Jewels Found Along the Path of Life

By Michael Francis England

If you have ever wondered what it is truly like to become a real Christian and have an actual relationship with the living God and Creator of Heaven and Earth, then Jewels Found along the Path of Life is for you.

Jewels Found along the Path of Life is the remarkable story of one man's journey that began when he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, was born again spiritually, and began a new walk in faith. It illustrates what it is like to get to know God personally, serve Him, and be used by Him, as it lists many of the encounters with God he experienced over the first twenty-five years of his saved life. Come along and walk the path of life with this man and share in the exciting journey, the many blessings experienced, the supernatural provision and protection found, and the numerous miraculous events that occurred as he continued to move forward in God's plan for his life. See what it is like to walk on the path of life where one finds renewed hope, purpose, and fulfillment in their lifea path where perfect love casts out all fear, and the peace that passes understanding fills one's heart even in the midst of fiery trials and great trouble. Join with this man as he learns about the unconditional love of God, His faithfulness, His goodness, His grace, and His immeasurable mercy. It is a journey that will change your life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 23, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490837512

Michael Francis England

Michael Francis England is an evangelist who has shared the gospel worldwide, and spent two years as a missionary in India and Pakistan. He has a master of arts in religion, majoring in evangelism and church planting from Liberty University. He resides with his wife, Dominique, in New York City.

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Copyright © 2014 Michael Francis England.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-3752-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-3753-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-3751-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014908980

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/13/2014

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1 Salvation

Chapter 2 Born Again

Chapter 3 Shielded

Chapter 4 Delivered

Chapter 5 Sharing

Chapter 6 Supplied

Chapter 7 Favored

Chapter 8 Encounter

Chapter 9 Called and Chosen

Chapter 10 Protected

Chapter 11 Amazed

Chapter 12 Helped

Chapter 13 Empowered

Chapter 14 Preached

Chapter 15 Emboldened

Chapter 16 Worked

Chapter 17 Softened

Chapter 18 Reached Out

Chapter 19 Dying to Self

Chapter 20 Spoke

Chapter 21 Sent

Chapter 22 Equipped

Chapter 23 Gained Wisdom

Chapter 24 Adapted

Chapter 25 Answered Prayer

Chapter 26 Intercession

Chapter 27 Worshipped

Chapter 28 Supernatural

Chapter 29 Proclaimed

Chapter 30 Impartation

Chapter 31 Cried Out

Chapter 32 Wonder

Chapter 33 Shepherded by the Good Shepherd

Chapter 34 Strengthened

Chapter 35 Confirmed

Chapter 36 Miraculous

Chapter 37 Directed

Chapter 38 Walking by Faith

Chapter 39 Fitly Spoken

Chapter 40 Exercised a Gift

Chapter 41 Resurrection Power

Chapter 42 Hope Restored

Epilogue

Appendix A

I dedicate this book first to my brother, Bob, who shared the words of life with me, led me to the Lord, discipled me, and has never stopped praying for me. If it were not for him and his love, I don’t know if I would have ever begun my journey on the path of life.

I also dedicate this book to my lovely wife, Dominique. Without her love, encouragement, and support, I do not believe I would have been able to find the time, motivation, and strength to have completed this work.

Foreword

What does it mean to be a Christian? Is it a set of rules or a certain doctrine? Or does it involve a bit more? Perhaps a life committed to a deep and ever-moving relationship to a person is the key—the person Jesus Christ. This is the life and meaning Michael has unashamedly dedicated himself to since becoming a Christian and it gives me great pleasure to be able to call him both friend and mentor.

Now, we all have a spiritual biography, a personal story that so often starts with the realization that we are indeed lost without Jesus, that we cannot do life without Him as our anchor, guide, and confidant. What sets Michael apart from many believers today is that where many people take that initial step of saying yes to Jesus and then fall prey to a more culturally acceptable, consumer-driven, and somewhat apathetic lifestyle, Michael’s story continues to mesmerize, inspire, and glorify God through his selfless acts of love and bold faith and, if I might add, his acute sense of the constant and subtle promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Jewels Found along the Path of Life is a refreshing and needed testimony to what God is still doing in and through those who wholeheartedly love and turn to Him daily. Devoted to the core spiritual disciplines of Bible intake and prayer, Michael’s life proves what has been sadly lost in the West—that is, a sincere belief that God still works miracles for those who earnestly seek Him. His personal stories not only show this deeply held belief but also prove that God is without a doubt sovereign and therefore demands worship and praise.

—IAN H. OLSON

MA, pastoral counseling

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

Preface

Jewels found along the path of life are experiences I have been blessed to have with the living God since I was saved. The wall of sin that had separated me from Him for the first thirty-four years of my life was finally removed by His exceedingly immeasurable grace in Jesus Christ, and a new living relationship with Him was birthed in me by His Holy Spirit when I was born again. These moments wherein I encountered God and was blessed truly are like precious jewels to me, which I cherish and hold in the highest value. But I believe that all treasures must be shared freely for them to gain their highest value and that it would be selfish for me to keep my jewels to myself alone. When we share our jewels with one another, we all go away richer.

I hope that the things I share here will enrich all those who read this book. Most of all, my desire in writing the book is to give God all glory and all praise by declaring the wonderful works He has done and also to share the incomparable love I have found with those who may not yet know Him. I also hope to encourage, strengthen, and challenge my brothers and sisters in the faith.

When I was lost, I did not know I was lost. I believed in God, and in heaven and hell, but the devils also believe and tremble (James 2:19). So even though I believed in God, I lacked saving faith. While I was not certain that I would go to heaven when I died, I believed that no one could know whether he or she would or would not. I thought I was a good person, even though I had many sinful habits. I was like so many people who hope that the good they do will outweigh the bad when their time for judgment comes. I believed that the way to get to heaven was by being good. Now, I know that no one can get to heaven simply by being good. (Please see appendix A at the end of the book to learn what the entrance requirements for heaven are.)

Before I was saved, my understanding of what it meant to be saved was that my name would be written in the Book of Life, so that when I died I would go to heaven. I saw salvation as a then thing, not a now thing. I did not know that it would change my life in the here and now at all, except that maybe I would not be able to do some of the bad things I was so accustomed to and that I would be trying harder to be good. Thank God, I was terribly wrong. When I was saved, I was transformed, and my life changed dramatically. The most dramatic change was that I now had a relationship with God, the Creator of heaven and earth; that He walked with me and talked with me; that He now called me His friend! I now found myself on the path of the just, which is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Prov. 4:18 KJV). I had begun a journey that was about coming to know Jesus Christ intimately, and as I came to know him and beheld His glory, I was being transformed into His image as He took me from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). My life had suddenly become an exciting adventure with purpose and fulfillment, filled with the wonders and blessings that are part of having a renewed relationship with the Almighty.

By no means do I intend to exalt myself by the things I share in this book. The only thing that qualifies me to have experienced any of the things listed here is that I am a weak thing, and God chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty (1 Cor. 1:27). I say this because, in addition to falling short of God’s glory, I have a muscular disease that causes atrophy or gradual loss of my muscles in the outer extremities, which means my hands and lower arms and my feet and lower legs. In worldly terms, I am described as being crippled; I now must wear orthotic braces on my lower legs to walk, my fingers are curled up, and my hands are weak and lack dexterity. I would actually have been drafted into the Vietnam War when I was eighteen years old, because my date of birth was selected in the draft lottery, but my physical condition made me 4F, which meant I was not physically fit for service and could not get into the armed forces if I wanted to. Whereas I was not good enough for service by the world’s standards, that, in itself, qualified me for service in the Lord’s army, and He sent me to the uttermost parts of the world to share His love, leg braces and all.

Please do believe me when I tell you that everything I share in this book is true, as God is my witness and as, I hope, the Holy Spirit will also confirm. Many of you may have had far greater experiences with God than the things I share here, and if so, I hope you will write your own book to share God’s glory. Certainly all those who have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit can testify and witness to the wonders that accompany having a relationship with the living God and experiencing His love, mercy, grace, and goodness, not to mention His power, faithfulness, provision, wisdom, and glory. I hope and pray that as you read this book it may cause you to do what the old familiar hymn asks, and that is "that you ponder anew what the Almighty can do, who with His love doth befriend thee." To Him who alone is truly good, be all glory, honor, and praise; now and forever more.

1

Salvation

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But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; nor can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.

1 CORINTHIANS 2:14 (NKJV)

A t the age of thirty-four, in the year of our Lord 1988, I reached the lowest point in my life. Everything from which I had sought happiness had left me empty, alone, and without hope. It was as if I was in a pit and the only place I could look to for help was up, so I looked up and cried out to God for help.

I did not know God personally at that time, but my older brother, Bob, was a Spirit-filled believer in Jesus, and he had witnessed to me for several years. I told him that I wanted to believe but, as I understood it, I had to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, that He died for me on the cross and rose again from the dead, and that I had to believe it with my whole heart and have no doubts. I stumbled over that point, because He had lived and died around two thousand years ago, so how could I believe in something or someone I never had seen or known without having any doubts? But my brother told me to pray and to ask Jesus to forgive me of my sins, to take my doubts away, and to show me the truth. I thought that