Tell your personal experience when you became a Christian?

My conversion came via an altar which is contested by some. I attended a Friday night seminar called 'Edge of Evil' It was about rock music and suicide. None of it spoke to me because the bands mentioned I didn't listen to but I was a heavy metal listener.

An altar call was made and a friend who was with me got up and began walking down. We were in the balcony so he had to walk to the back of the church first. I got up and followed him. I didn't want to be up there in the midst of strangers. He stopped at the back of the church. For some reason I kept going really having no idea what I was doing.

The speaker gave a little speech to all of us and the next thing I know we are being led to a backroom. A fellowship hall. I remember thinking 'let's get whatever this is over with'

I eventually sat down with a man who asked how he can help me. I told him I guess I have sinned? I listen to Metallica? For the next 30 minutes he took me to Romans and explained to me sin and the nature of it. I especially remember 'For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life' He made references to what is received for work? Wages......... the bible says the wages....payment for sin is death.

I was the last one down in the counseling session. I was led through a prayer but felt no different after that. I just knew I needed to read the bible now beginning with the book of John so I did. A few days later I opened up a bible and read the book of John. I felt as if John the Baptist was leaping me in belly. Just things quickened in my spirit and I got excited. I eventually took all my metal music and gave it away. That was a hard thing to do!

This was March 1990.

I would not say an altar call saves people. The counselor has to properly share the Gospel and tell that person if they continue to believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for their sins they will be saved if they continue on in the faith. To just simply say they are saved now is a false exhortation.

Thats a wonderful story John. For you to surrender all of your heavy metal music as well must have been a difficult thing for someone so young in the faith.

God Bless, David.

I had been very near to the end of my life when I found myself in the bathroom trying to take tablets.
But the Lord came and spoke to me. I heard God's audible voice. Firstly it was rumbling like thunder, and also it had incredible love for me.

After the Lord intervening to halt me from committing suicide I walked out into the garden amazed that I had heard God's voice and that he truly existed and loved people.

I saw our cat in the garden and it had caught a bird in its mouth. I quickly stood on the cats tail and hurt it so its mouth opened and the bird flew away.
I said to myself if I kept doing good things like this I would probably go to heaven..
A voice clearly told me to ask God what he thought of what I was saying. So I did.

I said God Ive just saved that birds life. If I keep doing things like this I will go to heaven wont I ? I clearly felt coming back from God a negative answer and I was clearly being shown that I was condemned. So frightening was the experience that I quickly tried to forget it. But I did not have a clue why I was under condemnation.

Because although I had heard God's voice I hadnt yet expeienced saving faith by putting my trust in Jesus Christ to follow him.

About 4 months later I was in the city centre and a man was standing on a box preaching. I was really interested but didnt want to get involved so I stood at the back of a small crowd.
But a guy working with the preacher walked through the crowd to me and began challenging me to give my life to Jesus. I tried to argue with him but he had the right answer for everything I said.

I eventually bent my head in public as a nervous and self conscious teenager and asked Jesus to come into my life to be with me.

As I walked away after giving the guy my address I made the decision I was going to make sure I believed in Jesus. And He immediately came upon me by His holy spirit and I was filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit

I immediately experienced an incredible joy. And holiness and purity came into my terrible dark soul.

I was once filled with lust and fear but I was immediately being controlled by the Spirit of the Lord. Which I felt all along the bus journey home.
I had had a hatred of old people but I was transformed to actually feel love for them. So much so that I was a blubbering wreck on the bus and the tears poured down my sweater after the Lord caused me to notice a group of them standing at a Bus stop.

The Christian life has been filed with terrible dark and confusing times for me. But I thank the Lord that he showed me repentance in my Christian life. And to take control of my spirit.

I was raised a Methodist, later had a problem life, when I was 40 my life fell apart. Somehow I was led to the Worldwide Church of God. I know. It was there I found stability and learned obedience to God. There were many problems with the organization and it's demise came in 94 I believe. I've seen a lot of things, experienced a lot of things and had to unlearn many things. But Christ has been in my life for quite some time. It's required a dismantling of my old life.

I found David Wilkerson, then was led to this one and that one. It was God at work preparing a foundation.
I have come to see how important it is in your Christina walk to understand what took place long ago in the Garden of Eden and the restoration process that we are in. All things are being restored. God wants to walk with us again. he wants us to believe him, the simplicity of it as it was then. He plans on taking away all things that will hurt and destroy.

If you know what happened in the beginning, and the process God is using to gather a harvest your faith will be stronger. We must have that bigger picture. It's not doctrine per se, but as Steven gave testimony to the Jews, he had the big picture.

I attend Grace Communion International but like all others they have problems, but we are all imperfect. The desire to set doctrine is taking a toll on the church. Looking at Jesus ministry I see a different view. He was out and about.

As Solomon said get wisdom, and I prayed for it for years. Now I pray for the ability to keep from being deceived. The tree of good and evil is in full bloom, loaded with fruit so we must be careful.

Personally I lack the writing skills others have. I went to college a year in 1958 but we didn't have the means. God has blessed me with much understanding. I have trouble putting it into words and I lack people skills. I don't mean any harm to anyone.

For instance I see John baptist and Jesus as the forerunner witnesses. John Witnesses and it cost him his head. Jesus witnesses to the scribes. He knew they were Kennites. Worked their way up from the days when Solomon hired them as wood choppers and drawers of water. He told his disciples that the scribes sat in Moses seat. We could call them the A/C. He reminded them they were not of Abraham because if they were.... Interesting that Rome was there when they were there.

I continue to study and read. At 78 I can't stop now!
Love to all, stay in the faith and don't let doctrine divide us. Jesus loves his bride. It's a trust that we all must have in him.

Davidkeel

That was not an easy thing for me to do but once I made my mind up that was it. I just gave it away.

Ironically now that I am older I don't even listen to music willingly. I may hear it at work, in church or in the car with my wife but I would rather listen to podcasts on bible studies and talk radio about the bible and even other religious doctrine. Only every once in a while will I purposely put on any music.

RogerB

For instance I see John baptist and Jesus as the forerunner witnesses. John Witnesses and it cost him his head. Jesus witnesses to the scribes. He knew they were Kennites. Worked their way up from the days when Solomon hired them as wood choppers and drawers of water. He told his disciples that the scribes sat in Moses seat{/quote]

Can you explain more about this quote in reference to scribes = kennites? There is a source doctrine at play here and I am wondering if you hold to the same source.

//Can you explain more about this quote in reference to scribes = kennites? There is a source doctrine at play here and I am wondering if you hold to the same source//

Let's hope not.

TMK

Which is why I ask because if the foundation is weak then that which is built upon it shall also fall.

1 Chronicles 2:55
55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.”

So what doctrine did you form around this small verse?

I don't create any doctrine. I just noted that the scribes were of the Kennite line. Back when they rebuilding the temple there were no Levites returning from Babylon.
Ezra 8:15. There were plenty of Nethinims.

In John 8 Jesus spoke about their father. You could say that the Scribes had moved on up since they were sitting in Moses seat.

Somebody started this topic to hear peoples testimonies.
Maybe he would prefer to see some more of those. They sounded really interesting as well.

(edited)

Let's get this thread back on track

After my salvation as noted early in this thread I attended the Assemblies of God for the next 8 years. I grew up in the Lutheran church. I walked away from God in 1999 and during that time is where my nic DEADn stems from. I involved myself into goth as a result. God slowly drew me back to Himself and it was only 3 years ago because I literally had a Damascus Road type thing happen to me that caused me to WAKE UP and become that solider of God.

I no longer attend any pentecostal stuff. I attend a Presb church at the moment though I am not in 100% agreement with them but the teaching is so much better than the Pentecostal churches I have attended.

btw, DEADn is like deaden. I choose it because during a time in my life I felt as if I had a deadening of soul when I walked away from God. I knew what was right and wrong. I didn't cross that line but I also refused to go to church or do anything that involved the church including radio or church people.......loosely Christians. Hence I involved myself into Gothic music for a few years. There are some today who remember that in me but don't recognize where I was during that time in my life.

I recognize God was still faithful to me. I also learned not to put my attention and focus on Christians but to keep my gaze toward God and abide in His Word even if Christians around me contradict it or advise me to go astray and so I have done as a coal miner. Drill and search the Word to keep myself as a Berean.

That sounds great. Sorry I'm not the Moderator John, Lol. But how did this Damascus road experience happen ?

davidkeel

Here is what happened to me. I was out running and I was listening to my ipod. This happened 3 years ago. I was about 3/4 of the way to the 'finish line' when suddenly I heard a voice within me say ' Seduction'. It overpowered my hearing my ipod. It startled me so when I got home I began meditating on it wondering what is going on. I went to the Word and began being drawn to scriptures dealing with the seduction of sin and the seduction of the mind away from God, seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. Then had I had these thoughts come to me about the seduction of those groups who have the appearance of Christians but who are not......i.e. Jehovah's witnesses. At the same time my thoughts were also drawn to things in the church which appear to be Christian and are not but are empty do nothing but seduce people away from the Gospel and into itching ears. This began with the Pentecostal and charismatic churches and edged into other groups who are not pentecostal.

It helped light a fire in me to get back into the bible and get serious in prayer. Along the way I came across a show in my ipod that helped me get into the Word even more then I used to but also helped me to understand how the seduction in the church is working. Fighting for the faith .com is that program. I spent some 6 months listening to this and then guess what happens? I have an encounter with Jehovahs' Witnesses and for the next 1.5 years I end up talking with 3 groups of Jehovah's Witnesses. It helped me to understand the depth of that seduction and mind control and how people bound by it. Not long after this I found myself speaking into the lives of some friends who were pentecostal and teaching them why certain things are not of God but just empty noise and sights. Some of them stopped talking to me. I spent 8 years under the pentecostal banner so I kind of know some of things going on there. Only during this time did I understand how to judge it whereas before I was left to wonder what do I do with it. No firm foundation of discernment

This whole thing led my wife and I away from the church we were attending. It was a Nazarene church but they are a cross between Joel Osteen and RIck Warren but closer to Rick. We left and later we found out a Spanish couple who led the Spanish ministry left after confronting the pastor on some issues to which he brushed off. He and I talked about it before that happened because we both agrees about the seduction going on. We found that they eventually left that church and We found them 1 year later in the current church we attend. It is a Presb church. They are in ministry there and are leading missionary travels to South America.

This whole thing has led me to become more mature in my faith and in the Word and I only know this because of the feedback I get from people which astounds me.

John

That's awesome John.

My wife and I are trying to figure out what to do about church. We are disenchanted where we attend now but I am afraid we might be disenchanted wherever we go. Lots of programs with the spirit of the world in an awful lot of churches.

Thank you John, it's amazing how the still small voice intervened into your life. Great testimony.

Isaiah 30 v 21, 22
21 You will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left.” 22 Then you will dishonor your silver-plated idols