Instructions to Glory
My Testimony
By Paul Almqvist
This
is my testimony of my salvation.
Everyone has a story to tell,
they say. This story is about my salvation, in broad terms. How I
accepted Jesus as my savior. The only one true and living God.
Abraham's, Isaac's and Jacob's God.
As
a child I was taught about God in Sunday school. At the time, (is my
memory, anyway) all the children in my home village went in Sunday
school. Sunday school was held in a small chapel in the village and
you got an hour of education every Sunday morning. The adults in the
village were all more or less faithful but it was not that many who
attended the church service on Sundays. Surely many listened at the
church service that was broadcast on the radio every Sunday. In the
age 10-12 years you were too old for Sunday school and were instead
included in the juniors, also the mission of the Church's auspices. I
have two very vivid memories from that time.
When
I was around six years old, the following happened. I had put myself
in the evening but could not sleep. I was worried that I had
forgotten to thank God for something. Perhaps there was something I
had missed. I lay there in bed and counted out than the one than the
other and thanked God. It seemed to never end. There was so much to
thank him for. But I was afraid of having missed something so I went
on and on thanking. Suddenly occurred as follows. I got to experience
something that I never before or since have experienced, at least not
to that extent. I felt a stream of "water" as an internist
shower from the head down through my whole body out of the arms and
legs, very pleasantly and I became completely calm. All the anxiety
was gone and I fell asleep. As a child I never told anyone about
this, but God had actually allowed me to understand by a physical
touch that he was a reality.
So
to my next memory. As a junior (11-12 years), I was once at a camp.
It was summer and we spent the nights in tents. An evening beside the
campfire one of the leaders preached. The sermon was about Jesus'
return and the rapture of all Jesus-believers, to meet him in the
skies. The preacher told us to take a decisive decision to follow
Jesus. He warned us for being left behind that day/moment when the
believers would be raptured. If the rapture would happen tonight you
don't want to wake up tomorrow and discover that you are left behind.
I remember very well how the preacher called on us. I then felt that
I was longing to determine me for Jesus, but I didn't take the
decisive step. Perhaps the most of us was a little bit surprised by
the sermon. My memory is that not many people responded to the
preacher's exhortations. However, I well remember one guy who decided
for Jesus at this time. He was overjoyed after his decision for Jesus
and the next day he said I think on several occasion "I am
wonderfully saved" and shone like the sun of happiness. I
remember that I was jealous of him. God forgive me that I did not
take a decisive step on this opportunity.
Time
passed. At night before I fell asleep, I always prayed my evening
prayer and the Lord's Prayer (the prayer that Jesus taught us) and on
the days I was like everyone else. Perhaps there was something inside
me that on some occasions did that I behaved differently in view of
my touch with God every evening. Finally it came to a crucial. I
wanted to live like my friends. I was 17 years old and had moved out
to a town to educate me to engineering. My evening prayers bothered
me more and more and I decided to stop praying. I had to push myself,
but finally they were gone and I was free to live as my friends. God,
how could I do that? So naively, especially considering that you once
revealed you to me. Forgive, forgive, forgive. Maybe I was never free
from God in the sense that God was still watching me. From my side
more or less God disappeared. Things got so bad that I no longer
believed God existed, or perhaps you could say it was a non-issue. It
would now be many years before something happened.
When
I was about 35 years old my mother asked me to read a book that she
had bought. I promised mom that I would read it. I'm not quite sure
but I think it was in connection with a visit to mom. That means a
car trip of 420 kilometers. The time for the trip was approaching. I
thought it was the best for me to have read the book as I promised
before I met my mom. The title of the book was "What happens
after death?" The author was a Christian and was based on what
is known as classical Bible teaching. The author just believed what
it says in the Bible and that the Bible is the Word of God. I did not
expect to be influenced by the content. I was used to decide what I
would like and think and be influenced by. But this time following
happened. The message of the book touched me very strongly. I got
distress for my life and for what I have done over the years. It was
a total surprise. I closed myself and I didn't show to anybody the
trouble I had in my heart. I went maybe a couple of weeks with this
distress as simply tormented me. So one night, very late and in my
loneliness, I prayed a short prayer, without really knowing why. It
was not a dramatic decision and I had no expectations. I cannot
remember the prayer but I got to a point where I asked for
forgiveness for my sins and let Jesus take over in my life. Then it
happened, a complete surprise it was. There came a wind from the side
and it went through my body and I felt it physically and it took away
all the distress and anxiety that burdened me, but not only that, it
filled me with joy and peace. What a surprise. No expectations, and
then I feel a wind that blows through the body. Very strange to feel
a wind that blows through the body. Then it dawned on me. It is TRUE,
That is true what is written in the Bible. Once again, it dawned on
me. GOD EXISTS and through his son Jesus Christ we are forgiven and
reconciled with him. To call this event as a surprise is far too
mildly. It was a shock, a shock of joy, Hallelujah. So became even I
"wonderfully saved," just like the guy at the camp for
juniors. Thanks to God.
When
I write this testimony, 29 / 3 in 2011, I am 68 years old. Over many
years I have been belonging to God. God has not stopped to bless me
with physical touches. These blessings have been strongly linked to
the name of JESUS. Much more wonderful has happened to me in my walk
with God, but nothing has probably been as wonderful as getting the
revelation of the TRUTH. It fitted me like a glove. Something that
God longs to reveal to every man. How could I once in my youth leave
God? The best for every human being is that early in the childhood
decide to follow/go with God and never leave him. I got a second
chance. I could have been LOST. Thanks to God for my mother's prayers
and GOD's PROMISES to her. AMEN.
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