Illinois

One of my earliest memories of Jesus Christ was in a drama at a small church which I attended as a toddler. I (Matthew Pava) wept when He was crucified since I could not understand why they would kill such a Good Man. A few years later my mother gave me a Bible, and I began reading it. The truths of Genesis One, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...,” led me to realize Jesus was also the Creator. When I read “God ended His work on the seventh day, and rested, blessed, and sanctified it,” I thought, He kept the Sabbath day, just like we do. Although my family were Adventists during my childhood, I rarely attended church. The first cycle of my religious growth from my Bible reading stopped when I came to the Old Testament genealogies with the “begats.”

While I was in high school, my brother, Chris, enrolled me in the Discover Bible School. I completed and mailed in all the lessons, except the final one. Thus ended the second cycle of my religious interests. I was wiser in spiritual knowledge, but still not committed to Jesus Christ or what the Bible teaches to be true.

During my freshman year in college, I began to try to figure out the meaning of life. I also e-mailed my family and friends in this search, as well as looked on the Internet. I discovered various concepts, but my brother’s response to my quest was a lengthy e-mail, complete with Bible verses and his summary statement: “The purpose of life is to serve God.” That’s all? I asked myself. That’s the whole point of human existence? You can see I was slow to understand God’s plan for my life.

My next spiritual struggle shifted to gaining deeper and more satisfying answers to what the Scripture taught and how the writings of Ellen G. White were to be applied. About this time, Chris invited me to move in with him, and I began to attend church regularly with him. I enjoyed the fellowship of the Champaign Church family which blessed me.

As I read The Conflict of the Ages series, I struggled back and forth with belief and disbelief because of what I had read on Internet sites. Then I learned about Ellen G. White and Her Critics, by F.D. Nichol, on the Ellen G. White Estate website (www.ellenwhite.org). Nichol defended her and explained her critics. When I finished reading it, I totally accepted her writings and asked the pastor to set a date for my baptism. In preparation, we began to study the 27 Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists, and in the process all my Bible questions were answered.

After my baptism, I finished reading The Great Controversy, and now I look forward to sharing Jesus Christ as I wait for His physical return. My journey has finally ended as today I rejoice in my knowledge of Bible truths and a relationship with Jesus that satisfies.

Matthew Pava, as shared with Bruce Babienco, Lake Union Herald volunteer correspondent