What was the moment the truth of Jesus clicked with you? Like wow this is REAL

I was a christian but later learn buddhism and pray to goddess, until May 2012 when i was sleeping in my bed at night, somebody hit my belly hard that shocked me and i immediately get up, then i saw a very big clock in the air showing one minute to twelve midnight.

I thought my wife hit me but she was not in the sleeping room, she was watching tv at the living room, and the vision made me think hard for hours what has actually happened ?

Later i realize that God has told me He doesnt give forever for man to repent, His patience will be finished one day ! Like in the Noah time when the whole world was punished by the flood, He urged me to return and repent ! Praise Father Jehova, Holy Spirit and Jesus HalleluYah.

R. Hartono said:

then i saw a very big clock in the air showing one minute to twelve midnight.

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I also experienced this and its amazing to me how many other people have as well. This was also when I became born again and well if having a vision of a clock on the 11th hour can't wake you up I don't know what will. Clearly the time is near, there is a sense of urgency that sweeps through your body and soul and the time to choose Christ has come and will not be here for ever.

watcher-witness said:

So far I feel like all I have to go off is these things I've seen and experienced but you cant tell a non-believer that because they have so so many ways of explaining it away.

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I think at this stage in your walk in Christ you should focus on your personal faith and grow that and when you have a solid foundation to stand on then you can deal with the doubters around you. What helped my faith when I was dealing with doubters and my own personal doubt was watching William Lane Craig debate atheists. He uses some terminology that can take some type to grasp but you can still get his point and understand his stance.

You can find a ton of his video in shorter condensed portions here.
drcraigvideos

And just put his name in youtube and debate to find some good ones. Probably the most fruitful would be the one he had with hitchens who is pretty ruthless in his attack vs christianity.

watcher-witness said:

If you could describe your journey and how you got to that point, and what happened/clicked in you that was the turning point and when you gave your life to Jesus?

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When I first received the Holy Spirit, I felt a sudden release from all tension and stress. It was like I was floating on the clouds and there were butterflies running around in my heart. Man, that was real to me!

After having been in the world for about ten years, this was in 2008, I was a website developer and basically I would drink beer at night, smoke and watch movies and music until I fell asleep. I was interested to watch a mocumentary by Bill Maher "Religulous", and that got me laughing and mocking, and then about a week later Google Buzz sent me a digest where there was a discussion happening about the nature of God, so I jumped in there with the mockers and put out a few rardy-rars. But there were some strong, serious Christians there, one of them challenged me to read the book "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist", but I said that I wasn't an atheist, that I love God. As soon as I said those words, I was challenged by the thought "why do I say that I love God but I don't know God like these Christians do?" .. it did my head in. I couldn't escape that question. I had to front up to it, so I woke and yelled to the sky "show me the truth!" and then immediately went to the computer. I said "you guys know the bible so much better than I do, I'll give you just one chance to prove to me that the bible is true". And they gave me a verse and some context and as soon as I read that verse, (up to that point I had refused to read any of the verses that were given in the conversation - I had just read straight past them), then the penny dropped and all these jumbled ideas that didn't make sense, all of a sudden it all made sense and I saw the knowledge of Christianity that had been inside of me - it was all true! .. well it scared me, of course because I suddenly realised I had been arguing against the truth for so long, so I went looking for a church to help me figure out what to do about it. This lady priest came to meet me and she sat down, calmed me a bit and encouraged me to pray, then I went away from there and that night as I was reading the bible all the scriptures were speaking to me so divinely that God was explaining all about my life and showing me how I had gone wrong and His voice came alive within me and that is how the friendship began. There's been a lot more that has happened since that time, and I'll spare you all those details today .. but it sure is interesting to be watching His work in the world, and to see first-hand how He goes about salvation.

/nvm

it was about 20 years ago, i had a nervous breakdown from going without sleep, and found myself totally demonized... i fell to my knees saying "Jesus beats satan" over and over... i went to church after that, a LOT... and after a while, the torture kind of faded away... but then i got seeds of doubt, like hating on homosexuals, and subservience of women, stuff like that, and i fell away from Christianity, and went back to occult practices like 'a dog returns to it's vomit'... and soon i was in a worse situation than i was before.. and I called on Christ again, and this time He came and showed me visions and answered questions... i'm still demonized after all this time, and it still attacks my faith, but there is nowhere else to go, but to Christ... i'm having a really bad night right now, and i wonder why God has left me tortured all this time... it's been a very hard road for me, even tho i have met Jesus and know how sweet and tender He is.

sorry, didn't mean to kill the thread... you can pray for me if you like, and go on with your testimonials... they are very inspiring

watcher-witness said:

I am praying for you!

I feel close to a lot of what you said as well. I got into the occult, then back into it and out of it. It really is like a dog returning to its vomit. Thankfully Jesus is merciful and takes us back every time. We'd be totally lost without Him. What you said about there is no where else to go, it reminds me of this passage in John 6:60-69...

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
​

I went on a holiday with some christian friends for easter and this was read out at one point and what Simon Peter said really struck me because I really resonate with that, and I had just prayed asking 'how do i know if i truly believe?' and then I heard this. That's exactly how I feel. His words ARE life. And there is no where else to go, nothing like Him.

This channel might help you James & Lea D - Philia Ministries. Some friends told me about it and it's really helped my faith lately. Lea is an ex-model and ex reiki healer and psychic and now she is fully living for Christ, and she has a lot of videos exposing the new age and occult, among the other great uploads her and her husband have on the channel. Spiritual Attacks & Warfare, My Testimony: New Age & Modelling to a Servant of The Messiah, Christians & Yoga, What Are Spirit Guides//Familiar Spirits?, What Is Kundalini & Is It In The Church?. These all helped me even though I'm out of all of that. It's still encouraging to hear.

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thank you for your prayers, dear one... i think they might have gone straight to God's ear, because i feel much better now...
i don't even remember WHY things i now know of as being 'occult' appealed to me so much, it was a temptation to have my own CONTROL of the supernatural, and aye, that's where the problem lies... it's a temptation because i have been waiting soooo long for healing of the demonic problem, and now it looks like the rapture will come first, which is something i'm very grateful for! maranatha!! get me out of this heck hole to be with my tender God who loves me...
i will go and check out the youtube channel you mentioned... thank you!!

Yes, Jesus is compassionate. He knows how our sin is hard; so He says >

"'Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in part, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'" (Matthew 11:28-30)

Each day, I need to wake up to Jesus more.

First, I was very cruel and selfish and dishonest. Then I got terrified of going to Hell; so I decided to be good, but I became a goody-goody two-shoes religious and social misfit, not really trusting in Jesus and submitting to how He changes us . . . not knowing how to love.

But I got out of my way of fake religion and asked Jesus to save me and take care of me for all eternity. But then I turned into a self-righteous person criticizing pretty much everyone. And I lost that fake faith which was not "faith working through love" (in Galatians 5:6), and I spent time in isolation and realizing how I was my main problem.

But I was in the military then and spending time learning Italian on the streets; and this was good, how I got away from everything, to share with the Italians and maybe at times meet a Christian who was kind with me. How they were kind had me thinking this was what God wanted me to see.

So, may be God was not through with me, I considered and felt a little bit encouraged to go on and find out.

And I considered how the Bible says,

"But rather let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (1 Peter 3:4)

So, God was greatly pleased with a "meek and quiet spirit"? I sure needed this, instead of how I could be troubled and ashamed and criticizing!! Possibly, this was letting me know that I needed to be saved and become meek and quiet. And Jesus says He is "meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). So, I saw the connection, how having "a meek and quiet spirit" could be like how Jesus is "meek and lowly in heart". So, may be, I considered, God wanted me to become like Jesus!!!

But I wasn't sure. Then I went through other things with the Bible and experience, including how I was not really in control of my own self; I was helpless, and I needed how God could take me and do all He pleases with me. So, I trusted blindly that He would do what He wanted.

Then one day I was at a temp job workplace, and I was getting frustrated about not being able to figure things out. And in my mind I heard something like >

"I want you to trust in Christ. Do not try to straighten your own self out, first, but Jesus is able to do what He knows He wants to do with you."

And I thought of how that "thief of the cross" possibly had never met Jesus before he was hanging on that cross next to Jesus. But he realized who Jesus is and that he needed Jesus, and so he trusted Jesus to remember him when Jesus comes in His kingdom.

So, I sensed for if God in me was having me pray to Jesus and offer myself to Him and I trusted Him to take me and do whatever He wanted with me. And it was like two giant spiritual gobs of mercy dropped on me and each one transformed me more into encouragement and beauty and sweetness and submission to God in very pleasant and kind peace. And then I would just thank Jesus and do what I found God was having me do.

I am still in correctional custody > Hebrews 12:4-11. But love is working, succeeding more and more as I grow and God changes my nature, I would say. But God is the Judge; He knows who I really am, and how. And have compassion on any and all people, knowing it could be me >

"He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." (Hebrews 5:2)

One sort of a practical thing which might help is how God so values "a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (in 1 Peter 3:4) And 1 John 4:17 says >

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

So, if He wants us to be gentle and quiet in spirit and His love makes us "as He is" "in this world". I consider this means God Himself is gentle and quiet.

He is not silent, then, but quiet in His love. And so, if we are being noisy in ourselves and in selfish loving (Matthew 5:46), this is part of how we are not connecting and sharing intimately with God.

We might remember how Elijah ran from Jezebel, and then wanted to die. But then God encouraged him and he had a vision of how the LORD was not in the strong wind and earthquake and fire, but there was "a still small voice" which actually communicated with Elijah.

1 Kings 19:1-18

So, yes God might get our attention with even mighty wonders. But His love can communicate deeper and quietly

And this is what happened with Paul, I consider > how he had that "thorn in the flesh" thing, of how "a messenger of Satan" was allowed to mess with him whenever he gave in to doing things in his own ego > then was when that thorn demon could parry past his defenses and pop goes the puffed-up ego. And Paul was begging "three times" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) for that problem to go away. But Jesus, in that case, was not going to give Paul some miracle of convenience, but Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (in 2 Corinthians 12:9)

So, Paul on his own could not get the message of all that proof of how he could fail while acting in ego, but he needed to have a little talk with Jesus.

And all the wonders of creation and miracles and visions have not really done all we need. But Jesus proves Himself to us, in us (Philippians 2:13, John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 3:4-5, Romans 12:3). And He uses us to love and help each other

watcher-witness said:

Haha praise the Lord! I'm glad you feel better
Yeah same, I've always been attracted to the esoteric and had some kind of natural understanding/inclination toward it unfortunately, and just mystical things in general. They're very fascinating and alluring but deeply deceptive.

Jesus gave us the power to cast out demons. Pray them away in faith. Tell them they have no place with you and are unwelcome and in Jesus name you tell them to leave. Focus on the glory of God and meditate on His word and all good things. They hate his Word, the dont like the light. Whenever I've been afraid of the dark I just say to myself 'the light casts out the darkness, and i know the light and it is with me' and then I am not afraid.

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can you keep me in your prayers? i know that's a lot to ask, but i do need those kind of prayers that 'availeth much'

and yes, it's a temptation, i have been attracted to 'the dark' since i was just a little girl, instead of dolls, i used to ask my dad to buy me long rubber snakes and huge black spiders that i hung from my bedroom ceiling, just stuff like that... the first record album that i bought when i was just in grade 3, was black sabbath paranoid... it was crazy... i think i just wanted people to think i was scary, coz i was so bullied...
i think i'm going to get rid of all my black clothes, come to think of it...

about casting out demons, i have spent the last two decades TRYING

watcher-witness said:

Yes of course I will keep you in my prayers!

It's not by OUR power that the demons are cast out, it's by the power of the Lord. It's His power, and if we pray in FAITH, it will be done. He said so. Believe, trust in Him. Trust His word. Give your fears up to Him, confess your fears and He will comfort you.

Funnily enough, while I was asking God to show me the spirit world around me I actually did start seeing it subtly. One night at a friends house the energy felt off, and other people in the house were also agitated and angry. So while my friend was in the shower I just prayed over the house and all the people in it, and I could feel the peace of God rest on the house. It was a beautiful feeling. My friend noticed the difference when she came out of the shower and I told her I prayed over the house and she had never considered praying for that before. I think she does now!

It's interesting how we're drawn to the occult in different ways. There's so many different faces of it. I was drawn in as a kid by fantasy movies and books, and I somehow knew it was real on some level but I never told anyone. Thankfully I grew up in a christian home so I held back a lot and never threw myself right in.

I don't think you need to get rid of all your black clothes. Unless you feel called to do that. Black is not evil. Unless these clothes have occultic symbols/art on them, I'm sure they're ok. 90% of my wardrobe is black haha.

Another youtube channel that might be good for you is Steven Bancarz. He came out of the new age to Christ as well.

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ok, i just tried to pray in faith for the demons to be kicked out... now my body feels all hot... i had to take off my warm sweater that i was wearing coz it was so cold before.
i keep hearing the word 'demon' in my head... i don't know what that means.
what kind of prayers do you pray? to clean out a house or whatever... what words do you use? what did you pray for me?
i know about bad books, i wanted to read 'the exorcist' when i was 11 years old!!!
i grew up in a Christian home too, but .... i don't know.
i just meant that the black clothes were meant to scare people too, so they are probably a bit of a sin for me.

/nvm