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Testimony For 2Blikejesus Aka. Bro. Garry


2bLikeJesus

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I was raised in a home with zero church emphasis.  My parents weren't atheists, but they had no use whatsoever for "organized religion" and didn't practice their own "disorganized" religion either.  To my knowledge there was never a single bible in any form in our home.  Praise the Lord though they at least had a some moral character and raised me right.  Often the "board of education" was applied to my "seat of learning" when growing up, and to this day I will forever thank my Dad for loving me enough to discipline me. 

I was led to the Lord in 1974 by a very smart witnesses application of the perfect illustration for me. You see, I had given the excuse that "I was not ready for salvation, God couldn't possibly want me, because of all the things I had done and was still doing. I needed to clean up my life first before I approached God for any favors." I was working in my yard pruning my plants and fruit trees when he approached me and this is the illustration he gave me on that day that struck home for me.

Lets say one day you went down to the local nursery to buy some more plants and a tree for your garden, and in one corner there was a sign, "Fruit trees 70% off!" When asked why such a discount, the owner said, these trees have lost their identifying tags in shipping; as you can see at this stage, they are nothing more than a stick with a root ball in a bag, we have no way of knowing what kind of fruit tree it is! Lets say you decide, "I like all kinds of fruit, and this is a great bargain and it would be fun to find out what my mystery tree is." So you bought it and planted it at home. 1st year, no fruit are on its branches; what kind of fruit tree is it? You still don't know. 2nd year, lo and behold there are oranges all over the tree! Now you finally know it's an orange tree. Now here's the question...Did it become an orange tree the day it got oranges on it's branches, or was it an orange tree from the very beginning when it was planted? Of course, it was an orange tree from it's birth. We just didn't know it was until we saw the fruit it bears. If we picked ALL the fruit off of it's branches, would it still be an orange tree? Of course it would, the presence or absence of fruit doesn't change what it is, even if it never bore fruit it's entire life. Garry, when you were born or "planted" on this earth, because of Adam, you were born a "Sin tree", nothing could change what you are, and sins are the fruit that naturally grows on your branches. If somehow it was possible that you never one time in your life grew even the smallest sin fruit, just like the orange tree with no oranges, you would still be a sin tree. If as you said, you need to pick ALL the fruit off your branches first by "cleaning up your life", it would still not change what you are...a sin tree. The bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 () 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ,he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Christ's shed His blood on the cross as payment for your sin and offers that sacrifice freely to all that will accept. When you personally accept that sacrifice, God changes who you ARE, not just your life or fruits! The old sin tree is dead, and in it's place is a new birth of a tree of righteousness. Wouldn't you like to put the ax to that old tree now? I did, right there on the spot. 

Wow!  What a burden was lifted!  I was immediately hungry for the word, but I was totally clueless about the bible.  Unfortunately, I never saw this man again; strange since I lived in a small town.  If someone told me I had just "entertained an Angel unawares" Hebrews 13:2  I would not doubt them.  My first "bible", a term I will use very loosely, was "The Living Bible".  I didn't have a clue and I wasn't being discipled.  Well, I have been since the 3rd grade (thank you Mrs. Foster my 3rd grade teacher) an avid book reader.  I would read almost anything my hands came across, even just a dictionary.  I finally got my hands on a King James Bible left by the Gideon's in a Hotel Room and instantly fell in love with it's beautiful prose, and it's literary masterpiece.   I devoured it and prOBably read it 3 times cover to cover in 6 months.  I still had not started going to church, because I had no idea where to go.   So, armed with my bible reading and the Holy Spirits leading (which I wasn't very well tuned into yet, not yet recognizing that "still small voice" always) I started on a quest to find a church.  I visited the most popular first, a charasmaniac church and instantly knew that wasn't for me.  Then I went to a Seventh Day Adventist church...they were the most dangerous to me at that time in my young christian life, because they have so much right (the best lie has a lot of truth in it) BUT finally they got to their Eschatology which is TOTALLY off in left field and I knew something wasn't right.  I was still searching when I joined the Marine Corps in 1976.  While stationed in Okinawa, Japan I visited the only off base church I could find, (I could not stomach the watered down ecumenical drivel coming from the base chaplain), that led me to Maranatha Baptist Church under Pastor James Kennard, an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church!  At last I had found BIBLE preaching!  I grew, and immediately after retiring from the Marine Corp in 1980, I enrolled in Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College in San Dimas, CA (now Heartland Baptist College, Oklahoma City, OK).  I completed 2 years there.  I will go into why I am not in a full time ministry capacity later, but this post is already getting to long for people to read.  I have been going to fabulous Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches ever since, and my current one I am in I have been there 13 years now.  

2bLikeJesus 
Bro. Garry
In His will.  By His power.  For His glory.

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Thank you for sharing that. It's wonderful how God works and sends just the right person at just the right time and makes sure we hear just what we need to hear! I had thought about going into the chaplaincy while in the Air Force but a Baptist chaplain told me that unless I was willing to compromise continually and to give equal, sometimes even special treatment for all religions, I shouldn't even think about it.

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Its always a Joy and blessing having someone share there Testimony , Thank you brother Garry for sharing yours with us it's a great encouragement for many .

 

Brother Garry your family are in my prayers ' lifting them up to Jesus'

 

loving you from my heart with the love of Jesus our Savior

 

God Bless

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maybe we all should post our testimony

Please do!  There is a section on the forum specifically for just that!  I LOVE reading others testimonies.  I often get wonderful soul winning tips from what worked for others!  Look at the top of this page and follow the trail to this forum section.

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hmm i gotta find that thread, where is it, what forum

Online Baptist  ----->  Christian Living  ----->  Give God the Glory  ------>  Testimonies

 

I had trouble finding it as well since it is a sub-folder of the Give God the Glory section.  BroMatt had to point me to it after I asked him why there wasn't a "testimonies" section.

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I have been compelled by personal feedback I have received from those that are concerned about my soul, to add to my testimony as listed.  I did not go further into detail about all that was said after that illustration and how that the entire gospel was throughly explained to me before I accepted the Lord as my savior. Some are concerned that because there was not a complete gospel presentation in that illustration and I did not indicate that I had ever heard a complete presentation, that I made some prayer based only on the illustration.  This is FAR from the truth.  I have ZERO doubt in the slightest of my salvation, and I thank all those that have private messaged me with their concern.  I mean that, I really do thank you for caring enough about me to ask!  

 

Your friend and geniune Brother in Christ,

Bro. Garry

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