Dan Nase's Testimony

What's the Point?

I am probably typical of most people that have lived in the “good ole USA” over these past decades. I never paid much attention to religion, but searched for some spiritual connection. If we are honest with ourselves, I doubt that there is an atheist among us. We all search for some meaning to our existence. I remember when I was stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco, as a captain in the U.S. Army, and talking “spiritually” with a good friend, Buster. We both had served tours in Vietnam in combat situations and had seen and experienced the lowest common denominator of our existence…the death of a human being. We agreed that there were “no atheists in foxholes”, especially when mortars and small arms fire had us pinned down. We talked a multitude of hours over the two years we were together, not really arriving at any conclusions. Interestingly enough, I do not remember the name of Jesus Christ coming up in any of those discussions. Speaking for myself what limited contact I had with Christianity left a negative impression on me and came across as irrelevant in our modern world.  Moving on, I resigned my commission in 1970 and went on my way in search of money, fame and success. I was fortunate to have enjoyed a measure of achievement in both business and family. I basically convinced myself that God was not necessary and that self-fulfillment was the goal of my life…a very self-centered worldview. My material and business accomplishments were the only things that mattered and would suffice as proof of my worth and talent. I owed nothing to anyone…the rest of the population could fend for themselves.  The more I amassed of the world’s goods, the more successful I became in the eyes of others…after all, isn’t that an admirable goal for our existence?

Boiling it down, a secular worldview is what guided my existence and gave legitimacy to my actions and self worth. For the next eight years, I never gave God a second, or for that matter, a first thought. Then I heard a song by Peggy Lee (of all people!) titled “Is That All There Is.” That got me thinking once again about the great questions of life. Why am I here? What significance is there in amassing material goods? Why is so much importance place in what we have and have achieved and not who we are? And of course, that question that plagues us all…who is in control anyway and what is there after this life?! It seems as if I spent most of my time reacting to circumstances and not really controlling them. But I did manage to convince myself that I was the “master of my destiny.” Ha!

Jesus is the Way

Again I must confess that Jesus was not part of the equation in my search for significance. During the period of time of my greatest worldly success, two women from a local Church knocked on our door one Saturday in 1976 and invited our girls to Sunday School and what they called the worship hour. They explained that a bus would come by and pick them up the next morning, Sunday, and return them around 1:00 that afternoon. They would even feed them a snack. Fine with us after all a little “religion” might do them some good! Besides, we were good people! There were benefits to this arrangement, we could sleep in later on Sunday morning and do our own thing, as it were!! This went on for two years. Finally the girls, after hounding us for over a year, asked if we would go to an Easter Service because they were to receive awards for verse memorization, attendance, bringing their Bibles to Church, singing, etc. Reluctantly we said yes, for you see we were not even C & E (Christmas and Easter) Christians. Believe me, Christianity had no place in our lives!! No one had ever seriously challenged me to investigate Christianity and it’s founder…Jesus! Besides I had all the “pat” responses…  What about the Africans that have not heard? How could a loving God permit so much evil? Jesus can’t be the only way?! What about all those other religions? Religion is a personal thing and you should not push your beliefs on others. Besides, I gave to the Jerry Lewis Telethon and PBS. And of course, the real clincher… I’m a good person; after all, I haven’t murdered anyone! That fateful Sunday morning arrived and off we went to Church as a family. We entered the front of the Church and sat down immediately in the first pew, which interestingly is the back of Church…go figure! Prior to awards ceremony, we, no I mean, they sang songs. Then made some announcements and did a lot of praying, and of course, they collected money in these “wooden bowls.” I emptied out my pocket change and placed it in the “bowl” when it was passed to us.  Then the “master of ceremonies” introduced the preacher. A very impressive looking guy! About 6’ 5” in height, fiery red hair and a very serious demeanor about him.

Well he started preaching and I could not believe what he was saying…he literally “read my book”! I honestly thought that the children had told him all about us! Boy, was I going to talk to them when we got home! The more he preached, the lower Marilyn and I sank down in the pew and when he pointed his finger toward the congregation, I felt it touch me inside my chest and I was at least 100 feet away from the platform! I was one “relieved and happy camper” when he finished. It was torture! Never had I heard anything like it before…I mean, “Jesus this, and sin that, and you need a Savior, need to be born again, and that He is coming again and that you need to ready…you know all that “religious” stuff! I must, however, admit it did prick my interest and the “veil” started to part. The other ingredient that impacted me was that after the service, most of the people came up, shook our hands, and indicated that they were praying for us…it blew our minds! I didn’t need prayer, I had all I wanted! Judging by the cars in the parking lot and the dress of most of the folks, they needed prayer more than I did!!

The Real Thing

We found out that the Preacher, Rev. Couch was there for the first time himself and was giving a “trial” sermon that morning. He didn’t even know our kids! We later found out that it was the Holy Spirit that was convicting us and not his finger! Reverend Couch was eventually called as Pastor and three months after that fateful Easter morning we met with him on Saturday afternoon, June 24th, 1978. The “veil” was about to come off! We met in his office at the Church and asked…What do we have to do to join the Church? Duh! He had been issuing this invitation for sinners to give their lives over to Jesus at the end of each sermon and we never responded. Once again you have to understand, we were not sinners! We were good people! And now, even better people, because we were attending Church every Sunday. How about that! Doesn’t that count spiritually for something? Fortunately Pastor Couch quite bluntly responded, “You don’t join the church, you receive Jesus as your Savior.” He had said that during each of the services, but that, you know, was for sinners! Well you guessed it…we were good people! The “veil” was pulled slowly from our “hearts and eyes”. Lovingly and patiently, he took the time to show us in scripture why we needed a Savior and that in fact we were sinners (separated from God) already condemned to hell. I reluctantly agreed to all that he showed us in the Bible. The “veil” finally lifted when I realized that if salvation was secured by my being good, what purpose did Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection serve? He explained that it was by the unmerited favor of God through the death of His Son that we obtain eternal life and a more abundant life here on earth, not anything we do. Dumb me, I thought it was religion and it turned out to be a relationship.  I finally understood that “religion” is created by man to reach-out to find favor with God, and that Christianity was God Almighty reaching down to us. Very simple, but difficult to accept since the implication is that God does everything and I do nothing to earn my way into Heaven. How could it be that God would love us so much to pay the “price” for my rebellion (sin) against Him. I realized that He did it all and if I would just accept Him as Savior and Lord, the pressure would be off me to please God through my good works, of which I was not capable of doing anyway. That afternoon, Marilyn and I, gave our lives over to His care and were “born again” spiritually. The next day (Sunday) we all (daughters, Stephanie, Tiffany and Melanie) went forward as a family during the alter call and made our profession of faith publicly before the Church and the following Sunday, July 1st (our wedding anniversary), we were all baptized in water by Pastor Couch. 

 By the way, Buster and his wife, Carol, did eventually give their lives over to Jesus’ saving grace and have a deep abiding relationship with Him. The Lord was working on them through different circumstances and people while we were under going our conversion. Marilyn and I continue in that “walk” with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, dedicated to telling others that it’s not “religion”, but a relationship with God Almighty Himself…a continuing process of letting Him control more and more of our lives.