Dad's Testimony

I am the son of a strict General Baptist Minister who started preaching at 16 years old . My parents were raised here in Pike County , Kentucky by strict Old Regular Baptists . My parents moved to Louisville Kentucky for my father to work at Ford Motor Company in 1965 . I was born at the Baptist Hospital there . We later moved to Shepherdsville near Louisville .Dad preached all over that region . In the summer of 1975 when I was 10 years old , before we moved back to Pikeville for my father to open a business , there was an old fashioned tent  revival . It was in an old army tent Dad had almost worn out with his many revivals from Louisville to Pikeville .We had long extension cords for lights . It was in a large field on a farm across the road from my home . The preachers were my father James Irvin Bentley and brother James Ross from across the road . The altar call was given and I felt Jesus calling me  to go up front . I knelt down on a rough wooden board laid down across some concrete blocks . I asked Jesus to forgive me for all my sins and He saved me . Even though I was only 10 years old I shouted all over  that old army tent . My brother and my two best friends the other Preacher's boys across the road all professed our salvation . At least 2 of these  3 turned away from God at an older age . We all had  real services under an old tree on some benches . Most of the neighborhood kids came and paid attention . Luke Ross preached at 9 years old and you could feel God's spirit when he preached . I had already  seen and heard things that were bad at school and against God . We moved to Pikeville that summer and Dad preached about every place He was allowed to . He raised us right , me , my brother , and my 2 sisters . I had a few whippings with a little switch . But  I learned to be honest and serve God as hard as I could . I have been to so many Baptist Churches in this area growing up that the list would be too long . It was hard growing up as a preacher's boy at old Millard High School where drugs were all over and cursing was prevelant and most kids had rock singers as their role models . The other kids wanted to know why I didn't join in and do the things they did . I said I am a Christian and I don't beleive in that . College was worse and I was confronted with more peer pressure .   I have seen many miracles in my life and I wanted to tell you about some of them . As a child me and my brother got a swollen bump on our necks at Church . We went to altar and got prayed for . The bumps were gone before we left . My father's business was upholstery. We were out of money and we all prayed for a miracle . A lady hired dad to do some upholstery work and paid a large dowpayment . God told dad " I just wanted to let you know where it was coming from son ". My father was a pastor at a local Church here and there was a division and turmoil in that Church. Sunday morning I woke up and went into the living room and told Dad I dreamed about a certain verses . I told him in that dream I saw him preaching it to that Church and it healed that church . Dad was sitting there with his Bible in his hands and said ," Son I was just sitting here reading those exact verses ". Dad preached it to that Church and that Church was healed and the trouble that was there was no more .  I was once a Realtor selling houses . I hadn't had any sells for a long time and I needed money for our kids Christmas gifts . Me and my wife prayed for money for our kids Christmas because we saw no way to get it .Within days I sold a house and made $1000.00 . We clearly knew God sent it to us . Once  we needed money for a house payment and necessities for our kids and we saw no way to get it and someone wanted to look at an old vehicle that was not drivable we had for sale . We prayed they would buy it . Within twenty minutes we got paid cash for it . My kids knew God sent  us that money . At another time I was very worried about a bill and also needed money for my family . My faith was getting low and dad said God will take care of it . I said dad , "God does not gaurantee you won't have any problems in life" . I thought I needed $150.00 . Twenty four hours later I opened the mailbox and there was a check for $208.00 . Between college and marriage I was in a very bad fire as a young adult and was burned on 38% of my body with third degree burns .  I did what I learned to do as a kid  : stop , drop , and roll , except I stopped asked God to forgive me for any sins I had not repented for , then I dropped and rolled .  I was scared for my life but I also wanted to make sure my soul was right . I knew it might be the last time I talked to God on this earth . I had made a few mistakes in my life , but I never turned away from him and  I stood with God and He stood with me and He will always  stand by me . At Pikeville Methodist a nurse secretly told my dad , "They will fire me if they know I told you , but he will die here ". "You have to take him somewhere else better ". She volunteered to ride with me in the ambulance without pay . Without a nurse the hospital won't let you leave in the ambulance and my parents did not have the money. I went to the University of Cincinatti Hospital Burn Unit . I was practicaly looking at the death angel himself . No chance to live . They took the skin on what was left on my body after a third degree burn on 38% of my body and used it for donor sites to graft onto the other half of my body where there was no skin . I was in surgery for hours at a time and my lung collapsed and they said I almost died and told them I was seeing a bright light . By the grace of the Most Holy God  I didn't die ! I was on so many prayer chains my father couldn't list them . I had over 2000 staples to hold the skin grafts on . After I was concious I remember people looking at each other and pointing to the floor under my hospital bed . Dad later said they were looking at my blood leaking on the floor . One night I asked to go out in the hall with those nurses who God was leading to save my life . They said no ! Later they said it was because  one of the other burn patients had died and their body was being removed . The death angel had taken one next to me . I had the most unbearable pain you could ever imagine from my burns even with the strongest pain killers available . They said the healing rate on a persons blood is usually in the 100,000 range . Because of prayer God made mine over one million . The doctors had no explanation . Dad knew why . Dad was there for me praying and talking to me and telling me of God's love and that God would heal me and that many of  His Saints were praying for me . I don't know who all those Saints were but I thank God for them and I hope to meet them in heaven ! Dad rubbed my feet for days when I could not .When they removed more than two thousand staples holding me together , the pain was worse than anything I had experienced so far and more than I could bear , except with Gods help . After a month and a half  I went home with a very bad limp . Then I went back for surgery on my leg .When I got out and breathed the air  and heard the birds and saw the flowers , I was so glad to be alive . God had given me a second chance . If you think hell won't be so bad let me tell you will burn forever . No pain killers , no doctors , no way out . I know what hell feels like  and what pain is waiting for you there .  You don't want to go there !  I thank Jesus for dying on the old rugged cross so I don't have to go there . I don't mean to be boastful but God saved my soul at 10 years old . I am not perfect like I said I have made some mistakes . The Bible says we all sin daily but we have an advocate with the Father and He is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins . I thank God for my life and children and to be a father after all that I have been through  . When I see a cripple that can't walk I thank God that would be me except you healed my crippled legs . My dad was healed from cancer and a quadriple bypass open heart surgery . They can't find the cancer anymore . That was a miracle . I saw him at deaths door and I know the death angel was in his room in the intensive care unit . I was sure he would die . Every time I see and touch and smell an old army tent or  rough green millitary canvas I remember the precious  day God saved my soul in an old fashioned tent revival in a field on an old farm with my dear Dad and a good neighbor telling me to get saved at 10 years old . You may say a child can't be saved but you are wrong . I was there and God was there and we know what happened ! I have been through the fire and I've been through the blood and I have gone too far to turn back now !