of Jim Davis, Colorado

   When I was growing up I had no interest in worshiping the Lord.  My family attended a Denver area  church and I dreaded having to go.  I could not wait for the Sunday sermon to be finished so I could get  out of there.  I thought it was a waste of time. I was about 15 years old when I stopped going  completely.

   In my early twenties I had a brief spark of interest in the Lord.  I began watching a tele-vision show  called the 700 Club.  I even bought a Bible and started reading it.  My interest died out quickly, however,  when the program was moved to a later time slot.  I never really thought much more about the Lord after  that.

   A few months ago, I began to experience a strong urge to know more about the Lord.  I could not  explain it.  I started to ask questions about the Bible and I  began to read the Gospels.  I borrowed a book  which harmonized the Gospels and I used it to help me piece the Lord's story together.  As I got more  deeply involved in studying the Lord, I began to appreciate Him more.  As the days passed, I bought and  borrowed other books which helped to ease some of the conflicts I had with accepting the reality of the  Lord.  However, even after all my research and my unexplained interest in the Lord, I still could not bring  myself to accept Him into my life.  Fear was holding me back.  I was attending a neighborhood  church  with my girlfriend during this period and one Sunday I nearly accepted the Lord, but my fear got in the  way and I could not do it.

   Later that week, I was discussing my reluctance to accept the Lord with my girlfriend and I began to  wonder why the Jewish people could not accept Him either.  I needed a Jewish perspective on the issue,  but I had no idea where to begin.  My girlfriend heard about Menorah Ministries on the radio and she  called them.  One of the workers at the ministry, Avraham Azoulay, later contacted me and we set up an  appointment to meet at a local restaurant on the Saturday before Memorial Day.  This man I met that  Saturday afternoon was a Messianic Jew with an ultra-orthodox background and rabbinic training.  I  asked him my questions and he told me about his life and experiences in Israel and how he came to put  his faith in the Lord.  We spent many hours talking and studying the Bible.  Afterwards, he invited my  girlfriend and I to a Bible study where we had dinner, conversation, and a Bible teaching.  I met a number  of wonderful people there that evening who already knew the Lord.  Before I left, some of them prayed for  me.  I was deeply touched by their love and their caring prayers.     

   The next morning, I went to church and again I came very close to accepting the Lord, but I was still  afraid.  When the service was over I felt compelled to purchase a tape from the church bookstore on  overcoming fear.  That evening  I listened to the tape, but my fear persisted.  I did not want to struggle  with the problem any longer.  I needed to know whether the Lord was worth it or not.  So I asked Him to  show me.

   Early the next morning, I was awakened by a frightening dream.  As I lay there, the Lord began to  impress upon my mind that I had no need to be afraid.  I received many words of encouragement and  comfort  from the Lord that eased my troubled mind.  Later that morning, I listened again to the tape I  had bought.  This time the message meant so much more to me.  The Lord had gotten through to my  heart.  At that moment, I got on my knees and accepted the Lord Jesus into my life.  I felt like a new  person on that Memorial Day morning.  My fear was gone!

   Now, unlike the days when I was growing up, I have an overwhelming desire to worship the Lord.  I  do not dread going to church anymore.  In fact, I cannot get enough of it.  I no longer feel like I am  wasting my time.  The Lord has renewed my life.  I see the world through new eyes.  I love the Lord.   That Memorial Day morning will be a time I will never forget.   I was born again at thirty-three.     Praise the Lord!