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Why I believe; For the past 19 years, I've been working in the high tech field of lasers and electro-optics. I help design and build some of the world's finest lasers and laser systems. While working with some of the best scientist and engineers in the country, I have come to a practical understanding of the design process. Countless design review meetings have given me a unique ability to spot well-engineered laser devices. To me, design is obvious. I can tell when someone has put serious thought and effort into building something. Design does not happen accidentally or randomly. Where there is design, there is also a designer. So then…everywhere I look, I see design. Automobiles, buildings, freeways, boats and even nature itself, all exhibit evidence of design. Finally, when I look at my hand…. I see a complex bunch of muscles, bones and tissue, all working together in a very complex and specific arrangement. Obvious design. There must be a designer. Learning to know Jesus Christ, my story; As a small child, my family raised me within the Methodist Church. I went to Sunday school, sang in the choir, and various other church social activities. Life was good, even though my family experience significant trials and tribulations. At some point, I became "educated", and I was taught all the theories of the world…. Evolution, Darwin, The Big Bang, Aliens, etc…. I bought in to the "science" and seriously doubted if there was a God. Deep down, I wanted to believe in God, but the "science" was taught as fact. Anyone believing otherwise, was poked fun of and made to feel stupid. So, I gave up on God. If there was a God, he didn't have anything to do with what was going on down here. I had just made my first BIG mistake. I proceeded to live life with no thoughts of God. I forged my own path through life. If it felt good, I did it, and a lot of it! If it made me money, I did more of that too! Yes, I had some success, but….. I also had some huge disappointments. The down times were low. Very low. During one of the lowest of low periods, I just decided I wanted to start living life as a "good person". So I prayed, "God if you're real, please help me". Simple as that, and God started His slow and steady process of drawing me to Himself. I started watching a little church on TV. Seriously…. I didn't want to go to church alone or let anyone know I might believe in God. That would be embarrassing. So I started watching Dr. Charles Stanley on In-Touch Ministries television broadcasts Sunday mornings. WOW!! This guy was speaking directly to me about real life issues that I was experiencing. It was like the sermon was written just for me and included practical, real world advice with supporting examples from the bible!! I felt very encouraged. I tuned in again the next week, and then the week after that. The messages were speaking so directly into my life, it could not be, just a coincidence. God was trying to get my attention and He wanted to save me. Over the next few years, I listened and followed scriptural principals taught by Dr. Stanley. Whenever I put these principals into practice, God kept his word and all things, good or bad, worked for my benefit. Yes… looking back, even the bad things turned out to be blessings in the end. Sometimes, you have to get through some tuff stuff before you find yourself at the better place. So then, when did I get "saved"? In the beginning of my spiritual journey, I didn't fully understand what it meant to be "saved". I just kept listening to the Word of God through the In Touch Ministries television and radio broadcasts. Also, another "bad" situation forced me to commute nearly 3 hrs a day. Once again, God used something "bad" (the brutal commute), to benefit me by building my faith through the hearing of His Word. I found many wonderful Christian radio broadcasts during those long commute hours. At some point during one of those long commutes, some guy on the radio (I don't even know who it was) asked his listeners to;
It was that simple. I went home that night and wrote the date in my bible. I had been a "Christian" for quite some time before that day. But on that day, I really knew I was "saved". I finally understood the, who, what, when, where and why, of God's redemptive plan. It made sense to me and my eyes were opened wide! No… I didn't change right away and miraculously give up all my bad habits and behaviors. Some things were easy to change, and other things I'm still struggling with today. Becoming "saved" is not a license to do what ever you want. It's a freedom and the responsibility, to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. He knows we will fail from time to time. In the Bible, Paul asked God three times to remove some problem area from his life. Paul called it his "thorn in the flesh" . But God said "No… My Grace is sufficient for you". Paul knew God had allowed this problem area in his life. It kept him from becoming too proud and made him depend on Jesus as his savior. So… we shouldn't worry about becoming perfect. Just do the best we can. And when we fail, thank Jesus for what He did for us, and allow God to show you His Grace and Mercy. Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If you haven't received Jesus as your personal savior, you can by just praying those 5 little steps listed above. Go for it, wherever you are, just pray!!! You have nothing to loose and everything to gain!
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