I was brought up Catholic. I attended catechism (catholic Sunday school) on a regular basis no matter how much I whined. I could not wait until Confirmation where you would graduate from this boring routine for as long as I could remember. After we "graduated" I put religion behind me and went about being a teenager. After I started working full time at 17, one of my co-workers kept bothering me to go to church with her. I told her about my past catechism deal and that I wasn't interested. After months of her bothering me to go, I did just to get her to shut up about it. When the pastor asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior as Romans 10:9 says you must do, I . As I was herded up front I thought, "Oh great. Let's get this over with so I can go home and get stoned." I repeated the salvation prayer along with others at the guidance of the pastor. People say that when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior that you either laugh or cry. I laughed. A feeling of sheer happiness and peace came over me which I can't explain in words. Saying peace and happiness about what I felt is like saying Hurricane Katrina was a spring shower. I felt a power come into me and thought, "My God there is a God." Anorexia was immediately cured at my whopping 117 pound frame which was nothing but bone. My desire to get high on whatever was available all day every day became as desirable as food poisoning. Hearing someone swear (as I did every other word) was like being slapped in the face and when someone took God's name in vain, it was like they were talking about my mother. My whole thought process changed. My ideas of fun changed. Things I loved to do in my "old" life before church that day became things I wouldn't touch again with a 10 foot pole. I couldn't get enough of the bible, church and everything else pertaining to God and Jesus. I wasn't looking for anything that day except to get my friend off my back so I could go back to my life but found a new life instead accidentally. The fact that I was not looking for anything leading to "finding Jesus" is also evident it is not just "in my mind" because I could not WAIT to get out of that church up until I said that prayer. After I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I could not wait for church to start again and did not want to leave. Another interesting item about it being real is remember that 17 year olds don't usually do want they dont want to do. Teenagers are usually self serving at that age. It was so life changing that I even brought my drums to church turning down playing in a band for a friend whose father was already a recording artist. A teenager turning down that? I am either insane or Jesus is real. For anyone saying, "Prove to me Jesus is real." I say, repeat the "Salvation Prayer" OUTLOUD as Romans 10:9 says (and be sincere). Jesus wants you on your own accord because we have free will. This prayer is a formal invitation for the Holy Spirit to come on into your life. The prayer is short and you have nothing to lose. If you want proof, here it is. As the old saying goes, how do you know if you never tried it? DO IT.
I dare you. Google "Salvation Prayer." It is short and I am sure you could probably find it here as well. I don't want to leave anything out of the prayer so I would rather you find the actual prayer. God Bless Israel.
You seem to forget one important fact.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15.
We are chosen by God.Unless the spirit of God quickens you, you are dead as the dodo bird.You are as dead as Lazarus was.How can a corpse chose anything?Get your facts straight.
helidoni.
You seem to forget one important fact.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15.
We are chosen by God.Unless the spirit of God quickens you, you are dead as the dodo bird.You are as dead as Lazarus was.How can a corpse chose anything?Get your facts straight.
helidoni.
I was that "free will" Roman Catholic/Anglican/Southern baptist theology; so I understand where she's coming from.
How is telling my story about getting saved not getting my facts straight.
You seem to forget one important fact.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15.
We are chosen by God.Unless the spirit of God quickens you, you are dead as the dodo bird.You are as dead as Lazarus was.How can a corpse chose anything?Get your facts straight.
helidoni.
I feel the lack of love in that post. we are to correct other but the way we do it matters. The way you did that get your facts straight was not right that was just rude. This is somone NEW in christ give them a break.
You seem to forget one important fact.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15.
We are chosen by God.Unless the spirit of God quickens you, you are dead as the dodo bird.You are as dead as Lazarus was.How can a corpse chose anything?Get your facts straight.
helidoni.
Many are called....
I feel the lack of love in that post. we are to correct other but the way we do it matters. The way you did that get your facts straight was not right that was just rude. This is somone NEW in christ give them a break.
Point taken.
The Choice: Man's or God's?
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Ephesians 1.
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN CHOSE GOD YOU ARE GRAVELY MISTAKEN.Babbling something on a piece of paper avails you nothing.
helidoni.
heli: Do I detect an overabundance of "calvin hormones" here?
How about letting the brother walk before getting into supralaptherianism? Foreknowlege, predestination, irresistible grace can be debated to death and any one who claims to have the handle on it has just stopped looking.
GW: It's not your problem. Many struggle with the dynamics of our salvation and often loose sight that all heaven is rejoicing. We're all guilty of it but thats why we needed Messiah. Good testimony. keep it coming. Hope you will now continue in your studies to discover more about your Savior. Remember that there is always someone anxious to rain on your parade. After all you have entered a battlefield in which our advesary will now dilligently attempt to rob you of your early growth.
You must perservere to the end. There must be fruit of your salvation.
See to it that you have adequate fellowship time, personal study and devotional time. Discover what position God would have you occupy in the church {by "church" I mean a local fellowship}
It would be optimal to get involved in a local JFJ near you. Question if your beliefs allign with scripture. Discard what does not edify the body of Messiah or glorify our Lord. God bless.
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN CHOSE GOD YOU ARE GRAVELY MISTAKEN.Babbling something on a piece of paper avails you nothing.
helidoni.
Helidoni,
I was saved as a six-year-old at an Episcopalian church with a majority Roman Catholic family in my and my parents' background. I believed I could've lost or renounced the salvation that I chose. Until I started attending a PCA church and school, I had no clue about predestiny and election, eternal security, or grace by faith. I ardently argued with my 9th grade Bible professor, who even told me once, "The early Church would've called you a heretic." Eventually, the administration got involved. I'm 17, and was a believer in free will as a means of salvation. But now I'm more in assent with Paul of Tarsus and John Calvin than Jerry Falwell.