Hello everybody,My name's Paul and I am 19 years old. I live in a very tiny country most of you'll probably won't know: Holland / The Netherlands.I have grown up in a great Christian family and I now see what a blessing that is. My parents told me about Jesus from when I was a very little child. One day I went to bed and my parents later told me that I came running down and said something like: "I want to receive Jesus as Savior!" That's what I did and I believe I got saved at that time. From that moment on, God took hold of my life...I grew up and the stories about Jesus became more and more familiar to me. I knew the Bible and I knew who God was (well...I thought I knew :-(). But the only thing that increased was my knowledge. I didn't know Jesus personally. I never knew how great it was to have a relationship with God. You could say that I had heard a lot about Jesus, but I had never met Him personally. He didn't mean anything to me, then just a God somewhere far away.When I became a teenager, I only talked about God when I had to. I was shy and uncertain. I tried to seek satisfaction in music and it worked. I wasn't shy anymore, I was rather rebellious. I called people names and was always seeking trouble with teachers. When I turned to Christ, a girl said to me: "you're now so different, I used to find you an ass....". That says all about who I was (unfortunately). But I wasn't the popular guy or something. I was just a little boy with a big mouth and a tiny heart.When I was 16 years old, I went to a party. Normally, my parents wouldn't let me go, but this time I was allowed to choose by myself. So I went. At this party I met a boy from Church. He wasn't a Christian, but after 2 or 3 weeks he was. He became a friend of mine. After He received Jesus as Lord and Savior, we talked a lot. I put my religious mask on and talked very holy about Jesus and God. I shared all my knowledge with him and was pretty convincing...but not to myself.At home my brother was changed. He was reading the Bible more and more and he spoke about it, as it was something that was precious to him. At first I just ignored it and made fun out of it, but within my heart I thought: "What has he now got, what I don't have". So I started to read the Bible. I started reading Galatians and it touched me. I saw the text I'll never forget: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (2:20). I wasn't crucified yet, but I wanted to have that true life, Christ in me. I was shy and tried to hide it with music. I was lonely and tried to forget it by seeking pleasure in masturbation. But I wasn't satisfied...One night my just-born-again-friend and I were sitting outside the Church talking. As he was talking to me about Christ, I saw that he was talking about something real! He was not like me who was used to talk very much about God. I talked about Him, but he KNEW Him. I knew that Jesus died for me at the cross, but he had experienced it. I knew all the stories about the people who walked with God in the past, but he was walking with Jesus in the presence! At that moment the Holy Spirit did His awesome work. He showed me my dirtiness! He did what is written: "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement" (John 16:8). God didn't just say to me that I was dirty, but He spoke to my heart about personal sins. I've never been a drugaddict or an alcoholic. My parents have always protected me, but I couldn't say anymore: 'I'm clean'. I just wasn't! I couldn't stay very religious and keep on speaking about Christ if I knew Him, while I didn't. I was a hypocrite...When my mother picked me up, I cried till we got home. I told my parents about the things I had done and I just cried. Afterwards I went to my room and confessed my sins to God and asked Jesus to come inside and to clean me. I had always known the right words, but now they mend something to me! From that moment on I got born-again and I experienced that God is not somewhere far away, but very close. He wants to be with us in our upperroom! He wants to live in us through the Holy Spirit.I got baptised not soon after and started my walk with God. In the last three years I've grown as a Christian, but I also at times messed things up very badly. It is true what God says: "A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7). But I thank Jesus that He also says: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).Thanks to God, I now know Him personally. I don't know Him enough however. I just got to know Him better and better and better, because He's worth it! "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). God is just so real. It is very sad to see that in my country the Christians are asleep! Every Sunday they say: "Jesus is in our midst", but if that would be true...I wouldn't be saved now. If that's the power of the Holy Ghost, then even with a faith of a giant (instead of a mustardseed) we're not able to move DUST! The Church has become an organisation. They arrange all sorts of activities, but men are not really interested in God. They want to hear about how Jesus loves us, but they don't want to hear the message: "if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (John 8:24). They want to hear how Jesus comforts us (and its soooo true!), but they don't want to hear the message that we should not compromise with the world! God says that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough (1 Corinthians 5:6). That's the consequence of compromise. If we start compromising, we loose every power and 'amen' from Above. And God doesn't lie. It just works that way. On the one hand they cry out to the Holy Ghost and ask: "renew Your Church", but on the other hand they don't get serious with God. And I noticed it in my own life. Where I tried to serve two lords, I failed to serve the true Lord. Where I tried to compromise with the world, Jesus couldn't work anymore. When I gave just one finger, the world took everything! There are 2 striking descriptions of the Church in my country:1. "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead. WAKE UP!" (Revelation 3:1-2)2. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)This country (and I think that the USA isn't much different anymore) is jumping up and down, shouting that the Lord is in its midst. It reminds me of 1 Samuel 4 where Israel takes the ark within the camp, but God isn't there. They jump and the enemies are even scared to death, but God isn't there. The consequence? The enemy overcomes...When I was searching the web for Biblestudies and sermons I found this site. I don't care if these guys are all dead and buried (although they are more alive than we are right now!), but they knew God and spoke about Him radically! I think that's mainly the problem nowadays. People don't know God personally anymore. They don't know what it is to speak with God and listen to Him in the bedroom or closet or wherever. I must admit that I need to learn this myself also more and more. So many things can attract my attention. Cars, computer, music, friends etc. But God has so much in store for us, if we just give Him the opportunity to share it. I'm very happy with this site and I hope it will be blessed! The sermons really encourage me and help me in my daily walk with Christ. I pray that many sleeping Christians will awake and see Christ in full glory. Christians can either be the happiest people in the world or the most pitifully people in it. It depends on if they know Jesus personally or not. Although it isn’t always easy to follow Jesus and although we fail at times (and sometimes ‘many’ times), God will never change. He will forgive and He wants to use us for His glory. May God get full glory throughout our lives! “I am the vine; you are the branches, if a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)