. As I read the literature I became really interested in what the next day would bring.

Was it possible that this experience I had been praying and searching for could finally be about to happen? I could hardly sleep that night and when Sunday came I was up and ready to go. Full of anticipation of what the day would bring my friend and I arrived at a small United Pentecostal Church in Porterdale, GA., a small cotton mill village in the mid-sixties. As we entered and took our seat I looked around and saw a few faces I recognized. Several members came up to me to greet me and I could feel their warmth and friendliness. Something was more different about this place but at the time I just couldn't put my finger on it.

As the service progressed on this Sunday morning in July 1984 I noticed several open expressions of faith that had not been prevalent in the several churches I had previously visited. I also noticed that most of the women did not wear makeup and most had really long hair. I found this rather odd. After the service I went up to talk to young man who I found out later was the youth leader. I told him I was seeking the baptism of the spirit. He smiled widely and ask me to come into the pastors office. There I met Pastor J. T. Payne. They sat me down and I told them of the experience I had a few weeks prior while taking a shower. They told me that what I felt was the Holy Ghost. I told them how I had been searching for truth and for the baptism of the spirit.

They took me to the book of Acts second chapter and the 38th verse where Peter on the Day of Pentecost stood up and preached after the Holy Ghost fell. Saying to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin. They told me that I needed to be baptized. They asked if I would like to be baptized that evening. I told them I would rather do it right now. So that morning I went down in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sin. I can't tell you how I felt afterward. It was just amazing how clean and free I felt afterward. I knew something special had happened that day and even though I thought the people were a little strange I really liked how they made me feel. There was a very unique glow about these people that really appealed to me.

A New Beginning

In the days and weeks that followed I was there at every service. I looked forward with anticipation to the Wednesday and Sunday services. I was hungry for all that God had for me and I was willing to do whatever it took obtain it. After all I had lived like the devil for almost 30 years and I was ready for a change. Here I was flat broke and pretty much a wreck emotionally. But the strange thing was I had an inner peace that I had never experienced before. At last my life seemed to have purpose. I couldn't explain my feelings, I just new that the joy I was feeling made all my past and present troubles seem so unimportant. In the days and weeks to come I would pray diligently for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Then one day while driving home from work on Interstate 20 I was rejoicing and praising God for my newfound life and all of a sudden I felt God's presence in a mighty way fill the car.

I felt all tingly and light and then all of a sudden this language started coming from my mouth. It got more and more intense as I drove home. I was bopping up and down and I know people that saw me must have thought I was high on drugs. I was high alright, but not on an earthly drug. This Heavenly experience was far greater than any drug I had ever experienced. I had finally gotten the baptism of the spirit that I had been praying for. From that day forward my life would take me places that I could only describe as incredible. I couldn't wait to tell all my friends what had happened to me. It didn't take long to figure out that most of my friends, except for my church family, didn't really care to hear about my new found faith. Here I was all excited about life and God and had no one to share it with.

All my former band members and even some of my so called Christian friends thought I was off my rocker. All alone or not I was still excited about the possibilities that were ahead for me. As time passed, church and my new church friends became my life. It seemed that things were finally looking up for this southern boy. I was broke with only a guitar and an old beat-up car to my name but I was happy and that was all that mattered to me after all I'd been through the last few months. My life now had a purpose and I had peace and that made all the pain worth it. I had been asked to join the choir and play guitar. It seemed strange playing my old guitar I had played in the clubs so I went out and bought a new white one. A Fender Strat. After being a Les Paul player for years I figured it was time to change.

During my first two years I attending a small United Pentecostal Church in Porterdale GA. It was a small church in an old Mill Village Town about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta. At first the music was strange to me. But the feeling I got when I played it made me feel so good. I grew to love the old hymes and the Spirit-Filled services. Outward manifestations of worship was new to me. Being raised Methodist I was not used to the worship. It was not unusual for running, shouting and even rolling around on the floor to be present at any given service. I've got to admit that at first it was exciting just anticipating what the next service might bring. But, what kept me coming back was the wonderful Bible teaching and love that I felt in that Church. Pastor J. T. Payne was one of the finest Biblical teachers I have ever seen.

It was as if the Heavens had opened along with my understanding. I was hearing the scriptures in a way that I never had before. This was just too right to be wrong and I knew it. Deep inside I was feeling and experiencing emotions I didn't know I had. I was baptized during my first visit but had yet to receive the Holy Ghost. I was shown in scripture that if I got baptized in Jesus Name that I would receive the Holy Ghost. But to be honest I didn't really grasp what the Holy Ghost was. I knew I wanted all God had for me but my understanding was limited. With a few services under my belt and some major reading and studying my understanding was slowly being opened to me.

Baptism of the Holy Ghost

Up until this time I had not received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. I was praying for it but had yet to experience it. On an early Fall day in 1984 I was traveling home from work on Interstate 20 from Atlanta. I was praying and just generally praising and worshipping God. I was feeling especially good that day and was just enjoying the presence of the Lord. I got kind of carried away and all of a sudden I was engulfed in this presence that was overwhelming. The next thing I knew I was speaking in tongues. Hard to explain but I had finally gotten my answer to prayer, I had received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. If you haven't experienced this it's really tough to describe. All I can say is that is a very comforting feeling.

It fills that void that all of us have from the day we are born. It's that missing piece that makes us complete. The joy it brought me and still brings me is just so wonderful. To think that God would love me enough to come and live inside of me. If you are feeling empty and are searching for happiness, the only thing that can truly satisfy that emptiness is God. It's the missing piece that we all search for but never seem to find through money, sex or drugs.

The journey the Holy Ghost was about to take me on was just unreal. As I look back through my Christian journey it has been an unreal trip. Filled with joy and happiness that only God can bring. I'm not going to lie and tell you I did not enjoy the life of Rock & Roll. I did and I did it with everything I had. But, there are regrets and heartache that I will never forget. The problems I caused my Mom and Dad, the times I narrowly escaped death. I could go on and on. If it was not for the prayers of others I would have surely died at a very young age. I was headed for the quick end for sure. Thank God for Grace.