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Ambassador of Christ- Part Two Rev. Richard Clifford
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Testimony Part Two: When I gave my life to Jesus, I was dumb, stupid, and ignorant spiritually. But I fell in love with my Savior and His Word. Like my mother, I went to Sunday School, Morning Worship, Evening Worship, Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, and Friday Night Cottage Prayer meeting. Peter, the fisherman, also was unlearned and ignorant when Jesus called him and yet he became a vibrant powerful ambassador of Christ. “For I know the plans I have for you!” My Pastor, Paul Hallman, an unlearned brick mason, previously a violent wicked man, was saved through the ministry of Pastor Daddy Hampy, who discipled him, took him to tent meetings, jail services, radio broadcasts, and house to house evangelism. “For I know the plans I have for you!” Even though Pastor Hallman “murdered the King’s English,” he was one of the godliest and well-versed ministers I knew and I sat right up front at church and soaked it all in. I joined the Kappa Ki Christian Club in High School sponsored by Mrs. Ginrich. Her husband was the president of Akron Bible Institute and I was then invited by my science teacher to go to classes there in the evenings. One class I took was on Revelation and I just soaked it all in. Remember, a year earlier I had no understanding of Christianity at all. “For I know the plans I have for you!” Prior to finding Jesus, I had beat up the school bully in my sophomore year. Shortly after my encounter with Jesus, I was full of zeal, but had little knowledge. I strong-armed some of my team mates to get them to church. I took 6 football players to church and 4 invited Jesus into their lives. I bought hundreds of tracts(Christian pamphlets) to pass out. I gave one a day to my football and track coaches. I worked that summer with my brick mason pastor, learning more than a trade. I was being discipled. One day the pastor visited at our home and handed me a junior high Sunday School teachers book and told me I was the new teacher. That was my training. :/ Soon after that Pastor Hallman announced that three of the young people were going to preach in two weeks. He told us to bring him our outlines the next Sunday morning. How did he know that I had the call to preach? God was at work behind the scenes. “For I know the plans I have for you!” My coach took me to his alma mater Ohio University for a weekend. I was football starter and the captain of the track team. I took a pocket full of tracts with me. I was rooming with 3 guys and gave them each a tract and talked to then about Jesus. They got all upset and said I couldn’t do that and that I wouldn’t last 8 weeks doing that kind of stuff. I said that if I came, I would bring a whole suitcase full of tracts. I worked at Quaker Oats for a year and then went to Houghton College, a Christian school. Alice McMillan, Daddy Hampy’s daughter, was my Bible teacher. (Her husband wrote the book None of These Diseases-recommended reading) I got an A in Bible. I had learned well under Pastor Hallman. The adventure as God’s ambassador was just beginning. The plans He had for me were unfolding. I am so glad I said yes to my mother that night she invited me to church. I am so glad I said yes to Jesus when He knocked on my heart’s door. I am so glad I said yes to Pastor Hallman as walked me through discipleship. I am so glad I said yes to God’s call. At 90 years old, I am still having the time of my life serving Jesus! (P.S. Part 3 may show up another time.)
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March 2023
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