Tony's Spiritual Autobiography Part I
Article by Bro. Tony BellI came to know Jesus at a very young age. I made a profession perhaps as young as 3 or 4 years old. My mother was killed by a drunk driver when I was 2 years old. My father had personal issues to work out, so my Grandma raised me. She renewed her faith in Christ and began to take me and my cousins to church regularly. We attended St. Louis Bible Way Church. There I learned what sin was and that I was a sinner. I tried earnestly to be good. I realized that it was impossible. I asked Jesus to come into my life and change me.
I was very active at church from a young age and began to learn and grow in knowledge. When my Grandpa returned from his tour of duty in Germany he was saved and we became even more active. At about the age of 12 I was walking through the church and the Associate Pastor, Minister James Foster, and a few visiting ministers suddenly put their hands on me and began to prophesy that I would be a Pastor. I was scared. I had felt a call to ministry, but I also knew the burdensome personal cost of accepting that call. To my thinking: the benefits to God’s Kingdom did not outweigh the cost to me. So I chose to ignore it. I felt that God would find better men and His work would not go undone my absence.
In addition to an active church life, I was a “gifted” kid, so my grandparents enrolled me in Bible Way’s Christian Academy. Upon graduating from there I was enrolled in Concord Lutheran School and went on to attend Lutheran High School North. While my family never practiced Lutheranism I developed a deep and abiding respect for Lutherans. They make it a priority to train their kids in the foundational aspects of Christianity. We learned more than the stories of the Bible. We learned theology! We learned about the Trinity, the history of the early church, the difference between mercy and grace, the deep truths of Christian doctrine. I was an enthusiastic student of those studies! Math on the other hand...
I continued to grow in knowledge and activity in my church. Controversy arose as my Grandma grew stronger in the word. Bible Way was a “charismatic” church. She said that with particular disdain. They were teaching some un-biblical things and carrying out some ungodly practices. I'd been blessed with a spirit of discernment from a young age. Throughout our years at Bible Way some of the things that were taught rang a bell of truth within my spirit. Other things that they taught failed to ring that bell. Now I knew why.
That’s the problem with teaching some truth and some convenient lies. Once people realize that you’ve taught one false thing they call into question everything you’ve taught. It’s like a sweater that you knit with even one false thread. When that one comes undone it doesn’t come out easily, leaving the real truth intact. Rather the whole thing can unravel.
My church home was unraveling. But thanks to that spirit of discernment I’d been able to separate the truths from the lies. I learned the value of truth in teaching and that it was the sacred job of God’s anointed to safeguard the integrity of God’s Word. But that was another point against answering the call.
James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
Next, Bro. Tony continues his story in Part II.
Author: Bro. Tony Bell
Date: 01/09/2019
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