Testimonies

In an effort to put an application for a sermon, that Pastor Schuppe gave, on July 15, 2007 we are inviting you to briefly share some thing that God has done for you this week. Please send your submission to:emmiem@juno.com and they will be collected for posting.

Those who know me also know that I do not give testimonies. This one instance however I really feel the need. I truly am not a person that allows my own illnesses to hold me down and if it is something I can fix on my own I'm going to try my best. "God helps those who helps themselves," and all that. Well, about 3 years ago I found a lump. I was told it was fluid filled and it would go away on its own and be absorbed back in my body. After 2 years of several doctors telling me this I got fed up and popped it on my own. This marble size lump in my breast then became a protruding golf ball sized infection that took several doses of severe antibotic treatments over several months to get rid of. It left for about a week. I then developed another marble sized lump in the original spot. Bare with me. I'm getting there.

I went for a mammogram on Friday (8-9-07) and found that I didn't have just the one lump but a second one that is also forming. I was told that one was fluid filled and would burst on it own and the other was benign. I have to go back in 6 months for a check up.

What did I get out of this? God does things in His time. Not when I want them done. I was tired of worrying about the lump so I decided to get rid of it. I should have turned it over to God in the first place and let Him do His will in His time in the first place. Instead I decided I could handle it without Him. He had enough to deal with without that little marble. If it got serious then I would bother him. Ha! Maybe he didn't want to blast me with the serious stuff to get my attention. Maybe he wanted to start with a marble instead of a golf ball to wake me up. What if a golf ball or 2 marbles hadn't woken me up? What would have been next? How often do we miss the marbles and only see the serious stuff?

I had the privilege of watching a master carpenter at work when my grandfather was alive. He was one of the top carpenters at a casket factory in Fond du lac, Wisconsin and built their most expensive caskets. I don’t know if you have ever seen a master at work, but he was fun to watch because he was good. I now realize how much I learned just by being around him. We had another master with us this past Sunday evening, David Wilson. I sat there thinking about the fact that this man has started churches and ministries in 12 countries around the world. It was encouraging to hear just how he did it, and still does it. He goes out on a street, gets his paint board out, and presents the gospel. “Sometimes,” he says, “you can start a church after one meeting, because so many people come to Christ.” I would love to be involved in that kind of outreach, and it was a joy to hear him talk. At the same time all he wanted to do was thank us for supporting him. BBC has been instrumental in starting churches in 12 countries! Wow! God is good just to give us the opportunity. Pray for Dave and Elaine Wilson. God is using them greatly. - js

When I got saved I had a desire to teach Sunday school. I attended Riverdale Baptist church when it was still in Riverdale. There was a great bus ministry where children were bused to church so there was a great number of children. For instance the sixth grade class had around 65 kids. I taught one of the sixth grade girls classes where there were 11 girls in my class. (there were 3 other sixth grade girls teachers.) The Sixth Grade Sunday school superintendent , Jim Gardner, was a soul winning dynomo and he pulled me asside when I first came and showed me how to lead someone to Christ. He told me to keep one girl after class and witness to them so I did. I also visited my class ,with another of the teachers, in their individual homes and was able to lead their relatives to Christ. It was a blessed time in my life. CW

My lifestyle has immediately and drastically changed, recently which necessitates someone coming in to help me with medicine after lunch. God has been so gracious in gathering a group of neighbors and Christian friends that will come in to help me at lunchtime each weekday. An added feature to my need is that my spoiled puppy enjoys being let out at noontime for a few minutes, so his needs are taken care of as well. God mercifully takes care of each of his creations. - esm