This Is My Story: My Faith in Jesus Christ

  I am the one in the blue shirt!

Faith and belief comprise a very important part of our lives. A person's beliefs in many ways define who they are -- how they see themselves, what they want out of life, and more. Our faith influences our actions. What we think determines how we act. Where one begins (premise) will determine to a great degree where one will end (actions). Faith...like electricity, is very real and very powerful. What you put your faith in is the determining factor in the end.

On this web site I'll offer a personal account of my own beliefs. I'll describe how my beliefs have changed my life in profound and exciting ways, and how I think they might change the lives of others.

I'll also be sure to provide links to my favorite sites as well as information about organizations that help clarify, strengthen or support my faith.

Thanks for visiting! God bless and may this site help you to become acquainted with Jesus Christ...He still lives!

Faith is ignorance?

Some try to make faith out to be for the ignorant, the poor, and the superstitous. This, however, is not accurate or the case in my own life for my faith in Christ is not blind faith, it is educated faith. One is not "saved by grace" simply by acknowledging that they believe Jesus existed at some point and time. Faith is based on foundational evidence. I mentioned electricity in the above introduction. I would NEVER believe that flippling a switch would free electrons through a wire had I not seen consistent evidence that, though entirely invisible to me, that is exactly what takes place upon engaging a light switch. My faith in Christ began when I was a teenager, but it would not have grown had I not personnally researched Who this Jesus is and what He claims to have said and done. I did just that. I begin to read the Bible about Jesus. As I did, I begin to see consistency between those who proposed the existence of God with those who did not. I was not encouraged in this venture by my family or by friends. The more I read the more I confronted my own sinful state of living. If I were ignorant, then I would have closed the book, tossed it in the trash, and ran from it with an "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we all die" mentality. That would have been ignorance.

However, after only a few months of reading, thinking, admitting, and trying to understand how God would spare those who rebelled against Him, my faith grew to the point that I realized God not only does exists, but that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (terminology to denote that He is both God and man, and born without the sinful nature of mankind), and that He had already paid the price that I deserved for my own sins and the sins of all others, past, present, and future. The Scriptures led me to understand with my mind that God loves each of us, and that He sent Jesus to die in my place. The Holy Spirit convicted me and helped me to understand with my heart that God's grace is the only way to Heaven. It's not rhetoric! It's not some trick! It's God's grace. As a teenager I actually had a day in my life where I stopped and asked Jesus Christ to forgive me of my sin, and I professed that I would trust Him and His death on the Cross as my payment for sin. I did not deserve it, but God keeps His Word! To this day, I still do not measure up to perfection, the good news is that God doesn't require me to be perfect.

By having trusted Christ He has worked consistently in my heart since that day of my accepting Him as my Savior, nearly 35 years ago. I still rebell on ocassion, and He still deals with me regarding my disobedience...but that is done as a father to a son, not as an unmerciful tyrant to a slave. Sometimes His dealings comes in the way of conviction. Sort of "godly guilt." Sometimes it comes in the form of a small inaudible voice, "Richard, I love you and I saved you....why are you treating people like that?" or "Son, you did that for the wrong reasons! Your motives were selfish." I think you get the point. Religion is NOT the answer. Religion is man trying to work his way to God. Forget that idea...you and I will never deserve to go to Heaven. But salvation (getting "saved" from what we actually deserve, namely, Hell) is not by any human works...but by what Jesus did on the cross over 2000 years ago. Salvation comes when you simply, even with childlike faith, recognize God's rights and your wrongs...and trust Him as your own personal substitute (Savior). When you do that, the world is never the same. You will be indwelled by God and you find that you are no longer walking this world alone. It is after making this act of faith, not ignorance, that you begin to realize that God is alive and well...and He will direct you and help your faith to grow.

What I have just described to you is not some scarey, spooking, jumping church pew experience. It is a very personal experience, and it is just as real as flipping on that light switch. You can stay in the dark if you wish, but don't call those who have flipped that switch ignorant. The Bible really does use a lot of light versus dark analogies. God will not make you to accept His Son as your personal Savior. You have a free will and He will not violote your free will. If you chose to ignore what Christ did, acting as your atonment (scape goat) for your sin, then you will simply face that judgment yourself. Trusting Christ as my Savior is not a license to live in sin now, but it does change my wants and desires and causes me to live in the light where God exposes to me my need for Him, and helps me to develop that Father-son, fellowship because of my salvation that was provided by God's love...and this was demonstrated in Jesus Christ. Call me simple but don't call me ignorant. It is those who refuse to examine the facts that are ignorant and thus live in darkness. Have you examined the facts?  Here, this good news has been put in flash format. Or, here is another one that you might find useful in understanding what Christ as done for you.

In memory of my brother, Mike

In memory of my friend, Greg