NEW LIFE

My Mother died on January 22, 2010 and stayed faithful to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to the end. Here is one testimony she left behind of her new life in Christ.



It is a real thrill and joy for Sterling and I to once more start a new year with you good people here in Worthington. Ever since we left Worthington, way back deep in our hearts was a desire to come back, but we left it wholly in the Lord’s hands as to what we should do -- and we have seen his leading all the way. Especially it is a thrill to start the new year in your new church that all of you have labored so diligently and faithfully.

When we first came back to Worthington one man remarked, “The Baptists must really have a lot of faith.” If God be with us, who can be against us. This is just like a little boy who stepped out into the dark all alone. He couldn’t see the path ahead and was frightened. He called to his father who heard him and came and put his hand in little Billy’s. All the way home, Billy felt perfectly safe and secure because he knew his father was with him and would watch over him.

You know that is much like God’s plan of salvation. Paul told the Corinthian church, “Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

Man, by human nature, is inclined to want to do everything for himself -- the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the house we built -- WE worked hard for them. And you know that is just what many men are doing with God today, trying to work out their own salvation.

I know, because I tried it for many years - at the same trembling for lack of assurance. I went to church. Yes, I tried to live a clean moral life, not realizing that my righteousness is as filthy rags, or that my evil temper and biting tongue were just as much sin as smoking and drinking. All are sin in God’s sight.

But the devil was getting control of my life more everyday and I began to feel a NEED for a new life. In the meantime the Lord had led me into fellowship with born again Christians, people who were happy without partaking in the many things of the world. They didn’t have to preach to me for their lives were a living testimony.

Okoboji ...... So I thought I’d try to live the type of life they did - every Sunday hearing the gospel plan of salvation, but rejecting it. I kept thinking that I would stop dancing for I really felt that it was sinful - but I didn’t. It seemed as though the devil worked overtime during that year, using my old friends as his stooges to tempt me.

I praise God for the night when he, not only convicted me of sin, but also, convinced me I needed to do something about it - that I needed to step out for Christ. He has provided the way, for he has said “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) For the Scripture saith, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The gift was there all the time, but O had to accept it, believe it, and confess it. First of all, though, there was to be a need for salvation. That need, I am convinced, is what is lacking in the lives of most unbelievers today -- for our people and nation are losing conscientiousness of sins. I have heard many people say, “My folks made me go to church, and how I disliked it. I’m going to leave it up to my children to decide whether they want to go or not.” But you know, I’d rather insist on my child going to church and grow up with a conscience than not to have any conscience at all. There has to first be a need.

With a growing congregation many of you saw a need for a new church building here in Worthington and, although you could not see the end when you launched out on this building program, you did have faith to believe that God would supply all your needs. Only God knows the sacrifice and unceasing effort you have all made and only God can reward you justly. Yes, there is a price we must pay, that of sacrifice. There is an old saying that “anything worth having is worth working for.”

You know we as Christians too often stop to count the cost before stepping out on faith and prayer. There are also many unsaved people today who want the assurance of salvation and the real peace and joy that only Christ can give our sin-sick souls, but who are counting the cost first. As a result they are saying, “not yet, but someday I want to become a Christian” or else they are hardening their hearts toward the things of God saying, “I can’t be as good a Christian as so and so.” I thought I had to give up dancing, shows, etc. in order to become a Christian, not realizing that when Christ come into a life he washes away those things that hinder our testimony for Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.” That is just what Christ did in my life, for he washed away my old desires and gave me new ones.

Yes, old things do pass away as we seek to serve the Lord in witnessing to others of the great love of God when he sent his only begotten Son. There is no greater joy than to lead some lost soul to Christ and then to see this one reading God’s Word regularly and growing in Christ.

My one prayer is that “I may know Him and power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10)so that others may see Christ in me for we are the only Bible many people read. A Spanish woman told Dr. Bias one time “the better I know Him, the better I love Him. The better I love Him, the better I serve Him.” etc. and round it goes.

We need daily fellowship with God as well as other Christians. Isn’t it wonderful that God has permitted the building of this beautiful temple where we can gather together to sing His praises and study God’s Word with other believers? Help us to never loose this new-found joy tonight by neglecting the privilege of regular church attendance and then by supporting our wonderful pastors in prayer.

Give us a real burden for those lost souls round about us as well as in foreign lands so that we might not only sing, “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save,” but that we might go out into the highways and byways and bring them in.

End of Testimony.

Here are a couple notes in mom's Bible that I thought were interesting and demonstrates the difference that Christ made in her life. It explains why she changed when she surrendered her life to Jesus.

Clipping pasted in front of Bible:

"So often a young believer, or even an older one, will ask if it is wrong to do certain things, such as going to the movies, or smoking, etc. It may not be wrong for a racer to tie a fifty pound weight to his leg, but it certainly would not help him to win the race. Likewise anything that would hinder our winning a prize in the Christian race should be laid aside. It is not our question whether a thing is wrong or not, but simply whether it helps me to bear a testimony for Him in this dark and needy world." A.V.R.

5 tests of determining whether you should partake in worldly pleasures:

1. Does it hurt my testimony?
2. Does it offend your brother?
3. Does it give the devil a chance?
4. Does it crowd your prayer life?
5. Does it waste time?

If you are on Facebook and would like to see a video of her life and read other posts go to "In Memory of Irene Johnson"