Testimony of Aaron Roberts
I was born on April 21, 1973 at the Mattie Williams Hospital in Richlands VA. I am the eldest son of Pastor Gary M. Roberts and Sis. Debra E. Roberts. I came from a wonderful family that raised me in Pentecost . I am the grandson of Pastor Ralph and Sis. Doris Horton and John W. and Dorothy Roberts. I can never tell all that my family means to me. A great part of what God may see fit to do with my life is a direct result of their Godly upbringing. It would take a book to fit the details of my life into it – an even greater book to tell all that God has done for me! I would love to tell all the details of my family – my lovely beautiful wife, Regina, my daughter Rachel, my son’s Daniel and Ezekiel – I love them so much! However, the purpose of this is to tell an abbreviated story of God’s dealing in my life in just a few short paragraphs. Thanks for reading this copy of my testimony.
I first came to know the Lord at eight years of age. I was in a service during the Richlands Campmeeting and God began dealing with my heart that I was not ready tor the Second Coming if Jesus returned at that moment. This conviction became so heavy in my heart that I knew I must give my heart to Christ immediately. When the invitation was given, I went forward and gave my heart to Jesus. I remember telling Him to take all of my heart and life and forgive my sins and let His blood cover me. At that moment, even though I didn't understand the terminology, I was born into the Kingdom of God - born again according to John 3:3.
Several years later as a struggling teenager I rededicated my heart to Him and gave Him the bitterness and rebellion that I had allowed to creep into my life. In 1988, I remember the service was at a youth revival held at the Richlands Tabernacle. Bro David Horton felt a burden to have a youth revival and called Bro. John Gabbard to preach to the young people. He preached that night on the “Call of the Watcher” from the book of Daniel. I could not wait to get to the altar and fix it with God! I will never forget that night.
At 15 years of age I felt the call to the ministry. At 16 years of age, after talking with my Dad and leaders in our organization - I spoke in the youth service concerning my testimony and the subject "The Faithfulness of God". This calling into the ministry would be the "touchstone" of my life (1 Cor 9:16). God would always speak to my heart due to the responsibility this placed upon my life.
I was wonderfully blessed of God to marry Regina Lynn Fuller when I was 20 years old and we moved from southwest Virginia to Culpeper County in 1993 (Proverbs 31:10). The Lord allowed us to become assistant pastors and then pastor a beautiful congregation of believers at a small country church in Amissville, VA. In 1998 we moved to Norfolk, Virginia where I became the associate pastor of Missionary Full Gospel Church and worked at the Surry Nuclear Power Station for Dominion Generation. It was during this time that Rachel Marie and Gary Daniel were born into our lives and such a blessing they have been and still are today!
In late 1999 we returned to the Richlands, Virginia area and I ministered to the young adult and married class of the Richlands Tabernacle. During this time God allowed us to have another wonderful child, Ezekiel John Titus – named after Ezekiel the prophet of revival, as well as, his maternal grandfather Hassell John Fuller and paternal great uncle Titus Phillip Horton.
In the fall of 2008 God began dealing with Regina and I concerning our relationship with each other and ultimately our relationship with Him. Regina became very ill and we prayed many hours and sometimes through the night. God began speaking to both of our hearts during this time that our priorities were not in the right place and our relationship with Him was not what He intended it to become.
In February of 2009 I was involved in a chainsaw accident and my leg was cut in the knee joint. I began to bleed profusely and my son helped me get down the mountain to the house. I remember thinking "is this how my life will end - I have done so little for Him" as the blood poured from the wound on my leg, Regina attempted a tourniquet on my leg but that didn't stop the blood flow. She rushed me to the emergency room where the doctor clamped the arteriole shut and sewed up my wound. I contracted staph infection in my leg and was taken out of work for 4 weeks. During that time, I was sitting in a chair unable to walk or place any weight on my leg, I began to meditate on the Lord and talk to Him about the accident. I understood because that I am a Christian and have been born of God that nothing can happen to me that God does not allow. If I don't understand "why" then it is because I haven't taken time to talk to Him about it and He may be trying to speak to me. God speaks through every circumstance in the lives of those who trust Him and believe in Him. I remember praying "Lord, You are Sovereign, I am Your child. What are you trying to tell me?" It was as though someone was in the room with me and I heard these words, "You don't love Me like you have told people you love me. You don't know Me like you have preached you know Me." I burst into tears immediately - I began to pray and ask God for help. The next church night I spoke to the people and told them what God had said to me. I spoke about the message to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:4 "you have left your first love". I stated I wanted to love Him more.
On April 20, 2009, I was involved in a gas fire. I was working late in the evening on building a fire out doors and the fire blew up in my face catching my hair on fire and burning my face. I put the flames out with my hands. My children ran inside and called for Regina. She came out and asked me how I was feeling and what happened. I told her that I was having difficulty breathing and she rushed me to the hospital. The doctor took one look at me and said, "Sir, If you were just a little bit worse I would have to intubate you and fly you to the burn center at UVA." There were 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my nose, ears, forehead, and hands. As I waited in the hospital room for the doctor - shock began to wear off and feeling began to return to parts of my hands and face. The pain was so intense and almost blinding. Regina and my aunt placed cloths on the burns and prayed for me. I began to shake uncontrollably. I prayed to God and asked Him to ease the pain. After several moments I remember praying, "Lord, you are trying to speak to me, what are you saying to me Jesus?" Instantly, it was though I was standing in front of a bright light. The light was so bright I could not look into it. A Voice came out of the light and said, "Aaron Roberts, You don't love me like you have told people you love me. You don't know me like you said you know me!" I began to cry and I said, "Lord, I wanted to love you more. What has hindered me?" I knew that voice was the voice of Jesus. He replied, "You have been a selfish, arrogant preacher. Most of your ministry has been out of your head and what you knew in your mind rather that what you were in your heart. Very little of what you have done has been for Me and you have given very little of yourself to Me." I repented and asked God to give me another opportunity to serve Him. I knew right then that He had forgiven me. The peace of God flooded my heart and mind and I prayed, "Lord would you give me the assurance that what I have seen and heard is real. Would you remove these scars and heal these burns?" The light suddenly disappeared and in a moment the nurse came in and gave me some pain medication. I was released from the hospital about 2 a.m. and sent home. About 7 a.m. the next morning Regina awoke and walked over to the side of my bed. She removed the bandages from my head and uttered in amazement, "Aaron the burn is gone....there are no scars on your face at all!" God had shown me another mercy and evidence of His love. He had confirmed His word to me while in the emergency room. I began to pray and ask God to show me how to love Him more.
In prayer the next week in my office. God spoke to my heart that I needed to learn Christ and B.H. Clendennen could help me. This urging was so insistent that I performed a search on google to try to find him. I knelt there for a few moments telling the Lord that he had to be passed on because he was a WWII veteran. I searched on google was shocked to find the School of Christ and then more surprised to find that the man God said could help me was was preaching in London, KY the next week at a missions conference. So the next week, I met Pastor Clendennen at a Missions Conference in London, KY at First Pentecostal Church with Pastor Vernon Jarvis and Rev. Gene Huff . I discussed attending the school with Bro Josh Hamby and then with Bro Clendennen who urged me to attend and "bring them boys to Texas". By nothing short of a miracle God provided the means and time from work to attend the School of Christ in Beaumont. We were privileged to attended the last SOC class that our friend was to teach personally at Beaumont Texas.
Our first lesson was “The Conflict” – as Pastor Clendennen read the Scripture text to the church at Ephesus from the lesson in Revelations 2… “Thou hast left thy first love” my heart melted within me and I felt the unction of the Holy Ghost and awareness that God was leading me. Our entire family graduated from the school on June 19th, 2009. My children Rachel – then 12, and Daniel – 11 were the youngest students to graduate from the school. Ezekiel then 3 years received a certificate of attendance. It was an intense and wonderful time. Please pray for the School of Christ missionaries around the world.
We are blessed to work and preach the gospel to a world that is looking for a risen saviour! Victory comes from living a life at the altar -- a life that walks in the power of the Resurrection of Jesus..
Regina and I founded Victory Life Ministries in August of 2009 with the goal of sharing with others the love of Jesus and walking in the power of His resurrection. I can say that our wish is to completely dedicate our lives and love to Jesus. I want to be His love-slave. I know that I am a living testimony of the love and grace of God. If ever a man didn't deserve this love - I didn't. He loved me and I want to love Him more - O what Grace! The mission statement of VLM and goal of my life is Philippians 3:10 "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection; and the fellowship if His sufferings; being made conformable to His death."
In Christ Jesus Service,
Aaron Roberts
http://www.victory-life-ministries.com
victorylifemissions@gmail.com
May God Bless You,
The Roberts Family
Aaron, Regina, Rachel, Daniel and Ezekiel
