Okay...I'll share and keep the post at no worse than a PG level.
The Lord found me and called me nearly 45 years ago. I was not a religious person at all. But I had attended Catholic schools up to 2nd year high, and then was done with Catholicism. I wouldn't describe myself as an atheist per se -- but more of an agnostic who simply lived life like there was no God. Just another one of billions of Practical Atheists, even though philosophically I didn't subscribe. I would describe myself, however, as a card-carrying hedonist who lived life with gusto. I worked as hard as I partied and my motto was pretty much, "Let's eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we all die." I didn't marry until after my conversion so I was not restrained in my sex life either.
45 years ago, I was at a low ebb in my life. I came down with a liver disease that the allopathic medical community wasn't able to fix. After almost a year out of work, I found an alternative-natural medicine source that finally put me on the right track. But I had lost a very good paying job because of my prolonged illness -- but even so had sufficient resources to weather the storm and to even party hearty at home when friends would come over. And I was a big pothead! And pretty popular.
Then one night when I was literally home alone and bored out my gourd, I picked up a newspaper to see what was playing at the local theaters. Nothing really captured my attention except one documentary with the strange title "The Late Great Planet Earth." So, I said, why not? Lit up a joint, got into my car and off I went to watch the movie stoned out of my mind.
But that night wound up being the turning point in my life! Even though I had watched the movie stoned, it still impacted me. The next day, I started to search for the book so that I could read through it. After I found it, and read through, I was even more anxious to see if what Hal Lindsey said was actually in the bible. So, the next book I bought was my first bible ever.
Not knowing any better and treating the bible as though it was just another book, I figured the logical place to start was with Genesis and read through each successive book. It took me months to do that -- but I had a lot of time to kill <g>. But I was really in for a surprise when I finally advanced to the Gospels. Jesus absolutely blew my socks off. I quickly reached the same conclusion that many of the first century Jews did who listened to Him: Where did this man get all this wisdom and knowledge and understanding?
After reading through the Gospels I went into my bedroom and I guess I just instinctively knelt down to pray -- but it was hardly a prayer of faith. It was more of a prayer of an agnostic. "God, IF your there - IF you really exist -- and If you can truly hear me -- then I ask that you lead me to one of YOUR churches because I'm not going to scour around to see which church is the real deal." That was the essence of my short and sweet prayer. And I prayed like that due to my experience with the Catholic Church when I was a kid. As a kid, I saw the hypocrisy that abounded in the church. So, I didn't want any part of that, especially given what Jesus taught on the subject. And of course, I prayed that prayer because I wanted to learn more. The Gospels really moved me!
Meanwhile, I continued to read through the NT and wouldn't you know that God put a Christian in my life -- a complete stranger who I meant by "accident"? He was bold about his faith, so I soon as I found out he was a Christian, we struck up a relationship immediately. It didn't take long before I started to attend his church -- a Baptist Church, as I recall. But all this while, I also kept reading the scriptures on my own. I couldn't get my nose out of the bible. BUT...as time passed, and even though I was very intrigued by the scriptures, especially prophecy, at the same time questions were building up in my mind. So many that I started to write them down, so that I wouldn't forget them.
My friend (his name was Tom) and I would discuss my questions but his answers but his answers weren't adequate. But...he also knew of pastor who just happened to be a faculty member at a local bible college. And you'll never guess what he taught: Dispensationalism. When I got introduced to this pastor (his name was Randy), we hit it off immediately as well, as I told him that I had seen Lindsey's documentary and read his book. And so I started to attend Randy's church. But...meanwhile the questions kept piling up and it reached a point where I became frustrated and was getting ready to throw in the towel. But I figured I'll call Randy first to see if he wants to tackle my questions. I even warned him that my questions are tough and they might shake his faith, which shows you how little I knew of God's grace. But he was not daunted and he invited me over to have lunch with him and his lovely wife Gloria.
Later that week, I went over and hit him with several "tough" questions, which he answered more than adequately. And he had so much wisdom that he sensed what was really eating at me...so he took time to educate me on the Gospel! And he explained the Gospel in such a way -- in a way that I had never heard before -- that it actually resonated with me. After spending the entire afternoon with him, I left to get into my car and I just couldn't move. So many things he had said to me were playing over and over inside my head -- until finally I just couldn't handle it anymore! I broke down like a baby and wept uncontrollably over my sins and how my sins -- my sins put Jesus on the Cross. But at the same time, I felt God's peace and love come over me. In retrospect, I have to think that was the Holy Spirit. That's when I became a born again child of God. I must have sat in my car a good 20 minutes or so before I was able to gather my wits about me and drive home.
When I returned home, I called Randy to tell him the good news. He and his wife Gloria were so filled with joy -- so exuberant that God had opened my heart. A couple of weeks later Randy baptized me in the ocean on Hollywood beach with a few other people.
And thus began my personal exodus from this world to the City of God -- to the New Jerusalem.