MORE THAN A WITNESS

Psalm 19:7-11

“The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.  The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up.  The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.  They are more desirable than gold—than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb.  In addition, your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them.”

I’m a witness of these verses; in fact, I’m more than a witness; I’m a benefactor of the new life I have found in Jesus Christ.  But as a witness, I’ve watched it change not only my experience and Jan but so many others.  I’ve witnessed the total transformation in both actions and the complete change of a man's character.

It’s only after a man, woman, or child is in Christ that they desire to seek and study the precepts found in the Scriptures.  It is there my eyes were open to the reality only found in Christ, for He is the head of the Church, and the Creator of all that has been or will be. 

My story is I grew up in a small Baptist Church, from birth I was in church.   At a young age I was taught the Scriptures, but most of the messages seemed to be about not the joy of knowing God and having Him live and guide my life but fear of Him.  I was 27, and very much about self, I had many little gods in my life, but they did not, nor could they give me the peace and joy I longed for.  One day my barber asked me to go to a Bible study, I went because He was not the Bible study kind of guy; I was curious!  I left that Bible study with the intent of never going back, but each Wednesday for six months, I arranged my schedule to make the noon Bible study.  One late night in Victoria, Texas, I came back to my room after an evening at the bar and knew God was tired of my chasing after the world’s gods, and I opened a hotel Bible to Romans 10:9-10, and read these verses.  “ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”   

These are close to the words I said to the Lord at the age of 27; “Dear God, for months I’ve been trying to negotiate a deal with you, but you do not play that game, so tonight I come with nothing of value, only a sinful man, who needs a redeemer, please forgive my sins that are many and come live in my life.  And that night, Jesus came into me, and I came into Him, and my life began to change.

But I had a lot to forget, and God sent men into my life, Jack Archer an oilman was the first, and He taught me about God’s love for me, that was a new concept.  Then came Greg Hood and Ken Ryan, one was a younger man who walked by faith, that life was very frightening but also intriguing.  Ken Ryan was a man of the Word of God, he studied it, and he lived it out in front of me.  He would often ask me if I believed what we had just read in the Bible, and my reply was, you know I believe every word in the Bible.  Ken always came back with if you do, then why do you not live it out in your life?  It was those times I did not like Ken very much, but I love that man for telling me the truth. 

I could keep going for God who knows all, knew how thick my head was.  He sent so many men into my life, but it was Carroll Ray Jr. that invested in my life. God used that investment to teach me how to sit quietly in a room and wait for the Lord.  Carroll taught me how to love myself, and to love my wife.  It was Carroll that showed me a world that needed a man to walk with integrity, and my desire was to finish the race as he has done.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice