Jesus at last!

My name is Lin Bernard Nka. I was born on a quiet Friday afternoon in January 1960.the school bells were striking 4pm, workers were perceiving their very first salaries in a 23 day old independent Cameroon…I was a son of hope. My father was a Roman catholic and my mother a devout protestant who turned catholic when she got married. I had a very strict religious upbringing. My mother mixed her protestant background with Roman Catholic practices. I got involved in both congregations, dreaming of becoming a priest later. I was baptised as a baby, took my first communion at 9, got confirmed at 14, closely worked with the chaplain monitoring younger Christians, and also contributed in cultural activities organized by the protestant pastor.

My faith was shaken when the police caught the catholic chaplain red handed in homosexual practices. On the other side, the pastor’s promiscuous life raised mothers against daughters, while young men kept fighting for their girlfriends. I spent years totally disturbed, hungering for God but disappointed by churches. My own life was no model. At 18, I joined a Bible study group whose expatriate leader appeared to be Satanist undercover. I quit and I decided to keep away from all churches. With time, I was dragged into mystical initiations which claimed the Bible was their basis. I behaved rather brilliantly until the night the truth about it came bare before me, but it was too late, I was on my way to hell, losing my life.

In the midst of flames, helpless and desperate, I was crying: “My God, forgive me”. How God got me out of there would be too long to tell…

Bad health, scattered family, staggering professional life, fear and insomnia were my lot. Again I had some weird experiences with psychics, tried going to church… no change.

One morning, on March 4, 1991, I got up and told my wife I was done. I had to find “the way” or die. I gathered all the idols in our house, including icons and crosses, esoteric books and objects, barks of trees etc……I opened my Bible I never red, and I spoke to God:

“God, I have sought you everywhere, but I have not found you. Now, you reveal yourself to me and show me the right way.” Having said this, I poured kerosene on the heap of idols and I set fire on them. Barely two hours later, I was dying of an acute pain in the stomach, which I knew was not clinical. I was taken to hospital, and later brought back home helpless.
My mother-in-law who was a believer came and led me to pray. I confessed my sins to God; begged for forgiveness and I invited Jesus-Christ in my life as my Saviour and my Lord. I asked Him to take full control. I proclaimed my faith in His death and resurrection for my sake, thanked Him for redeeming my soul and being present. Nothing changed, but I was relieved at the thought that if I died, Jesus would be there.
I had a vision that night … at dawn I was fine! Two days later I was baptised by immersion. I had peace in my heart and I started devouring the Bible. I reconciled with my father and that year I passed the competitive entrance exam into the Advanced Teacher Training College. Fertility came back to our wombs. The curses were broken in my life; the broken relationships were restored; I carried out the restitution of things I had stolen or kept unduly; I had peace and could sleep; my wife gave her life to Jesus two months after me; I have since then learned to forgive. The Lord had touched my life on that bed and transformed a retched cursed anguished sinner into the smiling minister of exhortation I am still today.

To JESUS be the Glory, Power, Honour,Majesty, Might, Wisdom, Dominion, Thanks… forever and ever!!!!!!!!