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Testimonials By Name
Stephanie Packard - Going to Heaven or not?
Carl Phillips
Kristin Pierfy - I Did What Was Most Convenient, For Me God Was On The Back Burner.
Gandy Pierre-Louis
Adam Pozniak - "FREE AT LAST"
Stephanie Packard
Norman, OK U.S.A.
EMail: pickles99nhs@yahoo.comSometimes you probably wonder if you are going to heaven or not.
I used to until one single line changed my life.Two and a half years ago when I was only eleven, my mother was driving up to the city to go to a meeting when a car came running across the freeway and hit her minivan head on. While in the ambulance on the way to the hospital she spoke to the paramedic telling him who she was and where she was going. Then she started drifting off and talking to somebody- and it was obvious it was God. Then she started talking about angels and said outloud her last words, "I'm coming to heaven." Ever since then I have known where my mom is and where I will be going when I die. God sure has touched my life in amazing ways since I lost my mother. I have faced so many problems and yet it has only brought me closer to God. The Lord has shown me how much love He has to offer and that it's my duty to help share it. I just want to say that I am so proud of my God and am glad that my mom is at His side.
Please e-mail me your life experiences and remember to spread His love as you go!
Carl Phillips
Port Isabel, TX
EMail: CPhill317@aol.comFive years ago today I lay in a hospital bed, dying, they said, of cardiomyopathy. My entire heart was failing rapidly. I had only a few weeks left.
I had no money and no insurance.
Then someone who had been a member of my church for eight years, and had moved to Austin, TX a couple of years earlier, learned of my plight and intervened. Her new job? She worked for Dr. Charles Oswalt, who does heart transplants at Seton Medical Center in Austin. She had my wife FAX my medical records to her. Within a week I was in Austin being evaluated. I was accepted as a candidate for a heart transplant.
My tissue type is "B". This is a rare type, hard to match. The donor must also be a type "B", as well as matching me pretty closely in build and weight.
On July 31, 1991, early in the morning, just a few minutes after midnight, the call came from Seton. They had a donor heart. A 31-year-old man had died of a stroke, and he wished to donate his organs. His tissue type was the same as mine. Six days later I was out of the hospital, trying to teach my old body how to keep up with a young heart.
On that day five years ago, when I was told I was going to die, I accepted my fate. I was not afraid. I was already a born-again, believing Christian, and I trusted God. I was not anxious to die, you understand, but I accepted the fact. I consoled my family. "Death is merely a culmination of a process that began with a gleam in my father's eye when he looked at my mother," I said. "There is no other way out of this life. The grim reaper comes for all of us." I learned, to my horror, after I had been accepted as a candidate for a transplant, that some friends were praying a donor would be found. I rebuked them as gently as I could. "You are praying for misfortune to visit someone else," I said. "Please pray for healing for me -- yes --but leave the method to God."
I prayed the prayer of Gethsemane. "Lord, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done." After I got my new heart -- against all the odds stacked against me, I realized that God still had work for me to do.
In the past I had always thought I was too busy. Now that excuse had been stripped away from me. How could I say I was too busy when not one day of this second life would have been mine without God's explicit intervention to provide it for me?
Now, when God calls, I listen. I have been called to a writing ministry. I write a weekly column for the church page of newspapers around the country. I am God's servant first, and then whatever time might be left over from that job is my own.
I have discovered the ancient truth that God takes care of us. Each day is a holy gift, and we have an obligation to give God some sort of return on that gift. That's the first thing we need to do every day -- God's work. Then whatever time is left over is ours. God always knows what's best for each of us. Even when we are so lost we don't know which way to turn, God knows. All we have to do is stop and listen, because He loves us so much He is always near enough to touch. Even when we feel abandoned by Him -- perhaps especially when we feel abandoned by Him -- He is right there beside us, just waiting for us to reach out to Him.
God's grace belongs to all of us. He extends his vertical grace downward to all of us. We need to reach out and accept that vertical grace from God and turn it horizontally and pass it on to everyone around us who will take it.
That's our primary job in this life.
That's what Christians are charged to do.
Kristin Pierfy
Emmaus, PA
EMail: dhammett@xc.orgI Did What Was Most Convenient, For Me God
Was On The Back Burner.On September 28, 1994, something wonderful happened in my life. Iwas 13 years old when I invited the Lord into my heart to stay. He hasc hanged my life completely and I know it will never be the same. I would like to share with you what He has done for me and what He can do for you.
I grew up in Baptist churches. Every Sunday my parents would have to nearly drag me to church. I hated it. The church services were very boring and I didn't understand them. I used to wish I was sick so I could stay home.
Sunday school was not any better. I knew most of the Bible stories by heart and they became very dull.
Many of the churches we attended believed in just having a person say a prayer to save them. (Note: "Saved" is a biblical term referring to the forgiveness of sins by God and the rescue of the person from the power and penalty of that sin. This is God's requirement for everlasting life.) My parents did not know any better, and when I was five years old, they asked me to say a prayer. Those words did not save me, even though, at the time, I thought they did. The plan of salvation was not clear to me. Neither was repentance. All through the next several years, though, I thought that that prayer had been my salvation.
At the beginning of July, 1994, my family switched churches. Some friends had told my dad about the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church. We decided to try it. The first Sunday there, I knew there was something different about the people. Everyone was so friendly and kind. They all seemed to be happy. The pastor, and many others, spoke of their personal salvation experiences. They were nothing like mine.
Nobody "hoped" they were going to Heaven, or "thought" they should go to Heaven. They all "knew" they were going to Heaven. I definitely did not feel that assurance. I remember a time when my whole family was home and I was sitting in my room. The house became silent. I got really scared thinking the rapture had come and I was left behind. I was not positive that I would have gone with them. (Note: The Bible tells us that when the Lord is preparing to return to earth in the form of Jesus Christ, he will take all "saved" Christians off the earth to join him in Heaven "in the blink of an eye". This is referred to as the time of "the rapture".)
That summer, I was full of doubt about my salvation. One Sunday, visiting pastor, Joe Pellicone, preached a message entitled, "Are You Ready?" One of the passages of scripture he used for his sermon was First Thessalonians, chapter 4, verses 14 and 17. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him... Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so we shall ever be with the Lord." Those verses really got me thinking. At the end of the service, the pastor asked everyone in the church if they knew for sure where they would spend eternity. I did not know! I had done absolutely zero for God, so why should He want to let me into Heaven? I felt so guilty about my sin that I started to cry. I knew I needed to do something.
That night, I asked my mom if she would do a Bible study with me. She agreed, and we started the next day.
There were four lessons that took an hour each. We had our first lesson on Monday. I began to feel God working in my heart. I am not sure when we had our second lesson, but I remember feeling the need to finish the study in case something happened to me! On Saturday, we had our third lesson. By the time I had finished the lesson, I was sitting in my chair in tears. I needed to get to the last lesson right away. I was positive I was not saved, and I knew the consequence would be Hell if something happened to me and I died. That consequence was clear to me after I read Ecclesiasties, chapter 7, verse 20: "For there is none that doeth good and sin not." I also knew That God was willing to cleanse me from my sins and give me a brand new start. All I needed to do was call on Him, as it says in Romans, chapter 10, verse 13: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
God was not only willing to save me, but I knew it was a requirement for me to go to Heaven. Repentance is also a requirement. Luke, chapter 13, verse 3, says, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." The problem with the prayer I said at the age of five, was that I did not see my sin as God did.
When my mom and I finished the last Bible study, I ran into my room. I fell to my knees asking God to forgive me for my sins and to save me from Hell. At a little after noon that day, the Lord gave me a new life in HIM. In Second Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17, it says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new." I realized that I now had a new life with which to serve God.
The next morning, I had a strong desire to get up early and go to Church! When I got there, I told everyone I saw about my new life. I told my youth pastor, my Sunday school teacher, and my friends. I think some of my friends were a little surprised, because I had done a good job of faking Christianity. While I had prayed, read the Bible and even come to church, none of these things had anything to do with my Salvation.
When I had said the prayer and professed to be a Christian when I was five years old, my life showed no evidence of change from the way I had acted earlier. I did what was most convenient for me. God was on the back burner. Since that day in September, 1994, I have focused my desires and goals on God and what He wants for my life. I now know, without any doubt, that I am Heaven-bound.
You may be reading this and saying to yourself, "That's okay for her, but God doesn't care about me because of all the wrong I've done." But, God loves you. Here is what the Bible says in John, chapter 3, verse 16: "For God so loved the world, He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
He loves you so much that He sent his only Son from Heaven to earth to die for you. No matter how much wrong you have done, God is willing to forgive you and give you a fresh start also. He gave me a new start when I did not deserve it. Please, give God a chance in your life. You will never regret it. He loves you.
Gandy Pierre-Louis
DesPlaines IL
EMail: gpl@interaccess.comEvery time I stop to pray to the Lord Almighty, I pray that I may be healthy and happy. And thankfully so far in my young life, I've enjoyed nothing but good health and happiness. I can count on my fingers the amounts of time that I've experience minor discomforts such as even the common cold. Even though I have a rare case of allergies, I connsider myself blessed since there are much worse things that the Lord have protected me from. As for happiness, all Ican say is how can a man not be happy when his whole family is around him and have just got through celebrating a wonderful wedding with and most beautiful of bride. The Lord have provided me with all the happiness that a man can ever have. A happy, healthy family, and for that I'm thankful. Thankful, for happiness can keep a man alive longer than any other neccesity. I thank the Lord Almighty for making me wealthy with happiness and health. I pray that all of God's children be happy and healthy. I will go forth and try to share a little of that happiness with my brothers and sisters.
Adam Pozniak
Evanston, Illinois USA
EMail: Havenbnd@megsinet.net"FREE AT LAST"
Webmaster's note- In an attempt to bring Mr. Pozniak's full testimony, it was necessary to make reference to the scriptures and not print them in their entirety. We ask that you please read this testimony with a Bible in hand, so you can refer to each scripture and gather the author's full intent.NIV (New InternationalVersion) (Rev 12:11 NIV) They...
I was born into a Roman Catholic family and was brought up to believe in God and Jesus. When I got older I put all of these things behind me and started to live as I pleased.
(1 Tim 6:9 NIV) People... (1 Tim 6:10 NIV) For...
These verses describe exactly how I felt and what I wanted. I wanted to be rich, yet the path did not matter, legal or illegal , good or bad. I didn't know that sin could take me captive or ensnare me.
(John 8:34 NIV) Jesus... (2 Tim 2:26 NIV) and...
I started to deal drugs first just pot then cocaine and all else that I could to bring in profit.I thought I had arrived, and, in complete control of my life and those around me, until I fell pray to drug addiction and became a junkie on heroin ( which, I told myself I would never use, just like I told myself that I'd never put a needle in my arm. (Well, I did both and to the point that I over dosed a few times ) Once, I don't even remember what happened to me. The only account of that is, the girl I lived with said I was lying in one corner of the room and the needle was on the other end. I was out cold for about 8 hours. When I told her how much dope I had done, she said it was a miracle that I lived. What I didn't know, is that I had a true enemy, destroying my life. (John 10:10 NIV) The...
Who knows, maybe the Lord brought me back from the dead that day for He has some purpose for me , just as He has one for you.
I had a gun stuck in my mouth and the guy said "I can kill you now ", yet he didn't pull the trigger, I OD a few more times yet the Lord fit to keep me alive. Even then as unbelieving as I was I said from time to time "someone up there Loves me" (2:10 NIV) For...
Now this scripture has completely new meaning to me, as I look at my life in retrospect.
Well, that wasn't enough for me, so I continued in my sinful lifestyle until I got caught and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Even then I didn't think of myself as someone who deserved to be there because, after all I didn't actually killed anyone, nor was I robbing people, or even selling to kids-I reasoned that if I wouldn't do it some one else would. It was not until later that I realized that I was guilty on all counts and I was responsible for the actions of the people that were buying drugs from me, for they were doing all these things just to get drugs from me.
While in receiving at Joliet CC I went to church to get out of my cell (I would have gone anywhere for it was better than to sit in the cell). God was using that minister who preached the sermon to speak to my heart and I took heed but didn't quite understand the cost that had to be paid to follow in Christ's footsteps. I even got baptized at the end of the service when the preacher asked all those who want to be baptized after the service to come to Him. I figured that just as the first time when I was a baby and got baptized to wash my original sin, so much more now, this water would once again wash away all the sins I could've committed and didn't really wanted to confess to a priest, this being more convenient. What I didn't know is without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. (Heb 9:22 NIV) In fact the law requires nearly everything be cleansed with blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Well, I prayed God would allow me to be sent to a med./minimum security prison and I wouldn't have to deal with all the headaches a person gets while there, not to mentioned the danger. Well, God did answer my prayers, and I was sent to a nice camp where I was going to school and had quite a good time considering where I was. I turned my back on God again, or rather, I took control of my life once again and let God sit on the back seat. I controlled my own destiny , right into a transfer to a Maximum security prison called Menard (a.k.a 'The Pit").I and few friends started to bring in drugs and after a time, we got snitched on and were all sent to different Max joints throughout the state.
While at Menard, I realized what real prison is all about. I really lost control of my life and I just couldn't continue in this way. I was part of a gang there with which I use to do business on the streets in Chicago. But here they often asked me to hold their shanks (knives) in my cell where, if I got caught, the system could'nt have added more time to my sentence. When a person is on the bottom, there is no other place to look but up to God. If I was to get out of this predicament I needed to be like David and trust the Lord. (Psa 40:1 NIV) For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. I wait... (Psa 40:2 NIV) He...(Psa 40:3 NIV) He put a new song...
This time I decided I really needed a change, so I went to church but, this time to the one that I was brought up in - Roman Catholic. After services some of the people there were talking to me and tried to help by getting me a job as a clerk for the Catholic priest.
We had many theological discussions, but for some reason, something was lacking. In Menard all cells are assigned according to the job that you are doing. Since I was working in the chapel, I was assigned a cell with other chapel workers. That is how my relationship with the Lord began. I was assigned a cellie that was a born again Christian and we also got into many "discussions" or better word would be arguments over issues such as Mary, the saints, the Pope, baptism, the Sacraments, etc. The only answers I had were things I remembered from religion class when I was a kid and what the priest would say. He on the other hand continuously backed up what he was said with the Bible. Unfortunately, I didn't know the Bible, or what was written there. For lack of answers, I went to the priest with all this "new " info that this guy had given me. The answers I got from the priest were very shallow and seemed empty. I needed to read the Bible for myself, so I did. I began by receiving bible studies through the mail, as well as reading for myself God's biography - His Word.
I found many contradictions between what I had been taught in the RCC and the Bible. I read that we are all sinners (I guess that also includes Mary-All means All- no exceptions ) and there is a penalty for sin (Rom 3:23 NIV) for ... (Rom 6:23 NIV) For...
That Christ has already paid the price for my salvation (1 Pet 3:18 NIV) For Christ... (Rom 5:8 NIV) But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I came to know that a person needs to be born again. Jesus said, (John 3:7 NIV) You... Additionally, we are saved by grace and not works, (Eph 2:8 NIV) For ... (Eph 2:9 NIV) not by works..."
I could've seen that Eternal life is a gift and not something that I earn, and that I have a choice to either receive it or reject it. But I can't be indifferent any longer (Mat 12:30 NIV) "He who is...
I also found there that Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6 NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". (Acts 4:12 NIV) Salvation ...(1 Tim 2:5 NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Salvation is a free gift - free, yet not cheap for it cost God the Life of His son -Jesus Christ.
After considering all the facts, I chose it would be much better to give my life to Him who holds the future and who can save and deliver me. The devil controlled my life long enough.
(Mat 10:28 NIV) Do not be afraid... (2 Tim 1:12 NIV) That is why... (Heb 7:25 NIV) Therefore He is able...
So right there in that cell I gave my life to Jesus confessing my sin to Him and receiving the forgiveness He offered me believing in my heart, that He rose from the dead on the third day, and asking him to be my savior and Lord. (Rom 10:9 NIV) "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom 10:10 NIV) For it...
I also asked him to set me free from cigarette addiction and anything else that still had strongholds on my life. At that very moment I felt this burden being lifted off of me, I just knew that He heard me and I was a new person. (2 Cor 5:17 NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" This is exactly how I felt, really free even though I was still in prison physically, I was free spiritually. What a contrast to being free physically and yet being in bondage to sin , addiction, and an immoral lifestyle. Now I really could do what I wanted and not what my body makes me do. (John 8:36 NIV) So if the Son sets...
Now I also know where I'll spend eternity and don't have to guess any longer. Apostle Paul said(1 John 5:13 NIV) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." My eternal life has already begun the day that I confessed Jesus as Lord (John 17:3 NIV) "Now this is...
Eight years has past since that time and the Lord still is the same loving and patient Father to me. He has blessed me with a good wife, a beautiful healthy daughter (and another child on the way ),and a good job through which He meets our needs. All that doesn't mean I no longer experience hardships or trials, yet the Lord is with us through everyone of them. (Heb 2:18 NIV) Because He...
I'm a part of a local body of Christ (church) called Polish Christian Center and I know my house will stand because it is built on a solid foundation - Jesus Christ himself. (1 Cor 3:11 NIV) "For no one...
Well, this is my testimony and I hope now we can talk more about the Author and perfecter of our faith. Sorry I included so much Word in the testimony, but I will also send this to some of my unbelieving friends that probably wouldn't look up these passages if they weren't there. (Reader - please refer to webmaster's opening note)
In Christ's love, Adam
PS- Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.(John 14:6 NIV)
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