Posted on 06/23/2021 1:48:10 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
As the years went by this situation continued until I entered my late 40s and started working in combat zones. The shocking evil I sometimes witnessed in these places made me think - and think hard - about Good and Evil. It was during this time that I acknowledged my belief in the God that I had once mocked and rejected.
Years later, in the midst of trying to help a dear friend through a terrible psychological breakdown I began looking at the possibility of spiritual elements being involved in her issues. I read Malachi Martin's "Hostage To the Devil" during that time and it totally convinced me that there are indeed malevolent spirit beings prowling this world, looking to devour men's souls.
After that book came the one that brought me back to Christ - C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity." Within a few weeks of reading it I drove to a Franciscan monastery, sat down with two priests there and made my first confession in almost 40 years. I returned to the Church shortly thereafter.
Jesus Christ, the Son Of God, is my Savior.
שלום עליכם
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No idea what your text reads, but I went to God in the most Biblical of circumstances, I was brought to my knees, I could not save myself, the government could not save me, my friends could not save me, science could not save me, money could not save me, family members could not save me.....only God could.....and he did!
Sort of. I was raised in Christian Science. When I was old enough to get interested in religions and read a lot in about 7th grade I discovered that Christian Science appeared to be Buddhism interpreted with a Christian vocabulary so I went for the real thing and studied intensively for two decades then slowly lost interest. I converted to Christianity when I took up religious reading once again in middle age. A chance meeting with a Catholic priest fixed my direction as I saw that Catholicism lined up with the writings of the Fathers of antiquity and I am Catholic.
Yeah, I had a couple of dudes I used to work with say that. Here’s how I see it: God is my father and I’m his child. He loves me like no other. I look at my two boys and if they were hurting with the same crap I was hurting with, you bet your azz I’d be there for them. God does the same, I just had to get past the whole “not seeing him physically” thing. Now I see him daily. I actually have conversations with him. He never really answers, and if he did I’d probably plotz right on the floor, but he does answer. Just when things go your way ya know, or when something crappy happened, but then it winds up being for the best... That’s Abba Father right there.
“The Case For Christ” is excellent. I highly recommend it to bolster one’s faith in Christ. Really well done and thorough look at the history.
I was born again at age 8 but the hardest to reach are college educated and older people...
Beautiful testimony sis!
This thread is full of the wonderful workmanship of Our Lord.
Even in these days of evil, He’s working to bring folks to Himself.
Praise Him!
Nope but I will and PM you.
Imagine, if you will. a world where everyone is a Christian, there would be no need for government and there would be no war, no need for armies, navies, etc.
I became a believer during the summer between high school and college but it took about 35 years in the wilderness before I really understood Who I was worshipping. This sounds dumb but my reawakening came when Tim Tebow was quarterbacking the Broncos in 2011: “If he wins this game, I’ll go back to church!...”
God: “That can be arranged...”
Teenage satanist. Saved in 1987 at the age of 21. It’s been a hard road at times, but there’s no looking back. Knowing the Lord Jesus is unlike anything or anyone I’ve ever known. He is the Good Shepherd.
Accepted Christ at 45. Scripture is what regenerated me. I had major questions on the meaning and purpose and ethics of it all and decided to explore scripture for answers. I found them. Or at least God opened my eyes to them.
Sorry - it means: Peace Be With You
I left my family’s Congregational church when I was 14 and I didn’t set foot in a church until I was 43.
I was very successful but in my personal life events had knocked me on my ass. I had two young boys who depended on me. I was wallowing in the depths no good to anyone.
I was lying in bed on a Sunday, alone. “Get up!” ??? “I said, get up!”
Who, what, why? “I’m not done with you yet”.
It was really that simple.
I came to saving faith in college.
Raised Catholic.
When I got to college I decided to read the Scriptures from cover to cover
Met friends who weren’t just cultural Christians, but people who knew Christ, filled with joy, and relationship with Him.
In reading, God opened my eyes to the simplicity of the Gospel of Grace.
I finally understood Christ paid the penalty for sin, but I needed to receive that gift.
This happens not through church attendance, ritual, beads, etc., but thorough entrusting ourselves to Him alone.
Afterwards, His new life in us produces fruit.
I’m so grateful for His Indescribable Gift!
For the joy of knowing Him.
For salvation and for the assurance of my salvation!
I’m always available to help anyone else who wants to know how they can go to Heaven and know they will.
I am a cradle Catholic. I used to attend theMessianic Jews convention when they held it at Messiah College in PA.
I went just for the joy of it!
These are real Christians, much as were the first disciples.
I have similar elements in my story.
I liked Josh McDowell’s “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” and “More Evidence that Demands a Verdict”.
I tried to find an article I wrote about the evidence for Jesus claiming to be God Himself, which I even reposted here on FR but I cannot find it.
When my now ex-wife became pregnant with my first son I began searching for God again. We both visited a number of churches (Catholic & Protestant) and finally settled on a solid Christian church near our home. Both our sons were dedicated there. When that church went through its own issues we left and went to another Christian church that had 250 members in it when we joined and exploded to over 17,000 members in the twenty years we belonged to it.
That is the church both my ex and I were baptized in and where my journey began.
God is so good. :-)
I was not raised in church, did not know much about the Bible. When I was 23, my best friend and his wife turned to Christ. After four months, I realized it was not a fad. I was lost, and they were happy. One night while I was alone, I prayed to God: “God, if you’re there, I need to know.” Then I began reading the Gospel of Matthew, one chapter a night.
I didn’t feel any change, but in a casual conversation at work two weeks later, someone else was astonished that my view on a moral question was completely different than what it had been in the past. When he said, “That’s not what you believe,” I realized he was right. Rather, that’s not what I used to believe.
I went back to my desk to get back to work, but I couldn’t concentrate on work. My views had changed. My worldview had changed. But why? And when did it happen? I started trying to pinpoint the time. A week ago? No, a bit longer than that. Two weeks? Yes, two weeks. What happened two weeks ago? Nothing. My life had been pretty constant. Well, there was that prayer... And I dropped my pencil. My mouth was agape. That prayer!
My thoughts came in like a flood. God heard that prayer. There is a God, and He cares enough to listen to my prayer. And He answered my prayer. And He has the power to change me without any effort from me. I wasn’t trying to change, but He recognized the desperation in my prayer. He saw my need. My prayer did not conform to any typical salvation prayer, but God sees the heart.
When I started reading from Matthew that night, the words jumped off the page at me. The Holy Spirit was making them come alive to me. It was as though the words were being spoken to me.
A few weeks later, I got to the passage in 2 Corinthians that says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.” And I realized that that had happened to me. No one told me that that kind of transformation was possible. And yet I experienced it.
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