Testimony for John Johnson
Unlike the vast majority in our culture today, I was blessed with being raised in a Christian home. Although we never had daily family devotional times set aside, we went to church every Sunday and my parents instilled Biblical values in me from a young age. As a child my parents would read Bible stories to me before bedtime. We had a children’s Bible that was often used for me to practice reading in. I remember the first story that I read for myself was the story of Noah and the arc.
I don’t remember the one specific point in time where I put my faith in Christ as my Savior. The fact that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross at Calvary for my sins and rose again conquering death was something I was always taught from the very beginning. It’s not something I ever remember having any doubt about. It wasn’t taught to me as just a periphery issue that I could believe if I wanted to, but as a foundational truth of life. It was something that I was taught to completely trust in unconditionally and without question. It wasn’t until later when I started attending school that I began realizing just how many people there were in this world who didn’t believe.
At the age of twelve, I followed the Lord in believers’ baptism. Looking back on my high school years, there wasn’t as much spiritual growth as I wish there had been. Although I was very active in my church youth group, it was for the most part a slow but steady maturing and solidifying of my faith.
After beginning classes at Patrick Henry Community College, I had a little more spare time on my hands between classes, which I used to get serious about getting into the Word of God on a daily basis. It was during this time that the Lord began really strengthening and building up my faith. Not only was I able to spend more time reading my Bible, but also many other books by Christian authors. During this time the Lord was teaching me to completely trust Him and follow His leading in every aspect of my life. The Lord was teaching me that no matter what my ideas, opinions, or plans were, His invariably reigned supreme. The Lord was teaching me that as long as I followed my own direction I would always end up regretting it, but as long as I followed His direction I would never end up regretting it. I should have known He was preparing me for something.
At the age of twenty-one the Lord took the training wheels off of my faith by sending me to Miami, Florida. After not getting accepted into the architecture school at Virginia Tech for two consecutive years, I was forced to resort to my alternate school: Florida International University. I was forced out of my comfort zone of living at home with my family in a rural country community, where I had lived for my entire life, and commuting to a community college for classes to a whole new world nearly a thousand miles away where I knew absolutely no one. Although not too thrilled about the idea at first, looking back I wouldn’t change a single thing. I knew that the Lord wanted me in Miami for a reason. Upon moving to Miami, I made contact with a Christian group on the university campus, Campus Bible Fellowship, and attended their Fall Spaghetti Dinner on August 29, 2003 at Ambassador Baptist Church. CBF has been a wonderful blessing to me as it enabled me to meet many new Christian friends. The CBF Bible Studies have also helped me to grow in my Christian walk, as well as have given me many opportunities to serve the Lord. My move to Miami illustrated a great truth to me that we as human beings never really appreciate anything as we should, until it is taken from us. Although I’ve always appreciated my family, leaving my family behind in Virginia has given me a whole new appreciation for the family that the Lord has blessed me with as well as the family of my own the Lord may bless me with in the future. It also required me to put my complete faith and trust in the Lord, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that He would guide and direct me. It has given me the opportunity to truly live out my life verse of Mathew 6:33, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I have found through experience that this principle never fails; as long as the Lord has first place in your life, you never have to worry about whether your needs will be met.
Since arriving in Miami in 2003, the Lord has opened up the doors of many opportunities for service for His Kingdom. Campus Bible Fellowship has given me numerous opportunities to serve through sitting at literature tables on campus, leading Bible studies, and helping with other CBF events. The Lord also allowed me to serve as CBF Vice President for a year and President for two years. In the spring of 2006, the Lord opened up a short term, local ministry opportunity. This opportunity allowed me to work with a friend of mine as youth directors at First Baptist Church of Florida City teaching Bible studies, Sunday school, preaching messages from God’s Word, and leading youth group activities. This helped me to grow tremendously in my Christian walk as well as allowed me to sharpen valuable skills in teaching and preaching from God’s Word. In February of 2007, the Lord opened up an opportunity to serve with the Miami Rescue Mission with a friend of mine through sharing the Gospel of Christ with the homeless.
Although serving our Lord doesn’t always seem like the easiest path to take, it is most definitely worth any hardship or difficulty that we could ever be asked to endure. We always have the assurance that our Lord and Savior is right there with us. I continue to look forward to the many future opportunities the Lord may bless me with to be in service for His Kingdom.
DAILY QUIET TIME: ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE KING OF KINGS
Each morning I spend time with the Lord in His Word. I am currently going through a yearly Bible reading schedule as well as the “Our Daily Bread” daily devotional books. This helps me to always start off my day with the Lord in first place where He belongs. It also provides me with wisdom and discernment in seeing God’s will for my life.
John Thomas Johnson