Christian testimonies

Kyle
When my family came to England [from South Africa], we wanted to look for a church. After a few attempts we found Amyand Park Chapel. We started to attend regularly and I have been to church here ever since. I started to attend the Morning School, and from then on I joined the many different clubs.

I grew up in the church hearing the Word of God preached to me every Sunday morning and evening. It soon became a part of our weekly lifestyle and it was just normal for us. When I started to stay in for the service, I found it hard to listen and concentrate and I was always quickly gazing at the clock to guess how long was left of the service. I didn’t concentrate in the sermons and I would always find something for my mind to dwell on other than the message.

I was brought up in a Christian home where I was taught the Bible. The Bible and Christianity was just a part of my life and I never questioned it.

As I became older I started to listen to the sermons better and understand them. I would feel guilty on a Sunday for my sins in the past week and would ask the Lord half-heartedly to forgive me. But I never really meant it because I would just do the same things the next week. My conscience would prick me when I did something wrong but I just ignored it and got used to it. I knew many things in the Bible, but none of them every really registered with me.

I still saw myself as having a long life because I was still young. I had never thought about what was beyond this life and what would happen when my life ended.

That came to an end when one Sunday evening Pastor preached on Christ’s second coming. The passage was talking about what was to come in the future before the second coming of Jesus. I was amazed when I heard that in the Bible was a record of what was going to happen and, when I heard the prophecies linked to history, I suddenly realised that the prophecies of the future would be fulfilled. Then the passage talked of the end of the world.

Thinking about this, the destruction of everything that was around me was frightening and hearing of everlasting torment in hell shocked me even more. I did not want to face trial for my sins because I knew that I had no defence. I was justly condemned to be sent to hell.

But then I heard again of the love of Jesus and His death on the cross. It was then that these things suddenly meant something to me and I knew I wanted to be saved from my sins. I asked the Lord to forgive me and I prayed like I had never prayed before. I felt as if a large weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was not worrying about the future anymore.

But that was not the happy end, soon life was continuing as normal and I continued to live my life unchanged. God was just there for someone to call on in my greatest time of need. I slowly started to drift away and the world started to tighten its grip on me. Even though I continued to go to church, and was reminded of my sin, I was never really committed to the Christian life. I would appear on the outside a Christian but not inside. At times when things didn’t get better as I thought they would, I would doubt my salvation and I would lack assurance.

The years went by and I started to drift slowly away. It was only later when I needed the Lord most that I felt that His presence was growing in my life. I started to read my Bible again and pray more earnestly to the Lord. I wanted to live as a Christian but I was not giving my life fully to Christ.

Thinking back on those past years, I knew I was saved but I had strayed away. I did not expect the trials of the Christian life. But as the Lord drew me closer I started to realise that throughout that time, the Lord had kept me safe and was always there holding my hand in His. And even though I backslid, He never let go of me.

I heard about the love of Christ again, and the words suddenly hit home. I realised that when God said that He loved the world so much, it included me. He loved me, a wretched sinner deep in my sins so much that He was willing to send His son to suffer the punishment for my sins and pay the penalty. He did this so I could be forgiven of my sins and go safely to heaven. I thought back on my past years of backsliding and was so thankful to the Lord for saving me. I prayed to the Lord and asked Him to help me as I walk on the straight and narrow way.

My faith had been renewed and I wanted to be baptised. Now I can look back on my life and thank the Lord for saving me from my sins and being with me always.