I'm new here and wanted to share my testimony with everyone. Hopefully it will encourage, and help others in their walk with the Lord.
Growing up, I attended church with family members, and was "saved" and baptized when I was 12. Looking back, I really question whether or not I was truly "born again" at that time, and think it was more along the lines of just “doing what I was supposed to do".
I went to Christian schools from the 7th grade through high school, continuing to just “go with the flow”, saying and doing all of the right things when pressed into a situation, but was determined to do things my own way. I wasn’t the only kid in school like this, so naturally, we gravitated towards each other, and I continued falling deeper and deeper into sin.
I joined the military after high school, and after I left home, I stopped going to church all together. Eventually I just became very cold and bitter towards God, and totally turned my back on Christ.
In January of 2009, I made the decision to give church one more try. At the time, I was doing a lot of reading about different religions because I was searching to fill the void in my life, and before I got really deep into something, I wanted to go back and see if there was anything there left for me. I started slowly, looking for a church that would suit me…one that would still let me do what I wanted, but I could say I was giving Christianity one more try. I found a church that was a part of one of the more liberal denominations near my house, so I started to attend. I went there for about a month when Ash Wednesday came around. They were having a special service that night, so I decided to attend just out of curiosity, and went with absolutely no expectations about what to expect, or what the Lord had in store for me. After the sermon, everyone was invited to come down front and get marked with ashes. I was hesitant about doing this, because I knew in my heart that I wasn’t right with God, and I was tired of being a hypocrite. While everyone else went forward, I just sat there and started praying. God truly revealed himself to me for first time in my life. I got a true understanding of salvation and repentance, and what it all meant. I truly came to know Jesus; accepted him as my Savior, repented of my sins, and made a commitment to follow him on that night.
I continued to attend the same church through Easter, but I knew there was something wrong…I just wasn’t getting fed or challenged spiritually. The week after Easter, I made the decision to search for a new church…one that was “spirit filled”, and preached the truth. After searching for a few months, the Lord led me to an Assmblies of God church in my neighborhood and I've been there ever since.
The Lord has delivered me from addictions to pornography, alcohol, tobacco, and numerous other issues that I was going through. I praise him every day for His faithfullness, mercy, love and grace, and thank Him for not turning His back on me. If people don't believe that Jesus still performs miracles today, they just need to take a look at my life.
The thing I would like for everyone to take from this is that if you have loved ones, or family members who are far from the Lord, or are in need of Salvation, never give up on them because Jesus hasn't...lift them up in prayer to the Lord everyday.
Growing up, I attended church with family members, and was "saved" and baptized when I was 12. Looking back, I really question whether or not I was truly "born again" at that time, and think it was more along the lines of just “doing what I was supposed to do".
I went to Christian schools from the 7th grade through high school, continuing to just “go with the flow”, saying and doing all of the right things when pressed into a situation, but was determined to do things my own way. I wasn’t the only kid in school like this, so naturally, we gravitated towards each other, and I continued falling deeper and deeper into sin.
I joined the military after high school, and after I left home, I stopped going to church all together. Eventually I just became very cold and bitter towards God, and totally turned my back on Christ.
In January of 2009, I made the decision to give church one more try. At the time, I was doing a lot of reading about different religions because I was searching to fill the void in my life, and before I got really deep into something, I wanted to go back and see if there was anything there left for me. I started slowly, looking for a church that would suit me…one that would still let me do what I wanted, but I could say I was giving Christianity one more try. I found a church that was a part of one of the more liberal denominations near my house, so I started to attend. I went there for about a month when Ash Wednesday came around. They were having a special service that night, so I decided to attend just out of curiosity, and went with absolutely no expectations about what to expect, or what the Lord had in store for me. After the sermon, everyone was invited to come down front and get marked with ashes. I was hesitant about doing this, because I knew in my heart that I wasn’t right with God, and I was tired of being a hypocrite. While everyone else went forward, I just sat there and started praying. God truly revealed himself to me for first time in my life. I got a true understanding of salvation and repentance, and what it all meant. I truly came to know Jesus; accepted him as my Savior, repented of my sins, and made a commitment to follow him on that night.
I continued to attend the same church through Easter, but I knew there was something wrong…I just wasn’t getting fed or challenged spiritually. The week after Easter, I made the decision to search for a new church…one that was “spirit filled”, and preached the truth. After searching for a few months, the Lord led me to an Assmblies of God church in my neighborhood and I've been there ever since.
The Lord has delivered me from addictions to pornography, alcohol, tobacco, and numerous other issues that I was going through. I praise him every day for His faithfullness, mercy, love and grace, and thank Him for not turning His back on me. If people don't believe that Jesus still performs miracles today, they just need to take a look at my life.
The thing I would like for everyone to take from this is that if you have loved ones, or family members who are far from the Lord, or are in need of Salvation, never give up on them because Jesus hasn't...lift them up in prayer to the Lord everyday.
