by George Konig
July 1999
This is my testimonial. I've scoured the Internet for the testimonials of others on how they came to find Christ. And while I did not have the exciting or tragic life that many of them had, I am amazed by the changes in my life since I was saved, in 1989.
If somebody asked me to give reasons to believe in God, to believe in prayer, and to believe that the Bible is the true word of God, I would give them a list of the changes in my life since I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, by saying, "Jesus, forgive my sins, come into my life, guide me. I know you are the Son of God, I need you, Jesus."
Here are some of the events that took place since I was saved in May 1989:
1. A few nights after I was saved, a shadow of a cross appeared on my bedroom window shade. It seemed to have come from the outside light filtering through the window framework. Although there were eight panes of glass in this window, the frame did not look like a cross, but somehow a 4-foot-high cross appeared on the shade. It was startling and dramatic. I got the feeling Jesus was saying to me, "I heard your prayer, and I'm with you always." No matter how I tried different lighting, at different times of the day and night, I could never duplicate the cross that appeared.
2. Since 1989, and I was 57 at the time, my health and strength has actually improved. I am still employed as a turn foreman in a steel mill at age 67. I can run up and down stairs and work 16-hour stretches without any problems.
3. I did develop knee and eyesight problems a few years ago, but I prayed for a healing, using healing scriptures from the Bible, and both problems have since disappeared.
4. I read maybe five chapters out of the Bible before 1989. Now I read about five chapters a day. I make it a goal to read the Old Testament once a year and to read the New Testament twice a year.
5. Since 1989, I have developed a strong interest in Bible prophecy and have read more than 100 books on the subject since then, by several Christian authors.
6. Although I have traveled through Europe and Asia while in the Navy, and would love to go back to these places, I developed a stronger interest in Israel. I am happy to say that I did go to Israel on an eight-day tour in 1996. And I pray that I will be able to return for more visits. Before 1989, I thought nothing about Israel - today I can't stop thinking about it.
7. Since I was saved, I developed a deep hatred for abortions. I know this is probably the biggest sin against God today, as there are more than 20 verses in the Bible that are against abortion, and the killing of the innocent.
8. I had been a big fan of Hollywood movies, but since I was saved, I have acquired a dislike for Hollywood's glorification of violence, sex and foul language in the movies. In fact, there are movies that I once enjoyed watching that now disgust me.
9. I lost interest in most of secular TV. I now watch a lot of Christian television. Before 1989, I never watched Christian television.
10. I had problems with my back from 1959 to 1989. I would sometimes miss work because I could not straighten up and walk without leaning to one side. Sometimes I could hardly get out of bed. But, I have had no back problems at all in the last 10 years.
11. How I survived working two jobs and maintaining two houses in six of the last 10 years, with a lack of sleep along with the physical and mental strain, is beyond me. I can't help but think that I was getting help, from having been saved.
12. A few winters ago my car broke down in a desolate area on the way to work. The wind was fierce. The chill factor for that morning was 35 degrees below zero. I wasn't prepared; I was wearing light, autumn-type clothes. My car engine ruptured a seal and stopped working. Two houses and a restaurant were the only shelters in the area. I banged on doors and windows but nobody answered. I spent 30 minutes freezing, trying to flag down one of the few cars passing on this road when I noticed a phone hanging on the outside wall of an old restaurant. Finding a quarter in my pocket, I called for help. Ten minutes later, a friend came to the rescue. I know I prayed for help constantly and He answered my prayer. The kicker to this story is that, days later, when I returned to this restaurant, the phone was gone. But it was there when I needed it, along with the quarter in my pocket. I can't help but think that my being able to survive 40 minutes in 35-degrees-below-zero weather, while wearing a light-weight jacket, was because God answered my prayers for help.
13. I never did much writing before I was saved, except for school work and one poem that I can remember writing in 1949. But since 1989, I've had a strong craving to write. I've written three manuscripts about God, the Bible and various prophecies, in the hopes getting people to come to Christ. My son used these writings to create this Web site in March 1999.
14. A few years ago, an accident occurred at my job that almost cost the lives of six people, including my own. A large, overhead crane crashed into a large object that we were lowering onto a tower with a ceiling hoist. For some reason, the crane stopped on a dime - which is next to impossible, if you know cranes. If it had traveled another 10 to 20 feet, anywhere from one to six people could have been killed as this large object would have come down on us ripping the hoist right out of the ceiling. I believe to this day that God had his angels stop this crane as an answer to my daily prayers of protecting my crew and me every day at work.
15. My wife fell and broke her arm some years back. About a week later, with one arm in a cast, she was driving to a doctor's appointment when she noticed a woman bent over on the side of the road, gasping for air. An elderly woman was also there and she had flagged down my wife. The elderly woman told my wife, "I think she is choking on something and I don't know what to do." My wife, despite her broken arm, gave the choking woman the Heimlich maneuver and the woman coughed up a large pill. Think about this: Is this God's timing? If my wife hadn't broken her arm, she would not have been driving to a doctor's appointment at the precise moment that a woman was in need of help and could have died without it. And why my wife? Well, I think the fact that she taught pre-school and ran a daycare for years gave her a lot of first-aid experience. She knew just what to do in this situation.
16. I believe that Satan will strike out at you after you are saved, just as he tempted Jesus during the 40-day fast in the desert after Jesus was baptized by John. After I was saved, things went downhill for a while. There was a lot sickness with my family members, financial problems, etc. Satan lost me and he keeps attacking to get me back, hoping I will just give up and turn away from God. His attacks are still coming, but I take it as an honor when they happen. I must be a big pain in the neck to him. I figure the only rest he will get is when I'm asleep, and maybe not even then, as I have found myself praying as I wake up. I pray for 1 to 2 hours a day, including reading the Bible. I recommend constant prayer to all of you. Keep talking to God.
17. We have had sickness in the family, car problems, house problems and financial problems that are too numerous and too personal to list, but God has pulled us through every one of them. To Him be the glory.
18. One of the more interesting things that occurred for me in the last 10 years is the complete peace of mind I have with all the problems that have come up. I don't know if I could have handled these problems if they had occurred before I was saved.
19. This Web site (georgekonig.org) is a bit of a miracle itself. I have prayed for my children to come to accept Christ and they have. My eldest son, who I wanted to become an engineer, did not have the calling for that. Instead, he became a journalist and is proficient with a computer. Out of the blue one day, he said, "Dad, let's build a Web site and put in the stuff you wrote about the Bible and bring people to Christ." My son said this? Wow! I now have a computer too, but for a few months, I bet that I was the only one in the world who had a Web site, but didn't have a computer.
20. And, finally, I feel a constant inner pull of the Holy Spirit and have felt that every day since 1989. It is constant, and it assures me of His presence. Even before 1989, though, my wife and I often prayed together. If there are any doubts about God answering prayers, maybe the following will change your mind:
My wife and I were married in 1959 and decided we would have at least six children. In the first few years, we had three miscarriages.
Then, a friend of ours went to Canada on vacation and told us about St. Joseph's Cathedral in Montreal and St. Anne's in Quebec - two massive churches where many healings have taken place. Crutches are hanging on the walls in both churches from people going there to pray for a healing and then walking out completely healed. They would leave their crutches, wheelchairs, braces, etc., in the church as a testimony of their healing.
In late summer of 1961, my wife and I decided to drive to St. Joseph's in Montreal and to St. Anne's in Quebec and pray for our healing so that we could have babies. We lived in New York at the time and it was without doubt the best trip we ever took.
My wife and I prayed for a healing in St. Joseph's and St. Anne's, asking God for children. We prayed to have twin sons to start off with and we asked God that my wife would become pregnant within one year's time.
Nine months later, in June 1962, my wife was pregnant. And in January 1963, we were blessed with twin sons. Our prayers were answered.
Now you can say that this is a coincidence, but I ask you, what are the odds of having twin boys born, and in having them born within the specified time that you prayed for? Especially after three miscarriages?
You say that it's a long shot, but possible? Well, here's the kicker: My wife never told me until after the birth of our sons that she also prayed that I would buy us a new car. She was tired of the two old cars we had at the time, a 1950 English Austin and a 1955 Ford, both bought used and re-used with many miles on the engines. She did not want to drive through the streets of New York City with our future children in cars that would break down.
In late 1962, while my wife was pregnant, I decided to do something I had never done before - buy a new car. I bought a 1962 Volkswagen. Now my wife never asked me to buy a new car as we were living on a tight budget. I bought it on my own idea - or was it my own idea?
Now, I ask you again: What are the odds of praying for twin boys within a certain amount of time and having it come true, coupled with your spouse praying for a new car and having that come true too?
One final note:
The Bible makes it clear that the world will go through a terrible tribulation, as written in Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13 and the book of Revelation. We don't know when this will take place - no one does. The Bible tells us to be prepared. It explains a clear path of salvation, of having eternal life in heaven. And it explains that the only way to have this salvation is through Jesus Christ.
I urge you to turn your life over to Christ. The moment you were conceived you were given eternal life. The question is whether you choose to spend that eternity in heaven or hell.
If heaven is your choice, then go into some quiet corner and say something from the heart, asking Jesus to forgive your sins and to guide your life. Just speak from the heart, with honesty and sincerity. You will find in your heart the words you need to say.
If it helps, here are some words that reflect what I said when I asked Jesus to come into my life:
"Jesus, forgive my sins.
Come into my life and guide me.
I know that you are the Son of God,
the only Son of God,
and that you died for my sins,
and that you rose again to life eternal
and that through you,
my sins are forgiven
so that I too may have eternal life
in the kingdom of God
in the kingdom of Heaven.
You, Jesus, are the only salvation.
Please come into my life
and guide me Jesus."
We cannot earn salvation because we cannot be perfect. We are to try to be perfect, and we are to do the things that true Christians do, like helping other people and being kind to other people. But we cannot earn salvation. Only through Jesus can we have salvation. Ask Jesus to come into your life, ask Jesus to guide your life.
To help you learn more, I suggest you start reading the Bible and going to a church regularly. Pray every day for guidance and for the salvation of your family and friends. Read the Bible every day, even if you only read a few words. I found the Bible's book of John, also known as the Gospel of John, is a good place to start, then the rest of the New Testament and then the Old Testament.
As your faith grows stronger, testify to others and tell them about Christ.
God bless you.
- George Konig
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