I wish I remembered more about the year that passed from the time I prayed with Olive and asked God to show me if the Bible is true or not. I know it was an amazing year.
I started by making a pact with myself that I would verify everything I learned. By this I mean that I wanted to be sure I wasn’t talking myself into believing the Bible. I wanted evidence to substantiate what was happening in my life. I wish I could describe all of the events that occurred that year better, but this it the best I can do:
There are four witnesses that provided evidence for me. One was the way world lined up with my thoughts as the Spirit of God testified to my Spirit. One was the witness of other true Christians who related experiences like the ones I was having. One is history which supports the stories in the Bible and demonstrates how God blesses His people. The fourth is current events in my life and the nightly news. Snapshots in my life included the way songs I heard on the radio seemed to testify of Christ. This was unusual since I only listened to rock and roll stations. Olive was a continuous witness using the Bible to answer my questions as they came up. Reflecting about history, I began to see the role Christianity has played over the years. It seems that as Christianity is freely practiced in an area of the world, that area prospers. I think this is more than the result of conservative living; it is that God has blessed these nations. As for current events, Israel is always in the news and it is easy to see how that nation’s constant affliction could be God’s chastisement for rejecting their Savior. This is not a politically correct perspective, but it provides food for thought.
I had other more personal evidence. I had many epiphanies that year, complete with whole body rushes. I heard a voice in my mind that I believe was the Lord, telling me he loved me. After a year of this, I was ready to look past the dragons guarding the treasure. In the parable of the sower the tares (I called them the Christianeze) and the wheat (Christians) grow up together and only the angels can separate them. I think of the Christianeze as the dragons.
Then I read in the Book of Revelation how there was a blessing for anyone who heard the words of this book. I wanted that blessing. I thought of how Jacob wrestled with the Angel and would not let Him go before he was blessed. I read Revelation over and over again, determined to read it until God blessed me. After the seventh time, I got my blessing.
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. - Mat 13:18
