Matthew's Testimony of Salvation
The Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul the summer of 2001 at the
age of 21. There is no doubt in my mind that I would still be
on my way to hell today if it weren’t for the saving mercy
and grace He showed me on that day. The day I accepted Jesus
Christ as my Saviour marked the end of my attempts to earn my
salvation. You see, I had always believed that Jesus Christ
died for me and that I needed to believe on Him. However, I
thought it was my duty to do “my part” by living
the “golden rule” and keeping God’s commandments.
About four months prior to all of this, God put His fear in
me. It was Super Bowl Sunday and a friend and I were “living
it up” while my parents were out of town. To make a long
story short, after my friend left and I found myself home alone,
my heart began to beat so fast that it was out of control. This
went on for a while and didn’t go away. A bad conscience
already had told me I was running out of chances with God and
I was sure this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Helpless, all I could do was pray and I called out to God, “please
don’t kill me!” Thank God, He didn’t!
That night I was unable to sleep and being too afraid to do
anything else, I opened up the Bible my parents had given me
and began to read at John 8. Within the first twelve verses,
Jesus Christ showed me through the scriptures that He is the
“Light of the world” (John 8:12). What a merciful
Saviour!
From that time on I decided to “sell out” to God.
Although I had not been born again, I tried to let God know
I didn’t take His mercy lightly. However, I went about
this the wrong way. I got real religious. Reading my Bible soon
became a daily practice, as well as prayer, going to church
(on Sundays and Wednesdays!) I would even ask Jesus to save
me and forgive me of my sins several times a week- but I was
still trusting in my good works. With all my heart, I thought
that I had to do “my part.” I had no idea that I
was “lost.”
Finally, God came down and met with me one Sunday morning and
saved me. Being fed up with church (the pastor was preaching
out of the King James and the NIV at the same time) I stayed
home and studied my King James Bible! I placed the Bible aside
and began to read a book by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, called Four
Judgments. In this book was a gospel message which proved to
me that trusting in my good works was sending me to hell. Romans
4:5 brought home the truth by which I was saved. “But
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Romans 4:5
Thanks, to God for showing me His plan of salvation! For the
first time in my life it was clear that God would save me by
faith alone, or not at all. Knowing what Jesus Christ had done
for me, it all made perfect sense that He had to be my substitute
and that my part was to receive Him as such. Knowing what a
sinner I was, it was no problem to accept the fact that God
wouldn’t accept my “good works” and that I
was truly “lost” without Jesus Christ. So I did
what any sinner, in my case, would do and asked Jesus Christ
to save me. From that time on, I’ve never doubted my salvation
because He is my salvation and no one can change Jesus Christ
(Heb 13:7).
Matthew's Call of God Brazil
About two years after my salvation, while attending Pensacola
Bible Institute, God began to deal with my heart regarding foreign
missions. He would ask me if I would go to specific countries
from time to time, yet, this all boiled down to me surrendering
to go wherever He wanted me to, when He wanted me to go there.
As time passed by certain opportunities arose to help several
different pastors. But as I prayed, the Lord closed those doors
to me. My heart’s desire was to take a missions trip to
a foreign country and perhaps, through it, find out more about
God’s perfect will for my life.
A friend of mine who is a missionary in Brazil, Bro. Matt Sherrouse, invited
my family and I to come and visit his family and the church
he had just recently begun to pastor. He had me preach the first
revival meeting the church ever had and the Lord blessed it!
Preaching with an interpreter was not easy, but it just goes
to show how God is able to work in spite of our weakness.
During the last week of our trip, a native pastor asked me, “So,
what’s your decision?” Puzzled, I said, “Decision
about what?” He said, “Are you going to be a missionary
to Brazil?” To which I replied, “If God calls me
I will be.” The calling of God is not just a decision
you make based on a feeling, it is a calling from Almighty God.
I didn’t want to be swept away by some feeling without
proving what God’s will was first.
The week after returning to the states, God confirmed my calling to Brazil
through His word and the peace of knowing that desire was given
me from Him. “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he
shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:4
Maggie's Personal Testimony
When I was 13 years old we moved and had to find a new church.
I was brought up in a Reformed Church. We went to church faithfully.
But I never heard that I was a sinner in need of salvation.
But Praise the Lord, when we moved He brought us to First Baptist
Church of Lowell, Indiana. And I heard the truth for the first
time. I learned that I was a sinner and on my way to hell. And
only one thing could save me. And that was Jesus Christ. I asked
the Lord to be my Savior and save me from my sins. Thank you
Lord for dying on the cross for us!!
He sent me down to Pensacola Bible Institute in 2005. And in 2007 He helped
me to graduate. The Lord gave me a wonderful husband in 2006.
He has really blessed our marriage. And He also blessed us with
two wonderful sons. The Lord sure has been good to me!
Maggie's Calling to Brazil
The Lord let us take a trip to Brazil for two
weeks in April 2009. A couple of weeks before we left on March
28th He showed me in my daily bible reading that He wanted us
to go to Brazil and be missionaries for Him. The first verse
He used was Rom. 10:13-15 “For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe
in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be
sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that
preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
The people in Brazil are blind to the truth. They need to be
told about what Jesus Christ did for them. The Lord is sending
us to Brazil so we can tell them about the “greatest gift.”
Then He showed me Romans 15:21 “But as it is written,
To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that
have not heard shall understand.” God promises that some
will get saved. The Lord continued to show me through His word
that He wants us to go to Brazil, and that the people need to
be told about what He did for them.
Then while we were in Brazil, He gave me a love
for the people there. Everywhere we went we would see people,
people, and more people. And most of them aren’t saved
and are on their way to hell. They need to be told the truth!
The Lord has given me a great burden for them. I have surrendered
my life to be a missionary in Brazil with my husband. Thank
you Lord for letting us do something for You!
