Subject: Hi I'm Jakob... Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 04:16:05 -0500 To: I was so touched by your testimony because it so closely parallels mine! I too had the original seed planted with "This Was Your Life" and went on to become a carnal Christian for many years. I use the word "carnal" and Christian together, because I truly believed that I was a Christian. One day my then future wife was going to a movie at church called "The Gospel Road"...well, I had to decide between reading my Bible while I smoked a "joint" or letting her go to church by herself and possibly meeting "someone." It was a tough decision since that "doobie" had really "opened the Scriptures up to me" and become a part of my "private worship." I would "wow" and "that's deep" through the whole process, but nothing ever penetrated into my spirit. (It was still dead.) Reluctantly I went to the movie because I couldn't let this "beauty" get away. (She was [and is] a Christian.) During the movie I remember (to this day) a point where the dove came down in slow motion (no I wasn't high) and landed on the movie Jesus' head. All I remember was "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him." (I'm telling you what I remember, I haven't checked my Bible to see if that's the exact quote.) OK, that send a chill down my spine. And then when they crucified Him it brought tears (that I choked back) to my eyes. (To this day, I can't watch a Gospel movie without crying when it comes to the crucifixion scene [even though I'm prepared for it].) Well the movie was finally over and just as quickly (whatever had come over me) left. We were all asked to stand, and I stood because it was the right thing to do. then they gave what I now know to be called "the altar call." Well, I stood there, stealing a glance over at the beauty by my side, and not really paying any attention to what was being said. Suddenly my heart started pounding like a drum. I thought someone had to have heard it...it was loud. Suddenly I turned (I didn't want to) and from the third to the last row, walked down to the pulpit. Believe me, I was not in control. Shy me did not want to go in front of any crowd, and certainly not one that large! I remember thinking, "Oh boy, Oh boy" as I was swept up to the pulpit and found myself the only one there. What else could I do put get on my knees? It was the only place to hide. After a few moments I got the nerve to look up and the ushers were helping a cripple girl down to the podium. Two of us. Out of that huge crowd, there were only two of us. By this time I was in control again. I could have gotten up and went back to my seat; the heart pounding was gone and I was back to normal. But what do I do now? I would have felt foolish to go back to my seat, and quite frankly I was to petrified with shyness to look around and see where I was sitting. So I just stared at the floor. An usher came and kneeled with me and asked me if I wanted to pray. What was I going to do? Say No? I said "ok." He began to pray for me, and something overwhelmed me like warm water had been gently poured over me and I began to softly cry and agree with everything he was saying. It felt like an eternity, but we were the only two people in that place. All I heard was his voice and my prayer of accepting Jesus as my Savior. Slowly the enveloping warmth began to recede (not fade), and the Pastor said something to the effect of "I present to you two more saints of GOD." The crowd applauded, and as I turned around to look at them (the church was set up in rows of tiers), as I looked at them, they all seemed to have a soft glow about their smiling faces. Later I would remember the Scripture that says there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repents...here there were two, and everyone of those people in that church seemed to reflect the joy of the angels (to me). As I looked at the crowd, there was no shyness; none of that "I can't let you look at me cause you might see me for who I really am." It was sheer joy on my part two...they were all my friends at that moment. I was 28 at the time and had just died to a life of "worshipping" drugs and sex. I had died of a life of manipulating trusting people and physically or emotionally abusing those who found me out. I had just did to a life of speaking with the forces of evil and daring them to show themselves if they were so powerful. I had just died to a life, that had only a limited amount of rejecting Jesus time left. That was 24 years ago in October, and yet the LORD has kept my life BC (before Christ) within my memory. To remind me where I have been...and where others still are...and so that I never get to the point where I stand with that self-righteous religious man who said "GOD, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers..." (Luke 18:11-12). That's my testimony, forgiven...but not perfect. My purpose for writing, besides sharing my testimony, is to ask your permission to hyperlink to your Web Site. You have said all I want to say, and wish I could say. And I want to use your Web Page to answer all the questions that Christians and unbelievers alike have. You hit the spot when you said the LORD showed you how to put that Web Site together! There are some things that many (Christians)consider abrasive, much like the lukewarm Christians of the last century were against "Fire and Brimstone" preaching. Most Christians have become a fulfillment of 2 Timothy 3:2-7 and 2 Timothy 4:3-4; and when I say "most" I mean most. I am still in the process of building it, and if you will give me permission, I will use my a part of my Web Site and hyperlink it to some of the things you cover so thoroughly. I will inform you of the address when it is up...if I have your permission. Grace and Peace. In Christ, JAKOB ADDENDA: I asked Bro. Jakob if I could reprint his thrilling testimony and this is his response-- Yes of course, but in re-reading it from my sent file, I realize that I barely connected the "This Was Your Life" tract with my testimony. So if you will edit in the fact that I "thought" that I had accepted Christ but continued unchanged for about 5 years until I once again ran into that tract and began to get under conviction. I worked in a hotel (as a cook) at the time and would find "This Was Your Life" (the same tract everyday) in a restroom on one of the floors that wasn't being used. I also found an old dusty and dirty Gideon KJV in the basement and took it to the desk clerk. He said "That's your Bible" I told him it wasn't, that I had found it in the basement (had it been a magazine with half naked girls in it I would have kept it, but what was I going to do with this Book with "Olde English" writing?) The desk clerk repeated that it was my Bible, "left there for you" he said. (I would find out over the next few weeks that he was a Christian, a real one. The tract, and his subtly planted "seeds" led to my accepting Christ Jesus after watching a movie at church. And then begins the testimony at "One day my then future Wife.........." I'm sorry I forgot to connect that bit of important testimony, but I got so excited that I got carried away and send it to you without first re-reading it. But Chick tracts must be emphasised as they have been the main sources for my "covert evangelism." I live in a predominantly Catholic community. In fact the Bishop of four large counties which surrounds us is "headqurtered" here... I have probably passed out close to 8,000 "Are Roman Catholics Christians" in those surrounding counties. Making "mid-nite runs" through the country side and placing the tracts in the Ad Paper Boxes that stand next to the mail boxes. There was so much saturation that it made "mail write ins" in the paper a couple of times; with people upset that someone would spread such "anti-Christian" literature. Add to that the thousands of (what else) "This Was Your Life" tracts and I have to say that Chick tracts have been a very, very, very great source for reaching the lost; the result of which I will not know until that day when He says "Well done thou good and faithful servant." And that's my entire motivation...to hear GOD tell me..."good job." Ironic isn't it? We bust our chops for earthly employers, often going out of our way or putting ourselves at a great disadvantage, but when it comes to the most important work...with the only eternal benefits or consequences to human life, when it comes to that....we tend to be "slackers." I've been there...done that...but now I focus (24/7) on some new way to reach the lost that I can add to the various ways already available to me. I'm by no means a great saint, I need His blood as a covering and cleansing daily; but I am a saint of the Most High GOD...and it is our duty to snatch as many as we can from the unimaginable terror of certain eternal torment without Christ. GOD BLESS BROTHER JAKOB, SOULWINNER!