I will tell you more of my Testimony, but UNDERSTAND I BELIEVE Submission to Christian Water Baptism, should be the FIRST STEP in our Christian Walk of Obedience after we have received JESUS CHRIST as LORD. I am ashamed to admit that I was not submissive to Water Baptism by immersion for several Years after the NIGHT I WAS SAVED that I just told you about. I wanted to continue to believe my infant Baptism by sprinkling had fulfilled the command to be Baptized. I hesitate ever telling that part of my Testimony, because I NEVER WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO PUT IT OFF, like I DID.
DID I SEE GOD the HOLY SPIRIT CHANGING my life those several YEARS, that I put off being BAPTIZED by immersion in Water?
ABSOLUTELY!
HE GAVE ME hunger for HIS WORD, and good sound BIBLE TEACHING, and I wanted more, and more, and more.
SOON, I was listening to 5 or 6 hours of Bible teaching per day via Radio and the Cassette Tapes.
He took away my cigarette smoking by making them taste HORRIBLE, and put the thought in my Head. "What's Your Excuse now dummy?" And I had no more excuses and quit my pack and a half a day habit, cold turkey.
He took away my filthy mouth, just by changing me from the inside OUT, because of the Word of GOD that I was feeding on. One day I hit my thumb with a hammer accidentally, and NO CURSE WORDS CAME OUT, just "Dog Gone it!" I was shocked, and couldn't figure out exactly when that had happened.
My wife was addicted to pain pills and muscle relaxers, and HE TOOK IT AWAY in answer to prayer with NO WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, and she was taking a LOT OF THEM.
Her Doctor, insisted that she check into a rehab center, and LAUGHED when we told HIM she was HEALED by the LORD, calling me either a fool or a liar. I figured out real quick that HE was not a Christian.
In the non-Christian Rehab, they made fun of her Faith, and about 5 days into it, they called me in for a Group Session, and immediately the two Counselors started making fun of our Faith. GOD THEN SHOUTED IN MY HEAD: "WALK!" I came out of that chair instantly as if it was electrified, and my muscles were responding to HIS VOICE involuntarily. I looked over at my wife and she TOO, was Standing. I asked her, "Are you ready?" She said, "YES." And we headed for the door. John one of the Counselors that was making fun of our Faith, went to the same Lutheran Church that I did. I stopped and said to John, "You and I were raised in the same Church, but I seriously doubt your faith; but I will be praying for you, and I will be praying for the rest of you TOO."; as I pointed my figure pivoting past each one in the group. Out the door we went, after grabbing my wife's things from her room. When we got to my jeep, I had a flat tire, when all I wanted was to get away from that place in a hurry. As I was changing the tire, I asked my wife. "Did you hear anything in that room?" She answered, "Just one Word - WALK!" I said, "THAT'S IT, WE ARE OUT OF HERE!"
Did GOD ever Answer my prayers for John? ABSOLUTELY! A few weeks later we ran into him buying Christian Counseling books at the Christian Book Store. He had quit his job at the non-Christian Rehab Center, and was going to open a Christian Rehab Center.
We saw many, many other prayers answered, as we continued to grow spiritually.
A dear friend, got caught up in a cult that was teaching that Jesus was a sinner. So we went to talk to her, and prayed very seriously in the parking lot first, that GOD would send angels, even Michael if necessary to drive out the evil demons from her apartment, and HE ANSWERED THAT PRAYER BIG TIME! She could not find a single one of her verses to prove that Jesus was a sinner, and was baffled as to why she could not find them. We knew that the demons were not there to lead her to those misinterpretations. Were we able to lead her out of that CULT? Sadly no, and the last time my wife talked to her, she said it was like Terry had died spiritually.
He motivated my wife and I to seek out BIBLE TEACHING CHURCH, and we found a very good one.
He continually was molding me and my wife, giving us multiple opportunities to witness.
Then one day He started putting it on my heart to move WEST, and I did not know why. We went on vacation to California, and I put in for a transfer out there, from Nebraska. I was told they would not have any openings for 5 years, but six months later I got a phone call, telling me that someone quit, and the job was mine if I wanted it. I still KNEW GOD wanted me there, and told him that I would be there in two weeks. WE HAD NO MONEY IN SAVINGS AT ALL. Still we trusted that the LORD would provide. I listed my 2 year old car for sale in the paper and on the radio and put a big sign FOR SALE in the window and parked on the street where people passing by would see it. Two days before we HAD TO LEAVE FOR CALIFORNIA, not one person had even asked about the car. That night, my neighbor was banging on my door after midnight, and reported that some kid was spinning kitties (circles) in the loose gravel out front of our apartment, and lost control. He hit my car and totaled it, and took off; though they did find him later. I got more money out of insurance than I was asking for the car on the radio and in the newspaper. We leased a new car, drove to California, paid our first and last months rent, and all utility deposits and had $90.00 left over for food until my first check came in. THE LORD PROVIDED.
A few weeks later, I was convicted of NOT BEING SUBMISSIVE TO WATER BAPTISM BY IMMERSION via one of the tapes from my Bible Teaching Church in Nebraska. The very next Sunday Evening, I was baptized, in cold tap water, because the water heater was broke down.
So WHY did GOD want this Nebraska farm boy in California? I got involved in Prison Ministry, and became a Volunteer Protestant Chaplain at Pelican Bay State Prison for 9 years, followed by 6 more years at High Desert State Prison. Did I know how to start a Prison Ministry? NO, but I KNEW HE DID!
