A Personel Testimony of Chip Jones
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PERSONAL EVANGELISM FOR CHRIST
AS LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
By Walter P. Jones III
I was born in 1961 in Tyler, Texas, and I grew up as a Presbyterian. I knew very little about the Bible and, sad to say, I didn’t believe in Jesus Christ. Little did I know my life was about to change. My parents took me to church on a regular basis, and I remember one Sunday I heard our minister mention the Holy Spirit. I turned to mother and asked, “What is the Holy Spirit?” She proceeded to explain to me in her own way that He is the Spirit of God. Even though I was not yet saved there was evidence that God was already working in my life.
One day I was outside in our front yard playing underneath a live oak tree and I was approached by a neighbor. He asked “Are you a Christian?” My response was, “I think so, I go to church and I say prayers at night.” It was a typical answer for a 10 year old. He asked, “Have you prayed and ask Jesus into your heart?” I said, “I don’t think so, because I didn’t know how to.” He proceeded to share Jesus with me and told me about the Rapture of the Church. My response was, “Is Jesus really alive?” He said, “Yes.” I remember how excited I was. He invited me to his home that evening for a prayer service. I couldn’t wait to attend that meeting. I was so excited that I ran inside to find my mother and tell her about the prayer meeting. I asked her if I could go. She said, “Yes”.
I will never forget what happened that night as long as I live. Around 7:P.M. I walked across the street to my friend’s home and rang the doorbell. He invited me in and I saw grown ups who I have never seen before. They were all very nice to me. I then met the preacher who was a very nice older man. He asked if we could visit for a few minutes. I responded “Sure”. I didn’t know what to expect, and I was nervous. He started sharing Jesus Christ with me, and how He died on the cross for my sins. He wanted me to understand that we are all sinners, and that we need Jesus as our Savior. He asked me if I would like to ask Jesus into my heart? I responded, “Yes”. This was the most incredible experience of my life. As I began praying to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior something very radical happened. I felt my spirit actually went into the presence of Jesus, and His Spirit actually filled me.
The Spirit of God is unlike anything you can put into words. He is as consuming as a roaring fire. There is no power in the world like the Holy Spirit. I know – I experienced His presence. I was truly consumed in the love of Jesus. It seemed like I was with Him for a long while, but in reality it was only a few seconds. I was truly born again that night. I received Jesus and when you go into the presence of the Holy Spirit, the experience is so overwhelming words cannot describe it. In reality, He chooses us, more than we are choosing Him. I only knew one thing – Jesus is who He said He is and He is truly alive because I met Him. That night I was saved and met Jesus in person. When a person is chosen by God, I can never tell you in words the power of the Holy Spirit.
When the prayer service was over I started home, and as I was walking I stopped and sat down on the curb outside my home. I looked up toward the heavens and began crying thanking God for saving me. As I was doing so, I felt an overwhelming desire and calling to share Jesus Christ. The desire was so strong I knew the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. He was telling me to tell others about Jesus. There was a burning sensation in my heart to share Jesus. I didn’t know at the time what was happening. I just knew that I was here to preach and share Jesus Christ and I knew in my spirit that Jesus was coming back. I went inside and told my mother what had happened she didn’t know what to think. Having had this salvation experience, I asked her, “Why didn’t you tell me Jesus is alive and He is returning?” As the Scripture says, “Out of the mouth of babes.”