religion

[maya]

Tweet1Thessalonians4:3-

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality. that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. He who rejects this does not reject man, but God who has given us his Holy
Spirit.............

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Tweetamen

[maya]

TweetI was born again 7 years ago. I was the type of person that knew it all. Even if i didn't know it all. I had a bad attitude toward everyone and everything and I complained all of the time. Very negative. Even after I was born again I still had these issues. One day I was worshipping the Lord and it was like I stood outside of myself and saw who I was. After that day the desire of my heart was to change. Change ofcourse is never instant but is is a process. I am a work in process. I was in situations that I didn't have a clue how I'd get through but when there was no way, God made a way every time. Just like the Red Sea. I believe it is very very important to have a "relationship" with the Lord and not "religion" I don't want religion, I want Christ. He wants and desires to have a relationship with us and he desires to fellowship with us. This is what we were put on this earth for, to fellowship with the Lord. The Lord has given me poems and children's books and to God be all of the glory. We all have gifts and talents to be used for the kingdom and I try to be a living sacrifice for the Lord. I'm not perfect and I need the forgiveness and mercy of the Lord every day. But he knows my thoughts and he sees my heart and that is what counts......Is this what you meant?
Maya

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TweetThat is what I meant. Praise God! I've been saved for 5 years now. I am also not perfect or worthy of his grace for ".. all fall short of the glory of God". It is through His grace I am not the man I was previously. What the Lord delivered me from, the life I lead, would take up most of this forum to explain. I can attest to His power to heal, forgive, and retore. I was an enemy of God for many years, and ridiculed and led astray His followers. He forgave me my sins and made me a new creation (1 John 1:9). You are right about it being an ongoing process. I move foward, I fall back, but He lifts me up and refuses to let me go too far astray.
I could go on & on, but I will end by saying God is good!

[maya]

TweetAMEN AMEN AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PL456]

Tweetafter you have been saved, everything becomes much more clear and black/ white..there are no more shades of gray. your life becomes infinitely more simplistic. right and wrong become so much easier to discern. there are many who are lost and do not even know it....

[maya]

TweetI know and it is frustrating sometimes when you witness and they are literally blinded by Satan. I know someone who is an alcoholic and they went to church with me for a while but stress came and they used alcohol as an escape instead of the comfort of the Lord. Some people say being a christian is boring. I think not. Even if being a christian was boring, I'd rather be bored than go to hell.

[maya]

TweetRomans 6:22
But now having been set free form sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we purpose in our heart to sin, we die spiritually.

[kite]

TweetJust curious, what brought all of you to Christ? I love hearing about conversion stories. What was it that brought you to His Heart, or was it a series of events?

[maya]

TweetThere was just a desire and hunger in my heart for something more than what I had. When the Lord got a hold of me and when I started going to church, the worship got me hooked. There is nothing in this whole world better than being in the presence of the Lord and I mean nothing. I was addicted to being in his presence. I would come home and when I had time to my self I would start to worship with my heart and his presence would come. God isn't a God who is far off. Is is very near and wants a relationship with us. He wants to talk to us and love us. anyway, that's how I was hooked. Can't get enough either.

[maya]

TweetJohn 18:37--
Pilate therefore said to him, Are you a king then? Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.

[kite]

TweetAside from the search for something more, how did you come to Christ specifically? How did you come to believe that Christianity is the absolute truth?

[maya]

TweetExperience.....Prayer......Being in the Lord's presence.....Miracles....
The Lord will show anyone who he is if they ask. When you are saved, there is a knowing in your heart. The Holy Spirit comes to live in you when you recieve Jesus as Lord and there is evidence because your desires change. You find yourself not wanting to do the things you used to. You have a desire to please the Lord and to follow his will. He says come all who are weary and heavy and I will give you rest. Rest from worry rest from the cares of this life, rest from trying to keep up with the Jones'. You still have a life. A great life. You are still allowed to enjoy life. You do still slip and make mistakes, you just don't purpose it in your heart to do so.
Are you saved??? Do you have a relationship with the Lord? Also, no matter what we have done in our past he still loves us and forgives us and washes us clean as if we never sinned.

[kite]

TweetMy conversion back to God is a pretty long story actually. Believe it or not science brought me back. Being correct in something this important was prime concern for me, and to make a long story short physics gave me all the evidence I needed to believe that Christianity is the absolute truth. It actually narrowed it down to the big three religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and from there it's all history and faith. If this type of deal intrests you I could give you some pretty mind blowing info.

[maya]

TweetI know that if you study prophecy from the Old Testament, alot of prophecy has been fullfilled. I always thought it rediculous for people to teach we came from monkeys. That is an insult to out creator. God perfectly designed us. The word says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made". no atom and no monkey could do what God can. Do you ever watch TBN? There is a book and I can't remember the name of it but it has to do with Science and proof that God exists. There are some pretty good books out there. Anyway, glad you are a part of the family!