The Worst of Sinners ~
The Best of Grace and Mercy
“And the
grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I
am foremost of all.
Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost,
Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who
would believe in Him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:14-16 NASB).
At seven years of age my grandmother took me to see The Ten
Commandments movie by Cecile B DeMille. I was spellbound by Moses standing on a
cliff, ready to open the Red Sea, declaring “Be still and see the salvation of
the Lord!” “God will fight for you this day!” My continued prayer each night
for many years was God use my life like you did Moses.
My grandmother was an ordained Four Square Preacher.
However, Grandma had a drinking problem that overtook her life and ministry.
She fell from ministry and left our lives at the request of my mother. Grandma
came to see me late one night at my bedroom window. I believe I was age ten at
that time. She gave me a Bible and said this book would be my life. She talked
about the dedication to the Lord of the first born male child. I was the first
born. She prayed for me with power and conviction that I would serve the Lord.
I never saw my grandmother again.
My grandmother, mother, father and stepfather all drank
heavily and had morality issues. As I grew with no guidance in faith, I was
lost to the world of drinking, drugs, and immorality.
The Lord had heard my prayer as a young child to serve Him,
and I believe the dedication prayer of my grandmother. At age 27, I found the
Lord and immediately entered Bible College. In college I learned the Bible well
but had not learned the power of God to transform my life. I was able to keep
the drinking, drugs and immorality at bay during college. Soon after graduation
while in my first preaching ministry the strongholds of these sins overtook my
life once again. I had learned the theology of God’s Word but missed its life.
I was still dead in my trespasses and sin. Like my grandmother, I fell from the
ministry. I lost everything including family, ministry, reputation, and church.
In my fallen state, I embraced the darkness. The lustful
desires of my heart were on fire and could not be quenched. Indeed I became one
of the worst of all sinners. There was not much that I did not experience.
After thirteen years of wondering in darkness, sin had destroyed
me. All that was left of my life was ruined. There was only heartache, and the
pain of an empty, unfulfilled life. Finally, in desperation I fell to my knees
and asked God if he could forgive me. I asked if possible I could have a little
happiness in this life.
My hope was forgiveness. My continued pain was the
unfulfilled life of serving my Lord. A strong desire to serve God had never
left me. I concluded that my sins were too great for Him to restore my life
into His service.
But to my amazement, God was to take the broken pieces of my
life and not only forgive me, but restore me into a powerful ministry that I
could never have imagined.
My heart was broken, and God would use my broken heart to
save me from the ravages of sin. I was to learn the depths of not only His
forgiveness, but also His grace and mercy. Like the Apostle Paul I was to
declare that if God could forgive and use the worst of sinners, me, he can
forgive and restore you as well.
One night I went to a church service. It was a church that
did not know me from the past. I sat in the back ready to make a quick exit
after the service. I did not want to answer the probing questions that would
embarrass me to say I was once a pastor, but I had fallen from the ministry. My
life is now in ruin.
At the end of the service, the pastor started talking about
communion. He talked about our Lord’s sacrifice of his blood and life for my
sins. He told of the resurrection and the hope of eternal life. I wanted to run
out the door, but I was glued to the chair. Tears were shooting from eyes as
the emblems came to me. Never did our Lord’s Supper mean so much to me as then.
When I arrived home, I said to the Lord you arrange that just for me, thank
you!
I wanted to go to church regularly now. My new Christian
wife from our Lord and I found a church. I took the pastor to coffee. I wanted
to tell him who I was, a fallen pastor. Part way through my story he stopped me
and said he also fell, and God had restored his life and ministry. Then he said
life changing words to me. He said, “God loves you Steve!” Oh, these words were
like cool water to a man dying of thirst.
For several years this pastor and other mentors taught me
how to live with God. They helped me back onto the path of life in our Lord! My
restoration into service was slowly. First I led a Bible study, then a life
group, then I became a board member, and finally an elder. Just a few years ago
I was ordained as a Pastor.
In 2005, I was given a $100 and asked to invest it in the
Kingdom of God as an illustration of the Parable of the Talents. I prayed that
God would show me how to use the $100. I asked God if I could be a part of
whatever blessing it became. At that same time my wife’s sister in the
Philippines was praying for a church in her remote community. I enlisted the
help of others and that $100 became Grace Chapel. We attended its dedication in
2006.
For the next several years, my Lord continued to grow my
relationship with Him. In 2011, my family and I moved to the Philippines as
missionaries. Now in 2014 we were 22 new churches in remote areas of the
Philippines. We have many care programs in the name of our Lord Jesus. These
ministries of love are regular feedings for malnourished children, school
scholarships the less fortunate children, health programs, and support for
pastors, clothing programs, and most of all the hope of our Lord Jesus and His
saving mercy and grace. Many lives and communities are being transformed with
the loving care of our Lord.
My life is fulfilled and overflowing. The prayer of that
seven-year-old boy, me, is being answered.
“God is fighting for you this day!”
“See the salvation of our LORD!”
