JESUS SAVED MY LIFE

My father had a gun in the cupboard of his room, so without anyone knowing I took the gun, climbed out of the window, and found a place where nobody could see me. I put a bullet into the gun, put the barrel of the gun in the middle of my forehead, said a prayer, and then pulled the trigger to blow my brains out. I pulled the trigger but nothing happened. What saved me from committing suicide at that moment was the fact that this gun had a safety lock and the gun did not fire. I was in tears and I was afraid because I thought that it was the end. Really I didn’t want to die, so I was crying out to God because I wanted a purpose to live. No matter who you are, God has created you for a special purpose and you need to find the special calling that God has for you.

When I went to this Christian camp, a man was preaching about how God saved his life. I felt the presence of God and a strong pressure come upon my chest that made me feel that I had to go forward for prayer. The feeling became stronger and stronger, until the preacher asked for those who needed prayer to come to the front. I went straight up and found myself crying and crying; the most I had ever cried in my whole life. Something amazing was happening. My eyelashes were blinking incredibly fast and when I closed my eyes it looked as if I was seeing a bright light. Whenever I closed my eyes I could see this shining light. When the preacher came and prayed for me, he made a funny ‘whoossshhh’ sound and some power went through my whole body. Something like an electric shock of power and warmth went right through my body like a wave. It was powerful, but also gentle. It was like an electric warmth. It was the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. When I looked around most of the people who had been prayed for had fallen to the ground. I didn’t know what had really happened. I just kept crying. That was the first time that I literally experienced God’s power and my life was totally changed.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Being touched by God’s power opened my eyes. I saw the light and from the day God’s power went through me something was different. My priorities in life had changed. I really wanted to know God and it gave me a great hunger to pray and study the Bible. I heard about the Holy Spirit, that when Jesus went to Heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins and to give us power to be a witnesses for Christ (John 16:8; Acts 1:8). 

I knew that I had received that power to preach the gospel. I began to talk to my friends about Jesus. I also heard that the Holy Spirit gives the gift of speaking in tongues, so I prayed and asked God to give me this supernatural gift of speaking in other tongues (Acts 2:4). As I finished praying I could see words written up in my mind, but I couldn’t understand what these words meant because they were from another language. These words were written in front of me. I could see them in my mind. I started to speak them out and that’s how I began to speak in tongues, which is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with us today (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Another strange thing happened after God touched my life. I saw the devil’s power like never before. A person fell to the ground when he was being prayed for and somehow something took over him. Suddenly his hands twitched up in a distorted way. He went a funny red color and an evil voice began to speak through him in a foul language. It was talking so fast that the possessed person was foaming at the mouth. The voice speaking through him was an evil spirit and his body twisted as the demon was fighting inside of him. There was an evil presence and the Christians were praying, “In the name of Jesus I command you to come out.” 

It looks very horrible when you see the demons refusing to let go of a truly demon possessed person. The demon didn’t want to come out, but he had no choice because his power is broken. Peace was restored and the person was set free. There is an evil spirit called Satan and he is the leader of the demons who work to destroy people’s lives. The devil is the total opposite of God. God is pure, true love, holy and righteous, but the devil is filled with hatred, wickedness and complete evil. He is a liar and a thief, and he’s trying to stop people from following the one true God.

Many people even hear voices telling them to do evil things. Satan is not a myth ...

The devil came to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came to set us free and give us the fullness of life (John 10:10). Thoughts of suicide were still coming to me, but this bondage was broken as I prayed, “O God, give me a desire to live.” Suddenly my mind was completely free as I was praying that God would give me my true purpose. A lot of addictions, depression, nightmares, mental illnesses and falling into all kinds of sinful activities, are the work of evil spirits. Many people even hear voices telling them to do evil things. Satan is not a myth, his handiwork can be seen throughout the world. Satan is an evil dictator and he loves war, death and famine. He also uses the love of money to stop many people from knowing God. Those who are rich are often deceived by the devil, as he makes the most of our natural physical desires to lead us to sin.

One morning I woke up and in my mind came some pictures of naked women. Then I heard a voice speaking to me. The voice said, “This is not the devil.” At once I knew that it was a lying evil spirit, so I rebuked the devil and commanded it to leave. The devil wants to lead people into sexual immorality, but God has called us to honor the marriage covenant and to be faithful. The Bible says, ‘Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral’ (Hebrews 13:4). Prostitution, addictions to pornography, homosexuality, rape and sexual abuse of children come about because people have allowed themselves to be led by the devil. Millions of people have been led astray by the devil into sexual immorality, but those who belong to God do not listen to the devil’s voice.

There are only two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness which is ruled by the devil and the kingdom of light which is ruled by the King of Kings, our Lord Jesus Christ. There are only two paths: the wide path to Hell or the narrow path to Heaven. We have to choose which path we are following, for when people follow their sinful nature they fall into the traps of the devil. Jesus has power over the evil spirits, but whoever mocks the Lord and uses witchcraft will be thrown into Hell forever and ever. Jesus Christ has the greatest power and just as I was set free from Satan’s attack to destroy my life, you can be set free as you call upon the name of the Lord and surrender you life to become a servant of the living God. You have to turn away from the devil’s power and turn to the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. The power of miracles, the power of healing, the power of deliverance, and the power of the Holy Spirit belongs to Jesus Christ.

Knowing the reality of God’s power caused me to have an extreme desire to know God. It was like my heart was burning on the inside. I had such a hunger to know God and I was praying over and over again, “God reveal yourself to me. Reveal yourself to me face to face like You did with Moses.” I wanted to be like Moses because he spoke with God and saw His glory (Exodus 33:11). I knew that Abraham was called God’s friend, so I was praying that I would be God’s friend. I knew that the Lord Jesus had appeared to the apostle Paul in the brilliance of a shining light (Acts 26:12-18). I knew that the Lord Jesus had appeared to the apostle John with eyes like blazing fire (Revelation 1:12-16). I had been touched by the same power and that was what I was looking for.

I came to the conclusion that knowing God and getting closer to God is the greatest thing we can do.

As I have thought about the meaning of life, I have come to the conclusion that knowing God and getting closer to God is the greatest thing that we can do. We all need a desire in our heart to get closer to God and we need the desire to see the glory of the Lord. We live by faith, but the fulfillment of our faith is to live with God face to face. After the final day of judgment, the people of God will enter the heavenly city and the Bible says, ‘They will see His face’ (Revelation 22:4). We are waiting for the return of Jesus. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, but once the gospel has been preached throughout the whole world, to all creation, then the end will come and we will see the fullness of Christ’s glory (Matthew 24:14). The purpose of God is for His people to enter through the gates of Heaven and to behold the full manifestation of the glory of the Lord. We will stand in awe, but those who do not know God will be separated from the majesty of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). We have to obey the gospel before it’s too late. The law came through Moses, but the gospel came through Jesus Christ and you have to follow the gospel. Being religious is not enough to save you. You have to give your life to Jesus Christ and be serious in making sure of your salvation.

We need spiritual hunger. When you eat food it gives strength to your body, but more importantly you need spiritual food. You need the word of God, and the word of God will give you spiritual strength. If you don’t eat food you will starve to death and die, but if you eat food you will live. If you don’t eat spiritual food you will die spiritually. That’s why you need the word of God. When the devil came and tempted Jesus to turn some stones into bread, Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Many people are spiritually dead because they don’t care about spiritual food. I want you to know the extreme importance of getting closer to God. Have a hunger in your heart to seek after God and be a friend of Jesus Christ. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. Ask Jesus to set you free and surrender every part of your life to Him.

When I became a fully committed Christian, there were two things that really helped me to become strong in the Lord. The first was learning how to pray and the second was going out to tell other people about Jesus. I used to go out and preach on the streets and give out tracts, telling many people to believe in Jesus. I traveled throughout my country to preach the gospel. Some people would listen, but many just wanted to get drunk and follow the ways of the world. They didn’t care about obeying God or their need for salvation. The devil has used alcohol and drugs and other sins to destroy lives. Many families have suffered because of these sins and many people have gone to Hell because they never truly submitted themselves to God. You have to give your life to the Lord Jesus and then Jesus will break the power of sin off your life. We have to warn the people to be saved before it is too late. If you truly repent, you will be free, but everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

I had a group of friends who used to listen to their loud music and drink alcohol to get drunk all the time. I could speak to most of them about God, but there was one who didn’t want to listen to me because he seemed to have anger in his heart. Whenever I tried to share with him about the Lord he wouldn’t listen. He closed his heart towards God. The last time that I saw this young man, I didn’t know that he would soon be dead. He went to a party with his friends and he was getting drunk. He got into his car, but was in no condition to be able to drive. He crashed just a short distance before arriving at his house. Through drunk driving they had to pull out his dead body from among the ruins. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, and the most precious thing that the devil wants to steal is your soul.

I used to go out to many places where people were sinning to tell them to repent and come to Christ. There was a young girl that I often saw getting drunk. I talked to her about changing her path. She was always trying to get into the nightclubs to get more alcohol. Often she wasn’t allowed into the clubs because she was a short person. It seemed as if she was always wasted and staggered around hardly able to walk. I tried to tell her but she didn’t listen. When she died suddenly, her friends were very shocked and never looked the same again. She tried so hard to get into the nightclubs so that she could party and drink more alcohol, but she never tried to get into the kingdom of God. She never tried to make sure of her salvation and now it’s too late.

We Cannot Waste Our Lives

We cannot waste our lives. We have to lay hold of God’s kingdom. The Bible says that the kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it (Matthew 11:12). You have to live for God while you have the chance and lay hold of the high calling that God has for you. You don’t know how much time you have to live. Many people wake up on the morning of their death, having no idea that today is their final day. They expected to do the normal things they had to do, but without notice they were gone. The Bible says that ‘man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment’ (Hebrews 9:27). We will all be judged for what we do with our time on this earth and the books of Heaven will be opened. If anyone’s name is not found written in the book of life, they will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). See how important it is what you do with your life and how important it is what you do with Jesus Christ. The only way to get into Heaven is to have your name written in His book. Jesus came to shine the light of God into this world and He came to call sinners to repent. We can see how the devil has brought death to this world, but by faith we can see that those who belong to Jesus Christ will live forever.

I was talking to a young man who was interested in giving his life to Jesus, but he had been a thief and had stolen many things. He had with him a stolen radio. I told him that if he wanted to follow Jesus he would have to return the radio because no thief will enter the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10). He wanted to keep the radio and he made his decision not to follow Jesus. All I could do was warn him, “Why lose your soul for the sake of a radio?” Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37) Jesus said, “He who is not with me is against me” (Luke 11:23). You are either living for Jesus or you are living against Him. You have to make your choice. You cannot follow God and the devil at the same time. On the day of judgment we will see that there are only two groups of people - the friends and the enemies of Jesus. There is no middle ground. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in Heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in Heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

To enter the kingdom of God you must walk the path of truth and righteousness. You must be set free from the power of the devil and you must come into the kingdom of light. Jesus broke the devil’s power out of my life and that is why I proclaim the good news of salvation. There is a mighty Savior who rose from the dead. The devil had the power of death, but Jesus Christ broke that power and Jesus Christ lives forever and ever. That is why you can have your place in Heaven. You can have eternal life because Jesus has defeated Satan. Jesus is calling every person in the world to make sure of their salvation. When you open you heart to Jesus, you receive the light of God, but those who deny Jesus are walking in darkness.

God has done His part. What part are we playing in leading people to heaven or hell? 

There was a time when I was in prayer and I knew that God’s presence was with me. I had the joy of God in my heart. At the end of the time of prayer I looked out the window and I saw a man down the road checking over his truck. I casually said to God, “What are you going to do to save that man from going to Hell?” Then I heard God speak to me, clear as can be, straight into my heart: “I’ve already sent My Son. What are you going to do?” It was one of the clearest times I had ever heard the voice of God and it made me realize afresh that God has already provided the way of salvation. Jesus Christ hung on the cross and shed His blood to pay the full penalty for our sins. God has done His part and now we must do our part. Every person in this world is helping to lead their friends either to Heaven or to Hell. I walked down to that man and found out that he was already having Bible studies, but that challenge from God has remained. We must preach the gospel so that more people can be saved. We must do the work that God has called us to do.

Another time I clearly heard the voice of God was when I was praying with a pastor. The town had many young people who were falling into drunkenness, drugs and sexual immorality, so we were praying for a true Christian revival. I was also praying for a friend that I had recently met, who was partially crippled through a bike accident. He had been knocked down just outside his house, so his parents were right there as they waited for the ambulance. As I was praying for him, I clearly heard the words of Jesus, “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink?” (Mark 10:38) For some strange reason I then doubted that God had actually spoken to me. But then the pastor quoted the very same words from the Bible and I knew it was from the Lord. Here I was praying that God would bless and save this person and then Jesus said that I don’t know what I’m praying about. That’s because there is a price to pay. Jesus Christ had to sacrifice His whole life and if we want to drink from the same cup, we have to be willing to do whatever God wants us to do. Many people never hear God speaking to them because they are unwilling to make the full sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. Are you willing to drink from the cup of the Lord?

Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9). Jesus Christ is my Lord, my Savior, my King, my Ruler and Master. Whoever believes in Him shall never perish but have eternal life. If you have never made a full surrender to give your life to the Lord Jesus, now is the time to ask Him to be your Savior. The sinful desires of the world will pass away. What really matters is how you stand with God. I can truly say that I love the Lord and I will do my best to call every person who hears this message to come and follow Him. If you have never taken Jesus Christ as your Savoir, I am giving you the opportunity right now to call upon His name.

First of all, you have to admit that you have sinned against God; that you cannot save yourself; you need a Savior and His name is Jesus. Sin includes disobedience, hatred, murder, abortion, pride, arrogance, jealousy, unforgiveness, lying, stealing, foul language, careless words, drunkenness, impurity, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, prostitution, self-indulgence, greed, disrespect, rebellion, witchcraft, fortune telling, and worshiping man made gods such as idols. Jesus said that you will die in your sins if you do not believe He is the one He claims to be (John 8:24). But if you confess your sins to God, He is faithful and just to forgive you of all your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness. If you walk in the light, you will be purified by the precious blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7,9). If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved... For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:9-13).

Where will you go when you die? You can be CERTAIN!

I have a couple of questions to ask you: ‘If you were to die today, are you sure that you would go to Heaven? Are you a good witness for Jesus or are you still denying the Lord?’ The Bible warns us about people who claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him (Titus 1:16). To follow Jesus is a serious decision and today is the day to make sure of your salvation. It is time to pray to the Lord Jesus, so I want you to pray this prayer with me:

“Lord Jesus, I call upon your holy name. I know that I have sinned, but I don’t want to be lost. I don’t want to die and go to Hell. I want to have eternal life and go to Heaven. Lord Jesus forgive me of all my sins. Teach me to follow You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank You that You love me and care about my life. I ask You to come into my heart and I ask you to be my Lord and Savior. Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit. Let me overcome all the works of the devil and in Your name I rebuke every evil spirit and I rebuke every lie of the devil. Let the truth of God fill my life and let the presence of God touch me right now. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” 

God has a special calling for your life. Jesus has called you today. He has spoken to you so that you can know your purpose to live. You are called to be a friend of God, but many people who have started to follow Jesus have fallen away. There was a man called Judas who was one of the Lord’s disciples, but he was unfaithful and he denied the Lord. It is very important that every Christian is faithful to God, that you persevere in your walk with the Lord, that you get closer and closer and know Jesus as your best friend. To get closer to God you need to study the Bible and learn more about Christ. You can always talk to Him and He will always listen to your prayers, so pray to Jesus every day, walk with Jesus every day, hunger and thirst to learn more about God. When you become a Christian it is only the beginning. 

God has so much for you. It’s a high calling and you need to be in a strong Christian church that can help you in your walk with Christ. Do not be afraid to tell others about what Jesus has done for you. Do not be afraid to sacrifice your life for the sake of the gospel. Be a strong Christian, a Christian who loves God with all their heart. Be a Christian who’s going to be a powerful witness for the Lord and allow God to do a great work in your life. If you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 1:11).

If you have just said that prayer sincerely from your heart, we encourage you to print out this little portion below here to help you remember the date you did so. This is nice to have in our personal prayer journal and also to remind the devil he has no more claim on you, amen? Thank you and be blessed in Jesus' name as you now live your life for Him!

I have decided to follow Jesus                     Yes           No

all the days of my life!                                 [___]        [___]

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever (your name) _____________________ believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Date of birthday into God’s family: ___________________ (The day you accepted Jesus as your Savior)

When you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you made the most important decision of your life. New Christians are likened to newborn babies, who must crave spiritual milk. Then you can grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2-3). To reach spiritual maturity, you must be trained to walk in obedience to the commands of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). God is to be obeyed and Jesus is to be closely followed, so that more people can be saved. May God bless you as you grow into the fullness of the heavenly calling. 

If you would like to contact Matthew Needham, you may do so with this email address: findsalvation@hotmail.com

A highly recommended book written by Matthew: The End Of The World

Matthew has written a book titled: The Awesome Magnificence of Jesus Christ. It is an excellent writing and just WHO Jesus Christ IS. Or another book he's written called: To Live or Die which is a very timely message. To inquire about obtaining a copy of these books, please contact brother Matthew.

Here is another writing of Matthew's, taken from his book: Make Sure Of Your Salvation

MISSION VIDEOS BY: MATTHEW G. NEEDHAM, EVANGELIST:  

• MISSIONS & EVANGELISM - SAVING SOULS (In Kenja & Uganda) - By: Matthew G. Needham, Evangelist 

• FIJI - CORNERSTONE GOSPEL CRUSADE - May 19, 2013 - Evangelist Matthew Needham  

• HEALING CRUSADE - BILL SUBRITZKY At NAKURAKURA AOG Church - April 10 - 12th, 2008 (With Evangelist Matthew Needham)  

• MIRACLES IN KENYA - With Evangelist MATTHEW NEEDHAM  

• EVANGELIST MATTHEW NEEDHAM WITNESSING IN NEPAL, INDIA, & GHANA 

PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU SHARE THE BEST NEWS GOD HAS FOR EVERY PERSON BECAUSE...

JESUS DID IT! and...

YOU ARE SO GREATLY NEEDED!

Remember:  All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity.
(Matthew 6:19-21 is our assurance)