Introduction
What is your one and only need? What do you most rely on, desire, and pursue? When you die, what will your testimony be: will you have sought after something worth seeking, or will your legacy be full of empty promises and worldly pleasures? In today’s testimony challenge, Chuck gives his answer to this question and shares the story of his walk with Christ.
Run your race well, friends.
Accepting Jesus
I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior on October 10 in 1970. My church youth leader had recently trusted Christ as his Savior and brought someone to talk to us on our Halloween hayride and hot dog roast.
He shared with us 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 which says, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” This verse explains that if we believe in the power of the blood of Jesus to forgive us of our sins, He will give us a home in heaven when we die. He also used verses like John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Revelation 3:20 and 1 John 5:13 to explain what this meant.
I had previously read information about hell and was sure I did not want to go there. So, I was glad to know that Jesus Christ had taken my punishment so that I could be in a right relationship with God.
Irony, Confusion, and Commitment
I have actually been baptized three times. I was first baptized in our church to become a church member so that I could take communion. This was important to me only because it meant I got to eat something when communion was going on. It meant little else. The second time was through a church as a testimony to the fact that I had placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The third time was during my Bible College years. This was because the church I was teaching Sunday School in required all teachers to have been baptized in that specific church.
Living As a Child of God
I knew that I wanted to do something to serve God with all of my life, so I began to train as a pastor or missionary. My training led me to see that I most enjoyed connecting with people one-on-one. Because of this I pursued further education in counseling. I also lead marriage seminars internationally with my wife (Eileen) who I have been married to for forty-five years.
Currently, I serve as a licensed professional counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist at Total Life Counseling, Inc. I use sound biblical and psychological principles every day to help people bring balance and wholeness to their lives.
Living Out My Testimony: Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me
My current relationship with Christ is seen in my desire to let everything in my life bring honor and glory to Him. I desire to live each day submitting every decision to His will. Therefore, I am constantly seeking His wisdom for the words and behaviors that would most please Him. These are things I need each day with each person I counsel and with each decision I must make. Learning to love God first with my whole being helps me to properly relate to others.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” This provides hope for life, because God is the faithful One who has promised to provide the way of escape from any situation. Therefore, the peace of God in Phil. 4:7 is a constant reality as I continue to rely on Him.
