Happy New Year. As I hinted at the other day, I want to share with you part of my personal testimony.  It’s just a small part, but a significant part. 

 In 1979, I had completed my first year of college in Arizona. I was 19 and at that point, uncertain as to the direction I wanted to go in life. Instead of moving back home to South Carolina with my parents who had returned from Germany after my dad’s military assignment there, (and where I graduated high school in fact), I opted to remain in AZ to work for a bit and try to ‘figure life out’. 

 I landed a decent paying job there in Phoenix working for an aluminum extrusion plant. A union job in a factory for the most part. Six days a week, 4-12PM shift and I had Tuesdays off. For a 19 year old, it was good money but zero life. I also came to learn in my first 30 days of probation on that job that there was more to life than making good money and that I would not be there long. 

 But the role of ‘factory-rat’ took to me for awhile. I wore my ‘doo-rag’, had my steel tipped boots…cigarettes in my sleeve and drove my motorcycle to work every day and then back to my apartment every night. Six months in to the job, there was talk of a potential strike or lay off. 

 Either way, I was hopeful for some time away from that place. I had been saving my money and started planning a road trip on my bike. Riding had become a real joy to me and hitting the open road…wind in my hair had a certain appeal to it. I envisioned taking the coastal highway up the CA coastline and then cutting across over in to the Rocky Mountains. After that…who knew? 

 One of my foremen at work was an ex air force guy who had done some riding in his day as well. We would chat from time to time and in passing I told him of my plans. I also remember distinctly telling him that I was going to take a few philosophy books along with me…and probably a bible. I actually had this picture of me sitting in snowcapped mountains, feet dangling over a ledge …reading books in search of the meaning of life. 

 Unaware of his Christian faith at the time, he ‘picked up’ on my comment and advised me that before opening the bible to read, that it would help if I prayed first and asked the Holy Spirit to open my understanding since it was written by the Spirit of God. 

 The hook was set. 

 I was like…’what are you talking about?” 

 And so over the next month or two we began many conversations about faith, God, and the bible. I had been raised in a good home by good parents with a loving family. We had lived in comfort with multiple travel opportunities around the world made possible by the military. It really was a good life. I was raised in a mainline denominational faith, attended church weekly, but honestly, the only bible readings I might hear took place in church and I was tuned out most of the time. 

 I knew of the ‘basics’ (Christmas/Easter story to name a few) of course….but God and Jesus were just ‘kind of out there’ and really did not have any significant role or active part in my life from what I could tell. So now my curiosity was peaked. I had so many questions and my answers were always given in response from the bible. I began reading it myself…starting in the gospels. It was quickly becoming apparent to me that while growing up, I suppose I knew that I had ‘believed’ in ‘a Jesus’, but the idea that I could know Him personally…have some ‘connection’ or ‘relationship’ with Him was foreign to me. 

 So I came to the conclusion as a now ripe 20 year old who was trying to find his place in this world that if this Jesus had a ‘plan’ for me…that He would be a good one to turn to and trust; and if I couldn’t trust Him, who could I trust to lead and guide me through this thing called life? 

 So I met with my foreman (his name was Glen) one day before heading into work and told him I was ready to ‘make the leap of faith’ and ask God into my life. There was nothing really momentous about the prayer I prayed in his truck where we met briefly after coffee. It was just a simple ,sincere request for Jesus to come in to my life, make Himself real to me and guide me. Amen. 

 Then I got on to my bike and headed into work. And that was when the onslaught of doubt and confusion and ridicule flooded my thoughts. What….had I just gotten myself in to…a cult? Had I had a weak moment? Who was this nut job trying to get me all religious? The barrage of thoughts persisted through the early hours of my work shift. 

 I found myself laughing and then kicking myself for such a stupid act of weakness in a vulnerable moment. Then Glen rode up on his bike they used there in the plant, to see how I was doing. - I told him. And then he laughed which I was not expecting. Taken back by his response, his eyes then filled up with tears as he proceeded to inform me that when anyone turns to God, that ‘the devil will do all he can to interfere and discourage and try to steer you away from following Jesus’. 

 I was incredulous. And numb. 

And in some ways, even more convinced that I had really stepped off into some deep ________. 

 “You mean there really is a ‘devil”… I asked him. 

 That just set me back for a few moments. NEVER…had I ever given this any thought that there might be such an entity. My only exposure to a ‘devil’ influence was that cute little imp from the comic books we knew as ‘Hot Stuff’. Then there was the era of Flip Wilson, the comedian who always made light of such things with his classic line of ‘The devil made me do it…hahaha’. And of course I saw The Exorcist which it, as all other Hollywood productions, are designed to terrify us and make us afraid of them. 

 I also remember for the remainder of that work shift, my mind mulling over so many things now, and thought to myself that if I wanted to draw close to God, I was not going to let anyone or anything stop me. Maybe a bit of ‘naïve pride’ working there. 

 But…don’t forget the man in Mark 5 who was so demonized/possessed by countless evil spirits to the point men could do nothing to control him. Yet, when he ‘saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped Him.” (vs 6) Know this: - demons can distract and tempt but when a heart wants to turn to Jesus, there are not enough demons in hell to prevent that from happening. 

 Keep in mind, this is my very first day as a ‘new believer’…whatever that really even meant at that time. But I know what I had prayed 8 hours earlier and now it was midnight and I was clocking out to head home. 

 As I was walking into my apartment, I pulled out a joint(weed) to smoke, which was pretty much what I did every night after work during that season in my life. And oddly enough, I remember pausing as I opened the door and questioned myself if I should even be ‘partaking’ of this now…that I was a ‘Christian’. 

 The very fact I gave that a moment of consideration intrigued me. The thought had never crossed my mind before. And then, that quiet subtle voice of an answer whispered…”Well…God made it”. Which sounded pretty legit to me, so I lit up as I walked in and settled in for the evening. 

 I may have taken two hits off the joint when all of a sudden, it was as if the temperature in my apt dropped to a bone chilling frost. And it was in the ensuing half hour that to this day remains the most terrifying night of my life of 62 years. I will spare you all the dramatic details and just leave it at this…that night…God opened my eyes to a very real spiritual world of darkness and evil and spiritual torment. 

 As I tried to make my way to my room/bed hoping to escape my tormentors, I found no relief under the covers. So all I knew to do at that point was grab my new bible, and cry out to God with all my heart. When praying, I sensed some ‘light’ and relief pulling me free. When I stopped praying, I recall ‘darkness’ pulling me further away as if into some dark abyss. It was no doubt in my mind, a ‘tug of war’ for my soul that night. 

 The next thing I remember was the morning sun shining through my window. I was in a fetal position, clutching my bible…and then overcome with gratitude that I was still alive and in my ‘right mind’. My knees were the first thing to hit the floor and you might say I was ‘reporting for duty’ with a completely new outlook on what it means to commit one’s life to God. 

 He had my attention and the very first lesson I learned on that very first day of giving my life to Him was that there was indeed, a ‘devil’ …’demon spirits’…and a spiritual force of darkness and evil that I was not to fear, but neither was I to ignore. 

 Lesson learned. And a lesson never forgotten. 

 Now…what I shared here is a ‘personal’ testimony or experience that I had. 

 Personal experiences are just that…personal. They do not trump or override God’s word. If an ‘experience’ lines up and the ‘word agrees’ with it, that is just fine and dandy. But I share my story with you to reinforce the subject matter I addressed the past two days. 

 Now, if I may…I’d like to shift gears and leave you a small reading assignment with an invitation to answer a question here below in the comments. If you would, please go to the OT and read Chapter 13 in Numbers and then the first ten verses in chapter 14. 

The scene here centers around the 2-3 million Israelites who have fled Egypt and are moving in the direction of crossing the Jordan to go in to the Promised Land. But something takes place that leads to some…’conflict’. 

 From your reading of the passages I have suggested here, please offer up your take or understanding as to what triggers a ‘revolt’ of sorts in 14:10. Feel free to read the rest of the chapter but your interpretation as to what we read in that verse 10 and why it came to this is what I want to hear your thoughts on. 

 No pressure…and there will be no grading. ;-) (If you prefer to respond in a private message instead of posting, that would be fine also.) 

 See you tomorrow….for more discussion.