Everything Changed

Jon Rettig's testimony It was a hot summer night, and we were having one of those lively philosophical discussions when one young lady commented that she actually believed in God, and that Heaven and Hell really existed. Another young man retorted by saying, "I can maybe accept there being a Heaven, but Hell…? No Way!" At that point I interjected with my own little philosophical observation; "Where ever there is a positive, there is always a negative, so I guess if there is a Heaven there must be a Hell." Though my reasoning was rather shaky, I know today that my conclusion was solid ground. As the summer wore on, I found myself more and more wanting to agree with teachings of the Bible. I didn't know why, but I just felt that it was right. I understand now that this was the work of the Holy Spirit "drawing" me to the Lord. As the Bible says in John 6:44, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." A few months later, a good friend gave me a Bible and a book entitled, "World Aflame." That autumn I began reading them with intense interest. Some of what I read was not new to me: the fact that I was a sinner, and the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead. Though I was able to accept those truths, they had no impact on my heart. I simply tried to fit them into a philosophical scheme of my own making. I knew a bit of the truth, but there was still something very important missing - repentance. So it was, that on a chilly November evening, alone in my bedroom, I came to a chapter entitled; "How to become a new man." It explained that, according to the Bible, we must receive Jesus Christ, and Him alone, in order to be saved. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," the Bible says in Romans 10:13. I John 1:12, it states, "But as may as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." (Note: "Salvation" and "Saved" are Biblical terms referring to the forgiveness of sins by God and the rescue of a person from the penalty of that sin. This is God's requirement for everlasting life) Though there was no bolt of lightening out of the night sky, I was struck with the realization that I was lost. My old life was a weight that would drag me to hell. I needed to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I had only known about Christ. I did not really have Him in my life. Having been a member of a church, and having participated in a few religious rites, did not make me a child of God - nor did a nominal acceptance of Christ in the guise of some man-made philosophy of life. Faith must be completely in Christ alone, nothing else. As it says in Colossians 2:8, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Acts 4:12, says, "Neither is there salvation any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." At the end of that chapter was an example of how one could pray to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. Following that example, I prayed sincerely to God, according to the truth revealed in His Word: "Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner. I believe that you died and rose again from the dead in order to make possible the forgiveness of my sins. Please come into my life and save me. Help me to live a new life for you. Amen." I was saved that night and, like the dead leaves falling outside my window, all of my vague philosophical notions fell away and were replaced with the living and unshakeable conviction that Jesus Christ was my Savior and Lord. That was over 20 years ago. My conviction concerning this has never changed, and I know it never will. Truth is unchangeable, but not so of my life, and thank God for it. I had no idea on that autumn night where this new life would lead me, but one thing was certain, change was inevitable, as it says in 2. Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." I attended a service at a Baptist church and the pastor preached that Sunday morning about being saved. I found myself nodding in agreement to every statement he made while saying to myself, "I know what you're talking about." It wasn't long before I was baptized there. Baptism in the Bible means being immersed completely under water as a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. By being baptized, I was identifying myself with my Savior, Jesus Christ. But, to identify with Christ meant there were other things I could no longer identify with. I quit listening to, and performing, the rock music I had loved since I was 13 years old. It was either playing in a band, in a bar, on Saturday night, or singing praises to God in church on Sunday morning. The two didn't mix and, because of the new life of Christ within me, I gladly chose the latter. Things had changed. Later, I became a Sunday School teacher for young adults. What a joy it was to be teaching what I knew to be lasting and true, instead of philosophical ideas that come and go like the changing of the seasons. Life was certainly different now. It had a purpose because it was being directed by God, who was not only my Creator, but had become my heavenly Father. As a missionary in the Czech Republic, it is a wonderful privilege to be a messenger of the saving grace of God, which is offered freely to every man, woman, and child in this world. If you do not have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life, then it is my prayer that God would "draw" you to Him. The fact that you have taken the time to read this article is perhaps an indication of that very thing. Don't resist Him, but rather come to Him - that you may be saved also. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Baptism I was baptized under the authority of Central Baptist Church, Moline, IL - Pastor Jack Hollenback, who has since gone home to be with the Lord. Call to mission work My interest in the field of Czech Republic began prior to the revolutions which occurred in Eastern Europe in 1989. After Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia) came out from under communism, I became increasingly burdened concerning the gospel need in this field. I needed to know God's will for me in regards to this. I came forward in a revival meeting and prayed in accord with Isaiah 6 - "Here am I Lord, send me". I asked God that if it be His will, He would send me to the Czech Republic. He did ... and we arrived in February 1994 in Prague, Czech Republic. Field experience I am capable of teaching, preaching and counseling in the Czech language. After years of involvment with this field and it's people, we have acquired a very important understanding of Czech people as well. At present (2008) we have 7 active, baptized members, all of whom have been led to Christ and discipled personally by me or my wife. They have matured in Christ, having a genuine love for the Lord, a zeal to reach the lost and an understanding of their purpose - to be organized as an indigenous, independent Baptist church.