As far as I can remember I have always believed in God. When I was really young I was taken to Sunday school from time to time and despite the boringness of the teaching (well, that’s how I remember it) I was never offended by the Bible or by Christ. I don’t think I took the matter too seriously though. I guess Christianity was simply my religion; I was born into it.

 When I reached high school I made friends with a kid named Clinton Erasmus who invited me to a youth braai one Friday afternoon and I discovered that some Christian activities weren’t boring at all. I loved being a part of the youth group and that is where I met the Christ that I had believed in all my life. Youth group was a place where Jesus was introduced to young people in a way that they could understand and God was gracious enough to put youth leaders in my life who were overflowing with the love of Christ. I will never forget one in particular, a guy called Andrew Debonair; he had such a passion for the Lord that I felt he could hardly contain it. It rubbed off on me and I was soon so overwhelmed by the discovery of Christ that my schoolwork dwindled into insignificance. The year that followed was really hard.

I was growing more interested in God but my parents and my teachers seemed more concerned in my disinterest in school. I failed a subject in my second term of high school and being in the A stream, that was not acceptable. Focus soon changed from God to school and within a year I had made it to the top 5 of the standard and was asked to be part of an academic club. My folks and teachers were thrilled! However, in that year I also became friends with a Mormon kid named Hiram Austin and we became the best of friends. In the years that followed I left my church and youth and started going to the Mormon church and its youth. I had even started the missionary talks that one usually hears before being baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Fortunately, my mom never stopped praying for me.

In my final year of high school I entered a bodybuilding competition and had pinned all my hopes and dreams on becoming a professional body builder. I was placed sixth out of thirteen guys and I was absolutely devastated. To make matters worse I spent the week after the competition in bed with a stomach bug. The whole episode proved to be an effective diversion because after that my interest in the Mormon church dwindled and I started to prepare for my final exams and then for military service. It was a year later, while posted at Swartkop Air force Base that my life changed forever. I decided I no longer believed in God.

Well, the Lord Jesus had a better idea and one night while standing guard at the main gate of the base He showed me just how futile my position was. He allowed a demon to torment me; it was a very frightening experience and I can still remember that voice in my heart that said “You say you don’t believe in God, well do you believe in the devil?”. Soon after that I got down on my knees and I spoke to God, for the first time in my life not through a Sunday school teacher or a youth leader or pastor, but through Jesus Christ.

Since that day I have faced many trials, made many mistakes, hurt many people and been hurt by others in turn, but the Lord has lead me and He has carried me and has never forsaken me.

Brenn

Copyright Oxford Church International 2008

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