Hello from Carmen in the UK.

[skrwitch]

Hello,
I'm a new member, name is Carmen, I am British, and although I am not Christian, I hope to be in the near future. God has been calling me for 3 months now, and I can't wait to be born again. :D I have joined this forum to talk to Christians and to seek advice.

Just so you know, my name has nothing to do with witchcraft. I just like the way it sounds. I made the name when I was a little child.

 

[Speculative]

Hello Carmen. I hope you are blessed by your participation in this forum. God Bless you.

 

[About the Son of God]

Hello, I'm a new member, name is Carmen, I am British, and although I am not Christian, I hope to be in the near future. God has been calling me for 3 months now, and I can't wait to be born again. I have joined this forum to talk to Christians and to seek advice. Just so you know, my name has nothing to do with witchcraft. I just like the way it sounds. I made the name when I was a little child.

Hi Carmen.
Welcome.

How have you experienced the call?

--Andrew

 

[skrwitch]

Hi Carmen.
Welcome.

How have you experienced the call?

--Andrew

Yes. Today I finally prayed for salvation. I wouldn't call myself a Christian yet, but I'm getting there. I've started reading the Bible daily from Genesis, as well as reading the four gospels. I've also found a nice church that is nearby, and will be attending this Sunday. I've also began to read Christian blogs, listen to sermons, watch church services, watch the Christian channel that's on TV and read about Jesus. It's really amazing. I was brought up as Pentecostal, but when I was 12, I drifted away. I tried to become an atheist because I didn't want to get into religion, but I could never do it. I have always believed in Jesus. I hope to bring up my children as Christians when I have children, too.

 

[handy]

Hi Carmen... welcome to the forum!

I'm wondering how you are defining "Christian"?

I ask because you've testified here that you believe in Jesus, you're reading God's word, and you desire the fellowship and building up of others in the faith.

Not sure what part in all is this isn't Christian?

 

[skrwitch]

Hi Carmen... welcome to the forum!

I'm wondering how you are defining "Christian"?

I ask because you've testified here that you believe in Jesus, you're reading God's word, and you desire the fellowship and building up of others in the faith.

Not sure what part in all is this isn't Christian?

I just don't think I am ready to call myself a Christian until I start to build a relationship with God. I've heard that to trust Jesus, you must tell him your secrets, even though he already knows, telling him means you trust him. I'm not ready for that. It took me a while to pray for salvation. Until then, I can't call myself a Christian. It doesn't feel morally right. Hopefully it will be soon.

 

[farouk]

Hi Carmen, how are you doing? good to see you there; God bless His Word to you.

A good verse to meditate on:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3.16

Such a lot of truth there, and it's a great blessing for repentant sinners, who believe in the Lord Jesus and His sin atoning work at the Cross, to live in the assurance of it.

 

[handy]

Hi Carmen... welcome to the forum!

I'm wondering how you are defining "Christian"?

I ask because you've testified here that you believe in Jesus, you're reading God's word, and you desire the fellowship and building up of others in the faith.

Not sure what part in all is this isn't Christian?

I just don't think I am ready to call myself a Christian until I start to build a relationship with God. I've heard that to trust Jesus, you must tell him your secrets, even though he already knows, telling him means you trust him. I'm not ready for that. It took me a while to pray for salvation. Until then, I can't call myself a Christian. It doesn't feel morally right. Hopefully it will be soon.

OK... that sounds reasonable. I will certainly pray for you as your strengthen your walk with the Lord. Hopefully, you'll find help and encouragement here!

 

[skrwitch]

Hi Carmen, how are you doing? good to see you there; God bless His Word to you.

A good verse to meditate on:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3.16

Such a lot of truth there, and it's a great blessing for repentant sinners, who believe in the Lord Jesus and His sin atoning work at the Cross, to live in the assurance of it.

Hello.
Yes. Something to live by. I've never put God as my first priority, but I'm beginning to. I'm hoping to "join the group" of those who will not perish.

 

[farouk]

Hi Carmen, how are you doing? good to see you there; God bless His Word to you.

A good verse to meditate on:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3.16

Such a lot of truth there, and it's a great blessing for repentant sinners, who believe in the Lord Jesus and His sin atoning work at the Cross, to live in the assurance of it.

Hello.
Yes. Something to live by. I've never put God as my first priority, but I'm beginning to. I'm hoping to "join the group" of those who will not perish.

Carmen:

Well, it happens when a person truly trusts in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus at the Cross for sinners. God bless His Word richly to you.

 

[About the Son of God]

Yes. Today I finally prayed for salvation. I wouldn't call myself a Christian yet, but I'm getting there. I've started reading the Bible daily from Genesis, as well as reading the four gospels. I've also found a nice church that is nearby, and will be attending this Sunday.

So, what attracts you most about that church?

I've also began to read Christian blogs, listen to sermons, watch church services, watch the Christian channel that's on TV and read about Jesus.

:colorsmile Lots of good stuff to think about, huh.
I spend some of my time just trying to understand how other people think about Jesus. When I started reading the bible and what other people said about him -- I became embarassingly aware how different peoples ideas are. So, I decided to spend a little bit of time each day checking what people say against where they got it from; esp. scripture scholars. It's sort of like trying not to eat too much junk food lest I get fat -- but in terms of scripture and Jesus.

It's really amazing. I was brought up as Pentecostal, but when I was 12, I drifted away. I tried to become an atheist because I didn't want to get into religion, but I could never do it. I have always believed in Jesus. I hope to bring up my children as Christians when I have children, too.

My temptations toward atheism happened when I was a little older, around 16. The "stumper" questions asked at high school that mom & dad could never answer, and never cared to even consider + dumbed down education at the church sort of left me in an easy target area.
But, I could never disprove he existed, either....
That's changed now, for me; and my understanding as well as beliefs rest on a more solid foundation. No one knows it all... but at least I have a solid start.

So, when you were Pentecostal -- I take it that you weren't able to be saved then, before you drifted away; is that on account of the Pentecostals requiring the speaking in tongues as part of baptism (excuse my ignorance, I've not had an in-depth conversation with a Pentecostal before, just shallow ones.)

Glad to have you here; It's a joy to have someone to share faith with as we walk humbly with the Lord!

--Andrew.

 

[skrwitch]

So, what attracts you most about that church?

I don't really know.. What attracted me the most though was that it's a very old church. Part of it is from the 1300s. And some of it is from 1500s. It has many historical items. The church's bells are from the 1600s. I prefer traditional and old churches over modern churches.

So, when you were Pentecostal -- I take it that you weren't able to be saved then, before you drifted away; is that on account of the Pentecostals requiring the speaking in tongues as part of baptism (excuse my ignorance, I've not had an in-depth conversation with a Pentecostal before, just shallow ones.)

Yes, it is. But I was baptised at the early age of 6 months. I believe my mother had left the Pentecostal church by then, but still carried the tradition, which is the reason why I was brought up as Pentecostal. But she personally believes that speaking in tongues is a gift. She frequently does. I wouldn't say I was Pentecostal, because I never understood it. All I knew was that Jesus was real. I still have my old religious studies workbooks from school and it's filled with me talking about Jesus. I'm actually proud of that. Even when I converted to Buddhism for two years, I still believed in Jesus. Jesus never left me.

Glad to have you here; It's a joy to have someone to share faith with as we walk humbly with the Lord!

Thank you.