A Turning Point

This university student pretended to be happy, but inside he felt only misery. Then God made His presence known!

By Edward Nakasala

When I was a young man growing up, my parents faithfully took me to Sunday school every week, and I enjoyed participating in the young people’s activities. When I was thirteen years old, my dad passed away, and we moved to a bigger town. The love of God had been in my heart, but I regret that it dwindled when we moved. The worldly amusements and pleasures attracted me. When I went to high school, the Spirit of God continued to strive with me. I could see that I didn’t have the real joy and peace of mind I should have had—the happiness I’d had when I was young and was taken to Sunday school by my parents. I pretended to be happy and to enjoy life and the sinful pleasures of this world. I went into many types of worldliness—gambling, partying, drinking—and I was a thief. This way of living brought much misery, and my mother was heartbroken because of my sinful activities.

Invited to a church service

Thank God that there came a turning point in my life. While in the final year of my university studies, I was among a group of students who caused problems at the university, making it necessary for the university to close temporarily. I was suspended because of my involvement. At that time, my younger brother, who had been a Christian for five years, gave me his testimony and invited me to a church service. At first I was extremely skeptical and thought, What could I get out of church? However, I went and listened to the testimonies, songs, and sermon. At the end of the sermon, there was a call to the altar for those who wanted to pray. Nothing really touched me on that first Sunday. Everyone else went on their knees to pray, but I just sat there looking at them. I felt a little amused at the way they were praying, since some had tears flowing down their faces.

The following Sunday, I attended their service again. It was the same in that I didn’t see my need to kneel and pray. I was full of self and pride, and I thought the people probably didn’t know what they were doing. Yet I continued to attend their services, and the Spirit of God started to strive with me in a much stronger way. Condemnation began to settle into my heart, and for three months I had heavy conviction on my soul. The Spirit of God strove with me when I was in my sitting room, in my bedroom, in the bath, in my office. He showed me that I had no future without Christ in my life.

Saw the reality of eternity

April 9, 1976, was the first day of camp meeting in Zambia that year. In the evening service, the songs were sung and the testimonies given. Again this had no effect on me. When the Word of God was preached, however, God really started to shake me. He showed me the reality of eternity. The preacher emphasized that Jesus Christ would soon be coming back to this world, and that only those who are ready will hear His voice and meet Him in the air. The Spirit of God pointed out to me that I was not ready! My stony heart melted. I was such a hardhearted young man that I never cried, even at funerals. I thank God that, on this wonderful day, He broke my heart. I rushed to the altar of prayer and poured out my soul to God. The people of the church came to pray with me. I thank God that the moment I opened my heart and in repentance told Him all about my life, the peace of God flooded my soul.

I well remember the change I felt at the moment God lifted the burden of sin from my heart. Those who were helping me pray looked like angels to me. I had not wanted to be associated with anything to do with God, but I liked those people the moment God saved me.

A deep peace

That night, I slept like a baby. Prior to that time, I’d had bad dreams and would wake screaming in the night. When the Lord saved me, the nightmares were history. The following day, I wondered whether I would feel different than I had the night before. I found that the deep peace was still in my heart, and I had the assurance that my sins had been forgiven.

When the Lord saved me, He showed me that I had to clean up my life. I took all the books I had stolen from the school and confessed that I couldn’t keep them any longer. The teacher tried to persuade me to say I had borrowed them and that I had forgotten to return them. I told him, “No, I was a thief,” and that I had brought them back and would like to be forgiven. As I persisted, the teacher realized I was serious and freely forgave me. He was surprised at what had taken place in my life. This was only one of a number of restitutions the Lord showed me I needed to make, and I thank God that He gave me the grace to make things right.

Later I heard about the experience of sanctification. Although I didn’t understand what this experience was all about, I prayed and consecrated my life to God. After seeking for several months, when the sermon was given one Sunday, there was such a desire in my heart for this experience that I rushed to the altar and prayed. I opened my heart, and the Lord sanctified me. An inner peace and deeper rest prevailed in my soul.

Then I heard about the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. I sought six months for this experience, and the Lord came in a mighty way and baptized me. After the Lord gave me these experiences, He showed me that I should not sit idle but that I have a responsibility to tell others about what He has done for me.

After I was saved, many of my friends melted away when they realized I was serious about God. The Lord gave me many friends in the Gospel, and I do not regret losing all those worldly friends. I do not miss the worldly pleasures that used to be part of my life.

God gave me a faithful wife, one who has been saved, sanctified, and baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. He gave us a family and has helped us to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. My Christian life has not always been easy. I have gone through trials and afflictions, but the Lord has been my Comforter and Healer. He has been my stronghold and a refuge, indeed, in time of trouble.

God to the rescue

I am especially thankful for one incident where God came to our rescue. My work has taken my family and me to Botswana, and in 1991, we were going home for a vacation during the Christmas holiday. The evening we arrived, two men, wielding guns, ambushed us. They opened the door of my vehicle and ordered me out and to lie down immediately. They also ordered my wife to lie down. Meanwhile our children were screaming in the back. The gunmen were ready to shoot us and to get away with our vehicle. It was a hair-raising incident, yet the Lord gave me such peace, courage, and boldness.

The gunmen demanded my keys, and I obeyed their orders and gave them the keys. My wife said, “How about the children? Do you want to drive away with the children in the back?” One gunman closed in on my wife, ready to shoot, but she was busy pulling the children out of the vehicle. The gunmen drove away with everything we had—the children’s clothes, our money, and the vehicle. They left us with what we had on our bodies, but I will thank God for the rest of my life for rescuing us. It seemed there was an unseen power that restrained those gunmen from pulling the trigger. A number of people had lost their lives at the same time we were ambushed by these gunmen, but I thank God that He did not allow them to carry out their evil plans.

God has provided abundantly for me. He has given me victory over sin, and as I tell others about the love of Jesus, He helps me to stand by His Word. I do not regret the decision I made to follow the Lord with all my heart. I have no doubt that God will see me through.

Edward Nakasala is the pastor of the Apostolic Faith Church in Gaborone, Botswana.