Fred and Jan
Though married in a Roman Catholic Church more than 30 years ago, Jan and I were not Christians. However, the Lord, who is most gracious, surrounded us with dear saints in our youth who loved Him and their lost neighbors enough to reach out to us with God’s word; to live quiet lives honoring to Christ; and to pray for our salvation. Jan still has the Bible given to her at her Roman Catholic confirmation by her second grade teacher, a kind, gentle and godly woman, who is now with the Lord. I can still remember our neighbors who held daily devotions and bible studies for all of the children in the neighborhood.
My grandmother loved the Lord, having been converted in Germany as a child in the early 1900’s after following the Salvation Army to a worship service in the forest. Her Bible was worn from years of use and even into her 100’s, she would comment that for as many times as she had read the Holy Scriptures, she was always finding something new. She was persistent in her prayers, and as a young child I would accompany her to church.
In Isaiah 55:10-13, the Lord says, “For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth: it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
His grace and mercy are truly amazing: those faithful servants planted the seed, and God brought in the harvest, just as He promises. We can each look back and see the Lord’s hand guiding us through the years, though we were rebels and dead in our trespasses and sins. Though it had been presented to us many times, we each, in the Lord’s perfect time, “heard” the Gospel; the voice of our Good Shepherd; the voice of our Savior: the voice of Jesus, and we followed Him.
By grace, we were saved and by His Spirit, made alive and now, by that same Spirit, we walk in newness of life, freed from the bondage of sin (though certainly not sin-free!) and looking forward to Heaven where we will see our Savior face to face and enjoy Him forever.
We began attending a small non-denominational church and the Lord provided many dear brothers and sisters, along with weekly teaching. In time, He led us to Grace OPC where we are thankful for His provision of a loving fellowship and the faithful ministry of the Word. With our brethren in Christ, we strive to live in a way that honors our Savior, to reach out to our lost friends and family, to pray persistently, and by His grace, to persevere to the end.
