His Journey

By Ron Armstrong

This book is an autobiography written in the third person. The author felt it would be easier to speak in the third person, not only of his failures but also of his successes. The story takes place on the sea, and the reader will easily see the symbolism of the journey of the old saint. He will see the responses of the old man to his circumstances; he will also get an inside look at the thoughts and feelings of a man of God. Most of all, the reader will see the great redemption, the overwhelming love, and the undeniable restoration of those whom Christ has chosen to call "friends."

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449753306

Ron Armstrong

The author is fifty-eight years old. Thirty-nine of those years, he has followed the Master, and thirty-eight years he has preached the gospel. He was put to work early in the Master's vineyard, which was frightening at first but has always been very rewarding. After ten years of ministry, which included three trips to the Middle East, he felt he needed to learn how to study. He enrolled at Bethany Bible College, in their off -campus studies (he was pastoring at the time), where he received his BA in theology. He has pastored three churches and preached over three hundred revivals in nine states. His failing health has forced him to slow down, but he still preaches occasionally at his home church, Riverside Baptist, where he assists his pastor.

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Copyright © 2012 Ron Armstrong

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-5330-6 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/24/2012

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

There are many great books about the man of God, and the author doesn’t feel he can add one thought to them. He felt very burdened, however, to write about the workings of God in his heart. His conversion was spectacular, for God knew that anything less would have been ignored. This man needed a jolt that can only come from the other world. This experience was not what saved him, but it definitely got his attention. It was simple faith in the finished work of the cross that saved him, as it is with all. By grace are ye saved through faith.

The author has many regrets about giving in to the temptations of the flesh, and has paid an awful price for his wrong decisions. The one thing he doesn’t regret is giving himself to the Master when he was young and strong. He left all to follow Jesus in spite of the many warnings from well meaning brothers, and that decision has proved over the years to have been the right one. He made no plans for retirement, for he felt he would never retire, but one day graduate. To many this was a foolish decision and in some ways perhaps they were right; But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. Through the years the author has experienced God’s faithfulness time after time and knows that God is certainly true to His Word and promises. The years have passed and now as the author looks back over his life he also knows soon he will be done here. He has been privileged to see God work in countless lives and has seen and heard things that could have only come from the other world. Along the way the Master gave him enough to make him content and to boost his faith; He also kept back from him the things that would have hurt him. It is the author’s prayer that these things, good and bad, will shine through his feeble attempt to put them in words. May the Lord Jesus, who has taught the author that he is a child, a servant, a companion, and a brother be honored and glorified above all, and may this work be used to build and restore lives in the Kingdom of God.

Chapter 1

He was traveling in the twilight of his life, he was sure of that. He could see the shadows of his journey’s evening forming on the horizon. He was weary from the battles he had engaged in over the years. His body was racked with pain from the constant efforts to go forward and from the abuse he had put it through. His hair had turned from the blonde waves that flowed freely in the wind to a fragile gray that even a gentle breeze stroking brought discomfort. Wrinkled and stiff, long from the days of his youth, and with all he had suffered, one would expect him to be a bitter, soured and useless old man. But he was more exited than ever, knowing that soon this part of the journey would be over and he would finally see his best, his faithful, his only true Friend.

The huge storm of the last few days was the largest he had ever faced on the sea, to this point, and nearly destroyed him and his little boat. Just as so many times before though, the Master had delivered him through the storm. Now in quiet waters, after making all the repairs he could, he had time to reflect. His mind was still alert and sharp, as iron had sharpened iron, and although forty years had passed he could still remember his journey. His mind drifted back to the beginning, when he met the Master. He was traveling on the wide road toward destruction. It seemed harmless enough, even pleasing for a season. The landscape was appealing to the eyes and the flesh with its green fields and beautiful gardens. It promised fame, power, riches along with those personal pleasures that grabbed the attention of his pride of life. He filled himself with its fruits of lust and wallowed in its fields of pleasures, going farther and farther down the road of no return. He went on carelessly, not seeing the change of scenery. When he finally was jolted to a stop by a power he was not acquainted with, he noticed the fields had turned brown and ugly; there was no fruit that would satisfy as it did before. He took in more, trying to attain that level of pleasure he was used to, but to no avail. He looked back and saw no mountains or hills; only flat, dirty, thorny plains. He had reached the bottom. He felt he was in the hole of a pit in the miry clay. In the morning he wished for evening, in the evening for morning. He was weary with these pleasures that had turned to burdens but he couldn’t stop. He was in trouble and that trouble grew more every day. He felt desperate like a stranger in a friendless world. No one was happy but no one knew why. Then his bed got short, his cover wouldn’t cover him. He thought he was losing his mind. He knew the meaning of misery now but was helpless to change his miserable state.

The stranger’s dad was killed before his fourteenth birthday. Looking back this most likely influenced most of stranger’s behavior. He remembered all too well the time of his father’s death. It was September first, 1967, on a Friday night about ten p.m. Stranger had since been partying hard the last 5 years. This particular night was going to burn deep into his conscience, and he would never forget. The night was a warm pleasant Friday, September first, 1972. Stranger took a larger than usual dose of PCP. He hadn’t even considered what night this was. At ten p.m. stranger overdosed and was leaving this world, the exact time his dad had left for eternity. Stranger was out of control, and had no power over what was happening to him. He literally came out of his body and could hear voices all around him, but he could see nothing. He passed through a darkened mist that frightened him terribly. He knew there were evil creatures all around but still he could not see. Stranger tried to hold back and turn around but he couldn’t. Evil hands were upon him and pushing him through the mist. Suddenly the mist cleared and he could see a total darkness; darkness that could be felt. He was prodded to a deep chasm, where he was pushed in. This was a dreadful place; it was hot and dark. Stranger was sweating profusely and now believed for sure that he had died and this was his eternal dwelling place. He knew enough about the Word because his godly grandmother had taught him when he was just a lad. Out of the darkness a figure was coming toward him, making him insanely afraid. Stranger backed as far as he could against the dark wall but ran out of room. When he could finally focus he recognized him! It was his father! The sweat was running off him like water and he grimaced with pain. His father said it was very hot there, but stranger’s mouth seemed locked. He could not speak. His father told him not to come to this awful place. His father then disappeared and stranger found himself escorted back to his body. As he awoke one of his friends was still there.