Emily
August 17th, 2007, 06:17 PM
LisaJo, I loved reading your testimony! Awesome! :yay Isn't our Father incredible??
I really loved reading everyone's testimony. Also enjoyed the OP's point of view, Abigail I think you gave some really great "fruit" for thought. Its a very tricky area ... at what point has speaking the truth crossed over to being an offensive put down? At what point is the truth being compromised to avoid offending non-believers? We know that the message of the cross is offensive to the unsaved, but obviously we want to preach the gospel to the lost with sincerity and love. Its a slippery slope I think, especially those of us "gifted" with being very blunt or straightforward.
I am definitely the kind of person who doesn't mince words, but I believe that God can use anything and anyone for His purposes--to accomplish what He wants to accomplish. I think (and HOPE!!) that anything said to anyone said in love for the salvation of others, and with the right motivation (God's glory) is useful. I think that the way people come to the Lord is as varied as each individual. Some people need a gentle nudge, others need a good swift kick in the pants. :pound I definitely needed a swift kick. :heh Here's my testimony ... sorry its so long ... :fear
I was raised in the Catholic church, my parents were devout Catholics (they are still alive--6 children! 4 boys and 2 girls, I'm the youngest at 36), and I was literally forced to go to church (I never enjoyed it, except for a very brief period of time where I became very "religious" in junior high). I had to go every week, as well go to catechism and go through all of the sacraments I guess they're called (communion, confession, etc.) I was actually taught a few useful things in catechism, they taught me how to pray to Jesus and I do remember praying to Jesus when I was very little (probably 6 to 8 years old). Unfortunately they also taught me to pray to Mary and the saints as intercessors, and I remember praying to Mary to ask Jesus for something on my behalf. I remember thinking that I wasn't good enough to approach Jesus on my own, and my prayer would have more "merit" if Mary asked for me. This is just one of the MANY convoluted, unBiblical and quite bluntly demonic things that the Catholic church taught me.
Anyway I quickly fell away from the church in my teens and officially declared to everyone that I was no longer a Catholic when I was 18. I spent most of my adult life (thus far), 18-32, living apart from the Lord. I was almost an atheist. I was very heavily into the occult (tarot cards, astrology, etc.) and I didn't believe that Jesus ever even existed, much less that He was God. I thought the bible was a joke, just a bunch of garbage some old guys wrote to keep us all in line. I even had a website where I scanned in Chick tracts and changed the text, making a complete mockery of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible and Christianity as a whole. I just thought it was all a big joke. I would go out of my way to harass Christians. I thought Christians were bigoted and closed minded. I was a very worldly, ULTRA liberal, and lived by the world's disgusting standards. Hilariously,
I thought I was such a wonderful person with such great morals. :aha I was just so full to the brim with pride at what a great person I was. :rolleyes I had many atheist and agnostic friends, too. My religious beliefs were really crazy, I just had a whole new age/reincarnation/occultish type beliefs. :hehee I just made up my own God to suit myself. Towards the end of this old life, I decided I was a Christian, but again I had fashioned my own Jesus, and carved my own cross to suit myself and my lifestyle.
I think what helped slap the reality into me was actually having big religious arguments/discussions with 2 of my brothers. One was a devout but bible-reading Catholic (who has since become born again!!) and my other brother, who was born again. We were constantly arguing about religion. Our sister is a lesbian and we were always arguing about if her lifestyle was wrong or right. I thought that they were closed minded and that I would open their minds to "the truth". Of course the opposite actually happened. :thumb The most poignant part for me was during a heated discussion, when I told my born again brother that I loved Jesus, and he said that I didn't, and he knew I didn't because I didn't believe in the Word of God. I was stunned, and angry, and I couldn't understand why he would say that about me when I felt like I did love Jesus. He and my other brother kept encouraging me to read the bible. They even gave me one, which I took home but never cracked open. They held it up and said, "all the answers to your questions are here in this book."
Well about 8 months after that conversation, on August 11, 2004 I was born again of the Holy Spirit. :yeah I was on vacation with my family and everyone had gone out one night, I decided to stay in that night and watch movies on the pay per view in the hotel. I decided to watch the Passion of the Christ ... I had been wanting to watch it but never got around to it. Well as soon as it started I started feeling the tug ... I started crying, and it suddenly hit me that THIS STORY WAS REAL ... that Jesus WAS real, a REAL man, and God all at once. Thanks to my Catholic upbringing (God's Word never comes back void!!) I knew all about Jesus' crucifixion, but I just knew the "story" and it wasn't real to me until I saw this movie. Anyway all of the things I was taught came rushing back, and I knew that Jesus was real, He really came down from heaven to save us from our sins. I was sobbing pretty hard during the movie and after it was over i just prayed so hard, asking God to forgive me for doubting Him for so long. I was born again that very night. I just had this overwhelming urge to go back to church, and I couldn't wait to get home and read the bible (can you believe no bible in that hotel room? lol, nice try satan! The LORD wins again!). I started immediately listening to Christian radio, and Christian music, reading Christian books, etc. I did a complete 180 on all of my beliefs.
I talked things over with my brother, decided to give his church a try, it was a bible-believing church (Calvary Chapel, which I still attend today). As soon as I walked in I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was awesome. A thing of beauty. And I knew this was my new home :)
Anyway, imagine the shock of all of my ultra liberal friends. Needless to say I completely removed my website, I started preaching the gospel to my friends, who became my sworn enemies in about 3 months, lol. They LOATHED the new me. One week I was making them bust a gut laughing at George W. jokes, the next week I'm speaking sincerely about why the man was going to get my vote that year. I lost every single one of my friends, except ONE that I still talk to, and witness to (unsuccessfully, so far--I will never give up on her though.) An acquaintance I had who was born again, became my mentor during this time and she is now like a sister to me. God has brought some great Christian sisters in to my life, I pray He gives me many more.
August 11, 2007 was my official 3 year anniversary of being born again of the Holy Spirit. SO MUCH has changed in my life and in my family since. Since I became born again, 2 of my brothers became born again as well, 2 of my nieces, and my mother as well. Right now we are in the process of trying to help my mom free herself from the bonds of Catholicism.
If I could pick one reason why I left the Catholic church, its because they preach a doctrine of demons. I chose the bible teaching church after being born again, probably because the holy spirit was directing me. Also, the more I started to read the bible, the more annoyed I became with the catholic church. I read with my own eyes how the catholic church was violating the word of God. The more I know, the more I have grown to loathe that church, because of the blatant lies that they teach, the millions who will perish in hell because of catholic doctrine, and how they literally defy the Word of God.
I don't get it, how can they say they are Christian when they deny the Word of God? How can they encourage people to pray to anyone other than God? There are just so many things they do that go COMPLETELY against God. Not just small doctrinal issues either, but MAJOR fundamental issues ... idolatry, false gods, etc. It boggles the mind. To me, there is no explanation why they do what they do, except what the Bible has to say--they are a doctrine of demons.
I pray that all of the Catholics in the world would have their eyes opened to the truth. I pray that they stop taking this sweet poison and look to the one and only Word of God.
I really loved reading everyone's testimony. Also enjoyed the OP's point of view, Abigail I think you gave some really great "fruit" for thought. Its a very tricky area ... at what point has speaking the truth crossed over to being an offensive put down? At what point is the truth being compromised to avoid offending non-believers? We know that the message of the cross is offensive to the unsaved, but obviously we want to preach the gospel to the lost with sincerity and love. Its a slippery slope I think, especially those of us "gifted" with being very blunt or straightforward.
I am definitely the kind of person who doesn't mince words, but I believe that God can use anything and anyone for His purposes--to accomplish what He wants to accomplish. I think (and HOPE!!) that anything said to anyone said in love for the salvation of others, and with the right motivation (God's glory) is useful. I think that the way people come to the Lord is as varied as each individual. Some people need a gentle nudge, others need a good swift kick in the pants. :pound I definitely needed a swift kick. :heh Here's my testimony ... sorry its so long ... :fear
I was raised in the Catholic church, my parents were devout Catholics (they are still alive--6 children! 4 boys and 2 girls, I'm the youngest at 36), and I was literally forced to go to church (I never enjoyed it, except for a very brief period of time where I became very "religious" in junior high). I had to go every week, as well go to catechism and go through all of the sacraments I guess they're called (communion, confession, etc.) I was actually taught a few useful things in catechism, they taught me how to pray to Jesus and I do remember praying to Jesus when I was very little (probably 6 to 8 years old). Unfortunately they also taught me to pray to Mary and the saints as intercessors, and I remember praying to Mary to ask Jesus for something on my behalf. I remember thinking that I wasn't good enough to approach Jesus on my own, and my prayer would have more "merit" if Mary asked for me. This is just one of the MANY convoluted, unBiblical and quite bluntly demonic things that the Catholic church taught me.
Anyway I quickly fell away from the church in my teens and officially declared to everyone that I was no longer a Catholic when I was 18. I spent most of my adult life (thus far), 18-32, living apart from the Lord. I was almost an atheist. I was very heavily into the occult (tarot cards, astrology, etc.) and I didn't believe that Jesus ever even existed, much less that He was God. I thought the bible was a joke, just a bunch of garbage some old guys wrote to keep us all in line. I even had a website where I scanned in Chick tracts and changed the text, making a complete mockery of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible and Christianity as a whole. I just thought it was all a big joke. I would go out of my way to harass Christians. I thought Christians were bigoted and closed minded. I was a very worldly, ULTRA liberal, and lived by the world's disgusting standards. Hilariously,
I thought I was such a wonderful person with such great morals. :aha I was just so full to the brim with pride at what a great person I was. :rolleyes I had many atheist and agnostic friends, too. My religious beliefs were really crazy, I just had a whole new age/reincarnation/occultish type beliefs. :hehee I just made up my own God to suit myself. Towards the end of this old life, I decided I was a Christian, but again I had fashioned my own Jesus, and carved my own cross to suit myself and my lifestyle.
I think what helped slap the reality into me was actually having big religious arguments/discussions with 2 of my brothers. One was a devout but bible-reading Catholic (who has since become born again!!) and my other brother, who was born again. We were constantly arguing about religion. Our sister is a lesbian and we were always arguing about if her lifestyle was wrong or right. I thought that they were closed minded and that I would open their minds to "the truth". Of course the opposite actually happened. :thumb The most poignant part for me was during a heated discussion, when I told my born again brother that I loved Jesus, and he said that I didn't, and he knew I didn't because I didn't believe in the Word of God. I was stunned, and angry, and I couldn't understand why he would say that about me when I felt like I did love Jesus. He and my other brother kept encouraging me to read the bible. They even gave me one, which I took home but never cracked open. They held it up and said, "all the answers to your questions are here in this book."
Well about 8 months after that conversation, on August 11, 2004 I was born again of the Holy Spirit. :yeah I was on vacation with my family and everyone had gone out one night, I decided to stay in that night and watch movies on the pay per view in the hotel. I decided to watch the Passion of the Christ ... I had been wanting to watch it but never got around to it. Well as soon as it started I started feeling the tug ... I started crying, and it suddenly hit me that THIS STORY WAS REAL ... that Jesus WAS real, a REAL man, and God all at once. Thanks to my Catholic upbringing (God's Word never comes back void!!) I knew all about Jesus' crucifixion, but I just knew the "story" and it wasn't real to me until I saw this movie. Anyway all of the things I was taught came rushing back, and I knew that Jesus was real, He really came down from heaven to save us from our sins. I was sobbing pretty hard during the movie and after it was over i just prayed so hard, asking God to forgive me for doubting Him for so long. I was born again that very night. I just had this overwhelming urge to go back to church, and I couldn't wait to get home and read the bible (can you believe no bible in that hotel room? lol, nice try satan! The LORD wins again!). I started immediately listening to Christian radio, and Christian music, reading Christian books, etc. I did a complete 180 on all of my beliefs.
I talked things over with my brother, decided to give his church a try, it was a bible-believing church (Calvary Chapel, which I still attend today). As soon as I walked in I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was awesome. A thing of beauty. And I knew this was my new home :)
Anyway, imagine the shock of all of my ultra liberal friends. Needless to say I completely removed my website, I started preaching the gospel to my friends, who became my sworn enemies in about 3 months, lol. They LOATHED the new me. One week I was making them bust a gut laughing at George W. jokes, the next week I'm speaking sincerely about why the man was going to get my vote that year. I lost every single one of my friends, except ONE that I still talk to, and witness to (unsuccessfully, so far--I will never give up on her though.) An acquaintance I had who was born again, became my mentor during this time and she is now like a sister to me. God has brought some great Christian sisters in to my life, I pray He gives me many more.
August 11, 2007 was my official 3 year anniversary of being born again of the Holy Spirit. SO MUCH has changed in my life and in my family since. Since I became born again, 2 of my brothers became born again as well, 2 of my nieces, and my mother as well. Right now we are in the process of trying to help my mom free herself from the bonds of Catholicism.
If I could pick one reason why I left the Catholic church, its because they preach a doctrine of demons. I chose the bible teaching church after being born again, probably because the holy spirit was directing me. Also, the more I started to read the bible, the more annoyed I became with the catholic church. I read with my own eyes how the catholic church was violating the word of God. The more I know, the more I have grown to loathe that church, because of the blatant lies that they teach, the millions who will perish in hell because of catholic doctrine, and how they literally defy the Word of God.
I don't get it, how can they say they are Christian when they deny the Word of God? How can they encourage people to pray to anyone other than God? There are just so many things they do that go COMPLETELY against God. Not just small doctrinal issues either, but MAJOR fundamental issues ... idolatry, false gods, etc. It boggles the mind. To me, there is no explanation why they do what they do, except what the Bible has to say--they are a doctrine of demons.
I pray that all of the Catholics in the world would have their eyes opened to the truth. I pray that they stop taking this sweet poison and look to the one and only Word of God.