Testimony of Chad Bamford

This is an attempt to relay, briefly, how the Lord has dealt with me - how He led me to know Him.

Perhaps like many in this country, I was raised with an awareness of the Bible, and the church (as an organization), in a loving family where at least one parent thought that we should go to church. I cannot say that I had one disagreeable experience while attending that church; I even sang in a junior choir - very enthusiastically, I think. I was informed at some age that I was baptized as an infant (I've seen pictures of that event), and I decided at the age of thirteen, to be "confirmed" in that church, as that is the way things are done there. I enjoyed sports and music so much though (particularly sports) that I soon found I had little time to trifle with going to church, as I suppose some find themselves today (those, I mean, who for whatever reason, find something periodically nagging at them to attend a church service, at least once in a while - possibly at Christmas, or Easter).

I mention that small part of my childhood and adolescent experiences as a preface to explain the state of mind I was in as I completed my final years of high school, into the first two years of university life.

I was raised in what was, ostensibly, a "Christian home." But it became very evident, that this way of thinking that had been nurtured through Sunday school lessons and the occasional "Bible story" was in no way universal. The moral code by which I had been admonished was just not everyone’s pleasure - so "Why?" Why was I taught to believe such things? I was finding that even those who might "profess with their mouths" or even show up on Sunday had little need for the inconveniences of such teaching during the rest of the week (myself included). And I (gradually) realized that I was no good testimony to the virtues of such an upbringing myself. So "what’s the fuss?" Why...the Sunday school? Why church? Why does the Church exist anyway? Why attempt to maintain some semblance of the character I was taught to aspire too? Why should I believe the Bible? Should I believe the Bible? What does the Bible really say anyway?  Not that I hadn’t read any of it – I just read what I did because there were questions to be answered on paper before next week’s meeting. Why these controversies within? "Jesus was not really God...just a good teacher" – I was taught otherwise." All religions worship the same god, just in different ways." I was informed how the universe really began (tongue in cheek)...which sounds more like "Once upon a time..." the more you study life. Corollary to this evolution story (with variants) is that all religions are just man-made frameworks to explain the world they can’t explain. Meanwhile, I purchased a Bible for myself and was reading it, this time to study it and understand what it really said. Doing this manifested the conflict between (permit me to generalize for brevity) what the world believes and what the Bible teaches. I discussed and debated subjects in the Bible with some friends who believed the Bible and I found the Bible provided reasonable answers. I began to believe the Bible, the history it relates, and took to praying to God for wisdom on matters of life. I now reckoned myself a sinner (though I’d been told this many times growing up – I know "sin" is a word we’d like to remove from our vocabulary). I said "Lord, I believe you, and I want you to be in control of my life." Giving up control of one’s life, evidently, is the fiercest war one will engage in. Not content with my understanding of the Bible, I went to a Bible school for a year; I wanted to study it intensely with others who were doing the same, with more time to discuss matters. This was a very enriching year for me.

I now work in the world, like other people, as a carpenter (my second line of training, first was computer science). So why am I writing this little blurb, and why are you reading it? Some of you reading this may not know me, others may just be curious about a guy they once knew writing something on a web page, and perhaps there are those looking for someone else to sneer at in the big world of ideas, especially in the arena of the most important of questions, "Who/What is our Maker?" I personally believe this is THE most important question to answer correctly; all else flows from how we answer that question, every decision we make, including how we will answer other important questions, such as "What is our current state?", "What is our purpose?", and "What should I do today?" The big questions that begin with "Why..." lead me to know Jesus Christ. And the question of purpose is one of the most "plaguing" for all of us.

The Bible is unique among books (I don’t pretend to have read all books, but so far...). Penned by some forty writers, over a period of roughly 1500 years, containing sixty-six books, all writers are in agreement on the topics discussed and what the message is. This is just my testimony, so I’m not about to go into a thorough apologetic discourse (though I welcome any further discussion in whatever form), but rather than only listening to what other people say about the Bible, I encourage you to read it for yourself. It is no small project, and I know that in North America there is a problem of "which translation", so I will only suggest that you try to read a bona fide translation (not a paraphrase). And read with a dictionary! The message is most important, and that is why a group like C.A.R.E Winnipeg (and many others) meets. No one needs "religion" (what constitutes "religion" is hotly debated, but as I would define it, we don’t need it), but we all desperately need a Saviour, because I believe the Bible’s account of history is accurate, trustworthy, and defensible – and this is where the battle really lies. I hope you will find the information on this web site either encouraging, or challenging.

May God grant you grace, mercy, and ultimately, peace.

Chad