Lawrence Hanna |
|
Age |
51 |
Married |
Sharon |
Children |
Timothy, Faith, Matthew & Emily |
Occupation |
Businessman |
Years at Hebron |
39 |
MY CONVERSION
Looking back in my life I can see the merciful drawing and keeping power of God in my life. God moves in mysterious ways to bring us to that place of seeing our need. Before my birth my mother found Christ as a result of listing to a radio program where she saw her need of Christ and was a great influence in my life, and a father who saw to it that his four boys attended church & Sabbath school each Sabbath. What Grace it is to be born into a home where Christ dwells. But of course there were other influences in my years of growing up. My two brothers and an uncle were planning to start a dance band, but in a little hall in the corner of one of my dad's fields, their lives where completely changed, and although I was only a young lad of about 8 or 9 I realised this was going to change their lives forever WHY?, all because of the GRACE and GOODNESS of God. It would be another 10 years or so before I would taste and see that The Lord is good.
Having seen the delight it brought to my mother to see my Uncle and two brothers come to Christ, I thought I would do the same to please her too, but like Jonah I had to find out Jonah 2:9 salvation was of the Lord and not some thing I could play with to do as I pleased. After living a life of hypocrisy and lies, for before my family I would play the part of the Christian, but away from them enjoy my sin, and it is true what it says in Heb 11:25 than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; there is pleasure in sin but when it is finished it bringeth forth death, sadness, pain and separation.
Thank God one night after leaving one of our youth meetings, and an evening out with the boys, as I travelled home alone in my car God visited me. All at once I thought that night the preacher was preaching his massage at me. I realised he knew little about me, but my personal sin was open before the God that sees all things, and by His grace that night for the first time I met God in Christ, He found me, not me Him. From that time I can say like Moses of old, For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. For in all this time the Lord changed my interests, established me in this church, lead me into some of the works within it.
MY FAMILY
The Lord also lead me in other ways too of course. He gave me a wife which stands by me in all things that we are involved in. The Lord also has given us four children two girls and two boys, and our desire for them above all else is, that they do the will of God and put Him first above education or career. In October 2007 the Lord called me to the office of elder in this church, where again I realise that now my first calling is to defend God's word, the purity of his doctrines, the person of Jesus Christ, and to serve the people that are part of His body. We are not our own for in this we serve a risen Saviour. One verse God gave my wife and I at our marriage and has stuck with us is John 3 v27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
SERVICE FOR GOD
The Lord has given us an interest in the youth work; where by the grace of God we seek to see our youth grow in the knowledge of God's word, desire for his Holiness, and labour in His service. On some occasions God in his grace has allowed us to witness and see Him move in unusual and miraculous ways, which I count a privilege just to be part of. What a God we serve, and He is still the same, why does He tarry you ask, it is all for the good of his people Rom 8v 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. I would implore young people to be students in Gods word and live for the Glory of His Name.