Here is more on one of the stories I will be sharing at Indian Creek Olathe today. This is Rick Keaton's story of resurrection power released in his life and marriage.

My story really begins in the 70's. A time where alcohol, drugs and sex where key tools of Satan and becoming a norm for our society. I was one of those. Many a morning I would awake not knowing what I did the night before, not knowing how I even got home. As I look back on this time, I know God was with me every night I drank or used drugs. Only through God's hands did I not die a horrible death in an auto accident, or even kill someone else. Truly proof that God is with everyone, no matter what they are doing. I did mentally hurt a lot of people during this time with my destructive ways.

Finally in the 80's I was able to stop my destructive ways, unfortunately, I did this with out God in my life. Not having God caused me to fall back into my old ways and this time it once again hurt someone who I loved deeply. It was 14 years ago when my wife was pregnant with our son. I left her, all alone, pregnant and giving birth to our son on her own. But it was during this time that God proved who He is to me. How He is true to his word about his love, forgiveness, mercy and the power of prayer. It was one day during this time that Jesus came knocking at my heart. I know now that many times during my life he had been knocking, but this time for some reason I answered that knock. It was a few years later I found our why.

During this time one day, my wife stopped you at church and asked you to pray with her about me. As I look back on that, wow, why would she want to pray for me. I had left her, alone with child and yet she asked you to pray with her for me. Unbelievable, but that is our God, he can take what we know as impossible and make it possible. I am not sure if it was the next day or not, but I know soon after you both prayed for me, Jesus knocked at my heart and I answered. Why, because of my wife's forgiveness and love and for your dedication to serve our God. God saw the faith in you both and well, let's just say he slapped the back of my head and woke me up. Soon after this I wrote to my wife asking for forgiveness and to my amazement, she forgave me and took me back into her life. Today, I am happier, more peaceful, better than I have ever been. Our marriage is strong as God is the center of our marriage.

As I look back on my life I realized, God had always been with me, I just did not see him. How many times did He save my life? How many times does He save anyone like me from physical death. Anyone I talk to that has an addiction, I always ask them, how long can you walk that line between death and living. God is saving you from our destructive ways for some reason, wake up and accept his salvation before it is too late.

The greatest gift I learned from all of this is God's forgiveness and the power of prayer. My wife taught me what true forgiveness is through Christ. I now know why she forgave me, because Christ forgave me. Her love for Christ has taken me from death to life. Her forgiveness through Christ saved our marriage. And her and your love showed me the power of prayer. The faithful prayer of a Christian is more powerful than anything our minds can imagine. I now take prayer as the corner stone of my relationship with God and urge everyone to see my story and learn of the power of God's love, mercy and forgiveness.

For those that have been hurt you can release that burden to Christ, like my wife did, and be free. For those that have done the hurting, like me, you can be released from the bondage by Christ and forgiveness through His Blood on the Cross.

Blessings
Rick Keaton