As a preface to this writing, I am posting on this
date for a reason. It was 21 years ago
today, October 22, 1992, that my Mother, Lois Brown Chastain accepted Jesus
Christ as her Saviour. On March 07, 1997
she entered into her promised rest. For
this knowledge I praise God.
Jude 22-23 And of some have compassion, making a
difference: (23) And others save with fear, pulling them
out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
A few
days ago Sharil, (my wife) and I were discussing the core of events that
convicted our hearts for The Salvation of God.
(I had recently looked at my Mother’s Bible which we had given her at
Christmas in 1979. Within the front she
had written the date she accepted Jesus The Christ as her Saviour, October 22,
1992. She also wrote the date of her
Baptism, November 08, 1992. (Her Baptism
date is the date we both remember as the first time we had ever heard The
Gospel of Jesus The Christ.)
(Also,
I must confess the scripture and title for this dissertation was given to me at
our Sunday evening Sermon preached by Dr. James Rasbeary, our Pastor at
Lighthouse Baptist Church here in Wiley, Texas.
His subject reflected on the thoughts I had in mind to write.)
In
order for my Mother’s Baptism date to be relevant to this discussion, I must
back up a few months before that date.
Sharil
and I were members of a protestant church, and attended “off and on.” My Mother went with us occasionally, however
she told Sharil and I, “I want to hear
what I heard when I was a little girl.”
My comment was, “Mom, I wasn’t
there, I don’t know what you heard.”
(Sharil, with much more wisdom told Mom, “Maybe you need to go to a Baptist Church.” Sharil had never been in
a Baptist Church, but knew they were more conservative.)
Later,
Mom wanted/needed a hobby. (Sharil
introduced her to Kay Denson who taught her how to make porcelain dolls.) A few weeks later, Mom related what Sharil
had told her about a Baptist Church. Kay
said, “I have just The Baptist Church for
you.”
Mom began
attending Calvary Baptist Church in Palestine, Texas. Bro Tom Huntress and his wife Vera led Mom to
The Salvation of God, and her demeanor began to change considerably. Mom asked Sharil if I would go to her Baptism,
as she was afraid to ask me. Sharil told her we both would be there.
We
attended Sunday School, (which I thought would include the Baptism, not, then
in the 11:00 service, I thought it would happen, again not.) Then they told me I would have to come back
for the evening service. Evening service?
I didn’t know they went to Church twice in one week. Finally she was Baptized at the end of the
evening service.
(What
I was not yet aware of was a Gospel seed had been planted, both in Sharil’s and
my hearts.)
In
the early morning on November 22, 1992, (a day before Sharil’s birthday,) I
asked her what she would like to do for her Birthday. She was really reluctant to answer my
question. She kept asking me to
decide. I refused and finally she said,
“I want to go to Church.” She has since told me I said, “You Do?” (With extreme sarcasm.) Then I asked, “Which Church do you want to go to?”
She answered, “The other Church.” We attended both services that day, and except
for sickness, we haven’t missed many services since.
On
January 19, 1993, Sharil and I both accepted Jesus as our personal Saviour at
about 3:30 pm on that Tuesday afternoon.
The next Sunday we went forward for Baptism, and the following week
January 31, 1993, we were both Baptized at the end of the evening service.
All
that I have described was God via The Holy Spirit, “pulling them
[Mom,
Sharil and I] out of the fire.” Yet, it all began by the desire [Holy Ghost
conviction] of my Mother wanting to hear The Word of God again like she remembered
hearing when she was a young girl.
God
tells us how and what we must do to gain that Eternal Salvation. He tells us He wants us to know we can have
it.
1 John
5:13 These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
He wants your heart to rejoice in the knowledge of
your Eternity with Him. If you believe,
Jesus will save you.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved.
There are three thing in this verse: 1.) If
you will confess your belief in Christ Jesus to others, and 2.) Believe that
God has raised Jesus from the grave, and 3.) God will save you from that
everlasting death in The Lake of Fire.
Amazingly,
God saved a little old widow woman at age 70, Sharil and I both at age 51, and
has done miraculous things within our lives.
God called me to The Pastorate, and Sharil to be a Godly Pastor’s
wife. All this comes from that one
statement from my Mother, “I want to hear
what I heard when I was a little girl.” Have you ever heard a similar statement or
question?
“If you died today would your home be in
Heaven for The Eternity, or would it be the flames of hell?” Call on His name and receive him, repent of
your ways, go to that Baptist Church, and obey Christ Jesus and be Baptized.
Bro John R.
E Chastain
Baptist
Evangelist
Wylie, Texas
fundamentalthoughts-preacher.blogspot.com Fundamental Thoughts
