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Menno Notes |
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Table of Contents for all newsletters |
February-March 2001 |
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Articles
Stewarts of God's Grace... Ed Ranck Family
From Pastor's Heart... Balance by Pastor Tim Kennell
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A Testimony of God at Work
When the editor asked me to write a testimony for "Menno-Notes," I wondered what I could possibly say or where I could begin. After staring at a blank page for a while, I realized that this is an opportunity to share what Christ has done and is doing in my life. Certainly the most notable example of Jesus’ work with me is my abstinence from drugs and alcohol. About ten years ago I asked the Lord to come into my heart. I had no idea I would have to give Him control of my life. That moment Jesus began a work in me I can only describe as phenomenal. Most recently, the Lord sent me to Newport News, where I attended a Christian drug rehab program at the suggestion of our church elders. Fortunately, they were willing to use the authority God had placed in them to discipline me, and I’m glad to have been granted enough wisdom to recognize this action as being in Jesus’ best interest. Even though these last months haven’t been easy, God’s work produces results. This period of separation from my wife, my family, and my work clearly demonstrated to me how my sinful behavior separates me from God. One of the favorite verses of any rehabilitation substance abuser is II Corinthians 5: 17, which says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." I want to use my testimony to tell folks this new walk brings me into fellowship with God and not separation from Him. An important fact here is that scripture tells me all things are become new. It is for this reason I give thanks and praise to God for His work in my life. I don’t just have a new walk, I have been given a new way of thinking. I have a new marriage. I have a wonderful family I view in an entirely new light. I even have a new job. When I look back at these last ten years, I’m very thankful for what the Lord has accomplished. I’m even more grateful for what the future holds because of God’s faithful promise to continue to guide and instruct me in being His servant. By John Spiller |
