Posted on 06/23/2021 1:48:10 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
I know I speak for many a believer who feels a burden for a loved one, neighbor/colleague/friend to come to the fullness of faith in Christ.
The dynamics at work in the spiritual lives of children and adults are different for obvious reasons...Simply by virtue of adults having had more life experience, more ideas to consider, etc...
So for those of you who are willing, can you summarize what made you ultimately decide to be a Christian? And if there were any individuals who played a role, how so? And vice versa: what or who may have contributed to your initial hesitancy, if any.
This is an ecumenical thread so Catholic, Orthodox Protestant/Evangelical all apply.
It’s not the churches, it’s the Faith. It’s not all true.
But when churches, including the Catholic Church, betray people, as they have done with their COVID shutdowns, people will go out and try to find the roots of their faith.
This faith is clearly not shared by most of the Catholic bishops, most of the Protestant clergy (especially the females) and probably even by Bergoglio himself.
We're also not at the age of accountability as a newborn to choose Jesus. No one can make that choice for us. We have to do it ourselves. The Bible is clear on that.
That's why.
Yes. God through an impossible chain of supernatural events that were perfectly ordered to persuade me logically step by step, who was not only an unbeliever, but an enemy of God, that God was real, that the Bible was true, and that Jesus Christ was the pinnacle of his creation and the foundation of our salvation... So I became the slave of the Lamb or Lambslave. The only actions a human can take to effect any change is prayer. After decades of long and fervent prayer, God finally answered mine and intervened in the life of my twin brother, also a hardened atheist, and persuaded him to become a true saint and leader of the church.
Our Abba Father is amazing and I agree with what you posted.
There’s a lot of Vets out there who need help and need Christ massively like we all do.
Coming from you, the message is more ‘real’ IMHO.
Salvation and living life knowing you are is an amazing thing!
Pinging Mark17 to add to the conversation.
Engineering school and CSLewis (Mere Christianity)
So what happens to your child if he/she dies before reaching your “age of accountability”. Does your child goes to Hell?
Baptizing a child at birth does nothing for salvation of one's soul. The child didn't have a choice.
Where is that in you Bible? That appears to be an excuse to justify abortion.
Where is baptizing infants in the Bible? (Free clue: it's not.)
That appears to be an excuse to justify abortion.
That's quite a leap. Since that's your response and clearly in the front of your mind, one may wonder if you aborted a child ....
I was raised as a Catholic. I went to Catholic grade school and Catholic high school, but I always felt like something was missing, though I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. I joined the Air Force at 19. By 21, I was a fully trained controller, and I had to train a new guy in PAR finals. I thought this guy was weird. He carried a Bible, and was a real clean liver. He introduced me to 5 or 6 other guys, clean livers as well. All of us were active duty Air Force, except one who was Washington ANG. One of them was a 1st Lieutenant, like my son. Another was an F-4 fighter pilot. I knew these guys had something I didn’t, and I was almost 22, when I knew I wanted a piece of the action. I got saved there, at Mountain Home, ID, and left the Catholic Church. 6 months later, I was in Vietnam. That was tough, but I survived
But then again, I don't have an ex-wife and I don't blow off infanticide.
But what exactly is your criteria for the “age of accountability”? Is it twelve years old, 26 years old?
How old? And could that "age" be too late for some of your “unaccountables”?
I had been reared in the Catholic church, but by the time I was 33, it wasn't anything but a description I had been taught to say about myself
I became an early drunk and drug user and by the time I was 33, I had "done a lot of life" and had precious little to show for it.
I committed a couple of crimes at 33, and soon learned the cops were looking for me, so I contacted a guy I had just met about a month before and asked if he could help me get out of WV.
I ended up at his kitchen table and Ed Klein, being a messianic Jew witnessed to me about Jesus and that Jesus did not die on the cross for me to be a three time loser.
He led in a prayer, which I sincerely prayed, believing I was taking out fire insurance against going to hell.
The next morning I awoke with the strangest feeling that if I turned myself in, everything would be alright.
I did just that, and spent two months in a pre-trial capacity while (I know the words NOW, but had no clue back then), the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of my accusers (I WAS guilty, btw), and at least one serious felony was reduced to a trespassing misdemeanor.
My PD asked if I would take it.
I was released, time served and a $200 fine sort of in a daze .... WHAT had just happened to me ?
Ed had given me a KJV Bible before leaving his house and I read almost all of it in those two months.
The urge to be baptized was very strong (why? .. Catholics are already baptized), but it was real, so I looked in the phone book for a Baptist church and have been attending independent, fundamental Baptist churches since 1981.
God reached down and blessed me with His salvation (Ps 51), and I have been blessed to know and learn of Him for almost 40 years.
It's clearly a leap to anyone who thinks rationally which you clearly do not, and it's clearly in front of your mind.
But then again, I don't have an ex-wife and I don't blow off infanticide.
Two things: First, you do know that forcible divorce happens, correct? Secondly, your accusation I blow off infanticide without citing a single shred of proof falls flat on its face.
BTW, have you stopped beating your wife yet?
But what exactly is your criteria for the “age of accountability”? Is it twelve years old, 26 years old?
It's clearly not a newborn as you seem to prefer.
How old? And could that "age" be too late for some of your “unaccountables”?
You make no sense with this question. Your entire premise of baptism after birth makes no sense either because it's nowhere to be found in scripture so that's par for the course for you.
Since you refuse to answer the question re: where is baptizing infants in scripture, I'll try this another way and see if you can come up with the correct answer:
Which happens first in the Bible: (A) Baptism or (B) Receiving the Holy Spirit?
Choose (A) or (B) This isn't a trick question and refusal to answer and continuing to deflect will speak volumes about you and your motives on this thread.
What a great testimony. Thanks for sharing.
me
It helped me; as I’d never considered it before.
As well as SHAME, Unworthiness, thinking we have to clean ourselves up somewhat before GOD will accept us...
Chime in here folks.
AMEN!
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