Lydia McCandless (Raynor)

I was saved when I was 6 years old, in the summer of 2002 when Murray McCandless and Robert McIlwaine were having tent meetings in Unionvale. I don’t remember much about the meetings at all, or much surrounding that time, but I remember for a span of several days (maybe a couple weeks?), in the night just before bed, I would get really scared and troubled.

The thought of going into my room alone for the night terrified me, and I was so scared that the Lord would come and I would be left behind. Each night it would be the same thing- I would be just about to go to bed and I would tell my parents that I was scared that the Lord would come and I couldn’t get to sleep.

I’m not sure how many nights this went on for, but finally, when both myself and my parents were at our whit’s end with all this, Mom told me that there was nothing that any of us could do, it is only the Lord who can save. She told me I would have to ask the Lord to save me, and then she shut the door. I remember being so terrified in that moment after she shut the door, feeling so hopeless and scared.

I thought on the words and finally cried out and asked the Lord to save me, thinking of the verse:

Romans 10:13 KJV
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(I had no clue where that verse was found until a good many years later haha) In that moment I realized in my simple mind that I was without strength and it was only the Lord that could save me. I fell right to sleep after that, and when I woke up the next morning I can still remember the brightness of the room and remembering first thing that I was now saved!

In the months and years following that, I struggled with so many doubts, that left me unsettled and scared of the Lord’s coming at times, being unsure if I believed right, or if I was too young and simple in my thinking. I’ll tell you, if I wasn’t saved that first night, I got “saved” (assurance of salvation 😉) about a dozen or more times since! Every time, after exhausting myself with doubts, tears and questions, I would finally end up at the same conclusion: all that I have to count on to get to heaven is the God’s word and the Finished work that the Lord Jesus did to pay for my salvation.

1 John 5:12-13 NKJV
[12] He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
[13] These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Marcus Mackenzie

I grew up in a Christian home where the Bible was read and we were prayed for every day. The Bible and God’s assembly were top priority in our home whether us as kids liked it or not. We went to every assembly meeting in the little gospel hall in Springfield West and gospel meetings within ~30 min drive.

I will make a point to mention that all of this ‘church’ going and scriptural activities, as beneficial as it is, did nothing to make us right with God or more fit for Heaven. From a young age I understood clearly that I was a sinner and that I could not go to Heaven in my sins. Around those years the second coming of the Lord Jesus to take the Christians home to heaven, otherwise termed the ‘rapture,’ was preached about frequently.

When I was 7 years old I began to be very concerned about the rapture happening and me being left behind to die in my sins. I knew that my opportunity to be saved would be over once the rapture happened. Many nights I lay awake for hours worrying that the rapture would happen and often I would go upstairs and listen at Mom and Dad’s door to hear their breathing. The devil would then give me a false sense of security so that I could go back to bed and get some rest but little did I realize that the Lord could have come as soon as I got back in bed.

This went on for several months that I recall and occasionally my parents, usually Mom, would sit up with me and read verses to me and share their testimony as well. Different times Mom would share stories to explain the principle of Jesus as my substitute paying for my sins and other aspects of salvation as well. Some nights I would cry myself to sleep for fear of going to Hell.

Sunday, Dec 1, 1996, at the age of 8, we went to meeting as usual and at Sunday school I got the weekly ‘Messages of God’s Love’ children’s paper. I didn’t read it in the afternoon or on the way home like I usually did but instead started to read it while sitting in gospel meeting that evening. Mom and Dad told me to put it away and listen to the preaching but I don’t remember what was preached about.

That night after getting in bed I took it out and began reading it again. It told a story of a boy who’s mother was baking with squares of unsweetened chocolate/cocoa and the boy saw them and wanted so badly to have some. He didn’t know how they would be bitter instead of sweet. When his mother was out of the kitchen for a moment he took a few squares and went to his favourite spot out in the yard and proceeded to eat one. He didn’t get very far into one when he realized it was not sweet and delicious as he had anticipated. He then proceeded to hide the remains so his mother would not find out he had stolen them.

Later on his mother asked him about the missing squares and he lied and said he hadn’t taken them but a little while later she found them. At this point in the paper it started talking about sin and how God knows all our sins and Numbers 32:23 was quoted:

Numbers 32:23 KJV
[23] … be sure your sin will find you out.

Right then and there I realized that God knows all my sins and that because of my sin I would just have to go to Hell, and that that’s all I deserved. God had brought me to a point of despair and I knew that he would be righteous to send me to Hell and that on my own I had no hope.

The MOST WONDERFUL realization came with the next verse that was quoted:

1 John 1:7 KJV
[7] … the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

I simply realized that that’s why Jesus died on Calvary, was to cleanse me from my sins so I would not have go to Hell. I am so thankful for that day I can look back to and for God’s word he has given me to assure me that I am saved, because I know that relying on my own abilities and good deeds I would have failed and lost my salvation, I have failed him many times.

Praise God, His promises are eternal and he says in John 10:27-29:

John 10:27-29 KJV
[27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
[28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
[29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

What peace there is in knowing Christ as my Saviour, Heaven as my home!

Kaitlyn MacKenzie (Smith)

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home 😊. We went to church twice every Sunday, prayer meeting Wednesday nights, had prayer circle every morning, and nightly devotions. As such, I never questioned the reality of God. I just didn’t realize I needed to be saved. My salvation story is pretty simple really…

We always had “Sunday afternoon rest time” in our rooms when we were young. I remember just sitting on my bed, looking out the window at the robins going by and thinking about what they talked about in Sunday school that day. I remember realizing for the first time that I was on my way to Hell, but also that the price had already been paid for my sins, and all I had to do was accept it. So I did 😊.

I prayed, thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for me, and asking him to forgive me for my sins (the church I grew up in, although it is supposed to be “non-denominational,” is pretty much Baptist, so the sinner’s prayer is commonly taught). I remember feeling such a sense of relief and excitement, and went upstairs to tell my parents 😊. I have no clue how old I was, or what day I was saved, I’ve asked my parents, but they didn’t keep track of it either.

When I first met Marcus, and everyone in the assembly seemed to have such clear, detailed salvation stories, that used to bother me and make me have doubts! Then one night, Scott McLeod talked about salvation being like an elevator. All you have to do is get in, and trust God to take care of the rest! And that gave me assurance that the details don’t matter to God.

It’s nothing that “I” do, or have done, but has everything to do with what He has done. He paid my dept at Calvary, I know I’m “in the elevator,” and trusting God to take care of the rest 😊.

Pam MacKenzie

When I was 8 my mom was saved and after that we always went to Sunday school and gospel meetings. My dad died when I was 4 but thankfully he was saved We had no car but we only lived two houses from the hall. I tried to get saved for many years. I was scared of the Lords coming which was preached often in those days. Many nights I would go to mom’s room and see if she was there and go back to my bed relieved that He hadn’t come yet. Another thing I feared was that the Lord would stop striving with me. As I got older, about 13, many of my second cousins also went to gospel meeting so because of pride we didn’t want to appear concerned.

I spent many hours reading, trying to believe but in my heart there was no repentance, I felt I was better than my friends who drank or smoked…

On November 11, 1973 mom and I (I was 15 ) went to Avonport conference with Lionel and Mackie Cress. That night Mr. Bingham and Arnold Gratton spoke. I don’t remember what was said but I knew I was going to hell. I told Mr. Bingham on the way out that I wanted to be saved. Mr. Gratton spoke to me, It was so dark. He read many verses, then he read John 3:36.

John 3:36 KJV
[36] He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

I thought “I’m in the second part of that verse and I don’t know how to believe” It seemed that the wrath of God was hanging over my head. Then it dawned on me that’s why Christ died so I wouldn’t have to be in hell, I told Mr. Gratton and we got on our knees and He prayed. I felt such relief and rest. I remember getting up the next morning being so thrilled that I was finally saved.

A few months later two older preachers were having meetings in Clementsvale and they came up to visit one day when mom wasn’t home. They asked if I was saved and I told them trembling ( as I was very scared of most preachers) how I got saved. They said that’s not how you get saved.

So for many months I was very confused, and searching the bible. One night I told the Lord I need this settled tonight. I read for a long time then in Isaiah 53:6 the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. The Lord gave me assurance that I was saved and He has been my Heavenly Father for many years now. It’s thrilling just to tell it again, How good is the God we adore!