THE TESTIMONY OF ONE WHO PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE! It was the fall of 1960 when our jet landed at O'Hare Field. I was one of three boys from a small fishing village on the coast of Maine who had decided to attend a technical school in Chicago. Away from home and the restraints of parents for the first time and the excitement of being in a large city was almost overwhelming. The school was set up so students could attend six hours of classes in the morning or in the afternoon. This allowed us to work their way through school.... which is what we had to do. It was this first job that was going to plant a seed that would eventually change my life for ever... and I do mean for eternity! To understand the significance of what happened, you must know something of my family background. My parents were moral and hard working, making a living from the fishing industry at a time when factories were closing and the economy was going from bad to worse. It was a given that every one worked. After working several summers in the sardine processing plant, it was also a given that if I was going to earn a living I would have to look else where. If the economic conditions were poor, the spiritual conditions in town were far worse. It was not that crime and evil doings were that evident, it was that there appeared to be no difference between those people who went to church and those of us who didn't. Perhaps this was the reason our family never went to church and why religious things were never a topic of conversation, the Bible was never read or discussed at home. The philosophy of my father was to work hard, do your best in every endeavor, persevere, and above all remember your word is your bond. In other words, be hard working, honest, and self reliant. Now back to my first job in Chicago, I was working the morning shift with six or eight other boys from my tech school at a greeting card company, printing names on Christmas cards. We were typical 18yr olds carrying on like you might expect from kids away from family restraints. We were rowdy, loud, used abusive language, and engaged in far too much horse play than what would be considered safe. However we managed to do our work without serious mishap. I bring this up because the boys who relieved us were just the opposite. They were well groomed, neat, quiet spoken, and were serious about life. I came to learn that these guys were students from Moody Bible Institute. I had never heard of M.B.I.; nor was I interested in having any religious influence in my life. My goals were to finish school, and get into as much mischief along the way as money and time would allow. I realize now that it was a grace from God that I had very little money or time to pursue the later. As time went on I became acquainted with one of the guys from M.B.I., although I don't remember him speaking to me about eternal things [I didn't have a mind to listen anyway] something very important was happening. As I watched David, I came to realize that he was the first "Christian" I had ever met whose life style was different and better than mine. I didn't know what it was that made him different, but I knew it was real, it was good, and I didn't have it. I also deceived myself into believing I didn't need it,for I was doing just fine without religion. During my two years in Chicago, I found life to be more difficult than I had expected. There were times when I needed help, encouragement, guidance, and someone to talk to, but when one is self sufficient there is no one else to turn to. After finishing tech school I moved to Connecticut to work and wait for the Selective Service to call me. This was again a time lacking in religious or spiritual input. It was a time to play and rest from the rigors of the two previous years. In November of 1963 I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and went to Lackland AFB, San Antonio Texas, for basic training. A few days into our training our T.I. assembled us in flight formation and announced that President Kennedy had just been shot and that all the military was put on full alert. This caused me to think more seriously about the future. My military career was suddenly brought into focus. After basic training, I stayed on at Lackland for another eight months attending electronic cryptographic school. When assigned my permanent duty station at the crypto depot on Kelly AFB, I was delighted to finally be loose from the stigma of Lackland, but disappointed that my permanent base was just one mile down the street. My new work was exciting, I applied myself, did well, attended several schools on new equipment, was selected Airman of the Quarter and chosen for several special projects. My work was advancing, but my personal life was not. I became entangled in drinking and other activities that could have cost me my security clearance, had something supernatural not pulled me off that down hill spiral to self destruction. One day I was working through my lunch hour to finish a difficult repair, my patience was exhausted, as I removed a small component it flew out of my hand and fell to the floor. As I kneeled down to look for it, I noticed someone standing by my bench... Martin leaned over and said "Ed, you're looking for something.... why don't you come to church." I knew what I was looking for was not going to be found in his church, and I was in no state of mind to get into a conversation with a holy Joe, so to get rid of him I told him to write the address down and one day I'd go. (By the way, I had noticed that Martin had that same "something" that my friend in Chicago had). That evening, because the trash can was clean and I didn't want anything in it, I tossed the paper into the junk drawer and forgot about it. Several weeks later I began to think about my promise and what my dad taught me about a person's word being his bond.. I decided to fulfill my obligation on the last Sunday of the month. That was because I would be broke and not able to go out drinking the night before, I wouldn't be going to church with a hang over, and besides, there was nothing else to do. It was a small church building and I sat near the back so I could escape quickly after the meeting was over. On the way out I passed a tract rack. For some reason I noticed that one of the tracts was written by the man who spoke that day, so I took one and carried it back to the barracks... it also went into the junk drawer. From time to time after that Martin would stop by my work bench and invite me back to church, but I had learned my lesson and made no commitments. My personal life was continuing its down hill slide, I didn't notice the change until it was brought to my attention in an unusual way. Several months later I picked up the habit of going to my second story barracks window every morning when I got up to check the weather... There was no reason to do this since the weather was always the same, clear and hot. As I peered out I noticed two Airmen who had finished the midnight shift come out of their work place, walk in front of my barracks, cross over the street and go into the Airman's Club. It was evident from their age, lack of any military bearing, and lack of stripes, that these had at one time held the rank of Master Sgt. or higher, but because of bad conduct they had been demoted and now were drinking away the remainder of their time until they retired. How disgusting it was to observe such a lack of dedication. It represented everything my dad had taught against. I observed this display day after day as I went to check the weather, but one day I could almost hear a voice say "Edward, in twenty years this could be you". I chuckled the first few time the "thought" came to me, but day after day as these men passed my window these same words came to mind. After a week or so the words chanded to "Edward, this is you in twenty years"! Now this started to bother me. Reflecting upon my life, I began to realize that I was no longer in control, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change! Despair began to take over. It was the last weekend in the month, being broke, I had to stay in the barracks. With nothing to do except think.... The more I thought, the more depressed I became. My self reliance had failed me, my determination was gone, and my hard work was in vane. All I had left was my honesty, and that was telling me I was a complete failure! In a last ditch effort to fight off the reality of the moment, I went to the junk drawer to find something to read, anything to get my mind off my failure.... all I had was one gospel tract! What I read was not comforting: Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;..." Romans 3:10 " As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:11 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Romans 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." I could easily see myself as the sinner spoken of in these verses, but it was the next verse that brought home the reality of the situation! Romans 6:23a "For the wages of sin is death;....." God's justice demands punishment of the guilty, I was guilty and DEATH was what I had earned! As I thought about my helpless condition, I came to know that there was nothing I could do to escape the judgment I so rightly deserved. I knew in my heart, that if something didn't happen that night, I would be forever tormented in the Lake of Fire. As I continued to read, the author of the tract began to talk about the one who came to be my substitute, to pay the penalty I owed, who was put to death because of my sin.. That this person could pay the price because He was "the righteous one", the one in whom was no sin, the Son of God, Jesus Christ the Righteous One! I kept on reading: Romans 6:23b "....but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Ephesians 5:1 "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; Ephesians 5:2 "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Romans 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Thus understanding how a sinner could be justified, forgiven and declared righteous in Jesus Christ, I went to Him in prayer knowing: Romans 10:13. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The next day being Sunday I went to church again, this time the load of sin and guilt were lifted, and I was living a new life "in Christ Jesus" I had passed from being dead in Adam to being alive in Christ! 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:18 "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, ..." 2 Corinthians 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:20 "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. I recognized I was a sinner deserving hell, I called upon The Lord, He paid my debt by taking upon Himself my sin, carried that sin to the cross, washed away my sin by His blood, gave me new life, and imputed to me His Righteousness! Now for over thirty five years I have found Him and His word faithful and true. Praise be to Him, now and ever more. ________________________________________________________________
