Christ First Forum

I was born in Atlanta, Ga in 1943 and was raised mostly in a mill town called Cabbage Town. I was poor, but never knew it until later on as young teenager. My Father was a prize fighter and a Alcoholic and my mother was a retail clerk and waitress most of her life. They both developed TB when I was 13 and me and my two other brothers lived with my grandmother and grandfather for the next two years. Before this we lived from house to house and am thankful my Grandmother took us to church every time the doors open and I was baptised when I was 12 years old. Although this was the case, I never had a sense of peace about my life and the things that were going on around me. The neighborhood I grew up in was tough and my family life was not any better. By time I graduated from High school, all I wanted to do was get out and away from the life that I had known every since I was a little boy, where my father would come in drunk and hit on my mother and scream and hit on us. This went on until I got into a fist fight with my father at the age of 18 after he came home drunk. By that time my older brother had gotten married at 15 and my younger brother was usually living or staying with friends.

To make a long story short, from then on I got married at 18 and divorced before I even knew it. Hardly ever graced the doors of a church, but thought I was saved. I lived pretty much for the devil, although from the outward appearance, I was just your typical young, handsome likable guy. When all along I was in torment. I had become a weekend alcoholic, drug laced Insomniac, broken down soul who had no reason to live. I had entered mental hospitals and facilities too many times to count. In 1981 I lost my dear mother to lung cancer at the age of 66 and I really began to lose it. I thought to myself, how could God do this to me, just one more thing in the list of all the heart aches I had faced over the very short span of my life.

Finally, I had enough!

In October of 1982 after trying to take my life by sticking 10 m80's firecrackers in my mouth. I taped them together and lit the fuse, hoping to blow my head off. The next thing I knew I was in waiting room of a mental hospital. I could not remember how I got there and still today I could not tell you. Only by the grace of God, He did not allow the explosive to go off and the next thing I knew I was in that waiting room.

Over the previous years I had made other attempts on my life and was a manic depressant. So this was nothing new except this time I was distraught and all alone. One minute wishing I was dead and the next minute, glad that I was still alive.

It seemed like an eternity before I was checked into a room and during that waiting period, the Lord came to me and revealed to me my sinful condition. It was as if He was talking to me. I didn't here an audible voice, but I knew it was God. He told me if I did not follow him from that point on, that I was going to die in this pitiful state that I was in and surly go to hell. He brought to remembrance of how I had sin against Him, time after time.

I also found my self repenting in a sorrowful state, that I cried for hours on hours. I Asked Him to forgive me for all that I had done to Him and to others. I made a commitment then, that I would follow him the rest of my life and that I would turn from my old ways. I also asked Him for help with the understanding that I could no longer live my life with out Him and His guidance.

The next day after a night of crying, repentance and confession I began to immediately see a difference in my countenance and a will to live. I called my brother to ask him if he would bring the Bible that my grandmother had given me when I was in the 8Th grade when I was in high school. Mind you I had not read this bible for many years. I had gone to church off and on, but usually on a special occasion. Like a wedding or a funeral.

I began to read this little bible and I kept going back to the only verse I remembered. John 3:16 and I would share that scripture with nearly every one I came in contact with in that hospital. After four weeks I was released and my Dr. told me I would be back, because I refused to continue on the anti depressants and medications. I told him that I did not need them any longer for I was now saved and had Jesus in my life.

The rest is history and I have never been back and now my Lord and Saviour is my counselor and God. That was October 27, 1982, 27 years ago.

Since then I got married to the most wonderful Christian woman in the world. We will celebrate 28 years of marriage this February.

Through her influence in my early walk with the Lord, I fell under the teaching of men Like Charles Stanley, where we first started attending church on a regular bases and then about a year after that, we began to attend Rehoboth Baptist Church under the leadership of Richard Lee.

Not long after this the church saw the gift of evangelism in my life and was licence into the ministry and they paid for me to attend liberty University and then Ordained me into the Gospel ministry. By 1989 I was called to pastor my first church and to Evangelize a whole community of over 2000 people. Over these years in ministry 100's upon 100's of people have been baptized by me and 1000 of souls heard the gospel message of salvation and many have come to know Christ. I have pastored three other churches and continue preaching and sharing the gospel where ever I go.

All this has been possible because of the goodness of God and the Love of Christ for this wretched sinner.

Praise His Holy Name!

Since then I got married to the most wonderful Christian women in the world.

No offense Frank,but you might want to change that to woman :X


From reading your testimony,I could see that the Lord has kept you in His hand and from harm :) He is a wonderful G-d,unfathomable. The transformation in your life is amazing!

Ritsuka wrote:

Since then I got married to the most wonderful Christian women in the world.

No offense Frank,but you might want to change that to woman :X


From reading your testimony,I could see that the Lord has kept you in His hand and from harm :) He is a wonderful G-d,unfathomable. The transformation in your life is amazing!

Thanks for pointing that out. Boy that could really start some rumors!

Ritsuka wrote:

Since then I got married to the most wonderful Christian women in the world.

No offense Frank,but you might want to change that to woman :X


From reading your testimony,I could see that the Lord has kept you in His hand and from harm :) He is a wonderful G-d,unfathomable. The transformation in your life is amazing!

Oh too funny! I hadn't noticed that until Ritsuka pointed it out. .hahahahaha!! Awesome testimony, Frank! God is so good!! I thank Him every single morning for choosing me to be one of His. We are so blessed and so loved by our Father in heaven. It's overwhelming to think about it.

I love the stories of Gods wonderful grace to us human beings, wretched as we are, he cares,
and loves us still.

May God continue using you to find his sheep, until he takes us home.

Wonderful testimony.

wow, Frank. God is amazing in His grace and that is an amazing testimony to His mercy and goodness. Thank you Jesus. May the Lord richly bless you and your dear wife.

Your testimony is a very powerful witness for our fallen state and how much God loves us. We are so blessed to have been chosen by our Holy God to be lifted up and our of our circumstances and placed on higher ground and saved for eternity.
Thank you for sharing.
Pat

Each time I read Frank's testimony I am greatly encouraged. Thank you for bumping it up.

Frank,

This is an old post but I was told to read by Jeani. I am glad she told me to. I am happy that you shared something so personal. I feel that the only way we can reach people with whatever message we are sending out it can only done by honest and striaght from the heart real life experiences. I was moved to read your story. It mimics mine in a lot of ways. I was reading it and saying been there and done that got the T shirt to go along with the trip. You overcame obstacles in your life that only made you stronger. There is always hope for those of us who suffer with some form of mental illness. You are living proof. You became a minister!! That is proof positive that people who suffer with this dreaded disease can suceed in life!!! Keep fighting the good fight!!