The Last Day in the Coast Guard

The last day in the Coast Guard felt like the greatest day ever. I felt like I was going to be free to go where and when I wanted.

As the day began I walked into an office area and talked to the two women who had my papers ready. They asked me what I was going to do and I told them that I was going into the ministry. As we talked the conversation got around to Christ. "Jesus loves you so much," I said, "the Bible says that Jesus emptied Himself of all His power and glory so that He could live for you and die for you. As a result of his death and resurrection, we can be raised to new life with Him."

One of them told me she was a backslidden Pentecostal, "I need to go back to church and pray through," she replied. Some Pentecostal churches believe that you need to pray and pray and weep and weep and emotionally push yourself until you "feel" the breakthrough. It can be a long time before the feeling comes.

I told her, "You don't need to strive so hard to pray through. All you have to do is pray that Jesus Christ will forgive you of your sins and ask Him to come into your life, He will enter your life and forgive you so you can live for Him. It is simple faith that does all this, not some great pleading and weeping.

I then found out the other girl was a backslidden Baptist who agreed with me and likewise decided she wanted to get things right with God.

In hindsight I may have said about the same thing to the Pentecostal girl but may have added, "If you must pray through, then go as soon as your church is open and pray through, because the Bible says, 'Now is the right time, now is the day of salvation. Don't wait for later'"