[ Testimony ] My Testimony, How God let me Know He Was Real

[Boyce]

So I think It's time for me to write my testimony. Probably a little past due. Sorry it's a bit long, I tried to make it as short as possible.
I'd like to start off with my upbringing. I had a good childhood. I was raised Mormon and was baptized when I was 8 to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints but never truly believed. I quit going once I entered Jr High. High school came around and I started smoking weed, drinking and sloughing school. I distanced myself from my friends, all I cared about was smoking. Eventually I wasn't getting high off weed anymore so I switched to a drug called spice. The same thing happened with this, I wasn't getting high anymore but I kept smoking so I wouldn't feel sick from the withdrawals, it also made me feel normal and happy. I tried quitting a few times but went back to smoking again.

Eye Opening Experience
August 2014 was when it all changed for me. I tried quitting again but this time I wasn't just getting sick from the withdrawals, I thought my lungs were giving out on me. It felt like there was a constant scratch on my left lung and sometimes on my right. I went to the ER a couple times but they couldn't find anything wrong with me. While all this was happening I was looking up other peoples testimonies and doing some research on Religion. I decided to give it a go, what harm could it do right? So I repented and asked for forgiveness. During this whole experience I was sleeping upstairs to help with the withdrawals. One night I decided to pray again. After praying I layed down, 2 minutes later a storm literally came over my house and lightning was striking in the field next to my house and in the block up the street. ( There's windows all around my house so I could see everything, also this wasn't just a ordinary storm with trickling rain drops, it was an amazing experience and I thank God for showing me this, along with everything else hes shown me. God knows that for me seeing is believing and he's given me more than I could've imagined. ) Since I was laying next to windows and the lightning was so close I got up. Once the storm stopped I layed back down. After laying there for a little bit I realized what just happened.
Why do I Think This Happened?
I believe God did this to show me he heard me, I was worried that he didn't hear me when I repented, for me seeing was believing. I'm sure people will try and say this was a coincidence but keep in mind this happened a couple minutes after I prayed, it didn't last more that 5 minutes, it was the end of summer/first week of Autumn, and the storm died after all this. I still remember watching the last lightning strike on the top of the hill. The rain was about 4 times the size it normally would be, I remember watching a jeep drive up the street and it looked like he was driving up a shallow river with the water splashing up to his windows. I wish I could explain this experience in detail. Something else I remember seeing is watching the lightning bolt hit in the field and watching the bolt spread and kinda jump on the ground.

Am I Following The Right Religion?
Now lets jump forward a couple weeks. During these 2 weeks I was praying, reading my bible and googling all these other religions, I realized the only way to God is through Jesus. All these other religions are teaching false doctrines and it bothered me that so many people are deceived so one night I broke down and started talking hoping God would hear me out... That night when I was sleeping I heard "Mark 7:7" twice, it woke me up but I didn't think anything of it so I went back to sleep. I heard the same thing again, "Mark 7:7". ( now I want to explain how this sounded the best I can. I know it wasn't a thought because it was audible, like someone whispering in your ear but it was in my head and didn't come through my ear. That's the best I can explain it. ) This time when I woke up I remembered that there's a book in the bible called "The Gospel According to ST Mark". So I opened up to Mark Chapter 7 verse 7 and this is what that verse says. "But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Keep in mind I've never read the Gospel According o St Mark. I read A couple chapters in Mathew and some in the old testament but that's it. This verse answered the question I asked that night. I believe I was shown this verse because I was thinking about going back to the Mormon church. Now let me say this, I don't hate any religion. I come from a long line of Mormonism and honestly wouldn't be here if it weren't for that. I think a lot of people follow in their parents footsteps and I nearly did the same but I decided to pray and do some research. I've had many more experiences with God that I could share but I think they're more meaningful if you have your own, this is just a overview of how I came to know God was real. The bible say if you seek you WILL find. But you need to repent and change your ways because sin blocks us from hearing God. God Bless you all

 

[cleanfreak]

great testimony. I too have seen the awesome 5 minute lighting storm just after a prayer was sent up.

 

[Boyce]

great testimony. I too have seen the awesome 5 minute lighting storm just after a prayer was sent up.

Thanks, I feel blessed to have seen all this along with some other things but I still fell back into sin after all this and I feel bad for doing that. I'm still struggling with a certain sin and it makes me feel horrible that I could do this after being shown so much.

 

[Chopper]

Some sins are very difficult to overcome until you hate it, I mean really hate it.

 

[Malachi]

I've had many more experiences with God that I could share but I think they're more meaningful if you have your own, this is just a overview of how I came to know God was real.

Boyce,

This is truly tremendous and something to thank God for every day. Pray that the Lord will lead you to a sound Bible church where you can be baptized as a believer,partake of the Lord's Supper, have fellowship, and worship and pray with other Christians. Every new believer needs this to grow and to be strong.

 

[Kathi]

God entered my heart.That is what makes me know He is real.Faith has entered in.

 

[Boyce]

Boyce,

This is truly tremendous and something to thank God for every day. Pray that the Lord will lead you to a sound Bible church where you can be baptized as a believer,partake of the Lord's Supper, have fellowship, and worship and pray with other Christians. Every new believer needs this to grow and to be strong.

Is it bad if the church I'm attending only has the lords supper once a month? Everything else you mentioned we do. From what I've read the bible doesn't say it needs to be every Sunday.

 

[Malachi]

Is it bad if the church I'm attending only has the lords supper once a month? Everything else you mentioned we do. From what I've read the bible doesn't say it needs to be every Sunday.

Actually, the New Testament does teach that the Lord's Supper is a weekly Remembrance Feast (a time for fellowship with believers and with the Lord... that it why it is "holy communion").

In apostolic times, believers met weekly on the "Lord's Day" (Revelation 1:10) [what we call Sunday] to worship, since that was the day of the Lord's Resurrection, as well as the day when the Church was "born" on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). At the very beginning, it seems that Christians celebrated the Lord's Supper (also called "the Breaking of Bread") every day (Acts 2:42,46).

A little later they celebrated it every week (Acts 20:6,7,11; 1 Cor 11:17-34) and generally had a fellowship meal before worship. Christ revealed Himself on the day of Resurrection to two disciples when "He was known of them in breaking of bread" (Luke 24:35). There are still certain churches and Christians who celebrate the Lord's Supper every week. I believe that is what the Lord intended, since it is a Remembrance Feast, and when we remember what those symbols mean, we worship Christ. We also examine ourselves thorougly before we partake, as commanded.

That this was the pattern for at least the first hundred years of the Church is shown by what Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 A.D.) wrote in his First Apology: "On the day called the Day of the Sun all of us... gather in one place... Afterwards, we all rise together and offer prayers and... when our prayer is ended, the bread and wine and water are brought... Then comes the distribution and partaking of that for which thanks was given... We hold our common assembly on the Day of the Sun, because it is the first day on which God, having transformed darkness and matter, created the world; and on the same day Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead..."

 

[seekinghim]

Boyce, thank you for sharing! I am an ex Mormon as well and recently became a Christian (less than a month ago). I love the freedom I felt when I finally realized (it took me 6 years to overcome the brainwashing of the Church) that Jesus is all I need, not a bunch of rules and definitely not Joseph Smith. I love the scripture you shared - it doesn't get clearer than that! I'm not very familiar with the Bible yet but I hope to be!

 

[Via Cassian]

Wonderful testimony to God's grace. I especially liked your comment, "The bible say if you seek you WILL find. But you need to repent and change your ways because sin blocks us from hearing God. God Bless you all." Beautiful. Thank you.

 

[Boyce]

Boyce, thank you for sharing! I am an ex Mormon as well and recently became a Christian (less than a month ago). I love the freedom I felt when I finally realized (it took me 6 years to overcome the brainwashing of the Church) that Jesus is all I need, not a bunch of rules and definitely not Joseph Smith. I love the scripture you shared - it doesn't get clearer than that! I'm not very familiar with the Bible yet but I hope to be!

Awsome Im glad to hear you got out of it. But it sucks when most of my family is still mormon. I'm not very familiar with the bible either but I try to learn a little more every day. I've actually been in rebel mode lately so I haven't even been reading the bible this last week or 2. It sucks thinking where my family is headed but it's something I need to get over.

 

[seekinghim]

What do you mean "where they are headed"? I don't believe God will punish those who honestly tried to find Him and did what they thought was best. However, nobody knows what's truly in people's hearts but God. Thankfully it isn't our responsibility to decide who gets to be saved. I know some Mormons who have accepted Christ and some who have
more likely accepted Joseph Smith. What I'm
saying is your family's hearts may be turning
and seeking Christ and you may not know. I don't believe that if you are Mormon you are automatically doomed. Keep praying for them!

 

[Boyce]

What do you mean "where they are headed"? I don't believe God will punish those who honestly tried to find Him and did what they thought was best. However, nobody knows what's truly in people's hearts but God. Thankfully it isn't our responsibility to decide who gets to be saved. I know some Mormons who have accepted Christ and some who have
more likely accepted Joseph Smith. What I'm
saying is your family's hearts may be turning
and seeking Christ and you may not know. I don't believe that if you are Mormon you are automatically doomed. Keep praying for them!

Yea good point. I guess I shouldn't automatically assume they're going to hell.

 

[seekinghim]

Boyce,
I read something last night that made a lot of sense and gave me hope. CS Lewis Mere Christianity:

"There are other people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted to Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand. There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it."

"And always, of course, there are a great many people who are just confused in mind and have a lot of inconsistent beliefs all jumbled together. Consequently, it is not much use trying to make judgments about Christians and non-Christians in the mass."

 

[Doulos Iesou]

Is it bad if the church I'm attending only has the lords supper once a month? Everything else you mentioned we do. From what I've read the bible doesn't say it needs to be every Sunday.

It's not bad actually, and there is no text that commands that it be done weekly. Is there a problem with doing it weekly? No, none at all. However, your church doing it once a month is totally fine.

People can try to string texts together to try and make it required, but all they do is observe practices, not commands.

 

[Doulos Iesou]

Boyce,
I read something last night that made a lot of sense and gave me hope. CS Lewis Mere Christianity:

"There are other people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted to Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand. There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it."

"And always, of course, there are a great many people who are just confused in mind and have a lot of inconsistent beliefs all jumbled together. Consequently, it is not much use trying to make judgments about Christians and non-Christians in the mass."

Wise words, I agree with this thinking. I share Christ with my family, but I do not decide in my heart whether or not they are truly saved, that's God's responsibility. My responsibility is to love them.

Many Christians almost have a theology salvation view, that a person has to believe exactly the right kinds of doctrine to be saved, when I think the Lord isn't so short sighted and is much more merciful and compassionate.

 

[smaller]

Wise words, I agree with this thinking. I share Christ with my family, but I do not decide in my heart whether or not they are truly saved, that's God's responsibility. My responsibility is to love them.

Many Christians almost have a theology salvation view, that a person has to believe exactly the right kinds of doctrine to be saved, when I think the Lord isn't so short sighted and is much more merciful and compassionate.

Spreading eternal hell to others is one of the first spiritual traps that is set into the scriptures. It's a hard pit to get out of.

This scripture helped me greatly to provide the benefit of the doubt to every person because I believe it's true and it has allowed me the space internally to love my neighbors as myself.

1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

My early firey hell fanaticism (which is promoted by most of christian sectarianism to vaunt their respective religious tribal doctrinal views and how I picked up that BAD HABIT) was the worst witness of Christ available.

Few will observe the huge measure of Grace and Mercy in the cited scripture. Others will insist that if love doesn't have Jesus' Name tattooed on it it's good for nothing and then replace love with all kinds of other doctrinal constructs. I have left that belief behind many decades ago now. Though I remain what I consider fundamentally aligned to the bulk of orthodox doctrine, I am quite liberal on LOVE and quite intolerant of sinning christians who promote and practice eternal condemnation of hell to other sinning people. No one is sinless. No one sits in that seat but God. End of conversation. The most anyone could say about anyone else is 'might' and they best let it squeek out of the side of their own mouth if they had any sense and didn't want that measured to themselves. "As you so measure" should come to mind FIRST.

God IS Love. Let Him figure it all out. It's not my job. The benefit of the doubt has dramatically increased my joy of life in Christ.

 

[seekinghim]

Many Christians almost have a theology salvation view, that a person has to believe exactly the right kinds of doctrine to be saved, when I think the Lord isn't so short sighted and is much more merciful and compassionate.

This is what I came from as a Mormon and it only caused frustration and heartache for me.

Smaller, I relate to your post. It is easy to fall into the trap of feeling superior to others because of beliefs. I too am intolerant of those who practice eternal condemnation to other sinning people!

 

[The Poly Grip Kid]

Thanks, I feel blessed to have seen all this along with some other things but I still fell back into sin after all this and I feel bad for doing that. I'm still struggling with a certain sin and it makes me feel horrible that I could do this after being shown so much.

I would like to share a passage of scripture that may help you this is an epistle from paul to the Christians in Rome who were both Hebrew and Gentile. chapters 7 and 8 Paul is speaking to the Hebrew Christians who were struggling with their spiritual rebirth by trying to follow the old covenant of the old mosaic law
I hope this helps you with what you are spiritually struggling with.

Romans 7 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

7 Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), how the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman who hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of the husband.
3 So then, if while her husband liveth she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4 Therefore, my brethren, ye also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I would not have known sin, but through the law; for I would not have known lust, except that the law had said, “Thou shalt not covet.”
8 But sin, taking occasion through the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; for without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died;
10 and the commandment, which was ordained to bring life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it slew me.
12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it might appear as sin, was working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do, I know not. For what I would do, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not.
19 For the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not do, that I do.
20 Now if I do that which I would not do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who are according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,
7 because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so it be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh;
13 for if ye live according to the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God;
17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so it be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it?
25 But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover, whom He predestined, those He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified; and whom He justified, those He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay anything to the charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ who died, yea rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: “For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[The Poly Grip Kid]

Is it bad if the church I'm attending only has the lords supper once a month? Everything else you mentioned we do. From what I've read the bible doesn't say it needs to be every Sunday.

No some churches has communion only once a year and some have communion every week some of the larger Churches have a communion room where you may partake in communion any time you feel the need to partake in the lords supper
you are not restricted to just taking communion at church but you can have communion in the privacy in your own home don't let any religious person tell you otherwise . if the Holy Spirit is leading you to take communion then take communion.
the two ordinances of the Church is water Baptism and Communion. Baptism is only performed once after a person is born again and is NOT a condition of our salvation but is symbolic of death to our sinful flesh by full submersion then being brought back up symbolizing our spiritual rebirth
But sometimes we need to remind ourselves who we are in Christ Jesus in that he spilled his blood and gave up his body to be a sacrifice for all sin once and for all.