|
During the summer of 1965 I knelt at the front of a large church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
In those quiet moments, I bowed before the creator and placed my trust
and confidence in His Son, Jesus. My life has never been the same.
Many of my friends thought that I had simply had an emotional experience. They fully expected me to be back at the fraternity parties the next week on the university campus. I was well known for my partying spirit, heavy drinking, and love of chasing women. One of my friends laughed at me after I received Jesus into my life. He said, "Tippit, I'll give you two weeks, and then you'll be back to the same old life. This religion stuff just doesn't work. It's all emotional. Forget about Jesus. We are going down to the beach this weekend. We will all get drunk and have a great time. Come with us."
I said to him, "I can't. I've met the Son of the living God. I've never met anyone like Him. I want to be at the church this weekend to worship Him. I don't understand everything. All I know is that He has changed me on the inside, and I love Him. He's so wonderful!"
My friend went to the beach and got drunk that weekend. The following Monday evening he called me on the telephone and asked, "Sammy, can you come over to my house?" I need to talk with you." When I arrived at his home he told me, "All I could think about this weekend was what you told me about Jesus. I need Jesus."
Together we knelt and prayed. He confessed his sinfulness and his need for the Savior. In those moments his life was radically changed. Both of us had been changed from rebels to worshipers of the King of glory. The next several months began the journey upon which I have traveled for the past twenty-four years.
It has been a journey upon which I have come to know intimately the One who is worthy of our worship. Every day I have come to appreciate, love, and revere Him more.
In those early days of my Christian faith I didn't know much about the Bible or about the nature of God. However, church services became more thrilling to me. It was in them that I learned more about the savior's love for me.
My friends and I began meeting together on a small hill overlooking a lake near the capitol building of our state. We read the Bible, memorized Scripture, and sought the face of God. Those were some of the most precious moments of my life. In them I began to discover who God is. And in those moments I learned to revere and worship Him.
Every holiday season gave me the opportunity to know and understand the Savior more fully. During my first Christmas season as a Christian I joined some friends for a prayer meeting in a small country church. It was such a thrill to comprehend for the first time the true meaning of Christmas. It became a season of worship rather than merely a time to buy, sell, give, and receive. How wonderful it was to be able to know the God who so loved us that He gave His Son.
|
