Personal Testimony of Patrick McGrath, 19 years old

Hey Everyone. My name is Patrick McGrath. I'm 19 years old.

I am part and connected with the IPCC, or the International Pentecostal Church of Christ.

I just want to share with everyone what the Lord has done in my life. Ever since I was young, I was always grown up in the church.

My dad was a Pastor for a while, and he participated into many different ministries. So, there was always speak of the Kingdom of God in our house. There were many times before when I was younger, that I went up to the altar, and proclaimed that I was saved. But, I really didn't get to know the Lord, and receive true salvation till I was about 17.

As I hit high school, i got involved in Football a lot, and relationships. These things started to hindrance my relationship with the Lord. In 2006, My oldest brother passed away. He was 6 years older than me, and he passed due to a diving accident in the Gulf of Mexico. It was such a hard time in my life to face. I really looked up to my older brother. After that happened, I was extremely mad at God. The night he died, my dad told me not to be mad at God. But i was, and i didn't want any part of God in my life in that phrase of time when i was between 16 and 17. I rebelled during that year, it led me to cussing, disobedient to my parents. I started to practice sinful habits, such as dishonesty, lust, disrespect to authority over me, and pride. There were things in my life that I put above God, that were basically idols. And they were things such as relationships, football, friends, doing my own thing everyday.

I never really developed a personal, intimate, true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, till I was about 17. A year after my brother passed, my Grandfather passed away. And that was when it hit me, that the direction I was heading in my life, was leading to destruction. I was so convinced that the direction I was heading was fine, and i called myself a Christian. But through my actions, i denied him, just like it says in Titus 1:16. It says in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." The way i was running, was leading me to death. Then, through experiencing the death of my brother and my grandfather, the Lord tackled me, and pointed me in the right direction.

It took those two things in my life, for the Lord to truly get my attention. A year after my grandfather passed away, my grandmother (his wife) passed away, both due to old age. But, I was much stronger in the Lord. When i got truly saved, the Lord opened my eyes to my sinful ways, and i repented, confessed, and turned away completely from my sin. I realized i needed the Lord in my life, more than i thought. Because, before that time, I was trying to live the Christian life my way, the way i wanted to do it, and not God's Way according to His Word. He shook my world, and got my attention. As i graduated High school, i was faced with making a decision of where to go.

I had an opportunity, to take the steps to play football at Virginia Tech, or Go in the military, stay home and work, and etc. I had many choices of what to do, and i was so confused, i looked to the Lord to guide me. This past summer, i went to Youth Christian Camp, and the Lord specifically spoke to me, and told me to come to this program that I am in now, called Kings Commission. It's a 9 month discipleship program, basically dedicated my whole life to God, so that He may work in me, and develop me into the man of God he wants me to be. For more information about it, you can check it out at www.kingscommission.com. But, this program has changed my life completely.

In the past 8 months or so, The Lord has instilled in me, such a raging fire and passion for the Lord, and a desire to know His Word, and Him with such tenacity and intensity, that He is the core of my heart and life. He has revealed to me so many things that were corrupt and evil, and has crushed those things within me, because i've allowed Him to, by dying to my flesh, so that He may live through me. I Thank God everyday for saving me from my wickedness. I was a corrupt, and wretched man. But, i've completely dedicated my life to God, i have assurance that I'm saved, and that one day i will see my older brother again in heaven. I thank the Lord, that my older brother rededicated his life to the Lord one year before he passed.

And I take one day at a time, giving the Lord my best everyday, seeking His will for my life, and seeking Him with all my heart. The Lord has drastically changed my life, turned me around completely. He has set me free of so many things, and feeling the Presence of God in my life, and in the middle of His will for me, is so refreshing and peaceful everyday. I challenge you right now, to ask the Lord what in your life is a hindrance to your relationship with Him, and ask Him to crush it immediately. But you must be humble, and willing to surrender.

Because, the Lord wants us to have daily repentance of our sins, and daily dying to ourselves, so that He may live through us each and every day. I encourage everybody that reads this with that. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you.

-Patrick McGrath