Last Call At Mile Marker Seven
The Bobby G. Richardson Testimony
Last Call At Mile Marker Seven on I-55 in South
Mississippi on December 10, 1985.
Mile marker seven wasn't my first meeting with the Lord.
You see, I was a back slider, someone who turned their
back on God and walked away, or left their father's
house, as the "prodigal son" did in the
Bible. However, after coming back to my Father's
house, I do NOT take my eyes off of Him and place them on
man (or anything else) anymore. I am NOT saying it took
my downward spiral to please God, but because of it
AND because of the Longsuffering Love,
Mercy and Grace of God, I have been humbled, as
a result. Previous to that, there was a time when my
unbridled zeal turned into spiritual arrogance. And, I
know I must have come across, and acted, as though God
had to clear things with me before He made any major decisions.
But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Humble Beginings
Born on Christmas Day 1952, the baby boy, and the
fourth of the five children of my hard working
parents, I grew up on our small family farm in rural
Mississippi, and couldn't wait to leave home and get
out on my own. My daddy grew up on this same hill. And,
my grandfather died when daddy was only ten
years old. As a result, he had to take on the
responsibilities of a man at a very young age. Being
their oldest son, my daddy dropped out of school in
the fifth grade, so he could help my grandmother, who
never remarried, raise all five children right here on
this same hill I am on today. As I look back over the
years, I am thankful for my "country"
upbringing. And, I only wish I could remember all of the
old sayings I grew up hearing from grandparents,
parents, aunts and uncles and other older people in the
community. I didn't realize it at the time, but
they were some real pearls of wisdom. The
few sayings I do remember, I truly cherish.
My daddy worked manual labor jobs, mostly
in the oilfields and in construction, and was gone a
lot. That is, until he was totally disabled when I was 13.
I remember times being very hard back then. My
mother worked in a garment factory for meager wages, and
managed as best she could. And, I started doing public
work, to try and make my own way without being as much of
a burden on them. At any rate, I guess, out of
necessity, my mother was the disciplinarian of our
family. Also, she saw to it that we were in church every time the doors
were open. It was something she felt very strongly about.
I grew up in a main line denominational church
that utilizes the "Roman Road Plan of Salvation",
which virtually all denominational churches use today
(more on this later).
And, at about the age of 12 years I accepted Christ as my
personal savior, prayed the sinner's prayer, made a
public profession of faith, went down front and shook the
preacher's hand, was voted on and accepted into the
church membership and got baptized in the titles of
"Father, Son and Holy Ghost". Afterward, I felt
really good about what I had done. And, God knows I was
as sincere as I knew how to be. But, it wasn't too long
after that before I got a nagging feeling that it
had to be more to it than that. I just didn't know what
it was or where to look for it. And, back then if a
person voiced their concerns, they were told it was just
the devil trying to make you doubt your salvation. So,
you just suppressed it, and went on any how. But, I got
away from most of my Church learning. Although,
I wasn't a mean or vicious person. I was just a typical
rough and rowdy country boy, who had lots of friends, and
who liked the girls and the outdoors. I worked
a lot and fished, hunted, played football, horsed around
a lot. And, I often got into some kind of mischief.
In my junior or senior yearbook, our classmates elected
me and one of the girls as the most popular ... or
most out going ... or most goofy ... or something like
that.
Appointment With Truth and Love
In 1968 I met a little Pentecostal girl who
witnessed to me about the power of the Holy Ghost, and
the need for me to have this gift. She gave me some
tracts to read. One in particular really stirred my heart.
It had a man's hand with the index finger pointing
straight at you which read, "Your Important
Appointment" on the cover. Then, when you opened it
up, on the inside, it read, "With Death." It talked
about those who would NOT be going to Heaven, and had a
few pictures detailing some of the various sins. And, I
saw myself in that tract. Any how, I took the tracts
home with me, and sat down at the kitchen table with my
mother. When I showed them to her, she suggested I
leave that stuff alone ... and I did.
Still, later on, this Pentecostal gal backslid, and
stopped going to church. I did not understand anything
about that, nor did I care at that time. But, I do
remember thinking that things would be much better now
that she wasn't going to be witnessing so much, and
making me feel bad about some of the stuff I was
doing. Then, sometime later on, she and I started
dating. 1970 was a very big year for me. That's the
year I graduated from high school, left home, got married
(to that little Pentecostal girl), went to work for the
railroad AND turned 18. I registered with the
Selective Service (Draft Board). But, my draft
lottery (call up number) was high enough that the call
up for the year I was born didn't get up that high.
And, although three of my best friends, who were a grade
ahead of me in school, joined the Marine Corps, I decided
I wouldn't join unless I received a draft
notice. Many of my relatives and friends did serve.
And, I have the utmost respect for those who served
... and those who are serving ... our Country. At any
rate, shortly after we married my wife told me she
wanted to start going to church. I told her, "O.K.,
that's no problem, we'll go to the church I grew up in."
But, she adamantly said, "No, I want to go to a
Pentecostal church." Therefore, I told her that
I wouldn't stand in her way, she could go if she wanted
to, but that I wasn't about to go to one of those "holy
roller" churches. And, in hind sight, she did
something very strange, but very wise. She just told
me, "Bobby, if you can show me in the Bible where
what my church teaches is wrong, then I will go to
whatever church you want to go to." Friend, that was
like saying sick'em to a dog. I figured that would
be a piece of cake. After all, everybody knows them "holy
rollers" are just a bunch of ignorant and
unlearned ... crazy people, right?
Little did I know that God was about to rearrange my
furniture, and "open my understanding" as to
who He REALLY is. I will never forget it. I bought a
real good King James Version Study Bible, a Thompson
Chain Reference Bible (which I still use, most of the
time, to this day). At that time, I worked the night
shift. And, I carried my Bible to work with me
every night. During the slow times, I would read, read,
read. I started reading in the book of Matthew, like
you would do with a good novel. Boy, it was some slow
plowing for a long time. Then late one night, after I had
made it all the way over to 1 Timothy 3:16, God removed
the scales from my eyes! It came to me as clear as day!
The "oneness" of the Godhead became crystal
clear to me that night. And, I was totally blown away that
I had not seen the Apostles' One God
Monotheistic Doctrine long before I did. The
Bible came alive to me that night! My understanding of
God's Word was DRAMATICALLY improved. And, it became
crystal clear to me that a person's first step towards
God had to be to repentance. Also, I came to
understand that strict compliance with, and obedience to,
Acts 2:38 fulfills the repentance requirement as
well as the other requirements that Jesus explained
to Nicodemus in John Chapter 3, about it being necessary
for a person to be born again of water AND of the Spirit
before they can enter the Kingdom of God.
My older brother has a 3-D picture on the wall in his den.
It looks like modern art with lots of colors. When I
asked him about it, he said it had a hidden message (picture)
inside. He then explained how, if I really looked "deep
into it" I would see the hidden message. I
stood there and stared for a few minutes. And, low
and behold, I saw it! The crucifixion scene! That was an
incredible object lesson for me. Using this analogy, is
how I now explain the way this "ONENESS" Truth
was revealed to me. I saw something in the Bible that I
did not see at first, even though it had been there,
staring me in the face, all along. However, it was only
after I got beyond the "surface level",
and got into the depth of it, that I saw it.
Getting back to my story, several years after our
marriage, and after I had prayed earnestly for quite some
time, I received the Holy Ghost one night
during a revival when the visiting evangelist laid his
hands upon me in prayer. By the summer of 1973, we
had two beautiful little girls (six years later we had
another beautiful little girl). Following a combination
of things including a church split, my wife's health
problems and personal finance problems we both
stopped going to church. About a year later, we started
going back again. Then several years later we fell flat
on our faces again, both of us. My wife is still back
slidden, please pray for her. She is a wonderful wife and
mother, but she just can't seem to get a bur out
from underneath her saddle. It has nothing to do with God.
Every bit of it has to do with people ... some of whom
were supposed to be "in the Church". For me,
all of that was buried, along with a whole lot of
other stuff, at mile marker 7 on the cold night of
December 10, 1985. And, although, I know beyond a shadow
of a doubt that God forgave me of everything there
that night, there are some things I simply do not talk
about, but will take to my grave. It has
all been thrown into the sea of forgetfulness, even
though it wasn't erased from my memory. By the way, it
took me about three years to finally forgive myself and
move beyond all of it in order to not be hindered and
distracted from doing the work God had called me
to do.
Let me say, here, backsliding doesn't happen all at once,
it never does. There are sins of commission. AND, there
are sins of omission. It starts with small things, and usually just
sort of snowballs until you have a real problem on your
hands. By that time, you have no prayer life. And, Satan
has a field day, and kicks you right in the teeth. Then,
like Samson, your strength is gone and you feel sort of
like he must have felt when he was bound, mocked and
abused. This ole boy went so far out into sin until I
honestly was afraid that I would never make it back. I
had in my mind a transitional period of months or even
years to make my way back to God, if I ever made it back
at all. But I am so thankful that God had other plans. On
Dec. 10, 1985, God used a precious little "born
again Christian" lady, who I was interviewing to go
to work for me. Not long into our conversation she began
to talk to me about the Lord and the good things of
God. And, it really got to me. For the first time in a
long, long time I opened up and talked about the Lord
with her. She marveled that I knew so much about the
Bible but lived the kind of life that I obviously lived.
At one point she just stopped and asked me "Bobby,
what happened that caused you to turn your back on God?"
(By the way, she never did go to work for me, but I
discovered that wasn't the reason our paths had
crossed anyway). At any rate, I said, "Rena, I do
not have any reasons. Anything that I would say would be
'excuses' because the Bible says we are drawn away by our
own lusts. So, I do not blame anyone else for my failures,
certainly not God, because everything He has ever done
for me has been for my good." I was under conviction
so bad by that time that I had to bring our meeting to a
close, and leave.
Last Call At Mile Marker 7
After I left her home in Pt. Sulphur, LA that evening (headed
back to my home in Mississippi), and before I got too far
up the highway I was crying like a baby! I began BEGGING
God to keep His hand on me, and not let anything bad
happen me until I could get my life straightened
back out, and find my way back to an altar of repentance.
After driving through New Orleans (I only remember bits
and pieces of the drive because it was almost like I was
in a trance or something), I then got on I-55 and headed
north for Mississippi. I had driven probably about a
hundred miles crying, praying, repenting and pouring my
heart out to God, still thinking of a transitional
period. Then it was as if God softly spoke to me and said,
"Bobby, you
don't have months or years for a 'transitional period'. I
have kept my hand upon you all this time. But, now you
must make up your mind tonight. Whatever you decide about
me tonight, is going to be final." Friend, I cannot put into words
the feeling that came over me. I was SCARED out of my
mind! And, I say this to my shame, but I've been in bars
many times when the bar tender hollers out, "Last
call for alcohol" before the bar shuts down. And,
God had just given me my "last call". Needless
to say, but I did NOT feel that I was ready to deal
with that "Last Call" yet. Nor, could I see
how in the world I could go from where I was at that time,
to where I needed to be without a transitional period of
time of some sort.
By this time I was entering the State of Mississippi.
And, the mile makers start all over. So, I pulled off the
highway at mile marker seven and made a vow to God there
that night that if He would deliver me from the junk I
was caught up in, that I would go, do, be and say what
ever and where ever He wanted me to go, do, be and say.
Friend, I meant those words that night and I still mean
them to this very day, these many years later! And, you
know what? God did deliver me there that night (COLD
TURKEY), and I have come back as the prodigal son, a
wiser, weaker and more humble man. This time around I
hope and pray that I never, ever allow anything or
anybody to come between me and God, EVER AGAIN. By the
way, please don't misunderstand me. I am NOT opposed to
any of the twelve step programs out there. I'm sure they help
a lot of people. But, God had other plans for me. And, as
a result, I know first hand what the power of the Holy
Ghost can do. One big difference between the twelve step
programs and being delivered is this: A person who
is in a twelve step program may or may not be delivered
and will always say that they are a "recovering"
... whatever. Whereas, a person who has been delivered by
the power of the Holy Ghost can say with conviction
"I used to be a ... (whatever) ... but by the help
and grace of God I'm not any longer".
If I hadn't been blessed with a GOOD wife, I would have
been in a world of hurt there too, because my wife had
every right to leave me, and never look back. And, I
found out, some years later, that on the night
of December 10, 1985, she had started preparing to leave
me. I wasn't due back home that night. And, when I came
in and announced that God had met with me at mile marker
7, and that I wasn't going to doing the things I used to
do or going where I used to go, and that I was going to
start going to church again, she was taken back ... to
put it mildly. My wife really did love me. And, she didn't
want to leave me. But, it wasn't just her. Our children
were being very adversely effected. But, I thank God that
she really did love me, and stayed with me until God got
things sorted out in my life. After coming back to God, I
have tried harder than I ever have to be the kind of
husband that God wants me to be. I LOVE MY WIFE, AND I DO
NOT CARE WHO KNOWS! That is exactly the way I feel about
my Lord too. I am so indebted and so grateful! I feel
unworthy to be counted among the number of God's children
or to stand behind His sacred desk to preach the
gospel.
Immediately after God called me out of the bar rooms back
on Dec. 10, 1985, and still to this day, I have felt
a very strong need to maintain a non-denominational status
in my work for God. While I didn't leave here running
from anything, several months later I moved my family to
the Central Florida area, and started all over again with
a clean slate. We lived in Florida fifteen years, from
1986 to 2001. And, I attended churches in Kissimmee,
Belleview and Ocala. When we moved back to my old
stomping ground, and back to the same red clay hill
I grew up on in rural Mississippi, I visited
around but felt a very strong attachment to the First
Apostolic Church of Bogue Chitto, where I currently
attend, play the guitar, sing and teach the adult Sunday
School class. However, from time to time, I still visit
the main line denominational church I grew up in, just
down the road. And, I have accepted invitations to
play and sing at senior events there, and other
denominational churches in the area. And, I participate
in open forum type Bible studies on line and in
person. God has been very good to me.
The Hand of God, The Hand of Mercy
Besides all of the incidents and accidents of growing up,
God spared my life a number of times that I am very
much aware of. One account which I was too young to
remember was when I was just a toddler. This
is how my family related it to me: I had followed my
older brothers and sister and their friends out side to
play, and watched them jumping a ditch in front of our
house, when we lived in Louisiana. And, after they all
went inside, I stayed outside and tried to jump the ditch,
but didn't make it. Instead, I fell into water that
was over my head. And, two strangers that just happened to
be walking along the road at the time, saw it. And, they rushed to
my rescue, got me out of the ditch and took me to my
mother. As far as I know, nobody knows who they
were. I believe they may have very well been angels
of the Lord. Then, when I was 8 or 10 years old, I
started riding motorcycles, and fell in love with the
thrill and the freedom which riding a motorcycle brings.
Since that time, I have had a number of minor
accidents and three very serious accidents. The first bad
one was when I was about 13 (in 1965-66) when I hit
a huge pothole on a country road, doing about 60 m.p.h.
The motorcycle went one way and I went the other. The
second bad one was in 1975, when I t-boned a car that
pulled directly out in front of me on Terry Road in
Jackson, MS, leaving me only enough time to grit my
teeth before impact, and sending me over the
car like I had been shot out of a cannon. About six
months later I fell off a drilling rig into the Gulf
of Mexico about 10 o'clock in the evening hour, the night
of Oct. 10, 1975. The drilling superintendent saw me fall,
and strike my head on a pipe or part of the structure
on my way down. He assumed I was knocked unconscious,
and would be pulled underneath the 400 foot drill ship we
were on, and probably never surface. I learned later that
he immediately dispatched a roustabout to go tell the
Captain to radio the Coast Guard that a man was over
board, and missing. I can still hear those big
diesel engines rumbling down below the water level,
in the engine room, not knowing which way was up, or
how far down I had actually gone. What I did know was, I
was hurting all over and my clothes and steel toed
boots were a real hindrance trying to maneuver. But,
not wanting to wait and see if I would start rising
toward the surface naturally, I starting kicking and
clawing in the direction that I thought was up (and
believe me, after falling [in a tumbling fashion] for
about 30 feet into pitch black water, that is NOT an
easy thing to do). But, thanks be to God, just
before I completely ran out of strength ... and air, I
surfaced. However, no one on the drill ship could
see me, as I had fallen on the side of the ship that wasn't
lite up like the other side was ... for the loading
and unloading supplies. So, I had to cling to a huge tire
hanging on the side of the ship, and hold my breath every
time a swell came until they saw me. Then, they lowered
the personnel basket down into the water with the crane.
And, a co-worker dove into the rough seas to
help me get to safety. During that ordeal I can
remember thinking about my wife and children, and
thinking that I never dreamed I would die the way I
thought I was about to die. But, God smiled on me
once again. Then, on June 7, 2003, I left the
road on my motorcycle to keep from running over the guy
ahead of me, who lost control of his motorcycle in a
curve. As a result, I broke 11 ribs, crushed a vertebra,
lacerated my spleen, collapsed a lung, and came very
close to going home. Following three ambulance rides, 30
something days in four different hospitals (a whole lot
of it in ICU), I was once again reminded just
how fragile life really is. I left home that day
thinking I would be the one to pull my boots off. But, I
certainly wasn't. When you're laying flat on your back,
not knowing if you're going to live or die, you cannot
help but think about these things. Once again God reached
down and spared my life. And, I am thankful that He
isn't done with me yet because I feel like there is much for
me to do. By the way, no matter how much you or I
may say ... or believe ... we love the Lord, He loves us
much, much more. So, I'm doing the best I can as the
Lord walks with me, and opens the doors before me. Also, I'm
still riding motorcycles, and still loving it as much as
I always have. Besides intercessory prayer, absorbing God's
Word, playing my guitar, singing and praising God: riding
my scooter is the next most spiritually tranquil thing I
know of. And, while not everyone can identify with that,
or understand it, it's very true. Last, but certainly not
least, following an annual physical in December of 2006,
I found out I had prostate cancer. Again the mighty hand
of God was upon me. In April of 2007, I underwent radical
surgery, and am doing good. In fact, not only have I
been delivered from the cancer, but I now have a
renewed lease on life to meet my goal of world impact on
the Internet. And, thanks be to God AND my friend,
who is also my webmaster, the Lord has blessed,
and made a way for this to happen. Amen! And, in my
dealings with those who have been through a lot, I
try to encourage them to see their glass
half full, because things could always be worse ... AND,
God truly is merciful, whether we realize it at the time
or not.
Sincere
Commitment
Since mile marker 7, I have purposed in my heart to make
Heaven my home regardless of what others may do, say or
think. And, the mission I am on is an all or none
... do or die ... situation. There have been times when I
didn't know exactly what to do. But, there is one thing
for certain, quitting or turning back was no longer
an option I would even consider. It is easy to live for
God on the mountain top, when everything is fine. But,
that is not where we really "prove" ourselves,
and get stronger. We prove ourselves and grow stronger
when we feel so all alone, in the valley, but remain
faithful to God, despite of how gloomy things might seem
to be. And, as a result, there have been many times
since mile marker 7 when I have had to do as David
did, and encourage myself in the Lord. Times may change
and people may change. But, God's Word doesn't. It
is forever settled in Heaven. And, those who develop
a genuine love and hunger for God's Word will find that it
will actually empower us during the hard times and the
valley experiences. Because we walk NOT by sight but
by FAITH. And, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the Word of God. And, without Faith it is impossible
to please God.
I am not a pastor, preacher or evangelist. And, God hasn't
called me to minister from behind a pulpit in those
capacities, nor to build up any particular denomination.
Instead, I am just an ordinary person who had
something out of the ordinary to happen in his life which
has not only transformed my life, but also my goals,
ambitions and even my thought process. God has called
me to reach people out there in the highways and byways
with His Word (the Apostles' One God Monotheistic
Doctrine) with no strings attached ... expecting nothing
in return. And, that is the reason for the non-denominational
work I am involved with on the Internet.
There is a tremendous difference between a Bible
"discussion" and a "debate". And, I've
done a lot of both .... not that I go around looking for
a scrap. But, I am set for the defense of the Gospel. And,
while I thank God for the talents He gave me (Mat
25:15), I have discussed (and debated) the
Scriptures with a whole multitude of trinitarians of the
many of the different denominations ... many of whom had
impressive degrees behind their name. Also, I have
studied "with" AND debated a good number
of Mormons (I've read the whole book of Mormon), AND
Jehovah's Witnesses (I have a copy of their bible too).
Although, I haven't read all of the Jehovah's Witnesses
bible, I have done a lot of comparisons between it and
the King James Version, and found flaws in their own
doctrine, from their own bible. When I use the word
"debate," some people misunderstand. They think
I am one of those people who just likes to
"stir up trouble." But, nothing could be
further from the truth, as far as I am concerned. My
heart's passion is to share the Apostles' One God
Monotheistic Doctrine with anyone who says they
believe in God and the Holy Bible (specifically the King
James Version). And I have no way of knowing whether or
not I am dealing with an honest, sincere and open heart
who is hungry for all of what God has in store for them,
until we get into the Word, and lay aside all ideas and
opinions. At times when the Word cuts like a two-edged
sword, some are unwilling to accept it and allow it to be
the lamp unto their feet and the light unto their path.
Instead, they get really upset with the messenger who
delivered the message.
There are times when someone will try to back
me down because I don't compromise the Apostles' One God
Monotheistic Doctrine with anyone. The reason being:
there are no specific Scriptures to be found which will
condemn it and support the very seriously flawed man-made
theology that multitudes are being spoon-fed (indoctrinated)
to believe. If I have an axe to grind it is NOT with the
people, but with the ministers who deliberately mis-lead
people and fight against the Apostles' One God
Monotheistic Doctrine. Therefore, I stand my ground, and am
set for the defense of the gospel against anything
and everything that does not harmonize with it. And, I
hope and pray that God continues to bless me with the
wisdom, knowledge and understanding I need to defend this
precious "oneness" truth until I breathe my
last breath, or until that long awaited trumpet sounds,
which ever comes first. By the way, this is all about
Truth. And, when I refer to Truth, I am NOT speaking of
man's "part" truths, which can be as misleading
as an outright lie. Instead, I am talking about Truth
in its entirety, leaving nothing out, nor skipping over
anything. Because this is also about salvation
issues, according to the Scriptures ... NOT the opinions,
ideas, theories or traditions of man. I don't want
to see anyone be lost, which is why I'm doing
everything I can to reach people with the Truth in its
entirety. Think about this for a moment: In Exodus 19:10-25,
the Glory of the Lord covered Mount Sinai. And any who so
much as touched the mountain (man or beast) died.
Also, in 2 Samuel 6:6-7, Uzzah touched the Ark of
the Covenant, which was only to be handled by Levitical
Priests, and was struck dead immediately. The Lord
is Holy, Holy, Holy. And, the only ones who will
stand (and live) before Him are those who learn that the
way up in God's Kingdom is down (humility), and go all
the way down, as Jesus did when He was obedient unto
death. However, we do not have to physically die to
please God. But, we do have to die out to sin,
self and the world, and obey God's Word. Therefore, I am doing my
best to explain God's Word precept upon precept.
I have been affiliated with an independent "oneness"
church. I have been affiliated with churches whose pastor
was licensed by one of the various "oneness"
organizations. And, I spent a couple of years on the back
side of the desert, once, when I wasn't affiliated with a
church at all. By the way, the Church of the Living God
is not bricks, mortar and sound equipment. WE ARE THE
CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD! FLESH AND BLOOD! The church I
am affiliated with right now is not affiliated with an
organization. The pastor was licensed through an
organization out of Arkansas. But, due to things being
allowed, which he felt strongly was NOT pleasing of God, he
relinquished his credentials. As a result, I helped
him form a non-profit organization in order for him
to be licensed, and recognized by the state, to
perform marriages, funerals and the like. Of course, all
of us know, in God's eyes, ministers are NOT validated by
a piece of paper.
Shortly after moving back home to Mississippi, I made
this church my home. It is where I feel God wants me to
be. The pastor, Bro. Roberson, loves God and it shows. I
know him personally, and spend a good bit of time working
with him. So, I know his motive is NOT for the lust of
money, power and authority. This man is not a fake! And,
he feels, as I do, when people are praying, fasting and
studying their Bible, the Holy Ghost will take care of
the things that need to be taken care of in our lives.
However, when the occasion arises when he has to deal
with situations regarding church government and
unity, he deals with things in a prayerful, kind and
loving way, not like a drill sergeant in the military
with a bunch of new recruits.
Having said all of this, I give thanks to God and a good
webmaster that my on line Bible Study is the #1
ranked "non-denominational Bible Study on Google,
Yahoo and MSN, and has touched the lives of people in
over 50 countries. However, I do NOT try to steer
folks to a denominational church in order to build
up some organization. I must maintain the non-denominational
status God placed on my heart in order to fulfill
God's purpose in my life. However, at the conclusion of
my Bible study I do ask people, if they haven't done
so already, to find them a church that preaches the Truth
in its entirety, and comply with God's Plan of
Salvation. After which, I quote Acts 2:38. I
want to see people saved the 'right' way that's the
bottom line. It doesn't matter to me if they repent of
their sins and get the Holy Ghost in a box car, and get
baptized in the precious name of Jesus in a cattle trough
in the next town.
Most of my family are very religious, but don't have the
same understanding of the scriptures as myself regarding
the Apostles' One God Monotheistic Doctrine. My three
beautiful daughters were brought up to embrace the
gospel I set forth in my Bible study. However, the
error and sins of my past had a VERY negative impact on
them, too. I love my family! They are all exceptionally
good people, who are as honest as the day is long. You
just can't find any better than them in my book. I love
them all VERY much, and go out of my way to avoid giving
the impression that I some how think I am any better than
them, or more spiritual than them. That being said, I
do try to drop some salt in the horse's trough every
chance I get. Because there is an old saying: "You
can lead the horse to water but you cannot make him drink."
But, I am persuaded to believe that if you put a little
salt in the horse's feed every chance you get, he will
eventually want to go to the watering hole on his own,
without having to be led.
I take my calling very, very seriously, and strive
to do be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit of God
AND submissive to the Will of God. Therefore, His Word is exceedingly
important to me as I embrace, promote the
Apostles' One God Monotheistic Doctrine ... the Truth in
its entirety.
Update
As some of you know, this prodigal son’s train-wreck of a life took a dramatic 180
degree (about-face) turn, back on Dec. 10, 1985.
That night (at mile marker 7 on northbound I-55, in southwest Mississippi), God
delivered me “cold turkey” from the things that were dragging my soul down
the road of misery, shame and torment. And I immediately embarked upon an
independent non-denominational Bible Study AND Outreach (which, today, even
includes an Internet presence .., which started back in about 1998).
From 1986 through 2001, we lived in the Great State of Florida .. which I often
refer to as, my Spiritual Bootcamp .. where we had moved shortly after my
Damascus Road type life transformation, that took place on Dec 10, 1985.
After 34+ LONG years of praying for her (spanning from Dec 10, 1985 until
Nov 2020), my (prodigal) wife finally returned to her Heavenly Father’s home,
too. Now, she and I are joined together with others, who also embrace, preach,
practice and teach the First Century Jerusalem’s Apostles’ Doctrine, in a
closely knit (growing) church family.
So, this gets me to my point. In addition to the Internet presence I started
years ago, we have put legs on our prayers, and are going out beyond our four
walls, offering to pray for our families, friends, neighbors, and even for total
strangers on the street, in restaurants, and places were we meet. And we’re
simply asking if we can pray for them, for someone else, or some situation
that they really need prayer about.
Soooo, if you or someone you know has needs (spoken or unspoken), and would
like for us to pray, please let us know. If you see us set up in front of a store
somewhere, the sign will just read ..
Can we pray for you?
Jesus loves you!
Please be sure to stop, and check in. We’re not there trying to sell stuff, or
asking for donations. Instead, we’re just out there being more about our Father’s
business, AND demonstrating genuine Christian love and concern, while
ministering to others by praying for those who will let us.
There is a real need for more prayer, these days, because we are living in such
trying and uncertain times. And just about everyone is going through something.
And most everybody can use as much prayer as they can get. Also, there is so
much hurting, pain and suffering, out there.
I can be reached via email
at acts2@impact-ministry.com
Thank you ... and God bless!
PS: the mile marker 7 sign was seen in a trash dumpster in 2003, at Co-Lin
Jr College in Wesson, MS, by someone who knew me, and my story. I was
recovering from a near fatal motorcycle wreck. And he and the rest of my
church family signed the back of it, and brought it to me, in the hospital. It’s one
of my most treasured possessions.
Well, I hope that gives you some insight as to who I am,
what I am, and why I do what I do, the way I do it. May
God bless you is my most earnest prayer! Wishing you God's
very best!
Your friend, brother and fellow laborer in Christ,
Bobby G. Richardson,
Non-Denominational Layman
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A list of my web pages
...
Salvation .... The Roman Road?? Or, the
Jerusalem Road?? ... AND ... Is the Holy Trinity a flawed man-made
Theory or is it Sound Doctrine?
(Listen on line, view printable version or download for FREE)
50 Reasons Why The Bible Doesn't Mention
A Trinity, Or Refer To God As "Persons".
$ 10,000.00 Reward.
Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye
believed?
The #1 Ranked "Non-Denominational
Bible Study" on Google, Yahoo and MSN SearchEngines.
Open letter to Mormons.
Open letter to Jehovah Witnesses.
Open Letter to professing Christians who
are homosexual.
Grammatical Explanation of Matthew 28:19 concerning the correct
NAME ...
http://hometown.aol.com/actschap2bgr/myhomepage/business.html
(No longer available on AOL Hometown ...
can be emailed upon request)
My sojourn with, and EXPULSION from, CMA (Christian Motorcyclists
Association)
http://hometown.aol.com/actschap2bgr/myhomepage/motorcycle.html
(No longer available on AOL Hometown ... can be emailed upon
request)
When God Became A Man - Mystery of all
Mysteries!
http://hometown.aol.com/firstacofbc/myhomepage/faith.html
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can be emailed upon request)
Actual email Bible discussions with Bobby
Richardson http://hometown.aol.com/firstacofbc/myhomepage/books.html
(No longer available on
AOL Hometown ... can be emailed upon request)
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" Movie
http://hometown.aol.com/firstacofbc/myhomepage/movies.html
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can be emailed upon request)
Jehovah's Witness Minister Debates Bobby G. Richardson, Non-Denominational
Layman
http://hometown.aol.com/actschap2bgr/myhomepage/rant.html
(No longer available on AOL Hometown ...
can be emailed upon request)
Who says the supernatural manifestations of God have ceased?
http://hometown.aol.com/actschap2bgr/myhomepage/profile.html
(No longer available on AOL Hometown ...
can be emailed upon request)
Minister with 45 years of Rabbinic Hebrew training
challenges Bobby Richardson
http://hometown.aol.com/firstacofbc/myhomepage/writing.html
(No longer available on AOL Hometown ...
can be emailed upon request)
Mainline Minister accepts the Bobby Richardson
challenge.
http://hometown.aol.com/clmgr1951/myhomepage/newsletter.html
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can be emailed upon request)
Larry Hafley, Church of Christ debater with OVER
30 years experience, refuted
http://hometown.aol.com/clmgr1951/myhomepage/travel.html
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can be emailed upon request)
Larry Hafley's Godhead debate Scripturally refuted
by Bobby Richardson
http://hometown.aol.com/bgr1952im/myhomepage/business.html
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