How I met God

Anonimous · Feb 13, 2013

I'd like to share a story with you how I met God. Well, before I get to that I need to say that way back in the 1980's. I think it was 1982. I went to a house church in Philadelphia. The people who lived there asked me if I wanted to be saved. Without thinking I said, "Sure, why not." In case you're not familiar with the term "saved", it means to sincerely repent of your sins and ask Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior. As I look back I'm not sure if I was sincere or not. Personally, I don't think just saying the words mean anything if you are not sincere. I wasn't particularly convicted of my sins, even though I was aware that I was a sinner. Whether I was sincere at the time or not I'm not sure. If I was , you would never know it by the way I lived. No, I was not involved with drugs, didn't pick fights, didn't drink, and definitely not a ladies man! For the most part I was a pretty good guy for the most part. I also read my Bible sometimes and memorized a few important scriptures about salvation. I even believed that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins. Yours and mine! (John 3:16) I attended church fairly regular as well. But, I didn't see any change. At least not the changes that are supposed to take place.

A lot had happened between 1982 and 2011. Please bear with me here for a bit longer. I did learn a lot over the years about the Bible, God, and Jesus. I thought I was really something!

Jumping ahead to 2011.
A few years ago I was pretty busy with work and didn't make it to church every Sunday. Eventually, I stopped going all together except on the usual holidays like Christmas. But, to be honest, even when I did go I wasn't there. Sure, I would take notes on the sermon. I usually spent more time doodling or making a list of the things that needed to be done.
Occasionally, a church member would get up and share with the church about something God was doing in their lives. They would talk about Him like they knew Him personally. I was happy for them. But, I never felt that way. Even though I tried. This is about where I decided that I just wasn't getting anything out of going to church. I really didn't think I should be sitting there in God's house with His people knowing the way I was living.
Over the winter I was sitting around the house a lot being a house husband. I did a lot of dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc. I think maybe it was in early March of 2011 that I decided to clean the basement. I found a box containing some old Christian music CD's. I started listening to them while puttering around the house. Over the next few weeks I really started listeng to the words and message they contained. But, I still didn't go to church with my wife even though she invited me week after week and month after month.

I said to myself that I ought to at least make an appearance at church once in awhile. Over the next 2 or 3 weeks I kept talking myself out of it. I felt as if there were a literal battle going on inside of me. One day before I knew it I wasn't talking to myself but to God. I said to Him that I just can't be the type of person that He expects me to be. I'd say that I tried time after time to be holy, a good person, and just failed miserably! I would pace around the house most of the morning and afternoon like this.

Finally, I just told him that I was sorry, but I tried and tried for years to be a good person. I said I was not worthy and can't change myself. Then something happened. There was no booming voice, the earth didn't shake, and there was no brilliant lights flashing. I'm not sure to this day if it was in my head, my heart or my mind. I heard just three little words. "No, you can't!" How the words were communicated doesn't matter to me. Anyway, they reached right into the very core of my being. There is no doubt in my mind or heart that God chose to speak to me personally. I think He knew that I was at the lowest point I had ever been in my life.

Right then and there I fell to the floor on my face and asked him to forgive me for my sins and come into my heart. This time I wasn't just speaking words with my mouth. It was my heart speaking to Him. I stayed that way for an hour or so just pouring out my heart and asking Him to forgive me for ignoring Him for so many years. At that moment I knew that I was never going to be the same again. Everything that I was harboring in my heart was taken way! I also KNEW that was I was forgiven.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not perfect. But, I know that when I do sin or mess up that I can go before Him and be assured that if I coness and ask forgiveness that He will and does. I will never be able to express how much Jesus has changed me or what He is still doing. I also know that He has given me His Holy Spirit to help me in this walk that I have chosen.
Well. That is my story. No. It's more than a story. This is my testimony about how I met God.
My sincerest prayer is that if anyone reads this it will cause them to think about where they stand in their relationship to God. If there is any doubt about where you stand then I would encourage you to just admit your sin, repent and ask Jesus into your heart and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. Don't put it off. None of us is guaranteed a tomorrow.

Tommy4Christ · Feb 13, 2013

Anonimous said:

You seem to be on the right path, praise God, its all about real repentance and faith, I was wondering what you mean when you said you "still sin and mess up"?

Please know if one truly repents then sinning and messing up is a thing of the past, dont get me wrong I know we all make mistakes, have many faults, and miss the mark every day, BUT I am not saying a real convert continues in wilful rebellion to God, so many in the church system think that its a normal Christian experience to sin every day, in thought, word and deed, as many are still in bondage to their flesh and are still and under the wrath of God.

I dont think you are saying a real convert will continue in immorality, or slip occasionally into fornication, adultery, drunkeness, etc, which all lead to spiritual death.

Repentance is much more that just confessing you sin, or have sinned, its stopping and forsaking your sin and rebellion against God, to receive His great mercy and pardon, such as the whole city of Nineveh did!

Stay on the narrow path, avoid the churches that tell you you were born a helpless sinner, and that Jesus took you place or is your substitute, dig deep on your own, the spirit of truth will lead you into more truth, as you remain pure and holy before God!

A Call to Repentance
Joel,2-12 “Now, therefore,” says the LORD,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
14 Who knows if He will turn and relent,
And leave a blessing behind Him—
Here is more strong proof what the lord requires of His creation to be reconciled to Himself, it’s very simple but made so complicated by the heaps and heaps of pastors and ministries who have the nerve to say mankind does NOT have to repent to be saved.
They come with a simple plan that was concocted by many reformed preachers and bible scholars, making the way to the cross more of a simple confession you are a sinner, then accepting the great substitution Jesus miraculously made for them, but they fail to give any proof that the word of God let alone the King of Kings taught this non sense!
Many will fight with all they have to preserve their man made doctrines including original sin, which then gives them many excuses to ignore the powerful verse above as well as many more strong warnings to repent, turn, come broken in heart before the mercy seat, and hope and pray God will grant pardon!
Now if this was being preached in the church system today, and well understood by the saved in sin defenders, then the mess Christianity is in today would not be so, instead, the word of God would become real, and powerful, converting the lost soul, once in love with sin, rebellion and the world, now cleansed and purged of all filthiness, and wickedness, ready to receive the implanted word of God!
But today these verses are totally ignored, and replaced with a sin message, undermined by many, many, reformed errors, where simple repentance is lost in a sea of original sin, imputation, substitution, OSAS etc, producing a church that was called poor, blind and naked by Jesus Himself!
2 Corinthians 6;17 The.refore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”[d]
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”[e]
Act 26:20 But to those first in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the country of Judea, and to the nations, I made known the command to repent and to turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
Tommy 1-23-13
PS. We must come to Jesus on His terms, not mans, I know many are taught the opposite today, they either were indoctrinated into these teachings at an early age, and refuse to even search the scriptures, search what the early church taught, or dig deep to see just how far off the mark many liberal translations of the Bible are.
When the reformation came about, around the year 1500, many denominations were formed that took these errors and built on them, leading to what we have today! Many will profess anything different from what their beloved denominations teach is heresy, and a lie, especially those who cling to Calvinism, or any form of it.
This I understand, and accept, as God predicted this would happen, when the few remnant come with the truth. But it’s a bitter pill to swallow, when you see so many sincere people, young and old, so angry and upset when the truth is presented to them, and they attack the messenger.
To me this shows just how far off the mark they are in their minds, they love the lie, refuse to hear anything else except the born sinner, Jesus sub plan, made so famous by the likes of Billy Graham, Ed Young, and many more mega preachers, selling a gospel that is totally backwards from what the early church and Christ taught.
Are we full of pride and arrogant to say these things? Are we evil, uncaring, and full of hate when we confront the wall of deception accepted as truth today?
I guess I can also say this about the many who cling to the saved IN sin message, repeat after me crowd, who has every excuse why they can sin with impunity, then just confess, and then continue as a vile sinner in heart, where purity and separation is a pipe dream never to be accomplished in this life, even though the whole council of God is against them.
Dig deep as commanded, have some confidence in the Lord to lead you into truth, not some ministry or church pastor you support, who clings to these errors for whatever reason.
The gospel according to godliness is a TO DO gospel, which can only be received and understood in its form and context when the sinner wakes up and does this:
James 1-21-22;
21 So get rid of all uncleanness(repent) and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].!
1, You repent first and foremost, see 2 Corinthians 7-10-11.
2, Then if the repentance is real, and from the heart, godly sorrow as described in 2 Corinthians, you then can receive the implanted word of God, and understand it as written by God.
3, Now you become a passionate doer of the word, obeying God from your heart, cleansed and purified, broken and willing to learn and grow more, and more in His great truth.

Anonimous · Feb 13, 2013

Hi Tommy,

What I meant was that just when we think we've overcome something we (I) slip. For instance, Ilike I said I was very critical of people and would say something nasty about them. This all happened almost 2 years ago. This does not happen now. Well, occasionally. But, it has to be a hot issue for me to catch myself even thinking that way again. It's not willfull disobedience. I do appreciate the encouragement. Others have noticed the change and ask me what made the difference in my life. After telling them that Jesus was responsible...they just smile and say something like, "That's good." Very few are genuinely interested in being changed or even think they need to. Then I try to tell them I didn't change then call on God. The change is because of God.

kip-s · Oct 11, 2013

Great testimony!! I'll like share this. If you don't mind send me a PM. Thanks.

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How I met God

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