WHO I AM

by Frances Milikin

This is a completely different blog posting than I have done in the past and I don’t know exactly why I am writing this one.  Because we are in a world-wide pandemic - The CoronaVirus - I have been praying and reading my Bible more than usual looking for comfort, peace, and why this is happening in our world.  During these days, life has become more precious than ever before to me and I pray often during the day for our family and friends to stay well.

Maybe this is why the Holy Spirit has been telling me to write down my testimony of my salvation.  It is like many others have experienced but a little different than some.  I tried to tell Him I didn’t need to write this but He has not let me ignore His urgings to write my testimony for others to read.  Not sure how this is going to look but I am obeying the Holy Spirit and here goes.

My parents were Christians and lived their faith in service to the Lord.  They were active in Camden Baptist Church and we were brought up to go to church whenever the doors opened, so to speak.  Our home was a Christian home with blessings before meals, family devotional time every night, and abounding with love for the Lord and each other.  Our parents gave us a Godly example to follow and we followed their example.

As young children, we were taught by our parents and our teachers in the church to love and serve God and live like Jesus.  We were active in all church activities and in time, we all accepted Jesus as our Savior and were baptized.

 For me, I was 8 years old and became a good Baptist. As I became older  I continued to do what was expected of me, became a pretty good Bible scholar, participated in ALL church activities and lived a Godly life. Not that I was perfect by any means, for that is impossible.  I am not going to tell you all the times I did not live up to God’s standards for those are between me and God.

I married a Godly man, had 2 children, and walked and talked like a Christian.  I knew the language, I knew how to live the Christian life, I taught others in church, sang in the choir, played the piano, and on and on and on.  You get the idea.  I did the right things and said the right words.

I was a good person who lived like a Christian should and was very knowledgeable about the Bible, God and Jesus and never  realized there was anything wrong until one night. That was the night that changed my life for eternity and I am so thankful it did.

One Sunday night, I went to church service at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church near Columbus MS alone.  Not sure why Roy and Becky were not with me but I sat alone on the back row.  I cannot tell you what our pastor preached, what song we were singing for invitation but it was like a storm entered my body and I knew without question that I was a lost sinner and had never in all my 40 years repented of my sins, acknowledged that I needed Jesus as my Savior and asked Him to be Lord of my life. I was aware that if I had died at that moment, I would surely go to Hell. 

Not thinking about what people would think or say, I hurried down that church aisle and took my pastor’s hand and told him I wanted to accept Jesus as my Savior and be baptized.  With a look of shock on his face, he asked me if I was sure of what I was doing and with a big smile, I said I knew exactly what I was doing. He prayed for me and I asked for believer’s baptism since I had been baptized to become a church member not a Christian.  He agreed after questioning me some more and realized I knew what I was doing.

To shorten the story, my family was surprised but pleased that I had made this decision.  Did my life change?  Not much outwardly for I was already living the life, but not as a child of God living in the Kingdom of God.  Inwardly I was a totally new person for when we accept Jesus as our Savior he makes us a new person as he says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  The Holy Spirit who lives within me guides and directs me as I walk through life.

Am I now sinless and perfect?  No, for we all sin and fall short of God’s perfection but the Holy Spirit now convicts me when I sin and I have the blessing to confess my sin and ask God for forgiveness which He freely gives me and erases the sin. I now know without a doubt that I will live in the House of the Lord forever and will have a more fulfilling life here on earth.

This does not mean I won’t have struggles, illness, pain, difficulties and all the other hardships that everyone has but I have a Savior who will walk with me, guide and direct me, and carry me through whatever happens.  This is the peace and joy that a Christian has that is priceless.

I could go on forever about how my life changed and what it means to be a Christian but that would take volumes.  If you have any questions, please message me and I will try to answer them.  I do encourage you to follow this link if you are not a Christian to find out how you can also have this wonderful life. 
http://www.sbc.net/knowjesus/theplan.asp

This has been difficult for me to do because I did not want to say that I had lived a lie for so many years but I have realized that some may be living like I did.  We can be good people, do all the right things, say all the right words, but still not be saved.  I prayed and prayed about if and how to write this but if you have stayed with me this long, thank you.  The Holy Spirit led me to do this and I could not say “no” another day. Please know I wrote this with humility and want to only honor God the Father and in NO way to point to me.  Give God the glory and praise.

I have reached the stopping point and I pray this will touch at least one life for Jesus for I believe that is why I had to write this.  If you would like to share a decision with me, it will be in total confidence and I will pray for you as you begin a new life. May God bless each of you.

Frances