Testimony of Lloyd Burton

Prior to Accepting Jesus

Confirmed in a Congregational Church in 1964. Did not read the Bible after this date until 2003.

Vietnam 1969-1970. 173rd Airborne Infantry. A hard/quick way to grow up at only 19 years old.

I became very angry with God and a Bottoms-up thinker about God. Kind of like "I acknowledge what you have done" but to me you have become just another man in the sky. We will visit only when I go to the mountains and only when I say so because I might just forget all about you because you have done this thing to me but be there also for me when I want you there. For years these thoughts were what I had become and my spiritual life was definitely stagnate.

I have been "around the block" in my past life. Some may know what that means and others only need to know that it is less than a desirable life style bringing with it a big, bad hole to dig oneself out of. Needless to say I have my share of scars to deal with, just like everyone else has.

Had a successful career as a Mechanical Design Engineer developing Nuclear Weapons for this country and retired in June of 2000 and moved to Helena.

Since Accepting Jesus on Easter Service 2002

First year: Through Sue Woodrow I really heard "It is not about you"

2002 I learned there is a difference between listening and hearing the words of the Bible.

I started reading the Bible after 38 years of not reading it.

I started working on the church and giving a part of my heart to Jesus.

I started developing a hunger and thirst for Jesus.

Wrote a thank you letter to Pastor John:

I would like to thank you. Last Easter, my wife convinced me to come to your church. I must admit that I had thought to myself, "ah, right, here we go again: another church that only cares about how much money they can suck out of you and being careful about what you say to whom for the so called social ladder of it all" as had been all of my past experiences with the churches we have attended.

Was I ever wrong!

Last Easter, at your service in Last Chance Chapel, as soon as I walked in the door I felt a presence within the chapel that was so overwhelming that I actually began to tremble. You introduced yourself to us and the music was starting to play and the people were all walking around, so friendly and so very real; with not caring about "well I am so & so and I am president of such and such and oh, by the way, who are you?" It all happened so fast, yet so slow and real. I remember thinking, "what a nice atmosphere it is in here.

Then it really happened just prior to the service beginning. I saw a white glow appear just under the cross and as it started to cover up the podium, a man appeared with his arms positioned down at his dies and as his arms lifted up slightly, he turned his palms out and I only heard three words "Welcome Home Son" and then he disappeared. The tears started running, the service started, ended and the tears still ran. I stayed up all night by the fire and as I talked with God; the tears still ran as I reflected on what had happened this day and trying to understand why, why did I see something so real and so powerful that I would shed tears for so long?

I was saved that day, Last Easter Day, in the Year 2002, reborn and spiritually alive again. My life has changed forever and I will never forget that day as long as I live. You were and are a part of that change in my life. Thank you and Last Chance Chapel.

Have a Happy Holiday Season and the best of the New Years Wishes for you and your family.

Second year:

2003 I learned about small groups and the meaning of participation.

Through Shelly and Woody I learned about "Hung by the tongue" at Leo's house in a small group, which was my first attendance to a small group activity.

Started a small group for "The Purpose Driven Life" with attendees from another Church.

I read the Bible all the way through, Then the New Testament Three times, while trying to quench my hunger and thirst.

I started changing how I thought about things and how to open up my heart.

My faith started to develop.

I started consistent prayer.

I continued working/giving on/to the church while giving/receiving a part of my heart to Jesus.

Third year:

2004 Started a small group for "The Purpose Driven Life" with additional attendees from another Church.

I started studying the Old Testament.

Through David Courey I learned about "Taking Out the Trash" and Pastor John about "Dust Particles floating around"

Sept. I became convinced that Jesus has become a part of my life and I became Biblically Baptized.

Oct. Through prayer I heard "It never has been just you and me". That made me realize just how much I was not letting Jesus be a part of my life by not putting him first in my life.

Nov. Started putting Jesus first in my life every day and let him stay there all day and all night long, with me getting to know Jesus and Jesus getting to know me.

I realized that the more Jesus really started to know me (because I never really let him in there) he was able to help me:

Renew my mind and heart every day.

Helped me feel warm, secure and not afraid of the unknowns.

Helped me start taking that first step with him as a walk in Faith not looking back and never letting go.

Realize that all he ever has wanted was for me to want him as much as he wanted me.

Know that I am ready to serve him for the rest of my days.

Fourth year:

2005 I learned how to make a rail fence for a porch while working on the church with Larry.

Mar. The "Woody Project Started"

In the third week of March 2005, Woody asked me if I could make something out of leather, about the Ten Commandments by Easter for the church. I thought there might be enough time and he would run his idea by John and finalize what he wanted on paper so I could begin.

It was to be a rather large design on a full cowhide with the tablets and letters carved into the skin, mounted on poles and hung from the ceiling.

Fully tanned cowhides were not available so I suggested two halves sewn together and we could start there.

I really did not think much more about it but focused on the thought of how nice it would be for me to be able to give something back to Jesus on Easter Day, as Three years ago on Easter, I accepted Jesus into my life at Last Chance Chapel.

Woody appeared at the front door one day with a sketch and the words he would like to see. We looked at the two skins and a variety of letters realizing that 2" high letters are still too big. We agreed to start and pick what ever sized of letters fit within the tables on the skin.

I remember praying to Jesus that afternoon stating "Lord, you know that I don't do letters in leather, I have done less than 24 in my whole life. How can this possibly be done by Easter?" Jesus said, "Just try, it will work somehow".

On Saturday the 19th, I started putting the two cow skins together and was completed 7 hours later. I mean to tell you it ended up looking like the nicest Missouri road you ever did see. They are all rather full of up and down rolling hills. This was not going to work at all. Reluctantly, I called Woody on Sunday (Palm Sunday) afternoon and said this is not going to work at all with the two cow skins, as they would not stay flat or even a little wavy. You need to realize that this was very embarrassing and hard to tell someone that after working with leather for 30 years, I could not get two simple cow skins to stay flat and Jesus told me not to do it this way. Woody did not laugh and I suggested an old whole elk skin I had and to put the tablets on the cow skins, individually along with the other statements. Woody said what is it like? I said, it is big and brown and everything should fit but I do not know what size the letters or anything else would be and at least the theme would be the same as he had envisioned. He said will it fit on the frame and I said I don't know but it should work. Woody was real sick that day and just said OK.

I remember praying to Jesus really hard that afternoon saying "Lord, I have just wasted 7 hours and there are only seven days left until Easter. How can this get completed when no sizes of anything are known, I don't do letters and it now will not look like anything Woody had envisioned?" Jesus said " Do not worry and just start doing it". One-inch tall letters seemed to lay out pretty good for the Ten Commandments so I preceded on with that size, cut some leather and started making letters. The size of the tablets was still unknown to me at this time. All I knew was there is enough leather to square it all after the stamping and drying and we could still mount the tablets and trim the skin to look like the picture, proceed on with the other stuff and be done by Easter.

Woody came over on Wednesday morning, at my request to figure out the remaining style of leather pieces and poles lengths so they could get finished and we agreed to put it together on Friday (Good Friday) and hang it in the Church. The Elk skin was laid out on the floor and the tablets were placed on it, along with the other letters and I said to Woody "The letters ended up being 1" tall with 1" spacing within each commandment. Commandments one and six start at the same height on each tablet and it ends equally on each tablet. The spacing between each Commandment is different. Each tablet ended up being 40" tall". I said Woody don't laugh, Moses went out for 40 days, alone with God (one on one) and came back with two tablets. Our tablets ended up being 40" high and the letter's are one inch tall and the space is one inch, kind of like a one on one with a performance appraisal that you get at work. He did not laugh, neither did I.

The rest of the leather was completed on Thursday. This took 49 hours with 7 being wasted.

We met at the church around 12:30 on Friday and started to assemble all the pieces, not knowing at all how to do this. We cut some poles and figured out it was too big to get out of the door of the small room so it was assembled in the church. Talked about lots of different ways to attach the elk skin to the poles and ended up with using thongs and deer antler tips with nothing being counted or measured. Just attached enough to hold the skin tight against the poles.

The other pieces were attached and the Ten Commandments were hung in our church, seven hours after we had started.

The correlation of the numbers 2, 3, 6, 7, 18 and 39 appear to be rather scary to me and all I really know is the Jesus guided this project and it ended up to be "It is what it is". I have been changed forever and will continue walking in Faith with Jesus.

I have been asked what did it cost? All I can say is when I added up the numbers it equaled 13, which to me is: Twelve Disciples and One Jesus.

I have been asked what do I see in this, The Ten Commandments?

On Judgement Day, I see everyone in the Old Testament kneeling before God, being judged "One on One" according to his or her own personal adherence to the Ten Commandments. Nothing else will matter, not good works or but it was really like this or don't you know who I am.

I see everyone since Jesus' Resurrection as kneeling before him; being judged "One on One" according to his or her own personal adherence to the two statement that Jesus Said, as they replaced the Ten Commandments. Nothing else will matter, not good works or but it was really like this or don't you know who I am.

If you have not personally found a way to live your life around Jesus' two statements, you may want too seriously consider doing so.

My sincerest desire is for all people to realize the true implications of what Jesus said and meant and expects you to do with your life. Accept where you are in life, not where you have been, kneel before God, repent for your sins and accept Jesus into your life. Learn to renew your mind, change your heart and walk with Jesus in Faith first, for the rest of your life, now until forever more throughout eternity.

Mar. Started practicing from the heart what it takes " To Be A Better Person " where:

T = Think - changing thoughts will change how one believes.

B = Believe - believing thoughts will change or renew ones attitude.

A = Attitude - a renewed attitude will change ones behavior.

B = Behavior - better behavior is a reflection of a renewed heart and mindset and will change ones performance.

P = Performance - performance is really a reflection of how one walks in Faith with Jesus.

It is amazing for me to realize after so long, that people really judge you by their perception of your performance as a Christian. For so long in my past life, as a man in the sky guy, I remember viewing Christians as being very mixed up as they were all supposed to be in unity with God, not separate and arguing and hating each other as a religion against religion. I thought it embarrassing to be a part of something that surely God did not intend. So many bad things have happened in the name of Christianity that I adopted a view of " It is better to be a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus than a so called Christian".

I still am not sure which is better?

Apr. Testified at Last Chance Chapel.

Apr. While eating lunch with Woody and Shelly, they helped me understand some differences about speaking the word vs. thinking the word and changing the heart. I remember that from the heart, words can be spoken. As they are spoken a person hears (not listens) and hearing will change thoughts. This starts my To Be A Better Person process. Speaking the word is a better.

Apr. For some reason I thought about something I saw on Wisdom TV:

I can either be a host to God or a terrorist to my own ego.

Do not know what this means yet but ego's are not good.