Wed, Jul 20th - 7:16AM

My Testimony

My Testimony

I graduated high school in 1974 in Lubbock, TX. I began to attend college and was not real serious about it. Consequently, I was not doing very well. In the spring of 1975, a group of us found out our touch football intramural class was cancelled. So we began to play by ourselves. I broke my collar bone making the game saving tackle, ha!

I joined the army in April of 1975 and everything went pretty well until I went to Germany in 1976. I was stationed in Augsburg, Germany. I had met a young lady at the dining facility we ate at. We’ll call her Debbie. Debbie and I hit it off pretty good. We spent some good clean times together. She was a chaplain’s assistant on another post. After a few months she was transferred to another post in Augsburg. After her transfer we didn’t see each other again.

I quickly found out that the majority of the guys in my battalion were drunks or alcoholics. It wasn’t long before I began to get involved in both activities. There were times I was sober for a while. During these times I would take trips with other GIs or play softball in a league. Other times I had gotten involved in the servicemen’s drama group. I helped build sets for 2 plays, Count Dracula and Jesus Christ Superstar. The Count Dracula play was especially good and had lots of special effects in it. Little did I know it would have a tremendous impact upon me later.

I had gotten deeply involved in drugs. I mainly did hash and drank, sometimes for days on end. One day I as loaded as I had could remember when I heard an explosion in my head. I thought I was going to die right there and then. In my mind I cried out, “O God, I’ve had a blood vessel explode in my head and I’m going to bleed to death.” I was scared of dying.

I wished I could tell you that I stopped using drugs after that incident, but I didn’t. I got more and more involved in the drug and drinking scene. It was like a slippery slope. The closer I got, the easier it was to fall in. At this same time, I got involved in a gang called the Reese Barracks Liberation Army (RBLA). We basically had drug and alcohol fueled parties. Some of the guys were known to use bats to break out the windows of officers cars or destroy other people’s private property. The whole attitude was to drown out everything around us with drugs and alcohol, because we had a don’t care attitude about life.

My grandfather got ill in October 1977 and I was able to take emergency leave to be with him as he passed. His death affected me a lot. While with my family stateside, I stayed sober and clean for 30 days. I was trying to fool everyone, including myself. I was the biggest fool for trying to be the perfect person.

When I arrived back at the unit in Germany, I didn’t skip a beat. I went back headlong into drugs and drinking again. After a while I began to deal hash and use at the same time. I was using most of the drugs I had bought to sell for my own habit. I couldn’t wait for lunch or after hours to get high or drunk to cover the pain, grief and loneliness.

In February 1978, a young man who was in our unit went on a retreat and gave his life to Christ. He was a young man just like I was, using drugs and drinking lots. After returning to the unit he was killed when he was pinched between two vehicles after only 3 days back in the unit. I asked questions of people who knew him and they told me he had changed on that trip.

I was due to be discharged from the army in April 1978. So, while waiting for April, I was put on the gate as a guard to check everyone’s IDs as they entered the post. I had been promoted to E-5 a few months earlier and was made the sargent of the guard. I worked at night on the gate and one of my responsibilities was to check all the buildings and motor pools to make sure they were secure. As I made my rounds checking everything I would pass the motor pool where the young man died; It was like I could almost see him lying there after his death. There were lots of shadows around the post and as I waked by them, I was afraid Count Dracula was going to jump out and get me. I was so paranoid from the drugs and other activities I was involved in; I was living in complete fear, fear of everything.

About this time, I saw Debbie again. But I only saw her for a minute or so. Just long enough for her to invite me to a revival that was being held on another post. There was something different about her. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I wanted it.

I had a few hours before it started so I went back to the barracks. I got out the bible I had been given and told God, “If you’re real, Prove It!” I let the bible fall open on the desk and read where it opened. It opened to Matthew 25. It talked about 10 virgins. I didn’t understand what it meant.

When I arrived at the revival that night, What did the speaker speak on? Matthew 25, the parable of the 10 virgins and being ready for the return of Jesus. I was all ears. God had gotten my attention. The revival lasted for 7 days and each night I ended up on my face. I had come face to face with a holy God and I saw how filthy I was. The last night when I got up off of the floor after receiving Jesus, I felt squeaky clean inside. Remember what glass sounds when it is clean, that’s how I felt inside, squeaky clean. I didn’t have any desire for the drugs and alcohol at all. It was gone! I had never felt so good before. I had peace in my heart and mind that no drug high or drunk could ever begin to come close to.

A place was provided off post for me to stay so I could stay away from all the influences there. It was a Christian servicemen’s center which was operated by the Assembly of God. It was truly a Godsend. I’d ride my bicycle to post and man the gate daily. I was so very glad I didn’t have to go back to the old life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

By receiving Jesus, I had been made a new creation. Truly, the old Keith had passed away. Keith had become a new creation. I was made new from the inside. The benefits of that decision are still vibrant and available even after 38 years.

God changed my life at that revival. He can do the same for you right where you are, right now.

First, you must believe that Jesus came in the flesh, died, and rose again for you. You also must say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord of your life, that’s confessing Him.

Romans 10:9-10

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.