Saturday, November 1, 2008
STEPHEN CLEM'S TESTIMONY
IN THE BEGINNING...
I’ll take this back to when I was about 12 years old. I had just moved to Brampton and my cousin was sleeping over for most of the summer. My Grandmother also lived with us. She lived downstairs in the basement and she was away at my uncle's for a while, so my cousin and I slept downstairs in her living room on a couple of couches she had. We were up at night and I was showing my cousin this weird workout my father did, which required me to put my foot on this nearby sofa chair in the living room.
The layout was an open concept and the living room was attached to the kitchen. As I was showing my cousin the workout the chair that I had my foot on slid back on its own and slammed against this cabinet full of dishes next to the living room. The cabinet began to shake and I thought nothing of it--at first. If the chair hits the cabinet, obviously it will shake. But the problem was that instead of the shaking cabinet loosing it’s momentum it actually began to shake more violently.
There was a laundry room door about two or three feet away from the cabinet along the wall and as the cabinet was still shaking intensely the door slammed shut. About another three feet away from the door was a metal shelf with two shelves, which had began shaking shortly after the door closed. At the end of that wall was another door that leads into the hallway of the entrance to the house. That door slammed shut as well. Next to that door was the kitchen sink and counter. On the counter was the cork to the sink which slid over and fell into the sink all the while everything was still shaking violently in one accord. I was petrified to say the least. When everything finally stopped shaking, I jumped under the covers with my cousin. Both of us were scared out of our minds. I tried to make sense of it in my head, forcing myself to believe that it was somehow a freak result of physics. We then heard a noise that sounded like a low-toned--almost monstrous--growl. It was a very muffled sound that we at first thought was a garbage truck. It sounded like it was coming from my grandmother’s room, which was next to the living room. We decided that we should try to get upstairs to my house. So, we finally mustered the courage and got upstairs to my living room and somehow managed to fall asleep there. My parents were sleeping down the hall and we felt safe.
DAY TWO
The next day, my cousin and I were in my father’s room playing on his computer and my parents were out grocery shopping. We heard footsteps run up the stairs, through the kitchen, through the hallway, passed my father’s room and into my room and the door slammed shut behind it. I thought it was one of my little cousins that had come over. So my cousin and I checked my room and there was no one in there. We checked the whole house and there was no one to be found. All the doors were locked and there were no cars in the driveway. It didn’t really freak us out that much because it was the middle of the day, but it was still pretty freaky.
SLEEPING PROBLEMS
Since that happened, I started having trouble sleeping at night. I got the sense that someone was there. It was the same sensation you get when you are laying down with your eyes closed and you could sense someone as if they were standing right by you. I wasn’t sure what it was but I knew something was there. Sometimes I would wake up choking as if something was strangling me. This was a problem for probably about three to four years in that house. I later came to believe that it had to do with my interest in the paranormal. I would mess around with stupid things sometimes such as Ouija boards and ghost hunting. We used to make Ouija boards out of paper in school and they would actually work.
GOD REVEALS HIMSELF
When I was 16, I came to a place in my life where I was convicted that I needed God in my life. I was laying in my room thinking about what it might feel like to die. Then I began asking myself questions. “Is this it? Do I just go back into non-existence? Is there really a heaven and hell? If there is where will I go?”
I still can’t explain it but I somehow became very sure at that moment that there is a God and that if I didn’t change my life I would most likely end up in hell. So, I begged God to do whatever it takes to save me and asked Him to make me the kind of person He wants me to be. After I said that prayer, this overwhelming peace fell upon me. It was so powerful that I began to tremble. I couldn’t lift my head and began to cry. I had never felt anything so deep and so warm. I knew without a doubt that I was in the presence of God and that He had heard my prayer. When I was finally able to lift my head, I felt like this heavy weight that I had been carrying around all my life had been lifted off my shoulders--and then a joy like I had never felt before filled my heart. I was laughing like a child.
I ACCEPT JESUS
A few months later, the Billy Graham crusade came to town. I had heard him and other preachers talk about the Bible and God before, but none of it made sense to me. This time, however, I understood the word of God with absolute clarity. I understood that Jesus died on the cross for my sins so I could have peace with God. When Billy Graham made the alter call I knew I needed Jesus in my life. So that night, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior by personal invitation and He changed my life in a way I never thought possible. I began experiencing a very real and personal relationship with God. I was able to understand the Bible as if God was speaking to me through it and felt His presence.
CONFRONTING SATAN I was still having problems at home with these spiritual attacks. I later learned what the Bible had to say about the evil spiritual forces in this world. The last time I was faced with these scare tactics that Satan was using on me, I trusted Jesus and He dealt with it. I began to understand the nature of these attacks, which were trying to keep me from God, so I got angry and told these evil spiritual forces that I am a child of God and to leave in the name of Jesus and it left.
JESUS CAN WORK FOR YOU
I slept peacefully for the first time in years and those evil spirits haven't been much of a bother since. There is definitely power in the name of Jesus and I realized that because he got me out of this mess. God changed my life and I am certain that I will go to heaven, not because of anything that I had done, but because of what Jesus did on the Cross. He is the Son of God and paid for our sins in full. We have only to open our hearts and ask Him to come into our lives and that is a prayer He will answer. The Bible says that all who call upon Jesus will be saved.
I’ll take this back to when I was about 12 years old. I had just moved to Brampton and my cousin was sleeping over for most of the summer. My Grandmother also lived with us. She lived downstairs in the basement and she was away at my uncle's for a while, so my cousin and I slept downstairs in her living room on a couple of couches she had. We were up at night and I was showing my cousin this weird workout my father did, which required me to put my foot on this nearby sofa chair in the living room.
The layout was an open concept and the living room was attached to the kitchen. As I was showing my cousin the workout the chair that I had my foot on slid back on its own and slammed against this cabinet full of dishes next to the living room. The cabinet began to shake and I thought nothing of it--at first. If the chair hits the cabinet, obviously it will shake. But the problem was that instead of the shaking cabinet loosing it’s momentum it actually began to shake more violently.
There was a laundry room door about two or three feet away from the cabinet along the wall and as the cabinet was still shaking intensely the door slammed shut. About another three feet away from the door was a metal shelf with two shelves, which had began shaking shortly after the door closed. At the end of that wall was another door that leads into the hallway of the entrance to the house. That door slammed shut as well. Next to that door was the kitchen sink and counter. On the counter was the cork to the sink which slid over and fell into the sink all the while everything was still shaking violently in one accord. I was petrified to say the least. When everything finally stopped shaking, I jumped under the covers with my cousin. Both of us were scared out of our minds. I tried to make sense of it in my head, forcing myself to believe that it was somehow a freak result of physics. We then heard a noise that sounded like a low-toned--almost monstrous--growl. It was a very muffled sound that we at first thought was a garbage truck. It sounded like it was coming from my grandmother’s room, which was next to the living room. We decided that we should try to get upstairs to my house. So, we finally mustered the courage and got upstairs to my living room and somehow managed to fall asleep there. My parents were sleeping down the hall and we felt safe.
DAY TWO
The next day, my cousin and I were in my father’s room playing on his computer and my parents were out grocery shopping. We heard footsteps run up the stairs, through the kitchen, through the hallway, passed my father’s room and into my room and the door slammed shut behind it. I thought it was one of my little cousins that had come over. So my cousin and I checked my room and there was no one in there. We checked the whole house and there was no one to be found. All the doors were locked and there were no cars in the driveway. It didn’t really freak us out that much because it was the middle of the day, but it was still pretty freaky.
SLEEPING PROBLEMS
Since that happened, I started having trouble sleeping at night. I got the sense that someone was there. It was the same sensation you get when you are laying down with your eyes closed and you could sense someone as if they were standing right by you. I wasn’t sure what it was but I knew something was there. Sometimes I would wake up choking as if something was strangling me. This was a problem for probably about three to four years in that house. I later came to believe that it had to do with my interest in the paranormal. I would mess around with stupid things sometimes such as Ouija boards and ghost hunting. We used to make Ouija boards out of paper in school and they would actually work.
GOD REVEALS HIMSELF
When I was 16, I came to a place in my life where I was convicted that I needed God in my life. I was laying in my room thinking about what it might feel like to die. Then I began asking myself questions. “Is this it? Do I just go back into non-existence? Is there really a heaven and hell? If there is where will I go?”
I still can’t explain it but I somehow became very sure at that moment that there is a God and that if I didn’t change my life I would most likely end up in hell. So, I begged God to do whatever it takes to save me and asked Him to make me the kind of person He wants me to be. After I said that prayer, this overwhelming peace fell upon me. It was so powerful that I began to tremble. I couldn’t lift my head and began to cry. I had never felt anything so deep and so warm. I knew without a doubt that I was in the presence of God and that He had heard my prayer. When I was finally able to lift my head, I felt like this heavy weight that I had been carrying around all my life had been lifted off my shoulders--and then a joy like I had never felt before filled my heart. I was laughing like a child.
I ACCEPT JESUS
A few months later, the Billy Graham crusade came to town. I had heard him and other preachers talk about the Bible and God before, but none of it made sense to me. This time, however, I understood the word of God with absolute clarity. I understood that Jesus died on the cross for my sins so I could have peace with God. When Billy Graham made the alter call I knew I needed Jesus in my life. So that night, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior by personal invitation and He changed my life in a way I never thought possible. I began experiencing a very real and personal relationship with God. I was able to understand the Bible as if God was speaking to me through it and felt His presence.
CONFRONTING SATAN I was still having problems at home with these spiritual attacks. I later learned what the Bible had to say about the evil spiritual forces in this world. The last time I was faced with these scare tactics that Satan was using on me, I trusted Jesus and He dealt with it. I began to understand the nature of these attacks, which were trying to keep me from God, so I got angry and told these evil spiritual forces that I am a child of God and to leave in the name of Jesus and it left.
JESUS CAN WORK FOR YOU
I slept peacefully for the first time in years and those evil spirits haven't been much of a bother since. There is definitely power in the name of Jesus and I realized that because he got me out of this mess. God changed my life and I am certain that I will go to heaven, not because of anything that I had done, but because of what Jesus did on the Cross. He is the Son of God and paid for our sins in full. We have only to open our hearts and ask Him to come into our lives and that is a prayer He will answer. The Bible says that all who call upon Jesus will be saved.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
SILENT NIGHT
I'm probably going to sound like a broken record, but you haven't heard it from me so it's all good. This Christmas, let's not only celebrate the good times with our families, but remember what Christmas is really all about. Sure, it's about giving and sharing, and all that jazz, but what I mean is, it's about the birth of Jesus Christ. I'm going to let my favorite Christmas carol tell the story.
Silent Night
(Gruber/Mohr) Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in Heavenly peace
Sleep in Heavenly peace
Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy Holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Silent Night
(Gruber/Mohr) Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in Heavenly peace
Sleep in Heavenly peace
Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy Holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Silent Night!
The origin of the Christmas carol we know as Silent Night was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody for Silent Night was composed with this in mind. The music to Silent Night was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass. Silent Night is the most famous Christmas carol of all time!
Friday, December 14, 2007
UNDERSTANDING DEATH
I'll be honest with you, I haven't had to see a lot of family members die. My grandfather in 1996 was the only death I had been subjected to. One heart attack later, the man who I always joked with was no longer there. At his funeral, he was buried in an urn. It was hard to believe that my large, tall grandather was now in a little containers. Need;ess to say that wasy my first encounter with death.
My grandfather on my dad's side isn't doing well at all. His lungs are giving out on him after years of having emphazeema. My good friends Matt and Tim took me to see him two evenings ago in the hospital. He didn't look well at all. At this point, I thought that this might be it. Then I remember the time he'd been in the hospital like this before. I couldn't recognize him. But he was stubborn and pulled through.
That night when I saw him, he was in pretty rough shape. Matt and I prayed for him though and by the time we had left, he looked a lot better. God had worked his magic.
Yesterday morning I said a prayer and God spoke to me. He said talk to your friend at work. I did so and again he told me something that I didn't want to hear. Quite opposite actually. He said a way of getting over death is by realizing they are in a better place and that they no longer have to suffer.
At this moment in time, I don't want to let my grandfather go. He's been there for so many years, but I know he's suffering and that in itself kills me to watch.
My girlfriend also tried to provide a few words of comfort, but she said herself that they were trite. Death is a delicate matter. It's energy draining and even the simple work day that distracts you from these feelings is a relief.
"My grandpa." This is my tag phrase for him. I was seven on a boat trip to Newfoundland. This other kid was talking to my grandfather. I got jealous and I barked at him, "My grandpa." God will take care of him no matter what happens, I'm convinced at that.
My grandfather on my dad's side isn't doing well at all. His lungs are giving out on him after years of having emphazeema. My good friends Matt and Tim took me to see him two evenings ago in the hospital. He didn't look well at all. At this point, I thought that this might be it. Then I remember the time he'd been in the hospital like this before. I couldn't recognize him. But he was stubborn and pulled through.
That night when I saw him, he was in pretty rough shape. Matt and I prayed for him though and by the time we had left, he looked a lot better. God had worked his magic.
Yesterday morning I said a prayer and God spoke to me. He said talk to your friend at work. I did so and again he told me something that I didn't want to hear. Quite opposite actually. He said a way of getting over death is by realizing they are in a better place and that they no longer have to suffer.
At this moment in time, I don't want to let my grandfather go. He's been there for so many years, but I know he's suffering and that in itself kills me to watch.
My girlfriend also tried to provide a few words of comfort, but she said herself that they were trite. Death is a delicate matter. It's energy draining and even the simple work day that distracts you from these feelings is a relief.
"My grandpa." This is my tag phrase for him. I was seven on a boat trip to Newfoundland. This other kid was talking to my grandfather. I got jealous and I barked at him, "My grandpa." God will take care of him no matter what happens, I'm convinced at that.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
DO WE BLAME GOD?
My grandfather is in the hospital at the moment so if everyone could keep him in their prayers, it'd be greatly appreciated.
I've heard stories where people blame God for things go wrong in their lives. A death of a family member or a lost job would be two good reasons. For myself, I know that I've questioned God why certain things happen, but I know they happen for a reason.
One big one was love. I always had a hard time finding a good girl to date. I know I always asked God, "Please, please give me some girl I could love." It sounds cheesy, but that was what I asked for. Eventually, it was, "Lord, why, why, have you not heard my prayers?" I never blamed God, but I certainly questioned why this certain aspect was left being unfulfilled.
When I started dating on a regular basis, I thought I had more to be thankful about, but then I found even more reasons to be unhappy. My idealism of love had been replaced with some bitter realities of what dating was really like. I now know that God kept lady friends from my life because I wasn't ready. I thank God though that I was allowed to have trial and error.
When my last relationship ended, I questioned God, "When was I going to find that someone I could love?" He did answer in the way of a friend of mine finding Jesus Christ.
The ironic thing about all of this is that not even a month after I got baptised I found the girl I was going to marry. God wanted me to find him first and by that, he made me ready. I'm still learning of course and I know I'll always question God about something. The fact of the matter is God does things on his time. It's best to give it to him and try your best to put it out of your mind. Notice I said, 'try your best'.
Here is a song by Garth Brooks that suits this situation:
UNANSWERED PRAYERS
Just the other night a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be.
She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if hed only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again.
(chorus)
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer, it doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell that time had changed me
In her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the lord knows what he's doing after all.
And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thanked the Good Lord
For the gifts in my life.
*chorus*
Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
I've heard stories where people blame God for things go wrong in their lives. A death of a family member or a lost job would be two good reasons. For myself, I know that I've questioned God why certain things happen, but I know they happen for a reason.
One big one was love. I always had a hard time finding a good girl to date. I know I always asked God, "Please, please give me some girl I could love." It sounds cheesy, but that was what I asked for. Eventually, it was, "Lord, why, why, have you not heard my prayers?" I never blamed God, but I certainly questioned why this certain aspect was left being unfulfilled.
When I started dating on a regular basis, I thought I had more to be thankful about, but then I found even more reasons to be unhappy. My idealism of love had been replaced with some bitter realities of what dating was really like. I now know that God kept lady friends from my life because I wasn't ready. I thank God though that I was allowed to have trial and error.
When my last relationship ended, I questioned God, "When was I going to find that someone I could love?" He did answer in the way of a friend of mine finding Jesus Christ.
The ironic thing about all of this is that not even a month after I got baptised I found the girl I was going to marry. God wanted me to find him first and by that, he made me ready. I'm still learning of course and I know I'll always question God about something. The fact of the matter is God does things on his time. It's best to give it to him and try your best to put it out of your mind. Notice I said, 'try your best'.
Here is a song by Garth Brooks that suits this situation:
UNANSWERED PRAYERS
Just the other night a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be.
She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if hed only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again.
(chorus)
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer, it doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell that time had changed me
In her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the lord knows what he's doing after all.
And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thanked the Good Lord
For the gifts in my life.
*chorus*
Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
RELIGION RESTRICTIONS
I can't remember who I heard this from whether it be a pastor, family or friend. But if you think about the ten commandments, some think of them as restrictions, but I would rather think of them as warning signs.
1.) Thou shall not have any other Gods before me.
This is an easy one to fall into because it involves putting ourselves first and God second. I've seen what happens in my life when I put myself before God--I'm still guilty of it. I focus on more on what I have to do and what has to get done. I find that while accomplishing things are rewarding, it's not as rewarding as serving God and helping others. When I help someone else with no strings attached, I find that I feel really good about myself, like, I was supposed to do that. Good commandment. Doing it can lead to harm.
2.) Thou shall not kill.
This is a no brainer here. But here's an added thought. I got it from the movie, Dogma. Vulger, but insightful. Imagine that you've done every unthinkable sin (murder, molestation, etc.). What have you got to fear? One reason why so many people today don't do these unthinkable things because there is a fear involved. There's the obvious prison and death sentence, but there's that fear of becoming a monster if you were to murder. If you did it, there's no fear anymore. That's a really bad thing. Sometimes fear is a good thing. Good commandment. Doing it can lead to harm.
3.) Thou shall not steal.
Borrowing without the intention of returning is also stealing. Good commandment. Doing it can lead to harm.
4.) Honour thy father and thy mother.
Parents are obviously not perfect, but here are the people that usually and genuinely love you who'll give you advice for free without doing you wrong. Sometimes when I joke around with my parents I can easily forget about who they are and can go over the line with the joking around. This commandment is a good one because it reminds you of who to respect for the obvious reasons.
I'll cover the other commandments at another time...
1.) Thou shall not have any other Gods before me.
This is an easy one to fall into because it involves putting ourselves first and God second. I've seen what happens in my life when I put myself before God--I'm still guilty of it. I focus on more on what I have to do and what has to get done. I find that while accomplishing things are rewarding, it's not as rewarding as serving God and helping others. When I help someone else with no strings attached, I find that I feel really good about myself, like, I was supposed to do that. Good commandment. Doing it can lead to harm.
2.) Thou shall not kill.
This is a no brainer here. But here's an added thought. I got it from the movie, Dogma. Vulger, but insightful. Imagine that you've done every unthinkable sin (murder, molestation, etc.). What have you got to fear? One reason why so many people today don't do these unthinkable things because there is a fear involved. There's the obvious prison and death sentence, but there's that fear of becoming a monster if you were to murder. If you did it, there's no fear anymore. That's a really bad thing. Sometimes fear is a good thing. Good commandment. Doing it can lead to harm.
3.) Thou shall not steal.
Borrowing without the intention of returning is also stealing. Good commandment. Doing it can lead to harm.
4.) Honour thy father and thy mother.
Parents are obviously not perfect, but here are the people that usually and genuinely love you who'll give you advice for free without doing you wrong. Sometimes when I joke around with my parents I can easily forget about who they are and can go over the line with the joking around. This commandment is a good one because it reminds you of who to respect for the obvious reasons.
I'll cover the other commandments at another time...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
