My testimony

[Stringfellow_Hawke]

I was raised in a Christian home. My mother is a life-long Baptist, my father is a Roman Catholic, both sets of grandparents were Baptists (Dad's parents are with The Lord, and so is my mom's mom. My mom's dad is all I have left and he just turned 91 this year.) They all taught me about God, Jesus, and The Bible from day one. So, in all honesty, I've never really NOT known who He was. I don't recall the exact age, but I remember asking mom's mom one night "how do you get to heaven?" and she told me the Gospel. How Christ died for us and how you place your trust in Him and what He did. I took that and ran with it when I was 12. I knew I needed Him and I wanted to be right with God. I got baptized and the change hit me. I knew I was a new creature. Unfortunately, I was 12. I hit puberty right at that point and needless to say the typical desires of that age and the teen years took over and that was all she wrote. At age 14 my mom's mom passed away suddenly, and I fell into drugs and other habits. After a while I really lost my faith and even started identifying as a non-believer (even though I knew deep down I was wrong.)

This changed when I was 17. A high school class mate and good friend was killed in a car accident just weeks before we were to start our senior year. After the funeral, I sat and thought to myself, "my belief system is telling me he's just gone. Thats it. I can't accept this." So at that point I became a deist, I said I knew their was a supreme being and ultimate place of rest for the dead (still knowing deep down I was wrong.) This "profession" (and I say profession because I didn't actually believe it) persisted until age 19.

When i was 19 I had a spiritual experience. Kind of came out of the blue. Long story short, I confessed that the supreme being was indeed God of the bible. Jesus Christ. While I acknowledged what I always knew, I made no attempt to live right in his eyes for the next 4 years. Though I did read the Bible from time to time.

It wasn't until I lost another friend, was nearly killed myself one night, and deep conversations with a pastor who I worked with (who was a Pentecostal Church of God preacher) that I knew I needed to recommit and I did. I have never really been the same since. I've had a couple of periods (lasting longer than I want to admit) where I have backslidden but here I am yet again.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Consider this view: "in all honesty" you did NOT know WHO HE IS. until your conversion/ bring born again. Oh, like multitudes, you knew ABOUT God, but not WHO HE IS until after being born again. (experientially and spiritually alive in JESUS)

Being raised in a bakery wouldn't make a person a muffin, would it?

This seems to be in line with the experiences you described later in life.

 

[Stringfellow_Hawke]

Consider this view: "in all honesty" you did NOT know WHO HE IS. until your conversion/ bring born again. Oh, like multitudes, you knew ABOUT God, but not WHO HE IS until after being born again. (experientially and spiritually alive in JESUS)

Being raised in a bakery wouldn't make a person a muffin, would it?

This seems to be in line with the experiences you described later in life.

I suppose if you want to word it like that. "Knew about" was what I meant.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I suppose if you want to word it like that. "Knew about" was what I meant.

Compare (the reason it could be very important) the Scribes and Pharisees in Scripture -

the ones (not all of them) who opposed Jesus and sought to put Him to death -

they knew "about" Yahweh in the original languages/ true Scripture/

but they did not know Yahweh, nor Jesus. (even when He was standing there in front of them)....

If they knew Him, they would not have sought to kill Him.

In the Hebrew language and context, this may be much more clear --- in English we grew up with (or I did anyway), things are not nearly as clear.

The Word Studies in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek can be WONDERFUL , btw.....

 

[Stringfellow_Hawke]

Compare (the reason it could be very important) the Scribes and Pharisees in Scripture -

the ones (not all of them) who opposed Jesus and sought to put Him to death -

they knew "about" Yahweh in the original languages/ true Scripture/

but they did not know Yahweh, nor Jesus. (even when He was standing there in front of them)....

If they knew Him, they would not have sought to kill Him.

In the Hebrew language and context, this may be much more clear --- in English we grew up with (or I did anyway), things are not nearly as clear.

The Word Studies in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek can be WONDERFUL , btw.....

I get what you're saying.

Well if you know those languages that's great. Very good.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I get what you're saying.

Well if you know those languages that's great. Very good.

Sorry if I gave that impression - no, I don't know those languages (but something better, yes), I enjoyed the Word Studies that were accurate and in line with Yahweh's Plan, Purpose and all Scripture. (remember there are many , many, false commentaries, ecf, word studies, bible studies, lessons, sermons, and teachings ---- so EVERYTHING must be tested as God Says, BEFORE believing or accepting anything.)

 

[Chinchilla]

I suppose if you want to word it like that. "Knew about" was what I meant.

You can have knowledge of God like I did for 20 something years of my life or you can be born again it's been 1 year and 2-3 months since i've been born again meaning saved .

There is general revelation which demons , fallen angels and wicked spirits have and they confess that Jesus is LORD but they are not saved .

Acts 16
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

James 2:19
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.



Personally I can't say if you are born again or not , you don't seem to be lost, maybe you just lack the faith which is based on evidence and your faith was based on feelings so when bad times came it went away . I can provide you some evidence if you wish to strengthen your faith

 

[Stringfellow_Hawke]

You can have knowledge of God like I did for 20 something years of my life or you can be born again it's been 1 year and 2-3 months since i've been born again meaning saved .

There is general revelation which demons , fallen angels and wicked spirits have and they confess that Jesus is LORD but they are not saved .

Acts 16
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

James 2:19
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.



Personally I can't say if you are born again or not , you don't seem to be lost, maybe you just lack the faith which is based on evidence and your faith was based on feelings so when bad times came it went away . I can provide you some evidence if you wish to strengthen your faith

I can say with complete confidence I am born again. I believe what Christ said. My feelings are irrelevant. Thank you for your insight.

 

[gym_class_hero]

God bless you String.
◄ Philippians 2:12 ►
Verse (Click for Chapter)
New International Version
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,