Ive_Always_Been_A_Fool
I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A FOOL
by John GoetschIt has been said that “everybody is somebody’s fool.” I am not anydifferent than anyone else. I have always been a fool for something.
On July 31, 1967, I was sitting in the auditorium at Camp Chetek inNorthern Wisconsin, listening to Dr. Eric Folsum preach a message fromthe Bible on Hell. He read scripture throughout the message that toldabout Hell being a place of everlasting torment prepared for those whonever personally ask Jesus Christ to save them. At the close of theservice he asked those who wanted to be saved to come forward and havesomeone show them from the Bible how to be saved and go to Heaven.
I felt very uneasy, and those scriptures on Hell were reallyconvicting my heart. But, I couldn’t walk down that aisle, whyeveryone knew that John Goetsch was a Christian. I had grown up in aChristian home, had gone to church and Sunday School all my life. Iwent to Vacation Bible School and Youth Camp every summer. I had beenbaptized and was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown,Wisconsin. In fact, I was president of athe youth group in my church.But as I walked out of that auditorium that night, I could not getaway from those scriptures on Hell.
That night and the next day I was miserable. I kept asking myself,”Am I going to Heaven or Hell?” Everyone else seemed to think I wasgoing to Heaven, but I wasn’t sure.
The following night, I couldn’t listen to the preacher. I didn’thear a word he said. I kept asking myself over and over; am I reallygoing to Hell? Again at the close of the service the invitation wasgiven, but I couldn’t seem to move. Something inside kept saying,”You’re good enough, You’re better than most of these other people,they are the ones that need to be saved,” and I listened. Later thatnight we watched a gospel film. In the darkness of that room thatnight God began to speak in plain, simple terms to me. He said,”John, if you don’t get saved, you are going to go straight to Hell,no matter what anyone else thinks, you are not saved!”
Right then I realized I had been a fool for the devil. He hadtricked me into thinking that I had been good enough. As the filmended, I turned to a pastor who was sitting behind me and asked him ifhe would help me. Pastor Don Phaffe took me to a small room and thereon my knees on August 1, 1967, at 10:30 p.m. I personally asked JesusChrist to save me. I claimed Romans 10:13 which says: “Whosoevershall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” and Revelation3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear myvoice, and open the door, I will come in…” The Lord didn’t trick methat night like the devil had. At that moment Jesus Christ forgave mysin and gave me everlasting life. No longer was I a fool for thedevil.
I went back to high school that fall with real joy and peace in myheart knowing I was on my way to Heaven. During those high schoolyears I became very active in athletics playing football, basketball,and track, and was achieving some success in all sports. By the timeI reached my junior and senior years, I was completely wrapped up insports, with little time for anything else.
One day in Sunday School my Youth Pastor asked us to write downsome goals for our lives. My goal for High School was to makeall-conference in football. For my College goal , I wrote down that Iwanted to play College football, and for life my goal was to get intosome facet of professional sports.
Things went well and my senior year I captained the football teamto a 5 win and 3 loss record, quite respectable aince our high schoolhad not won a single football game in three years prior to that.Offers began to come from various colleges asking me to play football.OUr basketball team was ranked 7th in the state of Wisconsin, and Iwas looking forward to breaking the school record in the shot put intrack that spring. Sports was my god and I just didn’t have time toserve Christ too.
On January 20, 1970, in the middle of my senior year, I was sittingin one of my classes and my chest began to hurt. I had never felt anypain like it before, but I put off thinking about it because we had animportant game that night. The pain grew steadily worse thatafternoon and evening and that night I played the worst basketballgame I had ever played in my life. I disgraced myself and the team.Physically hurting and emotionally upset, I went home to bed.However, as soon as I laid down flat on my back, the pain becamesharp. It seemed as if someone was taking a knife and cutting insidemy chest.
At 3:00 a.m. the next morning my parents took me to the hospital.They put me in a bed and I stayed in that bed, unable to move, for thenext 3 months. I had a virus of the heart sac. My heart sac wasfilled with poisonous liquid and was the size of a basketball. Imissed the rest of my senior year, the rest of basketball, and all ofthe track season.
All of the time I was in that hospital I never read my Bible orprayed once. I was bitter against God because He had taken everythingI had dreamed of away.
For the next two years I ran from God and rebelled at even thethought of surrendering my life to Him. I gradually worked my bodyback into condition until it was strong and completely healthy.
Three weeks prior to my first college football game, I felt thesame pain in my chest I had felt two years before. The doctors, aftertwo weeks of tests told me that I had an enlarged heart, almost twotimes the size it was supposed to be. They informed me that I wouldnever play sports again.
I was crushed. All I had ever worked for was gone. I went backand told the coaches that I would never play again. As I walkedacross the practice field that morning I looked at the footballs lyingthere and walked away knowing I would never pick one up again. Atthat moment my heart broke and I gave my life to Christ. I told theLord I had run from Him long enough and if He wanted my life, He couldhave it all.
I drove home and parked the car in the garage. My mother camerunning out and said, “John! John! you can play football!” I said,”No, the doctors told me this morning that I would never play again.”She replied, “I know,but they just called. The tests were read wrong.You are perfectly healthy and can start playing tomorrow!” I bowed myhead and thought, “If only I had been willing to give God my life twoyears ago when He wanted it…”
Though God allowed me to play 3 years of college football and 4years of college basketball, I never again let myself be a fool forsports and put anything before Christ.
I went to Maranatha Baptist Bible College and it was while I wasthere that God called me to be a preacher and into Evangelism to helpothers, like you, find Christ as your Saviour and serve Him.
I Corinthians 3:18 says, “Let no man deceive himself, if any manamong you seemeth to abe wise in this world, let him become a fool(for Christ), that he may be wise.”
Today, friend, don’t be a fool for the devil any longer. Right nowin simple faith ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life,repent of your sin, and ask Him to give you eternal life.
If you have been saved, don’t be a fool to the temporal things ofthis life. Dedicate your life to your Saviour and be a fool for Him.
This article originated on The Salvation Online Network