I was raised in a family that attended a main-line church. If I were to mention the name, most people would know it.
My dad was on the church board. Many nights after a meeting he would come home angry saying that the pastor was acting like a child. I guess there had been a big fuss in the board meeting. My parents prayed over the food if we had guests, but not at other times.
When mom and I went to Wed. night prayer meetings, I noticed some choir members waiting outside church until it was time for practice, neglecting the Bible study. I could't get interested in the services on Sunday, and I was glad when they were over. Then in my teens, I drifted away from church.
I went from one hobby to another seeking something to satisfy. I felt empty and without purpose in life, but I did have a love for God. Once I went to see a movie about Jesus, and I really cried.
When I was drafted into the army, my whole life changed. It was the first time I was away from home for any length of time. I felt so homesick and alone. I visited a church, but the young people talked so nasty that I said to myself,"I won't come back here".
Later, I attended a church service in Leesville, La. The people were so different from the church people I had known before. They were very friendly and invited me into their homes. Then I saw how they lived and how their children acted, I said,"I want what they have"
At their church, I found out what it was; I needed the Holy Ghost. My mother told me that I already had the Holy Ghost; that you just believe that you have it and you do. These people said the Bible teaches that you will speak in other tongues when you are filled with the Spirit. They taught that I needed to repent, so one night I went to the altar (which was new to me), and I poured out my heart to God. I felt so much better, but I still wanted the Holy Ghost.
Soon after, we visited a revival service in a small country church.That night I received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues just as the early Christians did. What an experience! I kept saying, "I never knew there was anything like this! The next night I was baptized in Jesus' name for the remission of my sins. I felt so clean! Life has been all new since that time. My desires were turned around. I now wanted to always do right, and I now had the power to do it.
I was a young soldier then; now I am retired. Since I know what "being born again" really means, it has given me a whole new life. Anyone can have the same experience.
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