When I was younger, my dad used to take me to church, but when I was about 10 or 11, I wasn’t interested in going any more. I believed in God and that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, but it didn’t mean anything to me. I used to think, I could just do my own thing and as long as I believed that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, I would go to heaven, but I know now it is worthless to just believe in God without trusting Him. I used to think I was a Christian but now I realize how lost I was.
For more than 22 years, I was focused on only myself, but I was never truly happy. I would be quite miserable sometimes and as I got older, I would feel a kind of emptiness within, not all the time, but it kept coming back. I very occasionally went to church and occasionally prayed about things, but not for God to forgive me, or to help me be happier, I just thought, that’s how life is, it’s tough, and I just had to deal with it. I thought my sins didn’t matter, I thought, I’m better than most people. I was always very selfish, I would lose my temper and I had a lot of hatred for certain people, but I didn’t care. I felt like my life had no importance, I had no hope of a happy future, only having my family and enjoying my hobbies kept me going, but even then, I still had periods of loneliness and emptiness. The world just couldn’t give me true satisfaction and I see now that it is because nothing the world can offer could fit the God-shaped hole I had in my life! Many times I longed for a Savior who would carry me away from the troubles and hopelessness I faced, but I was certain that such dreams were just that, only dreams.
Sometime around 2008, I had a dream; I had a dream I was in a church and there were lots of people sat down, they were speaking, but I couldn’t understand them. But then, I found an empty seat, I sat down, and then I could understand what they were saying. At the time, I didn’t really understand it, and it didn’t have much of an impact on me, but gradually, I saw that God was calling me into fellowship with Him. As time went on, I would remember that dream, then around autumn time of 2010, I started to attend church again, and I became more and more intrigued. I used to work every other Sunday, but God soon made an opening for me to go to church every week. I slowly began to open my heart to Jesus, not exactly sure where it would take me, but one thing became clear; I needed to repent!
Then one Sunday, in early December of 2010, I woke up to go to church but my brother was ill and my dad was preaching elsewhere. I thought, go to church on my own, not likely, I might as well just stay in bed. But then I had a sudden urge to get up and go, so I did. The service that morning was very powerful, talking about the Holy Spirit. God was helping me to repent and when the preacher called us to receive the Holy Spirit, I didn’t decline. After the service I remember walking home, and feeling at peace like I’d never felt before!
God was indeed transforming me and would continue to do so beyond my wildest dreams! Later that same day, I had an urge to start reading the Bible, which I had never done, so I asked my dad for one and it turned out, he’d got me a New Testament for Christmas, and I started reading it straightaway. It was very helpful to help me stand firm against the devil’s doubts. I prayed for assurance and after a few months, God granted it. The devil still tries to make me doubt, but God’s Word is my sword for the fight!
In the early hours on September 8th 2012, I had a very powerful and wonderful experience. I was reading Gulshan Esther’s testimony, a Muslim woman from Pakistan who was crippled on her left side but when she turned to Jesus, He came to her in her room and healed her! I became totally overwhelmed by the power and awesomeness of God as I read and I just wanted to run around praising Him. I did, but after a few seconds, I couldn’t really stand up and felt forced to bow, which I gladly did. I ended up having to lay down for being somewhat physically faint, but I was overwhelmed by the Spirit and joy of the Lord and His great majesty. My muscles in my hands and wrists had become immobile, my whole body felt like it was ecstatic, for lack of a better word, and it took over an hour before I was able to relax. I remember touching my forehead and hair but it didn’t feel normal, it felt like I was bathed in the pure radiance and light of God! No words can properly describe this experience, but I know it was from God and it came at a time when I needed His comforting assurance. He was holding me very close when I most needed it, like the perfect Father He is. I think he was also showing me just how worthy and great He is compared to me, although He is much more than I will ever know this side of Heaven!
Since I gave my life to Jesus, his grace has continued to work within me and I no longer have the unhappiness and hatred I used to have. God has also given me the strength, not to avoid the problems of the world, but to be strong by focusing on Him and He has given me hope and peace through His eternal promises. Whenever I think about the Lord Jesus, it makes me happy and I’m no longer ashamed to talk to anyone about Him, should I have the opportunity.
I now seek to try and live how God wants me to and I know now that Christianity is about repentance and the forgiveness of sins by the grace of God through the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ and of course, eternal life through His resurrection. It isn’t a religious prison, but a life free from the chains of sin! Because of the cross, I know my sins are indeed eternally forgiven, I live each day in God’s wonderful salvation and I will praise Him for ever more, because He alone has saved me!!!
For more than 22 years, I was focused on only myself, but I was never truly happy. I would be quite miserable sometimes and as I got older, I would feel a kind of emptiness within, not all the time, but it kept coming back. I very occasionally went to church and occasionally prayed about things, but not for God to forgive me, or to help me be happier, I just thought, that’s how life is, it’s tough, and I just had to deal with it. I thought my sins didn’t matter, I thought, I’m better than most people. I was always very selfish, I would lose my temper and I had a lot of hatred for certain people, but I didn’t care. I felt like my life had no importance, I had no hope of a happy future, only having my family and enjoying my hobbies kept me going, but even then, I still had periods of loneliness and emptiness. The world just couldn’t give me true satisfaction and I see now that it is because nothing the world can offer could fit the God-shaped hole I had in my life! Many times I longed for a Savior who would carry me away from the troubles and hopelessness I faced, but I was certain that such dreams were just that, only dreams.
Sometime around 2008, I had a dream; I had a dream I was in a church and there were lots of people sat down, they were speaking, but I couldn’t understand them. But then, I found an empty seat, I sat down, and then I could understand what they were saying. At the time, I didn’t really understand it, and it didn’t have much of an impact on me, but gradually, I saw that God was calling me into fellowship with Him. As time went on, I would remember that dream, then around autumn time of 2010, I started to attend church again, and I became more and more intrigued. I used to work every other Sunday, but God soon made an opening for me to go to church every week. I slowly began to open my heart to Jesus, not exactly sure where it would take me, but one thing became clear; I needed to repent!
Then one Sunday, in early December of 2010, I woke up to go to church but my brother was ill and my dad was preaching elsewhere. I thought, go to church on my own, not likely, I might as well just stay in bed. But then I had a sudden urge to get up and go, so I did. The service that morning was very powerful, talking about the Holy Spirit. God was helping me to repent and when the preacher called us to receive the Holy Spirit, I didn’t decline. After the service I remember walking home, and feeling at peace like I’d never felt before!
God was indeed transforming me and would continue to do so beyond my wildest dreams! Later that same day, I had an urge to start reading the Bible, which I had never done, so I asked my dad for one and it turned out, he’d got me a New Testament for Christmas, and I started reading it straightaway. It was very helpful to help me stand firm against the devil’s doubts. I prayed for assurance and after a few months, God granted it. The devil still tries to make me doubt, but God’s Word is my sword for the fight!
In the early hours on September 8th 2012, I had a very powerful and wonderful experience. I was reading Gulshan Esther’s testimony, a Muslim woman from Pakistan who was crippled on her left side but when she turned to Jesus, He came to her in her room and healed her! I became totally overwhelmed by the power and awesomeness of God as I read and I just wanted to run around praising Him. I did, but after a few seconds, I couldn’t really stand up and felt forced to bow, which I gladly did. I ended up having to lay down for being somewhat physically faint, but I was overwhelmed by the Spirit and joy of the Lord and His great majesty. My muscles in my hands and wrists had become immobile, my whole body felt like it was ecstatic, for lack of a better word, and it took over an hour before I was able to relax. I remember touching my forehead and hair but it didn’t feel normal, it felt like I was bathed in the pure radiance and light of God! No words can properly describe this experience, but I know it was from God and it came at a time when I needed His comforting assurance. He was holding me very close when I most needed it, like the perfect Father He is. I think he was also showing me just how worthy and great He is compared to me, although He is much more than I will ever know this side of Heaven!
Since I gave my life to Jesus, his grace has continued to work within me and I no longer have the unhappiness and hatred I used to have. God has also given me the strength, not to avoid the problems of the world, but to be strong by focusing on Him and He has given me hope and peace through His eternal promises. Whenever I think about the Lord Jesus, it makes me happy and I’m no longer ashamed to talk to anyone about Him, should I have the opportunity.
I now seek to try and live how God wants me to and I know now that Christianity is about repentance and the forgiveness of sins by the grace of God through the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ and of course, eternal life through His resurrection. It isn’t a religious prison, but a life free from the chains of sin! Because of the cross, I know my sins are indeed eternally forgiven, I live each day in God’s wonderful salvation and I will praise Him for ever more, because He alone has saved me!!!
