Jennie Baldwin

I was reared in a Christian home. My mother taught me the love of God and the fear of God, but somehow I never got the truth or the love of God in my heart. I joined the church as a child, but had no change in my life or in my heart, so of course I couldn’t do the right thing.

Like many other young people, I thought all there was to life was to have a good time, to have plenty of money to spend, and to go and come when I chose. I spent night after night and all day Sunday reveling in sin. I could be found around the card tables and in the theaters and dance halls–a fallen woman in the deepest dives of sin.

I am so glad that after sin had crept into my heart and my feet had gone the downward way, God in His great mercy let me read just five words in an Apostolic Faith Church paper, “The Great White Throne Judgment.” Though I didn’t know the meaning of the words, such fear came into my heart. I was young and I wasn’t thinking anything about the hereafter, but the Lord got my attention and put a stop to that mad career of mine by letting me read those words. God dealt faithfully with my soul as I sat and pondered over them. I thought, I wish I knew more about the judgment. I got a Bible and turned to the twentieth chapter of Revelation. I read that the dead, small and great, are going to stand before God and that the Books will be opened; all will be judged according to the way they lived on earth. I said right out loud, “Then, Jesus, there is no hiding place from You.” I thought about my life of sin. I looked up and said, “Oh Lord, will I have to answer for all the sins I have committed?” My heart was broken as my sins rolled up before me. I said, “Lord, if You will get me out of my trouble and out of my sin, I will serve You all the days of my life.”

I wanted out of sin right then. There was no one around to help me pray and I never dreamed that God would answer my prayer. I needed to find someone who could pray. My friend made an appointment for me with one of the women living in my city and I went that night. I have never forgotten the prayer she prayed. I was speechless as I listened to her.  She said, “Jesus, You came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Then I just said, “Jesus, will you save me?” and I was saved. Every bit of the love of worldly things went out of my heart. God made me a real Bible Christian and put a love for purity and a clean life in my soul.

I have had many years now to prove this old-time religion. God has given me so many blessings. One of those blessings was health. I had been sick every day of my life, and specialists had done their best for me. I was under the care of one doctor for a year before Jesus saved my soul, and during that time he said, “I never had a case like yours; your system will not yield to treatments or medicine.” Then the Apostolic Faith Church overseer came back East and, as she was on her way to the train station with several others to return to Portland, I told her about just one of my afflictions. She replied, “You shouldn’t have that; we will pray.” I sat down and they anointed me with oil and she prayed, “Jesus, You make this child of Yours well from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet for Your glory.” God healed me right then of all my afflictions.

I praise God for His wonderful love to me! Truly I love Him and this Gospel.