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 Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 7:52 pm
My Testimony:
Well, my parents were (and are) very devoted Christians, so i grew up in Church knowing about God and how Jesus died on the cross, and i was good at Bible Trivia.
But i never really made faith my own.Well, my friend Erica invited me to her VBS when i was 7, and they were talking about Jesus being thee one and thee only way to get to Heaven.I was thinking "Wow, i definately do not want to spend an eternity in hell! I want Jesus and Heaven instead!".So, on that day i asked Jesus into my heart.I felt better knowing i was going to Heaven when i would die.But i was clueless.I did'nt want to live for Christ,all i wanted was not to go to hell.
In between the age of 7 to 9 my family and I moved to ALOT of different churches.It was hard for me to make new friends then pick up again and go to a different church.Christ was'nt the most important part in my life.Yes, i did respect him.But i did'nt truly know him, i did'nt know you could be intimate with him.One of the reasons we kept moving was because my mother was a great piano player, and she wanted to find a church that had a good praise band that would let her play in it. When i was 10 i was very confused, i believe satan was trying to take me even further from God by tricking me.I started doubting, but i always remembered what my mom and dad would used to say "If satan tempts you all you have to do is say 'Be gone in Jesus's name! God to uninhabited places!" So, i remembered this and i would say it, and it would work.
We finally moved to a new Church when i was 9 and we've been there for almost 7 years now. I feel this church is my home, and i really love all the people there and it has definately been an awesome support to me [Thank the Lord for bringing us there!].I started coming back to the Lord.
A couple more years down the road when i was 12 in Febuary 25th 2005, my dad went to go see the Passion Of The Christ with some Church friends in the Men's Ministry.When he came back that night he was really effected by it and began to tell my mother all about it in the kitchen.I noticed he had brought home a movie booklet that was passed out by a local church that told about Jesus and how he can give us our ULTIMATE needs.For some reason i was really drawn to it.I had heard about this movie, and that it was gory and i kind of wanted to see it and alot of people in my church had seen it.So, i picked up the booklet when he was'nt looking and brought it into my room.
I sat down in the chair in my room and began looking in the inside of it. I came to one certain page where there was a picture of the nails going right thru Jesus's hands.[Just so you know, my mom used to be a physical therapist, so she would always tell us to be careful about our Hand-pulse area, because if you cut your pulse and something it would keep bleeding and bleeding.And growing up i was a very queeezy child and would close my eyes at the site of blood.] After looking at this picture i immideately fell to the ground and just started crying and crying and crying.The most i've ever cried in my life. At that moment i realized that he died and paid the ultimate price for..me! I was filled with Joy and i re-commited my self to Jesus, and accepted him into my heart again. I was soo soo happy! Happier than i've ever been in my life.Right after this i took my bible and told the Lord i would make it a habit to read my bible everyday no matter what was going on, that i would take the time to be with him.So that night i started reading right from the very begginning in Genesis. I'm almost done with 2 Chronicles now.I've also been reading in the afternoons and mornings from different books in the bible.I absolutely love God's word!And i have an intimate relationship with my savior.He has blessed me with accountability with others in my Church.And has blessed me with my prayer website [www.xanga.com/PrayerWarrior_08] , i've seen the power of prayer, it truly makes a difference. I have been on a missions trip and that whole experience opened me even more. The Lord has blessed me with discernment, and i love helping others and i've just been growing so much in the Lord.
I love you Lord Jesus! Thank you for everything you have done for me, and thank you for your ultimate sacrifice on the cross.Thank you for blessing me with so many opportunities to share my faith, and evangelize to others.Thank you for your amazing mercy and grace that takes me back in when i am lost.Thank you for finding me and saving me!!
smile Love in Christ,
Beth
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:58 am
mine probubly isen't as heart felt to most of you but this is the best thing to have happend to me as of late.
At the beggining of this year (freshman) i was scared and i didn't know anyone and this high school seemed HUGE! well, on the first day i found some of my old friends in the cafeteria we didn't know were to sit so we walked around and around and finally spoted a half empty table! so we all sat down and i sat right inbetween the people we didn't know and the people i brought, the strangers were to our left and so i glaced over at them a few times. They were playing some weird card game as it seemed. i introduced myself to the tall skinny boy sitting next to me. i continued sitting their everyday looking forward to seeing him! his name is Michael (i'm Taylee) well after some time he started walking me to class after lunch then on September 17 he asked me out today is july 1 we have been dating for 10 months! one huge problum that is in our way is...........my family. the first time i told me mom i had a friend who was a seinor (oh yeah Michael is now 18 btw i am only 15 most people say thats horrible but we don't care, we love each other and thats all that matters) she told me to get the old high school year book from my brother so she could see him, like a sec after she say him she said NO she told me to stop talking to him and to stop being with him. i was never going to do that so i decided to just keep being with him behind her back and i guess i'm not good at sneeking, we have been caught together many times. my mom got so sick of it that she took me out of school in order to get me away from him........michael dose all he can to be with me.......he drives to my house at 3 in the morning just to see me while my family is sleeping....we don't do anything bad we just snuggle 'sigh' i miss him.
Michael is a hopeless romantic! for Valentins day he filled my locker with 2 dozen red reses and came walking down the hallway with another dozen in his arms. *hugs myself thinking of him!*
well Michael just came back from a church retreat and he said that tons of people were praying for us and he was praying that my family would give him another chance......the day he came back from his church thing was the day my dad said he wanted to spend a day with him to get to know him! he said if he likes him he will convince my mom that he is a good guy if not then i have to respect that. Michael is freaking out over what he is going to wear now LoL i am so greatful to God for this opertunity, we are thankful!
their is a place on Earth for our love..............
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:08 am
My testimony isn't anything impressive, compared to most of the amazing stories in the previous posts! eek But anyway, I began going to a private Christian school in 6th grade. I had been raised as a Christian, but I hadn't really understood all that it meant to be a Christian until then. My Bible teacher looked a bit goofy - large glasses that magnified his eyes about three times their normal size and a big, goofy grin. I remember the first day I went into class, he started it out by greeting us with, "Welcome, sinners!" which offended the majority of the classroom. He asked us why we were offended, because everyone sinned except Jesus. He then told us to raise our hands if we had never sinned. No one did.
That's when I began really thinking about sin. Everyone sinned, but then why did Jesus forgive us? And throughout the year, we learned exactly why Jesus had given his life for us. I am a Methodist, and therefore believe that by being crucified, Jesus gave us the option of being saved or not. In my opinion, it is open to everyone, but you just have to accept it to go to heaven. After I began understanding, I prayed much more often, especially after lying to my parents, which used to be a bad habit I had - even about really small things. After I prayed very deeply, I felt forgiven. Much less guilty than I had before. And soon after, I broke the habit. Praying really helped me get closer to God, and love him even more each time.
Now I'm a rising sophomore. My school made me question Christianity and find reasons to believe it, and my pastor and church really help me find the answers. I feel lucky to have so many Christian people in my life. All of these things together made me gradually become an even better Christian, and I hope to get even more close to God each day.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:24 am
These testimonies....they are your conversion stories?
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:36 am
Nyghtbringer These testimonies....they are your conversion stories? About how we became Christians I think, yes. 3nodding
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:44 am
Interesting. Well, then I will read these to see how people become a Christian.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:32 pm
Hmm, I never posted how I got saved. I thougth this was just for testamonies we have currently endured.
I was saved when I was 9 years old (I'm 24 now). I was going to a Christian school and all the kids picked on me and I didn't have any friends. I do remember this one girl who's mom was a missionary. She came in and asked if she could introduce Christ to our class. When she did she said that I could "have a friend that sticks closer then a brother". I didn't know what that felt like since I was constantly being picked on at the time. I remember praying the prayer with her and feeling different. After that day I know God has been with me. It warms my heart every time I think about it. I cired almost every day before that but God gave me the courage after knowing I would never be alone again. I have been througth a lot since then but to this day I am very thankful that no matter what I go through God is still there!
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:04 pm
I don't know if this counts as a testimony, but I feel as if telling it isn't wrong:
Since I was a child, I've beleived in Heaven and a Heavenly father, but I also suspected that lots of godlings existed for some reason. But I was enamored with Science! so I relgated them to the outmoded personifications of dead beleifs.
Things went pretty poorly for me a few years ago, right after I got married. I had a hard time adjusting and made some bad financial decisions. (I got a credit card and then my wife got one and, well, things got pretty bad pretty fast - thing is, I KNEW getting a credit card would be a bad idea - I just wasn't used to putting my foot down. It seemed stupid and cruel.)
Anyway, I got real angry at God and decided to try not beleive for a while. Then I had a strange dream where I was working at a hotel, laying new tiles in the lobby. There was a guy working with me that I really liked - I mean, deep down liked. We were just having a great time doing this work. '
But a couple women walked by and I noticed that the tiles were starting to spell something out.
All of a sudden, in the dream, I KNEW this guy working with me was Jesus and that he was trying to trick me into getting this message- whatever it was going to be - spelled out in this luxury resort hotel place (or whatever it represented in the dream.)
Man, I got ANGRY. He was tricking me. I freaked out and followed the two sexy women and the rest of the dream turned into a kind of stupid adventure story.
Well, I just wouldn't think about God or religion or Jesus for months after that.
And things got even worse (on the material side.) I figured, in my heart of hearts, that it was God taking my toys away for not playing nice with his son. But I remained adamant - all the way up to losing my apartment and watching Bush's polls soar after 9/11 and watching Nazi-like restrictions imposed upon this country out of fear and jingoism. But I was just NOT gonna give in. I was going to be the worst kind of atheist, one who secretly beleives in God but is out to do him dirt.
But it didn't work. I had this scary nuke dream after running out of state to avoid some creditors (who still haven't paid and will probably never be able to pay.) I dreamed the world was annihilated and - well, I hadn't had one of those dreams for a while.
It also got me thinking (and scared) that maybe God was worth knowing after all. I'm gonna be pretty sad after I die, what if he won't let me talk to someone or something like that? He often seems quite cruel.
I don't like to say that God scared the hell out of me or that I reacted entirely out of fear - but I guess I did. So I've been trying to find a way to reconcile myself with God ever since - or, at least... Jeez, I dunno... to find a way to like someone perfect. I don't much like perfect people.
It makes me feel terrible and grumpy.
Well, anyway, I'm not trying to find God, but I am trying to find a way to do the right thing by him, myself and all.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:13 am
Well I grew up in a Christian family so i was quite lucky. I grew up knowing there was a God.
BUT i was a PK. yes a PK. Pastors Kid.
There are probably PKs out there who know how frustrating this can be.
You are expected to know like the whole bible and be little angels and like the perfect Christian. It can be a major pain when growing up.
I knew a large chunk about the bible and what it was to be a Christian when i was stil young. Whenever I went to schools in primary school, I would be like the only odd christian around in the grade. I knew that being a Christian would be hard. You have to deal with people looking at you weird as if you were some sort of freak whenever you tell them your a Christian. (apparently now most christians are stereotypicalised as strange and weird? O.o)
Also being asian, most people thought I was a Bhuddist. So i had to constantly say, no im not Bhuddist, I'm christian. Kids would pick on me because i was asian. It got worst when they knew i was a Christian. I had sand thrown into my eyes a few times and was constantly teased. ( i wasn't a real christian yet here)
Well it got to the point where I snapped, and well got violent and decided to teach everyone a lesson for making fun of me. i became a little angry kid with a high knowledge of how to abuse people verbally and physically. I would just hit the kid in the head if they said something mean to me. All of this stayed away from my parents though, so i was quite fortunate my parents didn't find out about what I was doing at school. A lot of this went on till I was in year 4. I was a two faced person. Mean person in school, angel outside school.
My school which I attended from year 3 to year 6 was when I was able to make friends because there were asians there. I made white friends too. (I never actually looked at a person and thought they would be mean to me because of their skin.) But most of the time I hanged around asians. We were quite a happy bunch, and anyone who annoyed any of us, all of us will go chasing after that person. - but we did also go pick on people, but only those who picked on us. Anyway it got to the point where I was just a mean person everywhere I went. Not too bad around my parents, but whenever they weren't around I would start acting up. sunday school teachers would annoy me by teaching me things I already knew and understood, so I would always simply disturb the class because i was so bored. I told them to give me something to do that was harder and had to actually think about - they did,then i behaved.
well when i was 12, the last quarter of the year i started attending this primary school youth group that was done at the school hall during friday evenings. I started to go, and i saw how amazing some kids were. They would do bible verse memorisation, but not one verse at a time, but 3 or more verses each week!
Well I kept going to the group, and really became a christian through the people and leaders I met there.(I did it in my own private time in my room.)
Turning into a better Christian was a relatively slow process. I had to stop hitting people, stop swearing (that was hard, but when i was 15 i managed to stop =D nothing is impossible through God) and I pretty much knew a large number of morals from the bible, and i had to figure out how to apply it to my life.
I continued going to that youth group until i was 15, and changed to my churches youth group, to you know support my own church.
Anyway, now i am glad what God has done in my life, hes always been around me to take care of me despite the circumstances I always ended up in. Now I totally devote my life and everything that i do for God and only God.
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:17 pm
Wow! Great testimonies guys! 3nodding I was drawn to post my own testimony too! We had discussed last saturday (in our Bible study class) how to share our testimonies to others and I know I may not have a "blockbuster" testimony (something that's similar to a hollywood movie or something) but I hold on to one of our youth pastors' saying that: "No one can argue with a changed life".
So here goes:
I was raised in a very religious family. I grew up in a normal way. I was raised into thinking that God is somewhat like a rich distant relative whom I can call when I need something and if I don't need Him I could just stay away from Him. I thought God is some kind of genie, whenever I need something; all I need to do is just rub the magic lamp and poof! He will reply and give me my wishes. But as I grew older (normally like any other kid) I was bothered by this BIG question inside my heart: "Is there somebody out there who's gonna love me for who I am?" I even asked God, "Lord, will you give me a person who will love me and accept me as who I am? with no 'Buts' no 'Ifs' just loving me because I am me?" So I went on with my life, bothered by that question. As I grew up I was insecure with myself (inside and out). People see me as a normal girl, even above average because I received awards and my grades are really great! Little do they know that I have a "double-sided" personality (something like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). I sought a lot of stuff, from things to people until I didn't notice that I was already sunken into the deepest pit of sin.
I was struggling and was even bargaining with God. But God hindered me from doing any of my plans to leave our country because He had other plans for me. Last year was my happiest (if not the most delightful) and memorable day in my entire life, I came to know Christ and accepted Him as Lord and Savior. It was the very first reunion (December 29&30, 2004) of my mom's family (clan) and we were all there. A pastor preached during the service and God wanted me to pay attention. I felt like a huge and heavy thing inside me was taken away. Honestly that made my heart lighter. Then the following year and month, I was so surprised when my sister (who's one of the toughest and cold-hearted of the four of us siblings) told me she wanted to attend the Youth service of our cousin at their church! eek So I obliged and we went with our cousin at their church but later on found a nearer location of the same church.
Honestly, life isn't perfect but with a perfect God, I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). God has made sooo many changes in my life ever since I accepted Him. First, He took away my insecurity and selfishness, replacing it with security in Him and selflessness. He healed my sleeping disorder totally. He helped me patch things up with all the people whom I have hurt and those who have hurt me before. He gave me a brand new life. He gave me opportunities like my med transcription job now. He also gave me new friends (Christian friends) who are really nice and are always there to lend a helping hand. God gave me this wonderful and happy feeling that sometimes when I wake up, I feel my heart smiling and it uplifts my spirit, sometimes I also think that our neighbor might be smoking pot and I accidentally sniffed some that's why I feel "high and happy" rofl But I know it's God's happiness not other stuff... 4laugh He also answered my one-million-dollar question: "Who can love me for who I am?" You know His name? His name is Jesus Christ. heart I thank God for completing my life that I couldn't ask for more.
Thank you Lord Jesus for loving me! Amen! Hallelujah! Praise God! heart
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 10:37 pm
angelgotspiked Actually that really reminds me of a paragraph in a book I just finished reading:
"I've heard it said this way- that all people are born with a God-shaped hole in the center of their being. We try to fill that hole with everything the world has to offer, but it never works. Some try drinking or drugs, some try sex, some try money, some try false religions, but they never are able to get rid of the empty feeling inside, until they ask the One who created them to fill it once and for all."
That paragraph really touched me because it's exactly how I had felt. (by the way, the book is called Dear Me by Gaylynne Sword.) WOW! 3nodding I couldn't agree more sis! wink That quote is definitely applicable to me and to I think most of us. 3nodding
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Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 6:13 am
Well, here goes...
I was always raised Lutheran. We went to Lutheran church, we learned Lutheran doctrine, we studied Luther's Small Cathecism. So, in a way, I never needed to be saved. But for the first 14 years of my life, I felt good about life. I knew God existed and that Jesus was His Son. And that was it. Thus, I don't consider myself saved during that period.
Then my brother went to college. He had been going to the same church as I for 18 years, and he thought little of it, from my impression of him. Sure, we were great friends, but we never really acted upon what little faith we had. THen he returned, and he was a changed man. It was obvious in the way he carried himself, the way he spoke with new confidence. When we were alone, he began preaching to me, sometimes about things I understood, and sometimes about things I had to go deeply into prayer about. It was then that I started crying during prayer. I take this as a sign that I now have faith in God.
For two years, we have been learning of God's glory together. Since my brother returned from college, where he found a radical worship team called Agape Ministry Churches, I have felt like God is my number one goal. I have been more active in church, I have changed my lifestyle for Jesus, and I have begun looking deeply into the Bible for lessons of my life. I am always looking for the next change that GOd wants.
And yet, I cannot help but wonder. Is this faith? As I said, I was raised Lutheran, and I was always a good kid. Never cheated on tests, was always nice to everyone (save my enemies, but they were hard to make), smart, funny, etc. So becoming a true Christian has not changed much for me on the outside. Yes, I have stopped cursing. Yes, I cite God for my reasons, outwardly. But is it true inwardly? As I look back, I realize I might have been jealous of my brother's faith, the new lifestyle he had attained. And I must ask myself if this is just another competition between He and I. Time and time again, I crawl to God in prayer, asking Him to confirm my faith. And I know that He listens, and He answers, but...I can't hear Him.
I know in my mind that God exists, and that Jesus was His Son, and that, through Jesus, we have been given His great grace. I know these things in my mind...but what about my Heart?
I don't know if I have been saved yet.
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Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:06 pm
My bro and i were born because of prayer. My mum was bearen when she wanted my bro and then she went to a pastor. The pastor says that she would have a baby in one years time.
Another recent incident it the Tsunami that happened to my Aunty and Uncle. They were in Penang, Malaysia at a restaurant by the sea side. They felt an earthquake that time but they weren't convinced. Then a huge wave came towards the restaurant. It hit the first window and smashed. One of the pastors with them said "in the Name of Jesus, I command u to stop and the wave collapsed. It was muddy that time at the restaurant and they could't get out of there cos the door was jammed. So they prayed together and it open. Still it was muddy and deep so they climbed up the counter and of the door. Im not sure what happened next though.
Reading Heaven is so real by Choo Thmas changed my life as well. The author meets Jesus and went to heaven and hell and when through visions that God gave her. This book is a tool for faith.
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 8:53 pm
I have to tell you guys about this!!!
Last Sunday, I was at church and during one of the slow songs during praise, I told Jesus I just wanted to be with him.
This was sooo cool. After that, I heard him say "and I just want to be with you"
That was SO awesome! He talked to me!!!!
Anyways It wasnt over. I said, Well, what do I need to do, please tell me.
He said, "Surrender yourself to me"
I was confused for a moment, I thought I had surrenedered my life to him when I was saved. He probably heard me thinking and said "completely"
Then the thought popped into my mind that maybe there are some things in my life that the Lord wants me to work on. So I asked him. I said
Lord, what is it I need to do? What do I need to work on??
He just simply said "You'll find out"
By that time the song was over and my uncle went up to preach. Guess what his sermon was on? ....Surrendering
I was so blessed when I got home from church. It was hard at first when he spoke to me. I was asking myself what is that?? Is that you Lord?? I have been trying to train myself to hear him, Im reading books and stuff. It works!
Thank you Lord!
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