Blog
I was raised in a Roman Catholic home, where we stopped attending church when I was age 11 or 12. Some months after the passing of my mother at age 17, I made every human effort to make myself right with God for 21 days and concluded that since it was impossible, I was lost and without hope of forgiveness. I lived a worldly life until just before turning 21 in 1985.
Apart from any other influences, I fell under the conviction of the Holy Spirit for my sinful lifestyle and started reading the Bible and praying at home. Upon reading the book of Matthew for the first time, I was converted to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Shortly thereafter, I began attending Calvary (Conservative) Baptist Church of Brewer, Maine, where I was blessed with excellent expository preaching and intense discipleship. On my 21st birthday, I gave a 20-minute public testimony with church, family, and friends in attendance and was baptized. I worked for two exemplary Christian electricians who discipled me daily during my early years in the faith, and was enrolled in Bible College for the first time at age 23.
Since being converted, the Lord has given me a heart for ministry in studying and teaching the Inspired Word, as well as for intercessory prayer and service on behalf of God’s people, and in evangelism. Glorifying God with the gifts He has given is the calling of every believing soul, and teaching ministry is one part of my calling. By God’s enabling, I have consistently served in the church since being converted, mostly in teaching and preaching capacities, but also as an encourager, in counseling, discipleship, evangelism, writing and editing.
Since being converted at home on January 5, 1985, the Lord has given me a new heart filled with zeal to share the gospel. Having many unsaved friends and family members at the time, I shared the great news of the Lord Jesus Christ with as many of them as I could. The Lord has enabled me to consistently share the truth of the gospel in a straightforward and sincere manner, without becoming unnecessarily offensive, and without compromise.
About two years after my conversion, I was encouraged by my pastor and my Christian mentors to enroll at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, where I became freshman class chaplain, and an active leader in evangelism. The next year I became heavily involved in promoting missions and was elected as Student Missions Fellowship president.
After moving to Colorado Springs to continue my Christian education at Trinity Bible Institute in the early nineties, one of the ministries the Lord directed me to was as a volunteer chaplain at Memorial Hospital, serving the sick and those with terminal illnesses.
As the Lord has continued to mature me, I have continued to teach Bible studies both at church and in homes. The Lord has enabled me to hold fast to the truths of Scripture with a clear conscience and a non-divisive spirit. Most of my service has been in and through Conservative, Reformed, Baptistic Churches, teaching classes and filling pulpits, mostly as a volunteer ‘tent-maker’ minister, though I have been on paid staff at two churches.
Watch for part two of Nathan's story in the next post!