Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Mr. Jim's Story Of Salvation


"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."




Jim said...
These were the words spoken to me, personally, by the Lord:

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

I had heard and read these words from the Bible, again in Revelations (Chapter 3, Verse 20), many times before. They were spoken to the people of the church at Laodicea in Turkey, many years ago.
But one day, at a revival, these words became personal to me. I had wondered for years if I were really saved.

That day, in the pew, the words were whispered to me personally, from Jesus Himself, it was the strangest feeling I have ever had.
[They made have actually been spoken by The Holy Spirit, I don't know, and it doesn't matter.]

I responded right then in a short silent prayer asking Jesus to forgive my sin and that I promised to follow Him and His commands from that day on.

Since then I have no more doubt or worry that I am saved, or question whether I was saved or not before when a teenager.
I did know that just being good wouldn't save me, a person had to ask for forgiveness and commit to the Lord.
But I didn't remember anything from back then except going down the isle when my younger sister did. For sure not asking Jesus to save me.

This nagging was now gone, I knew that I was saved.

Believe it or not, my life changed also, almost like being a different person. People noticed a change. Probably it was in the way I felt towards and treated other people. There were concerns for them not just for me and things I liked to do.

I also became devoted to following the Lord gladly instead of just reading the Bible and going to church.
And God has blessed me.

..

11:18 AM

Reply from Terry

Oh Jim...What a testimony you have told..on my blog![in the comments].
Bernie and I had a dear friend who was in his 70's and we didn't preach to him a lot but he read our lives. Well, he told us one time.."I think my son has the same thing as you guys." His son had gotten saved.
Dom worked steady afternoons and his son and Dom's wife read the Bible together. They never told him about this just in case he would make a fuss.
Well they were Catholics and one day his wife had told him,." I don't need to go and talk to no priest. I have a direct line to heaven. In her simplicity, she was saved right there and then because that direct line that she discovered was Jesus.
One good thing that I have always noticed about the Catholics people, Jim is that if you read them something from the Bible, they believe it.
After his wife passed away, about a year later, well Dom came to a few gospel meetings with us.
One late night when Bernie and I were with him, he told us that he wanted to be alone. He said. "God and me have serious business."
Before we left, it was that fast..he told us,
"Well, I told God,"The door is open! Come on in!"
At that moment he was saved!
It was so neat the next time he went to gospel meeting with us, they sang the song, "There's a stranger at the door. let Him in"
Dom looked at me and said , I never even knew that was in the Bible, about the door!"
Grampa Yade once asked Dom 'Where are all your sins now Dominic?"
It was so thrilling to us Jim when Dominic answered simply., "Well I guess the Lord threw them all out when He came in!"
Dom is in heaven now and we sure do miss him!

Thank you so much Jim!

Mon Mar 24, 04:34:00 PM CDT

15 comments:

Terry said...

Jim...One thing I have always loved about this door is that there is no handle on the outside. The door knob is on the inside.
The Lord will never force His way in. We must open the door to Him!

Thank you so much my friend for telling me how you got saved!...Love Terry

Anonymous said...

Oh, Mrs. Shirkie,

I really like this post! I read Mr. Jim's story, but I really enjoyed the one you told, too. It is very encouraging, because I live amoung a lot of Catholics (and Orthodox--who are almost the same) and we have some interesting discussions. You are right about the Bible...we lent my mother's Catholic Bible to one lady, and she hasn't given it back yet (over a year or two agao!). It is just so precious to her, but oh so expensive for her to purchase on her own.

Love and Prayers,
LPP

Terry said...

Oh that is so nice Hebrews 11:1. We have some very dear French Catholic people here who have gotten saved and they are so on fire for the Lord!...Love Terry

Actually they really put me to shame!

Jim said...

Thank you Terry, you are a dear. This is fine having it here, but I didn't write the comment thinking you would put it on your blog for all to read.

I do enjoy telling and writing about this, it sure did bother me when I began returning from my wilder ways. Mainly I was bothered about not being able to remember being saved, just in walking the isle and being baptized.
Now I have no doubts, since that day there in the pew.
..

Terry said...

Dear Jim...Yes, it was something that I felt I had to do. Don't forget my dear friend that I print up the posts and the comments from my blog and give them to Dad Golden to read. Time is short Adi's Grampa and you never can tell until you reach heaven how your story will reach the people that need to hear the good gospel and your story and Dom's tell it all..Plain and simple..
Thanks for not being annoyed for me putting this story in....Love Terry

eija said...

My heart just goes all hallelujah for these stories :D Praise the Lord!

A little bit like Jim, due to a long, complicated story, I too had my time of doubting my salvation. Then, one day, I just realized that hey - if I'm not saved, I can always ask Jesus to save me NOW. So I did. And that was the answer to my problems - He's been faithful ever since :)

Thank you for posting both of these stories, Jim's and Dom's!

Amrita said...

I opened the door and asked Jesus in when i was 12 years old, and many times I shut Jesus out too, but he has been faithful even when I was unfaithful..
God bless you Jim.

Felisol said...

Dear Terry and Jim,
I love the Bible, but I also love testimonies from fellow Wanderers.
Jim's pure gold story about his salvation, that's what I'd like to hear over and over again.

It's my experience that when I'm in the utmost need, that's when I have had my strongest meeting with the Lord.
Oh, I have wrestled with God,-never won like Jacob did, but either have I been abounded.

About the age of 21 I had 3 months practice at a boarding school for boys at the age from 10 to 14 who due to severe problems at home have to be taken care of.
These boys got to my heart in such a way that I have never been able to forget them.
I talked to god and said , "why were they born into misery and abuse. If you are almighty how could you let this happen?"
I stood there on the edge of darkness almost stripped of faith, tears flowing.
I cried for an answer and opened my Bible one time as to give God a last chance for an answer.
I was shivered and could not believe my eyes when I read in Isiah 45

10"Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?'
Or to a woman, 'To what are you giving birth?'"

11Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
"Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons,
And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.
12"It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it
I stretched out the heavens with My hands
And I ordained all their host.
13"I have aroused him in (AH)righteousness
And I will make all his ways smooth;
He will build My city and will let My exiles go free,
Without any payment or reward," says the LORD of hosts. "

I have been allowed to follow some of "my" boys, and can confirm that the Lord has kept is promises.( and made my disbeliefs to shame)
Yours Felisol

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Shirkie,

Did you gte our letter yet? I am beginning to worry...I mailed it on Good Friday.

LPP

Terry said...

Yes I did Little Pilgrim, on Monday and it just made both Mr. Shirkie's and my day!!
Thanks for the pictures of the kitties and the "kiddies"!

That verse: 3 John 1:4
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." is Bernies's second favourite verse in the Bible and John 3:16 is his favourite.
Thanks Hebrews!!...love Mr and Mrs. Shirkie

Sue Seibert said...

How wonderful. Thanks for sharing that! Hope this finds you well. We are doing nicely! Love you both!

Amrita said...

I tried the text on a photo and got it. But I need to be more confident.

I have an award for you on my blog come a recive it

Amrita said...

I tried the text on a photo and got it. But I need to be more confident.

I have an award for you on my blog come a recive it

Anonymous said...

Ohhh, my mistake on the favorite verse....but I'm sure you said that on Pals ;) We're glad it brightened your day, that's what we hoped ;)

We love you dearly, especially for always cheering us up,

LPP and LMG

Terry said...

Dear Felisol...I am all right really I am.
I am a little busy but not too tired.
I am trying to get caught up on my blogger friends and that is quite a chore!
Thank you for all of your prayers my Felisol on the far side of the sea!

Plus I have been looking all over Sioux's site for those kitties that she left there for me and I just can't find them!!
I will just have to ask that Adi to snif them out for me if she is not too busy with her own blog!
It has been days since I have visited her or her Grampa Jim!!