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ED's SALVATION TESTIMONY
My parents
were in their teens when they came to know the Lord
Jesus Christ as their Savior. After they married they
dedicated themselves to establish a Christian home. My
family fled from Latvia during WW II because the
Communist regime was taking over Latvia. As we were
fleeing to freedom, I heard my father pray and saw God's
quick answers. The Lord gave deliverance and protection
as we escape into Germany. Our second flight came when
my dad learned that the eastern section of Germany was
being given to USSR. Therefore we escape over into
western Germany, away from the atheistic communist
rule. That did not bring salvation to my soul, but it
gave confidence, to this four year old boy, that one can
talk to God and get answers. God answers prayer.
We lived in
an apartment building in which two former pastor's from
Latvia were living in apartments above us. I recall the
pastors taking turns holding "church" in either their
apartment or ours on Sunday mornings. One day when was
about 6 or 7 years old our family was out on a picnic, I
saw an elderly lady come up the path, kneel down by what
looked like a church shaped monument. She open a little
door, bowed and begin to pray. Being curious, I circled
around behind her to see what was in that little door
she had opened. Inside was a little statue to whom she
was praying. Having discovered that, I ran back to my
dad and asked, "Is that how we are to pray, in front of
a little image"? He said no, we just talk to God.
Praying to an idol is against God's commandment.
That's when
he personally began to relate Bible stories to me and my
sisters. He told us how God creating the world in six
days. He related about Adam and Eve not obeying God. He
told of Abraham and God's covenants with him and Isaac
and Jacob. He told how God used Joseph to keep the
nation of Israel during a time of famine. I marveled at
the miracles God performed through Moses. I learned how
God used David to bring down the giant, Goliath and
protected Daniel in the lion's den.
By now I
was reading Latvian so I was given a book picturing the
life of Christ. I read of Jesus' miracles: how he
healed, caused the blind to see, the lame to walk and
even raised the dead. As I turned the pages I saw a
picture of Jesus being nailed to he cross. Why was a
good man being punished? He did not deserve that. The
Bible verse under the picture said that He was paying
the penalty for my sin. It seemed as a recorder in my
mind began to play replay my last few deeds. I had
stoled a pencil from a school mate across the street and
then lied to my father when asked where did I get that
pencil. One of my sisters told him the truth. He
punished me and made me go across the street to the
boy's apartment, knock on the door, return the pencil
and apologize to him for stealing. As I recalled that,
I came under conviction that I has sinned against God
and I needed forgiveness. I went to the bedroom of the
home to privately speak with God. I confessed my sins
and asked God to allow the payment of Jesus to count for
my sins. I experienced (Rom. 10:13), "For whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved". God
granted me a repentant heart and the knowledge that He
was my Lord and master. A desire to please God grew in
my heart.
Soon
afterward we immigrated to the USA and settled in a
community of Latvians in Bucks County, PA. We attended
the Latvian Baptist Church in Applebachsville. The
pastor F. Cukurs, came to visit with our family when I
was about 11 yrs. old. I managed to get the nerve to
tell him I wanted to join the church. He seemed to
think I was too young and asked me to wait until I was
13, then I could start attending the youth group. It
seemed that he was not much interested in my spiritual
growth. I did continue my daily Bible reading, church
attendance, and scripture memorization for the Sunday
School lessons. When I was sixteen I made a public
profession of faith at the Latvian Baptist Church of
Bucks County and was baptized in Bethlehem, PA. After
high school, I voluntarily joined the US Army. I was
stationed at Ft. Gordon, GA and on Sunday afternoons I
attended a Bible study class for soldiers. It was led
by ministerial students from a Christian college in SC.
By correspondence I was doing a study of the gospel on
John. On the fifth lesson I was deducted five points.
No questions were missed, but I had misquoted a word in
memorizing John 5:24. I had written "shall have
everlasting life". The correction was made to read
"hath everlasting life", Eagerly I turned to the
passage intending to prove my mentor wrong. To my
amazement, the scripture said "HATH". That moment I
realized God was saying that I already have eternal life
and read on to see it also said, "shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life". That
day the Spirit of God gave me assurance of my
salvation. Now I had a message which others needed to
hear and I began earnestly to tell the good news to
others.
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