Pard
Member
Wondering what people's stories are, spiritually speaking, up till Christ. I'll start:
I have always believed in a god. I want to say that. Actually, it is my belief that everyone is born knowing God exists and we grow to "forget" or to push Him away from us.
I used to go to a very liberal (scripture wise, they I imagine politic wise also!) church. It was a UU church in West Hartford. I liked the Sunday School well enough, and I went there for a while. Not sure when we stopped going, but I have memories of volunteering there for boy scouts. However, I never really liked going.
I grew into a kid who didn't deny God, but I sure didn't respect Him or think anything of Him. I went through an atheist phase for a little bit, but that didn't last very long and I was never committed to it. I thought I should "try" out a religion, and there was this girl I had a crush on and she liked weird religions, like wicca crap, so I thought I should try this religion called Odinism. I realized it was the dumbest thing after about a week of figuring out what the heck it was. I never did anything beyond read about them on Wikipedia and stuff.
Then I moved into my deist phase. I knew God existed and that He made it all, but that was it. I rocked the evolutionist role pretty well, watched the Science Channel a lot. Anyways, I grew skeptical of evolution pretty quick, they wouldn't answer my pressing questions.
Recently (within the year) I became a very loud members of the conservative movement. I have always been a conservative, some of my first memories are of me booing Bill Clinton... Anyways, I became a very politically savvy person, in fact my parents come to ME for political advise! I attended CPAC this year, I write for the Daily Caller (though I am on a extended vaca.).
In October 2009 I realized how tight Conservatism is with Christianity. I met devote Christians, and I really, really admired them. I wanted to be the same way they were. I bought my first Bible (ok, second... the first was a gift from my grandfather like 8 years ago). It was a NASB95, and I bought it because they said it was the most accurate to the original text, and that means a lot for me.
I hid it from my mother and father because I was embarrassed. Anyways, I read it and I fell in love. I gave myself to Christ one night (the first time I ever willingly prayed on my knees by my bed side) without even knowing it. The Holy Spirit crept into my body without me even knowing it! I began to become a changed person and I did not know it. I stopped swearing, I stopped yelling, I stopped disrespecting, and it was amazing! I felt better and I cared more!
I watched the 700 Club every night after Christmas (when I got a TV in my room). I would sit on my bed watching Pat Robertson and I would pray with Pat and ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit, like Pat instructed. I called up the 700 club and they sent me some CD that I still have not looked at!
I kept doing this for weeks and months, but nothing was happening! I would literally cry after I prayed because I wanted the Holy Spirit SOOO badly and yet I never "felt" it come upon me. Then one night (February 2010 I think) I called up the 700 Club and asked why I didn't get the Holy Spirit when I prayed, and I cried the entire time. They lady told me I had the wrong number and that this was the tithing hotline and not the prayer/help hotline.
I hung up and then the oddest feeling came over me. I literally felt so happy and then I started laughing my head off! It occurred to me, well the Holy Spirit made it known, that I had had Him within me for months and I had never known it!
I started going to church with my grandmother. I loved it and I loved the people. A small AG church, maybe 20 or 30 people, max. They have become my other family, it's amazing how much I care for these people who three months or so ago I never even knew existed.
I started going to a youth group with my friend. I got my sister to go with me also.
Since that night when I realized I had the Holy Spirit all along I became hungry for knowledge. I read everything I could and began to study. I prayed for the Lord to guide my life (before I even knew He wanted me to do so!!!). He has been guiding my life ever since.
The Holy Spirit has talked through me to you guys, my local brothers and my friends. It's amazing how quickly I have changed and how much I have learned in such a little time.
And then, the day that changed my plan for life. The Lord told me, the guy who didn't follow Him only months before, that I should take up my calling as a pastor. The more I pray and think about it the more amazing it is. I have been given talents, talents I have had for years that play right into what He wants from me now. I have always been good at writing and expressing myself with words. I am a very loud and confident speaker and I have always been a cheery guy.
...Now it is your turn to share!
lemme just say, it feels so good to share this with other people!
I have always believed in a god. I want to say that. Actually, it is my belief that everyone is born knowing God exists and we grow to "forget" or to push Him away from us.
I used to go to a very liberal (scripture wise, they I imagine politic wise also!) church. It was a UU church in West Hartford. I liked the Sunday School well enough, and I went there for a while. Not sure when we stopped going, but I have memories of volunteering there for boy scouts. However, I never really liked going.
I grew into a kid who didn't deny God, but I sure didn't respect Him or think anything of Him. I went through an atheist phase for a little bit, but that didn't last very long and I was never committed to it. I thought I should "try" out a religion, and there was this girl I had a crush on and she liked weird religions, like wicca crap, so I thought I should try this religion called Odinism. I realized it was the dumbest thing after about a week of figuring out what the heck it was. I never did anything beyond read about them on Wikipedia and stuff.
Then I moved into my deist phase. I knew God existed and that He made it all, but that was it. I rocked the evolutionist role pretty well, watched the Science Channel a lot. Anyways, I grew skeptical of evolution pretty quick, they wouldn't answer my pressing questions.
Recently (within the year) I became a very loud members of the conservative movement. I have always been a conservative, some of my first memories are of me booing Bill Clinton... Anyways, I became a very politically savvy person, in fact my parents come to ME for political advise! I attended CPAC this year, I write for the Daily Caller (though I am on a extended vaca.).
In October 2009 I realized how tight Conservatism is with Christianity. I met devote Christians, and I really, really admired them. I wanted to be the same way they were. I bought my first Bible (ok, second... the first was a gift from my grandfather like 8 years ago). It was a NASB95, and I bought it because they said it was the most accurate to the original text, and that means a lot for me.
I hid it from my mother and father because I was embarrassed. Anyways, I read it and I fell in love. I gave myself to Christ one night (the first time I ever willingly prayed on my knees by my bed side) without even knowing it. The Holy Spirit crept into my body without me even knowing it! I began to become a changed person and I did not know it. I stopped swearing, I stopped yelling, I stopped disrespecting, and it was amazing! I felt better and I cared more!
I watched the 700 Club every night after Christmas (when I got a TV in my room). I would sit on my bed watching Pat Robertson and I would pray with Pat and ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit, like Pat instructed. I called up the 700 club and they sent me some CD that I still have not looked at!
I kept doing this for weeks and months, but nothing was happening! I would literally cry after I prayed because I wanted the Holy Spirit SOOO badly and yet I never "felt" it come upon me. Then one night (February 2010 I think) I called up the 700 Club and asked why I didn't get the Holy Spirit when I prayed, and I cried the entire time. They lady told me I had the wrong number and that this was the tithing hotline and not the prayer/help hotline.
I hung up and then the oddest feeling came over me. I literally felt so happy and then I started laughing my head off! It occurred to me, well the Holy Spirit made it known, that I had had Him within me for months and I had never known it!
I started going to church with my grandmother. I loved it and I loved the people. A small AG church, maybe 20 or 30 people, max. They have become my other family, it's amazing how much I care for these people who three months or so ago I never even knew existed.
I started going to a youth group with my friend. I got my sister to go with me also.
Since that night when I realized I had the Holy Spirit all along I became hungry for knowledge. I read everything I could and began to study. I prayed for the Lord to guide my life (before I even knew He wanted me to do so!!!). He has been guiding my life ever since.
The Holy Spirit has talked through me to you guys, my local brothers and my friends. It's amazing how quickly I have changed and how much I have learned in such a little time.
And then, the day that changed my plan for life. The Lord told me, the guy who didn't follow Him only months before, that I should take up my calling as a pastor. The more I pray and think about it the more amazing it is. I have been given talents, talents I have had for years that play right into what He wants from me now. I have always been good at writing and expressing myself with words. I am a very loud and confident speaker and I have always been a cheery guy.
...Now it is your turn to share!
lemme just say, it feels so good to share this with other people!
Thank you for sharing it. I enjoyed reading it.
