Hi, my name is Charles Edward Borjas. I became a missionary on November of 1970. As a youth I was always interested in music.
I therefore decided to study different forms of contemporary music of my day. I learned to sing at an early age. I then I
started a collection of my own 45s and LPs. I enjoyed the Beatles and looked up to them as intelligent and smart, with an
understanding of the younger generation. I learned to play the guitar and sing their songs from the age of 13. After intense
study and much practice I became the lead vocal of a local band. I was brought up a Roman Catholic, and I can remember that
I wanted to become a missionary since the early age of thirteen. However, at the age of 16 I decided to do my own research
and pursue other interests, so I stopped going to church on Sunday.
Nevertheless, I was still very interested to discover if there really was a God of Love, and what He thought about me personally.
I continued my search for truth as I delved deeper into the Beatles recordings of their darker side, along with Iron Butterfly,
Deep Purple, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc. I wanted to become like them. They were my mentors, my gods, my life. So that
is what I became; Dark, confused most of the time, incoherent, impatient, unloving. This is what that kind of music did to
me.
I started my own rock group and spent a lot of my time singing empty meaningless songs, which only brought me further down
and deeper into the darkness. I got into drugs so bad that I almost died three times from overdoses. Many of my friends were
getting sent to Viet Nam as they were drafted and some of them never returned. Those who did became crazy. I thought I was
next, so I decided to join the Air Force instead. Actually this did save my life as I had a fairly easy life in the Air Force
as a jet engine mechanic. However, this was the not the profession I was interested in for my life’s work. I was still
a bit of bewilderment and constant confusion of why I was here on earth.
I thought that somehow being Catholic might save me from a horrible death in Vietnam. I sought the help and advice of friends,
professionals, pastors, etc. I somehow gathered from my friends that the way to happiness and bliss was through the world
of substance abuse, so I followed suit, due to the peer pressure that surrounded me. I found momentary peace, comfort and
what I thought was understanding during that Age Of Aquarius amongst the counter-culture flower children and their music,
customs, free-love, religions, and speech.
The funny thing about all of this was that you can find a little truth, happiness, satisfaction and joy in each thing you
pursue, you can find sincere sweet people, and some meaning to life, but as I tried each one I had the funny feeling that
there was something weird, something strange, something incomplete about that way of life and its myriad of ways to find the
truth. Something funny and something felt just not right. Something made me feel a bit sick inside about this way of thinking.
I have met many sweet people from all walks of life, and I am not saying that the all of the people involved in these different
strange churches and religions and groups etc. are all bad and evil. Many of them may actually be searching for the truth,
and in their zealous desire to find it, actually did manage to find some truth. But the problem is, when people find it they
stop searching. That one little sliver of truth becomes distorted, and bent out of shape because of not much to base it on.
It is not supported by other truths so when they are hit by the big lies, they are deceived, because it is very close to the
truth, or looks like the truth, even has a lot of truth mixed in with it. If you are going to search for the truth, you have
to accept it when it comes, and I mean The Whole Truth and nothing but the truth. You cannot say you are living the truth
when your life does not reflect it.
If you know anything at all about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden you know that Satan entered in and lied to them, but
he mixed his lies with some truth of what God said.” Hath not God said?..."・ー God DID say for them to
not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because, as He said, they would die (he meant spiritually) but the devil
presented it to them a bit differently, accusing God to them...."ye shall not surely die, but in that day that you eat of
it your eyes shall be open and ye shall be as gods (little "g".) Well, God knew that that would happen, and that is why he
did NOT want them to eat of it because he did not want them to die spiritually.
You cannot say you have found the truth when you are still in the darkness.
I knew I had to start making some serious decisions for my life before those decisions were made by someone else I did not
even know. I had medical problems that gave me an early discharge from the Air Force. After I was discharged, I decided to
continue my quest to find the truth and purpose for life. I traveled around and my journeys took me to California, where it
was said that everyone would find whatever it was they were seeking.
I decided to try learning about agriculture and had made efforts to study farming in the mountains of Oregon. To support myself
and raise funds to reach Oregon I was able to fall back on my singing talents by entertaining in live houses and nightclubs
around San Diego and L.A. I was intent on not wasting my life, and new that I must not give up until I found the answers about
life I was seeking. I knew there was something missing from my life and that only God could help me find the meaning of life,
but I did not know where to find Him. That is why I hoped that by living in the mountains and learning to how to grow food
would somehow bring me close to nature, and thus God. That is when I believe that God answered the deepest most desperate
cry of my heart for the truth, and what I was supposed to do with my life.
I had a sudden urge to walk, strange as it may seem, all night and all the next day. While I was walking all around L.A. I
was praying, asking God to lead me and guide me. I knew He had a special place for me. I then noticed a Salvation Army mission
building on the opposite side of the street I was walking. I did not realize it but I was now walking down the center of skid
row. I went inside and asked if I could stay there for the weekend before trying to complete my trip to Oregon. I was 20 years
old at the time. The nice man suggested that I try the place just down the street from there as there were a lot of young
people my age there. So I thought that was a good tip. I hurried down the street a few blocks down and as I approached a similar
looking building I saw a large sign hanging vertically from the side of the building with large neon letters that said Jesus
Saves.
As I approached the building, the front door swung open and a young girl and man walked out saw me crossing the street and
the girl yelled out “Jesus Loves You!” very enthusiastically. I answered and said that I was really happy to
hear that! With that I was invited inside. I saw a man behind a desk in the greeting office, and I told him that I was looking
for a place to stay for the weekend. To which he sincerely replied, “we have a place for life!”
Was this an invitation to join them? I thought. Live in Skid Row for the rest of my life doing what? So I asked questions
like what would I be doing here, and they answered me and shared Bible verses with me about being born again. I soon found
myself kneeling down, closing my eyes and praying to ask Jesus into my heart. This was the beginning of my new life.
I first began to know the Lord at the age of seven, when I received my first Holy communion, and when I was attending Sunday
school, and later on as a teen I attended some Salvation Army services with my girlfriend, where I again had prayed and rededicated
my life to God. It was at that time I prayed, and asked Jesus into my heart.
It was again, at a Servicemen’s center that a young man shared with me about being born again by the Spirit, and I accepted
the Word in my heart at that time too, but that seed wasn’t grown up until I saw the opportunity to take the ticket
to becoming a missionary, when I met The Children of God. I know He changed me right then on the spot. I was different. I
no longer wanted to smoke cigarettes, take drugs, or follow my own way. I found the Way, the Truth and the Life, and God showed
me that the best way to fulfill His calling in my life was to learn all I can about the Bible and obey His commission to "Go
Ye Into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
I became a full time Bible student with a small Bible witnessing Bible study group, and missionary trainee, which was what
I had wanted to do just about all of my life. It was the dedication to the Lord and His Word in the Bible to preach the Gospel
to every creature, obeying His commandment in Mark 16:15, and to love one another, that attracted me along with the music
as I was a musician. I continued in my missionary work and made many friends, mostly people who were trying to be sincere
missionaries. I just always wanted to be a missionary winning souls, leading them to Christ.
I was always happy to get out where I belonged, out to the highways and byways with God's message of salvation in word and
song. In 2005 I terminated my membership and left the group in order to spend more time communicating with and seeing my extended
family. I am still a missionary, and although I left the group, I have no regrets of my life 35 years as a missionary in the
field of the Japan.
So has it come to this? So what are we here for? What are you here for? Have you found the answer to that question? What have
you done with your life? Never mind what I did with MINE, What will YOU say when YOU stand before God Almighty some day
and He asks you very lovingly, “What have YOU done with YOUR life?” How will you answer? I would not want to leave
this life without finding the truth about why I am really here, and what my purpose in life is.
You can read all the literature in the world, watch all the movies, gain all the knowledge in the world, learn to speak every
language, and make all the money in the world. However, if you have not learned how to LOVE, it is not really worth anything
now is it? You will still be sad, you will still be empty, and you will still be fearful and lonely. You will become bitter
without any real friends to comfort you, because you chose the path of self-satisfaction only to find that the path of self-satisfaction
does not really satisfy.
If you choose the road to bitterness and hate it only will lead you to more confusion, sadness, darkness and disease! It will
separate you from God, others and also yourself. Only Jesus and His love can satisfy. You will only find peace when you learn
to forgive those who have wronged you. That is also when you will find forgiveness too, from God and the people you have wronged.
I have learned this. He is the one who can answer the heartaches and can fill the void of every human being on the face of
the earth.
Jesus has little or nothing to do with what religion or church you belong to if you do. Jesus is not a religion, He is a PERSON!
He is a King! He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is my king and yours too! Just to receive the Love of God is so
simple and it has nothing to do with church ceremonies, or religion, or traditions. Why not try it? You just pray a little
prayer and ask Jesus to come into your heart and forgive all of your sins, and you will be born again into his kingdom. You
can join a church or group but you cannot join a kingdom, because it is a country.
This earth is a colony of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus already won the war 2000 years ago over Satan, and all we have to do is acknowledge that fact, receive Him, believe
in Him, confess Him before others, believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. Just say yes to Jesus today. He is knocking
at the door to your heart. He is so gentle and will not force you to open the door, but He asks you to open the door to your
heart because He wants to give you the most precious gift you ever had. Eternal life!
The gift of living forever! Not as some cloud or mist in some unknown part of the universe, or just existing as some form
of energy. This eternal life means that you will be with him and others in Heaven, and get to actually enjoy the many pleasures
He has prepared for those who love Him! This is real salvation! Knowing Jesus Christ and having a relationship, a connection
with Him. Saved now from your life of fears, loneliness, confusion, loveless life, hate, stress, sickness, sadness, and saved
for all eternity. When you finally leave this life which way are you going to go?
I became a missionary, and I came to Japan in 1972 to make friends and to teach people about the Love of God as explained
in the Bible. I spent most of my time out on the boonies, away from the maddening crowds, in the far flung cities, out on
the streets, parks, bars, restaurants, shops, offices, and other places where people gather, in order to preach them the Word
of God. I didn’t have time for gimmickry and abuses many others somehow found time to do.
Salvation is a miraculous change that happens
when you receive Jesus, the Son of God, into your heart.
A change, as the Bible says, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, Old things are passed away, behold all things
are become new.! It is this new creature you will become in which Jesus wants to live, walk and talk through you and let His
light shine through you so that others may see Jesus in you! No, we don't just get saved and now that we know we are going
to go to heaven when we die go live like hell. That is not the kind of salvation Jesus was talking about.
A truly born again Christian is a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Not just a once a week church goer. That won't
save you anymore than eating bread or drinking wine. That means you want to grow as a Christian in knowledge and graces of
Jesus Christ. You want to find out all you can about who Jesus really was, what he really did, because now you are going to
be living like He did and with Him. How did he live and what did he do? You have to read the Bible to find out. You have to
read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to find out who Jesus was, what He did, and what He wants you to do too with
your life.
When you finally leave this life which way are you going to go?
Do you want to know what heaven is like? What eternal life is like? Life in Heaven? You can have it right now, right here,
and heaven in your heart. Just take Jesus. Into your heart, into your life, into your home, Why not try Jesus? What have you
got to lose? Nothing but this Old World. I know there is a lot in this world to be thankful for, But a lot of it is bad, so
why not have Jesus? Just open the door to your heart; He said He would come in. Do you feel that tug? Can't you feel Jesus
tugging on your heart, gently urging you to open up and let Him in? The Bible says He is knocking at the door to your heart.
But you are the only one who can open it from the inside. There is no doorknob on the outside, only the inside. Only you can
make that decision to let Him into your heart, into your life. You know you have done bad things in your life. God knows it
all too. But He is willing to forgive you if you just say yes; I want you to come in my heart, Jesus. You can be completely
forgiven.
That is why He died on the cross. For the sins and mistakes of everyone, and anyone.
It does not matter what country you were born in. It does not matter what religion you were brought up to believe in. You
can still be born again into the Kingdom of God and become a citizen of it enjoying a relationship with the King and all of
the benefits and promises in its constitution, The Bible. It does not matter if you think you are not good enough. Nobody
is good enough. That is why we need Jesus and His forgiveness. Because we cannot save ourselves. No one can ever be good enough
himself or herself to go to heaven. You have to receive His free gift right from His hand. That is the only way. It is not
of yourself the Bible says, it is a gift from God.
Just pray Jesus, please come into my heart and life. Forgive all of my sins and help me to forgive others also. Help me to
forgive myself. I want to know more about You and Your love and how I can love You and others. I want to know you more deeply
and have a connection with you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, who you promised will lead me into all truth. Thank you for
your precious gift of eternal Life. Transform me now by your power that people may see your love through me. If you believed
that prayer, then Jesus came in and he is living in your heart. He will give you His power of love and teach you how to use
His Word to guide your life and the lives of others. You can join the millions of others who right now at this moment are
experiencing His love and peace in their hearts wherever they are all over the World.
You also can sing the song of salvation, which even the angels do not know and cannot sing. You have been forgiven and will
live forever in the kingdom of God. But do not stop there. Try now to find out as much as you can about the Bible, His Words
for you and learn how you can share it with others. You can learn many things about Jesus, the Bible, and read about the experiences
of others before and after they also found this new way of salvation. This is nothing new. It has been happening for 2000
years. You can learn how the Bible changes the course of history and influenced the lives of millions and millions of people
including kings, presidents, scientists, doctors, businessmen, and people in every walk of life. Find out how the Bible changed
the course of whole nations and continents.
The Bible is not any ordinary Book! You can learn how to fight discouragement, fear, stress, sadness, loneliness, and how
to find the answer to your many questions about life, and how to solve your many problems you must face from day to day. When
I found Jesus, I knew that was it! His commission to me was clear! Many of those I witnessed to have a miraculous change in
their lives going from totally confused, suicidal drug addict -rock addict hippies or students to happy, useful, fulfilled,
positive, love-filled, purpose-filled productive lives.
I have learned many things and done many things to help others and I have never regretted it. Life has not been without its
dark moments, battles and trials believe me, but when I found the answer, the reason we are here, and applied it to my life
I found you could rise above even the most tragic difficulties with faith in God and His Word. I have seen people healed of
sicknesses and diseases through the miracle working power of God’s Holy Spirit! I have seen people’s lives change
miraculously!
I cannot really tell you all that I have done because I know it has been only Him. I have been involved in ministries that
have helped people find new productive lives, and furthered the Gospel. From various music ministries such as charity concerts,
campfire singing, club singing, recording, live houses, street singing, person to person singing, shows at institutions for
orphans, juvenile correctional institutions, hospitals, Senior Citizen retirement homes, day care centers, schools, parties,
youth gatherings, etc.
So when you leave this life, what will God ask you? What have you done with your life? What have you done for others? What
have you done for Me? What will your answer be? What will He say to you? Will He say, Enter into your reward, for I hungered
and you fed Me, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was naked and ye clothed Me, I was sick and in prison and ye visited
Me, for inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the LEAST of these my brethren, ye have done it unto ME. Or will He say, Enter
into everlasting fire, shame, darkness and contempt, for I hungered and ye fed Me NOT, I thirsted and ye gave Me NOT drink,
I was naked and ye clothed Me NOT, sick and in prison and ye visited me NOT, for inasmuch as ye have NOT done it unto one
of the LEAST of these my brethren, ye have NOT done it unto ME. (The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25)
Which way will YOU go when you die? Will He say unto you, Well done thou good and Faithful servant, enter thou into the joy
of the Lord. ? When the saints go marching in do you want to be in that number? If you do then you should immediately find
out what you need to do in order to straighten things out between you and God, you and others. The only way to be happy is
to make others happy. Love God and love your neighbor, on these two commandments hang all of the Law and the entire Bible.
No matter what your religion, or belief, without Love it is nothing and will come to nothing. Your life will come to nothing
without real love, true love, unconditional love, true LOVE, the Love of God. That is all the religion you need! Receive Jesus
into your heart and life today, before it is too late, because you may be running out of time!
The Bible says that we are living in the last days before the promised return of Jesus Christ to this earth when
He will judge the wicked, and rescue God’s children who are scattered all over the world. Then He will set up His own
Kingdom on this earth and rule it with a rod of iron and righteousness! You will never know what something really tastes like
until you try it, with an open and honest heart and mind.
May God Bless You as you seek His truth in His Word. God loves you unconditionally, and wants you to know!
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