MY NAME IS JAMES EDWARD GREEN (MEMBER OF THE BODY OF ELDERS ) AGE 53 @ OWTHCAF
I must begin by saying that I thank God for Jesus, If It had not been for Him giving His life for me, I would not be writing these words of testimony.
I am Bro James Green, I feel it necessary for me to share with you, our readers, some of my lifes experiences. First. I was born in a small town in the state of Arkansas, (Montrose) county.
Father( Allen Green) Mother( Georgia Green) To them, I was born, along with nine (9) others, four sisters and five brothers. Five of us born in the state of Arkansas, and the other five born in the state of Illinois, and in the state of Missouri. Our journey didn't end in the state of Arkansas, it took us to the state of lllinois, (Chicago) and then, to Missouri, (St. Louis). This is where I reside at this present time.
We lived in poverty as other that were poor, and no other income except for public assistance. Living in housing provided for us by the state of course, this place was in the project. Housing that had nine (9) floors, and housed about,107 different families. Our lives to us at that time, seemed to be a normal, and healthy one, but not one without its share of troubles. I went to school, and did good as one possibly could have under such conditions.
My father was not always there for us. He was in and out of our lives. Didn't always have the " finest things in life", but God supplied our needs. We were, I thought a close and healthy family. Until one day tragedy struck the Green family. At the age of sixteen, (16) my Dear mother was taken from us, by the hands of another woman, and neighbor, such a senseless, and undeserving, disregard for human life. Not that anyone should take anothers life for any reason, Its was just foolish, and so cold-hearted. Just because my brother was riding his bike on the open breezeway, (our porch). She, my mother was killed. Shot down in the prime of Her life, she was only (38) years old. This tragedy in my live sent me in another direction, I was seeking for some peace, joy, and happiness. We had gone to what we thought to have been "Church" most of our childhood lives. The people sang songs, testified, spoke in tongues, and they danced, and the preacher "preached" as we knew preaching to be. To try to make this, not only hard, tragic time in my life better, I just made things worse. I started using drugs, what they called no harm, like cigarettes, drank wine, and whiskey, beer. Not only those, but others, like Marijuana. As you can see, that I had started down a road that would bring me more hardship than that I had already experienced. To lose a loveone in such away, was not only painful, but catastrophic. So now what must I do?
After struggling with staying in school and trying to make the best of life, making some good and bad decisions. Before I would drop out of school, I decided to enlist in the Military. At just seventeen (17) this was a major dicision for me. I served in the Armed Forses, for three years, didn't find peace there, just introduction of more drugs, That is when I turned to using chemicals. First was (sniffing), this was done by taking whatever form of drugs in a powder and sniff it through your nostril. Then (shooting) drugs, where one would take a hypodermic and inject (Heroin or cocaine) into their vein, not knowing, weather they would live, or die, and at the time didn't care, just wanted to get "high". It didn't stop there, there were more drugs, upper, downer, hash, made from Opium, and on. You would think that after all this experimentation, one would come to a conclusion, that what he or she was looking for was just not there. Peace, Joy, and Happiness, could only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, I didn't kow this at that time.
After all that I had gone through, there were some accomplishment in my life, that I was not ashamed of. Then I was discharged (Honorably). Yes my search was one that I wouldn't wish upon any other human being. If I could just help some one that is out there traveling down that same path, and encourage them so they would't have to venture down such a road. That is why I am sharing my testimony with the world.
There were times when I felt like others, just giving up. Thank God that I didn't give up on my search for true peace, which was found in Him (Jesus). Like I said I got discharged from the service, went to the church I attended as child. There I found one part of me that was missing, that was my wife. Yes in 1975 I got married, and am still married to that lovely wife of mine, to this day, and only death shall seperate us, as beleived and stated in Gods' word. There was yet something missing. I beleived that I was saved, I had repented of my sins, and at that time was baptized saying Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Didn't know my sins were still on me. I am so glad that after hearing for the first time in my life, the true plan of salvation, that my response wasn't that I have already been baptized. I lifted up my hands to God, and surrendered. Then God opened my understanding as He did those Apostles as to what I must do to recieve remission of sins, in the scriptures. I repented of my sins and was baptized in water in the name of Jesus christ, for the remission of my sins . KJV. I had already recieved the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. Then I had completed my search for peace, joy, and happiness. My friend, peace can only be found for any person, and their true purpose on earth for which God has placed them, when they, hear the Gospel and obey it, in it's fullness.
MY DEAR FRIEND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEARCH YOUR OWN BIBLE AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES, GODS' PLAN FOR YOU
Obeyacts 2:38.
1st Peter 3:19-21
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
ALTHOUGH JESUS IS COMMING TO JUDGE THE WORLD, THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR ALL MANKIND. THAT HOPE ONLY CAN COME TO MAN BY THE WAY OF REPENTANCE. OBEY ACTS 2:38
Yes I am a beast, But there are beast that don' t look like me. FEROCIOUS as I might
seem, they are more FEROCIOUS. Just click in my mouth
JUDE 10-13
But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
KJV........
So you say that you believe in your hart, Do you?
Well God didn't ask you to believe in your hart. He (Jesus)
commanded us to repent. Just take a look at this, if you insist on religion. What the lord is going to do to them that obey not the gospel. I'll Bold It for you.
2nd Thessalonians
1:6-9
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Man didn't believe this, just like he don't beleive that God also is going to destroy the world with fire next time. Yes it will happen my friend, just look at what God says in his word. .
Yes it rained fourty days and fourty nights, thus the whole world perished because God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5 KJV The rain continued for the time God said and then stoped. I want you to know my friend that the next time it will be fire.
Please look carefully an this passage.
2nd Peter 3:5-10 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Yes Next
Time
Now The Works Of The Flesh Are Manifest
Which Are These
Galatians 5:19-21
(1) Adultery: Marital Infidelity Lack of faith or belief in a Religion, Breach of trust and unfaithfulness.
(2) Fornication: To have Illicit sexual intercourse, Not permitted, Not allowed and unlawful.
(3) Uncleanness: The quality or state of - uncleanly, Morally unclean, impure, physically unclean: dirty, filthy, nasty, foul. (Unholy & Defiled)
(4) Lasciviousness: Lustful, Lewd, Tending to arouse sexual desire. The very suggestion of.
(5) Idolatry: Worship of physical object as a god. esp: such worship of a made image, all other that God.
(6) Witchcraft: Wizard, witch + craft, An act of instance of employing sorcery with malevolent: Having showing or indicative of intense often vicious or hatred.
(7) Hatred: Hate: A general attitude of prejudiced hostility toward a group, Animosity: Hatred
(8) Variance: the fact quality, or state of being variable or variant, subject to change, to be at difference with.
(9) Emulations: A striving by imitation to equal others in accomplishment or equality, a striving to excel others as in competitions.
(10) Wrath: A strong enraged feeling expressed Vehemently and accompanied by bitterness.
(11) Strife: the state or condition of distrust or enmity: Often bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension
Act of contention, compete for power or authority.
(12) Seditions: An insurrection against constituted authority, tumult caused by dissension partisan hatred, or discontent < by reason of inequalities.
(13) Heresies: Adherence to a Religious opinion that is contrary to an established dogma of a church.
(14) Envyings: To feel envy towards or on account of: resentful.
(15) Murders: to kill, to slaughter in a brutal manner, the crime of killing.
(16) Drunkenness: The condition of being drunk with alcohol, mental or emotional Extravagance.
(17) Revellings: To be festive in a riotous or noisy manner, indulge or take part in a revel. And such like
Coming soon-The works of the flesh........
Yes my friend,
God ordained marrage between man and woman. Not man and man , or woman and woman.
Lets look at what the scriptures say about what a man should do when he leaves home. It states in St. Mark 10, 6-9 KJV " But from the beginning of the creation God made male and female.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wive; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder". We have today in our society those who think that God's word can be changed. I would have you to know that this is not possible. If you look at Romans 3,3 KJV it would state this. " For what if some did not believe? shall their unblief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY SAYINGS, AND MIGHTEST OVERCOME WHEN THOU ART JUDGED.
THAT THOU MIGHTEST BE JUSTIFIED IN THY SAYINGS, AND MIGHTEST OVERCOME WHEN THOU ART JUDGED.