Always turn to Jesus

During Holy Week this year, I had the privilege of being in Cuba. I was able to worship in Latin America on Easter, meet the extraordinarily friendly Cuban people, and preach legally on a religious visa. What could be better!

From house to house and person to person, I was asked to share a two minute message of how I came to know God as a friend. Here it is:

At 13 years old someone told me, ?When you get to the end of your own rope, turn to Jesus.? What the speaker meant was, when you realize you are a sinner, turn to Jesus for forgiveness.

When I was 14, peers were experimenting with smoking and drinking and looking at things you ought not to. I experienced the guilt of that sin, and I personally resolved not to get involved in such things again. But I did not turn to Jesus at that time.

One year later, in August of 1974, when I was 15, peers were again involved in sin, and I went along with them. I was crushed by an overwhelming sense of guilt, sin and shame.

Not only did I not keep God?s standards, I could not even keep my own standards.

That is when I turned to Jesus. My prayer was, ?God, if you are really there, I want to know you. Jesus, I am sorry for my sin, I want to know your forgiveness.?

I felt God?s presence. I felt his peace and his forgiveness rush over me.

So the beginning message for me that I share with others is, ?When you get to the end of your own rope, turn to Jesus.?