A Great Change
[By Phillip Chatot]

I always thought of myself to be in a good and right relationship with God. “Why?” Because I would always pray to God (in secret) for help and guidance and comfort throughout my life as a young boy and then as a teenager. I always prayed to God to keep me safe and to help point me in the right direction in life. Any religious upbringing in my youth, was by my mother, who at that time was not a practicing ” Presbyterian .” We, my brother and two sisters, would go to Sunday School only. I STOPPED going   to this church when I was thirteen years old and made the decision instead to go trout fishing with my father on Sunday mornings. My life was in cruise control after that and until I was out of High School and out of the United States Navy.

In 1971, Kathleen and I were married and were living in Milton and I was working for IBM. Kathleen was the one who was looking for a faithful  church after she left the Catholic church. I was just going along half-heartedly and not really interested. One day, a bulletin came in the mail with a title of  “The Spirit of God Versus the Spirit of Man.” I thought it was a catchy phrase but didn’t think too much more about it. It was some time after that when we got a knock at our door and that is when we met Keith Clayton (Lynn’s husband) a man who would change our lives forever by teaching us the Word of God. As we studied through the Gospels, (Lynn, Keith, Kathleen and I ) for almost a year, it became very clear what I must do to be saved.

Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (NKJV). Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NKJV). Romans 10:13 – “For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (NKJV). Acts 2:38  – Peter’s sermon really got me to thinking of myself and what must I do. But Marks 16:16 says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (NKJV). Now I’m thinking I need to do more than just sit here and listen. Time for action!!

But first a question after all these years of praying to God?? Does God listen to my prayers? Keith was a little reluctant to answer my question, but finally said, “No.” And he pointed me to Proverbs 28:9, which says, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination” (NKJV), and Isaiah 59:2 says, But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear” (NKJV). Finally, 1 Peter 3:10-12 says, “…For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (NKJV). RIGHT THEN and THERE, I needed to get into a RIGHT relationship with God, to save my soul, so He will hear my prayers and to become a disciple of Jesus and to be a leader for my family to God and to go to heaven. John 9:31 says,  Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him” (NKJV).