HERE
I
STAND
My name is Kevin Paul. and
this is my story.
"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." (Psalm 40:2)
I was born physically of my father Allen and mother Amy at Pelican Rapids, MN on March 22, 19__. I have lived in a number of places since that time including: Morgan, MN (Feb. '71 - Feb. '72); Herman, MN (Mar. '72 - Jan. '81); Brandon, SD (Jan. '81 - June '82); Sioux Falls, SD (June '82 - Aug. '90); Fargo / West Fargo, ND (Aug. 29, '90 - Jan. '02); and VC, ND (Jan. '02 - present).
Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."My early experiences of religious instruction included going to Sunday School weekly during the regular public school year. I was taught to memorize pretty early on (2nd or 3rd grade) the names of the books of the Bible in order.
We (my 4 brothers & I) usually took part in any VBS programs and the like offered throughout the Summers.[...the big move...]
I attended confirmation classes from 7th to 9th grades. We were indoctrinated heavily in Martin Luther's catechism. Memorization of the key points of this man's creed were emphasized. I took it mostly in stride though with some resistance. I wanted to do what I was told and thought were the good things in life.
By 9th grade, a few boys in these generally Wednesday night meetings were already noticeably cold and lifeless towards religious things. Eventually, these persons were passed on through the spiritual 'hoops' with little perceived mastery of the precepts. I thought I was better than these because I tried so hard and spent so many hours at it. Religious pride evidently was one of my early, personal characteristics.
Ephesian 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9)Not of works, lest any man should boast."I later on in my converted life went back through my confirmation class books and papers and discovered poison. Liberal and deadly doctrine had been inserted into my upbringing. How so? Pages were dedicated to exploding the obvious Bible truth that a genuine conversion experience (logically a time and a place like the Apostle John, St. Peter and Missionary Paul had) is necessary.
Acts 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,"I went to a Rev. Graham Crusade June 1987 in Sioux Falls, SD. What was taught there seemed to me nothing different than what the old main line denominations were teaching. Sure at this outdoor event an invitation of sorts to come down to the main grounds at Howard Wood Memorial Field was a bit different. However, there was no Holy Spirit conviction inside me which I would have later in life when the true Gospel was preached and my sin was exposed as being an extreme offense to the Holy God of the Bible.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."I can't exactly place the time but probably after my high school days (Sept. '84 - May '86), I remember seeing a book cover where a man had claimed to have been born again. It showed the before (in darker color) and after (in lighter color). I didn't at all understand at that time any of the spiritual significances of these two totally different phases of a initially lost and then saved man's life.
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:7 "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
1 Peter 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
Matthew 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."From Sept. '86 - May '90 I attended a private, liberal arts institution of higher learning: Augustana College, Sioux Falls. Here as a student I studied diligently Chemistry (my major), Mathematics, and Computer Science.
We were expected to take a few religious courses along the way. These introductory courses brought up a lot of the classical questions that mankind has faced for centuries. Intellectual opinions were given to us as answers. We were encouraged to think critically about certain issues of life. Often secular and humanistic viewpoints were discussed. Very little Scripture was used to establish anything in the classes that I took during my 4 whole years at this advertised Christian school.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."At Augie, I competed in intercollegiate Track & Field for 3 years and had a lot of fun at it. My freshman year included a Spring Break track trip to Phoenix, AZ. I received a partial athletic scholarship as a sophomore.
During these above undergraduate years I also turned down a couple of opportunities to have Bible study. One of my classmates had been attending a Baptist group of sorts and had invited me of all persons. I wasn't Baptist so I pretty much had written her off from the beginning. Of course, today, I am a bit curious as to what had been actually taught at these meetings that I never attended.
Isaiah 55:6 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:"I received an evangelistic, Gospel tract Dec. 30, 1989. It was in a hand-sized, paper format and the color purple. The title was "HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN". In time I took a look at the beginning survey. I checked off numbers 1, 6, 10, and 12 with an inked pen. After this I carefully read through the Bible-based, Christ-focused message. I was not trusting in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ALONE for salvation. I was trusting in a merit system based on my ‘good’ works.
(This above mentioned helpful tract is internet available. Please consider reading through it now and taking the survey. Your answers will be absolutely private and not recorded.)
My second youngest brother Mike first introduced me to Pastor Scheving around February 1990. We met over at the original property of Fargo Baptist Church. I remember also seeing there at that time Jared who was just a little kid.
In late August 1990, I moved to Fargo, ND. Immediate plans were to attend graduate school at NDSU. More serious chemistry classes were on my adgenda.
I had traveled to the Fargo / Moorhead area a number of times before. My Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Forrest Helgeson had been long time residents here. Together we had had several enjoyable visits. The Helgesons had always been very hospitable to our larger family.I attended church services on two consecutive Sunday mornings--September 2 & 9. Mike had invited me to go. The Sept. 2 sermon was about God being the Creator of the Universe.
On Friday, Sept. 14, we were back in church again in the evening. Pastor Ken Shaffer of Larimore, ND was in town holding a Fall Bible Conference.
Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."During this time I had opportunity to think about the doctrines that were being taught from the pulpit. I remember asking Mike one particularly, important question: "Do you think I am saved?" Instruction on simple Bible salvation was something altogether new for me. I had never heard such wonderful (and yet somewhat troublesome) truth before. The Holy Spirit was trying to show me that I was really unrighteous. Nobody could ever merit their entrance into Heaven.
Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;"
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"I was born again (spiritually) of my Heavenly Father at Fargo, ND on Sunday, Sept. 16, 1990. For the first time in my life I had complete assurance that if I would die at any moment I would be allowed into Heaven. There was no more need for guess work or waiting for my last breath of life. I knew that all my sins of the past, the present and even the future were completely forgiven because of JESUS. God the Son had paid the ultimate price on the cross. I finally understood spiritually why He had personally bled, died, and rose again for me. I was the already condemned sinner; He was loving and sacrificing Saviour that I needed desperately because without Him I would be lost forever in the place of fire that the Bible calls Hell.
Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."
Titus 2:14 "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,"
1 John 1:7 "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."All that God required of me was that I should repent (turn from my sins and sinful self) and believe the glorious Gospel.
Mark 1:15 "repent ye, and believe the gospel."
Mark 6:12 "And they went out, and preached that men should repent."
Luke 13:3,5 "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Acts 17:30 "God...now commandeth all men every where to repent:"
Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."AFTER having received the free gift of eternal life, I was baptized (immersion completely in water) on a Sunday morning at Fargo Baptist. I wanted the whole world to know that I had become a new creature in Christ soley on the merits of the Lord and Saviour. The Bible is very clear: baptism should only follow a repentant believer's conversion.
[...my new life...]
Kevin Paul.
2030 West Main Street
VC, ND 58072
aaa.845.9220
Mark 16:15
