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River
Registered user
Username: River

Post Number: 29
Registered: 9-2006
Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 8:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My story begins about 35 years ago, I had been an alcoholic for some 17 years, I was working at the time for a company that built modular homes in Bakersfield Ca., a man came to work there whose wife pastured a small local Pentecostal church and we became friends, he kept inviting me to church but I would put him off with ìSure James, one dayî it was just the standard way of getting rid of the request without offending him. I had never met his wife.

One Friday evening about seven, I was already pretty well looped, they came to my home, and I shoved the beer back into the refrigerator and invited them in. James sat at the table with me as I slobbered out what I thought passed for conversation while his wife went on into the living room with my wife.
My wife had planned to leave with the children that night after I passed out and told her as much, Sister Eastwood encouraged her to go into the bedroom and pray with her. Sister Eastwood told her that God would deliver me from alcohol if she would believe. So my wife told her that she was welcome to pray but she didnít think anything would stop me from drinking.
So as Sister Eastwood prayed, my wife remembered something her Grandmother had told her ìGod will put on you no more than you can bearî so she prayed that prayer.
The couple then excused themselves and left so I hauled my beer back out to continue to drink. I told my wife that I felt ìWeirdî and ask her what they had done to me, my answer to that was to get in my car and go to the local liquor store for something stronger so I came back with a ‡ pint of 100 proof Vodka.
I drank that and passed out on the floor. My wife called the Pastor and said ìWhat do I do now, he has passed out on the floor?î so Sister Eastwood told her to just let me alone, not to touch me or try to put me to bed.
The next morning, Saturday I woke up about 8:00 AM and began pouring the remainder of my Coors beer down the sink. I told my wife I was going to the bar and she thought ìWell thatís the end of thatî so I proceeded down to the local bar I frequented and walked in the door, I told the owner I would paint the kitchen in his home for my bar tab as he had been after me for some time to paint it, he tossed the keys onto the bar and I painted it and went back and tossed the keys onto the bar, he started to pour me a beer but I held up my hand and said ìNo, Iíll see you laterî I never did see him later.

The next morning, Sunday, I told the wife to get the kids ready, we were going to church that couples church. I hadnít seen the inside of a church since I was a kid much. As I sat and listened that Sunday morning I thought ìThese folks act like they know God on a day to day basis.
That evening was to be the start of a revival there and so we went that Sunday night, it was standing room only, and so I stood back against the wall of the church, well the Spirit of God began to move in that place, folks began speaking in tongues, a man who had demons was sitting close to the front when all of a sudden he fell off his chair and began to slither toward the door on his back like a snake and somebody yelled ìDonít let him get outî and two big old oilfield Holy Ghost filled Christians jumped right astraddle of him and folks began to really pray in tongues.

Iím still standing back against the wall thinking about that time ìIíve got to get out of here!î But before I could bolt for the door a young woman was slain in the Spirit and completely blocked my path and me being brought up to be polite I wouldnít step over her to get out.
Half of me was trying to run and the other half couldnít move. That gal laid there through the rest of the service. After service when everyone turned into people again I sort of calmed down.
I donít remember much of the next week but what kept hanging with me was the idea that these people talked as if they knew God on a first name basis and they seemed to care for me and the family so much.
As time went on I read where Moses met God on the mountain, and how god was not a respecter of persons so I thought ìWell, if he is not a respecter of persons then Iíll just find me a mountain and seeî and so I got in my truck and drove up to the mountains where the mouth of Kern canyon meets the valley floor.
I climbed up there to where I thought it was suitably high enough for God and sat down and pulled my shoes off according to the pattern of Moses with the hot afternoon sun on my face and I began to pray ìGod if you are really up there I need to know itî all of a sudden the Lord did speak to me, he said ìI have seen you, go your wayî well sir, that scared me silly for I knew that my maker had spoken and I got the heck out of there. How did I know? Well, you just know! No, he didnít thunder down in a loud voice, but he thundered to the very depths off my soul. About a month later I received the baptism in the precious Holy Ghost.
In those 35 years Jesus has not left me nor forsaken me, just as he promised in his precious word. Yes I speak in tongues and as Paul said, I thank God for it.

To many, this story will sound strange, some will be unbelieving, some rejecting, I could have made up a story that sounds better. As the old saying goes ìTruth is sometime stranger than fictionî.
I have not drunk alcohol in those 35 years.


U2bsda
Registered user
Username: U2bsda

Post Number: 246
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 8:36 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Praise God River! Thank you for sharing!

What is your background with Adventism? Do you have family or friends that are Adventist?
River
Registered user
Username: River

Post Number: 30
Registered: 9-2006
Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 9:40 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

U2bsda:
About five years ago I started Bible study with sda friends, I did not know sda from adam, wanting to understand who they were I studied them, the things they said on a day to day basis, it turned out to be such a subtle thing it took me near three years to get to the bottom of what they believe and why they believed it, I found them to be very earnest folk, during all this I came to know them on a personal basis, some traveled hundreds of miles to visit me in my home. Of course what I found about the belief was astounding and staggering. I at first became alarmed and then downright concerned for them, for I know in my own walk with God how miserably short I come of his glory.
My own conviction is that we will stand before God with his robe of righteousness on or no robe at all. Bottom line.
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady

Post Number: 2922
Registered: 3-2004


Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 9:53 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

River,
God is awesome. Your story proves it again. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Diana
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 4817
Registered: 12-2003


Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 10:57 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

River, thank you for sharing your amazing story.

Every time I hear someone's story of coming to KNOW the Lord Jesus, I am again in awe of how completely individual His experiences with us are. He saves us IN our sins (Ephesians 2:1-4), and He makes Himself known to us in as many different ways as there are people.

Praise God for His sovereign love that reveals God's power and glory and mercy and grace to us and glorifies Himself!

River, I love your last sentence: "My own conviction is that we will stand before God with his robe of righteousness on or no robe at all. Bottom line." I totally agree. He is all we needóand His is everything.

Colleen
River
Registered user
Username: River

Post Number: 31
Registered: 9-2006
Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 1:20 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Diana:
Yes he is so Awesome!
River
Registered user
Username: River

Post Number: 32
Registered: 9-2006
Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 1:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Colleen:
Have you read the story of the Shepard and the 23rd Psalm?
It covers, I think three pages but I think many would be blessed by it.
If you like I can post it.
River
U2bsda
Registered user
Username: U2bsda

Post Number: 250
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 5:05 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

River said "it turned out to be such a subtle thing it took me near three years to get to the bottom of what they believe and why they believed it"

It is sad about the subtleness. I once had an Adventist (thinking I was SDA) tell me some things from EGW. When she found out I was not an SDA (didn't know I was a former) she tried to take back what she said saying that she told me inside information :-( I praise God for revealing to you the truths from the Bible so you were able to see through any subtleness!

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