Chelsea giving her testimony of salvation
Kasey giving her salvation testimonyChelsea:
My story is not amazing or heroic. I didn't have a near death experience. I was not unaware of the saving grace of salvation through Christ. One day I simply saw the light, repented my sins, and accepted Jesus. Although therewas not much outward fanfare, it effected a tremendous change in the way I view and live my life. As a child I was introduced to the idea of Jesus frequently. I was baptized at a young age and regularly attended church. However, it never really clicked for me until age 12 or so. Even then, although I had the knowledge and understanding, I still did not truly accept it into my heart. I continued to attend church, but it never really affected me. I always had the thought-I will live that way later. Maybe tomorrow or next week. But tomorrow never came. I was a pretty well behaved kid, but that had more to do with man's rules than God's law. I strayed farther even from the rules of man my senior year of high school. I made a mistake that cost me my "fun" years of college. ButI gained a lot more. I gained a loving man who I am marrying tomorrow and a beautiful little boy, Aiden. Then, Josh brought us to Messiah BaptistChurch. It was the last piece of the puzzle. I realized that I was not truly a Christian and that I needed to accept Him into my heart. The changes He has made in me already are awesome. I want to know God's position on any subject and to follow it over my own. I want to read theBible and take his teachings to heart. I can say with confidence for the first time that I will go to heaven. I just feel a warmth inside whenever I pray or think about Him. I could go on and on, but I will try to sum it all up in this verse: Psalm 57:11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
Kasey:
I did not grow up in a religious home. As a child my experiences with church were definitely not positive ones. I really didn't give God much thought until I had Hunter. I remember holding him in the hospital, and I began to pray that God would keep him safe, happy and healthy. It was impossible for me to look down at my brand new baby and ignore God. We moved here when Hunter was 2 months old and began going to a large church here in town. Though it was nice, I failed to grow in my spiritual life. On March12th, 2005 as I was preparing for Hunter's 1st birthday party, two ladies knocked on my door, those 2 ladies were Liesl and Bonnie. I began taking walkswith them and after several months decided to go visit their church. Our family felt welcome from the 1st moment we walked into Messiah Baptist, I knew if ever there was a time in my life to come to know God it would happen with the help of this church. On Easter Sunday 2006, after the service, I met with Sarah Shine. As we talked I knew that this was an important day. I prayed to God. I asked Him to forgive me of my sins and to come in to my heart. An immediate since of peace and joy came over me. I had asked to be saved. Two weeks later I received news that the baby I was pregnant with had a 1 in 200 chance of having Down syndrome. I thought that maybe this was a test of my faith. I prayed like I had never before. I prayed for this baby and I prayed that she did not have Down syndrome. After additional testing the doctors assured us that our baby girl was healthy and did not have Down syndrome. Wow, I thought, God listened, my baby was fine, my prayers were answered. Ella Grace was born six weeks early and with Down syndrome. I was devastated. How could God have done this to her, didn't he know that I could not handle this? Well meaning people would say things like "God only gives special babies to special moms," and "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." I just knew that God made a mistake. I wanted my old life back. The baby girl I dreamed of having was gone, and I wanted to die. I had closed my heart to God. Even though we continued to come to church, I was angrywith God. Though I fell madly in love with our new baby girl and the anger lessened, I couldn't help but think maybe I was being punished. About two months ago the fog that had covered my life began to lift. I realized just how incredibly blessed I am. This is what my life was meant to be. As I look back over the last 18 months I now am able to see how God was with me. It is like the poem footprints "....I noticed that it was at the lowest and saddest times in my life. I asked, 'Lord, you said that once I decided to follow You, You would walk with me all the way. But during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why you left my side when I needed you most.' The Lord said, 'My precious child, I never left you during your time of trial. Where you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Even though I had closed my heart off to the Lord, he never left me, never gave up on me. I began though to worry that if I could lose my trust in the Lord maybe I hadn't really been saved. I met with Pastor and Liesl to discuss whether or not I had really been saved because it was weighing heavily on my heart. Pastor showed me several examples in the Bible. Onewas Romans 8: 37-39 NLT No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced thatnothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, ourworries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep Gods' love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in thedeepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate usfrom the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. After reading through this verse, and other that day, I left Pastor's home with the same feeling I had the day I was saved, there was peace in my mind and joy in my heart. What a wonderful and forgiving God he is to stay with us through our darkest days. I stand here today and can say with confidence that I have been saved. Though I know that I will have worries and fears in the future, I know that I will have God with me through it all and that His plan forme will prevail. I would like to close with Phillipians 4: 11-13 I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstance may be. I know now how to live when things are difficultand I know how to when things are prosperous. In general and in particular I have learned the secret of....facing either plenty or poverty, I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me.
