Post by admin on Jul 1, 2004 12:18:24 GMT -5
Greetings one and all!!
Do you have a need? Are you currently living your life going thru the motions? Do you lack purpose in your life and wish to find the answers you seek? Do you need a place to share your burdens and ask for prayer for either yourself or someone you know? Perhaps you need a place to share your testimony.
I know that we ALL need a place to sound off and to ask for help. I know that we all face insurmountable odds against us at all times. I know that we all reach the bottom of the pit at different times in our lives. But I can tell you that there is help…and that person who can help is Jesus Christ and his ever-saving grace. This is what this thread will be all about. I would like this thread to be a comfort for all who need it.
I feel like I need to share my testimony.
I was born in Jefferson City, TN in 1973. My mother was a daughter of a minister, so I was brought up in a Baptist church setting. When I turned the age of 6 years old, and after hearing about God and his people plus the redeemer, Jesus Christ, I felt a tugging at my heart that it was time to invite the Lord into my life. I wanted to know Jesus more closely and I wanted to know that I could meet him and be with him in heaven when I died. This was all at the age of six. Now I know what you are saying, “He was too young to make that decision on his own. He was just mimicking his parents way of religion and doing what they wanted.” I would have to disagree. I was very interested in the salvation idea and what it meant. Of course, this was all based on a 6 year olds level. I wouldn’t fully understand the significance of this act and the calling until much later. I knelt down upon my knees in my bedroom and with my mom watching nearby, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I was baptized by my uncle (a minister also) who was visiting from out of town. I had reached the age of accountability and was saved!!
Years went by. I thought that the Lord wanted me to be a preacher like my grandfather and uncle. I seriously thought that God wanted me to preach his word. Apparently God had other plans for my life.
My parents divorced and we entered a rough time in our lives. We were left financially lacking and quite devastated by my father’s actions. But Jesus was always there to give comfort and to not let us take more than we could handle. I finished high school and started working at McDonalds. Due to my scheduling, I started missing Sunday Church all together. And even when I was off, I was too tired to make it to church. At least that was my excuse. It was during this time that I put Jesus in the “backseat” of my car and I took over the steering wheel once again. I started having stress problems and considerable anger issues. I would be so irritated at the littlest comment given to me by anyone at work or at home. I didn’t even think once to check my “rearview mirror” and see Jesus’ shining face looking back at me wanting to take back over the driving. Now I don’t want to mislead you and make you think I got into drugs (though I was offered) or sexual immorality. I did become an angry young man without a purpose in life. I dropped out of college and became more intense in moving up the ranks of McDonald’s management. I experimented with different types of alcohol on occasion and started living a life without dependence upon God.
I met my wife to be while working at McDonalds. She also had been saved at an early age and was almost in the same boat as I. Her parents were divorced and we shared a lot of the same life experiences. Neither of us had lost our virginity and that was a source of pride with us both. We dated for several years before marrying (we just celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary) and then moved to Mosheim in Greene County after several more years. More time passed and I floated from job to job not knowing what God had planned for me because I wasn’t listening. I finally broke down and acknowledged that I needed Christ once again in my life. I HAD to have him in charge of everything that I do and say. My wife and I got down on our knees in our bedroom one night and rededicated our life to him. A load was lifted from our minds as we once again let our Lord take over the driver’s seat again. I eventually landed a job at Wal-Mart with steady hours and a steady income. I feel as if the Lord wants me at Wal-Mart as of right now until a chance to go back and finish school opens up.
The idea of having children was discussed frequently in our marriage, but we had always put any plans off. Partly because I didn’t feel comfortable bringing up a child in this world the way it is. I truly believe Jesus changed my heart and attitude towards having children because we started planning on having a child this past year. It only took three weeks of trying and our son was conceived. Then over nine months later, our son Daniel was born. Talk about a true blessing!! My wife and I continually thank God for this small child of happiness. We look forward each day to sharing the Lord’s love with him and bringing him up in the Christian way of life.
The past couple of months my wife and I read a wonderful book called Living the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. This book completely spells out one’s purpose in God’s world and what one is called to do in the time that we have on earth. I have taken this book to heart as a directive from God. I thoroughly recommend it if you haven’t read it already.
All of what I have been talking about has led to this. I now know that Jesus wants me to be his voice, his hands, his heart. I am to tell everyone about him, to share his love with all I come into contact with. Time is short on this earth. I believe that soon his majesty Jesus Christ will return and call his children and people to himself and judge that one’s who refused to know him. The saved will live in his shining presence for ever and ever!
Do you know Jesus? If you died today, do you know where you will spend eternity? It’s very simple. We are all sinners. By our nature, our heart runs from God and rebels against him. We are not perfect and can never be without the help of the supreme ruler Jesus Christ. He loves us and wants to save us from sin. To give us this gift of salvation, Jesus Christ died for us. You receive this gift by faith alone. You demonstrate this gift by genuine repentance and changed actions in your life. Romans 10:9 says “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
If you are choosing right now to believe that Jesus died for your sins and wants you to spend eternity with him in heaven, pray a prayer similar to this one:
Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died to forgive me of my sins. I know accept Your offer of eternal life. Thank You for forgiving me of my sin. Thank You for my new life. From this day forward, I will choose to follow you.
If you just prayed that prayer, please let someone here know about it so we can pray for you in your walk with our Lord. This thread will always be here so that we can all talk about our life and our walk with God. If you have questions, feel free to ask them. We are all friends here. May God bless you all in your daily lives!
Do you have a need? Are you currently living your life going thru the motions? Do you lack purpose in your life and wish to find the answers you seek? Do you need a place to share your burdens and ask for prayer for either yourself or someone you know? Perhaps you need a place to share your testimony.
I know that we ALL need a place to sound off and to ask for help. I know that we all face insurmountable odds against us at all times. I know that we all reach the bottom of the pit at different times in our lives. But I can tell you that there is help…and that person who can help is Jesus Christ and his ever-saving grace. This is what this thread will be all about. I would like this thread to be a comfort for all who need it.
I feel like I need to share my testimony.
I was born in Jefferson City, TN in 1973. My mother was a daughter of a minister, so I was brought up in a Baptist church setting. When I turned the age of 6 years old, and after hearing about God and his people plus the redeemer, Jesus Christ, I felt a tugging at my heart that it was time to invite the Lord into my life. I wanted to know Jesus more closely and I wanted to know that I could meet him and be with him in heaven when I died. This was all at the age of six. Now I know what you are saying, “He was too young to make that decision on his own. He was just mimicking his parents way of religion and doing what they wanted.” I would have to disagree. I was very interested in the salvation idea and what it meant. Of course, this was all based on a 6 year olds level. I wouldn’t fully understand the significance of this act and the calling until much later. I knelt down upon my knees in my bedroom and with my mom watching nearby, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I was baptized by my uncle (a minister also) who was visiting from out of town. I had reached the age of accountability and was saved!!
Years went by. I thought that the Lord wanted me to be a preacher like my grandfather and uncle. I seriously thought that God wanted me to preach his word. Apparently God had other plans for my life.
My parents divorced and we entered a rough time in our lives. We were left financially lacking and quite devastated by my father’s actions. But Jesus was always there to give comfort and to not let us take more than we could handle. I finished high school and started working at McDonalds. Due to my scheduling, I started missing Sunday Church all together. And even when I was off, I was too tired to make it to church. At least that was my excuse. It was during this time that I put Jesus in the “backseat” of my car and I took over the steering wheel once again. I started having stress problems and considerable anger issues. I would be so irritated at the littlest comment given to me by anyone at work or at home. I didn’t even think once to check my “rearview mirror” and see Jesus’ shining face looking back at me wanting to take back over the driving. Now I don’t want to mislead you and make you think I got into drugs (though I was offered) or sexual immorality. I did become an angry young man without a purpose in life. I dropped out of college and became more intense in moving up the ranks of McDonald’s management. I experimented with different types of alcohol on occasion and started living a life without dependence upon God.
I met my wife to be while working at McDonalds. She also had been saved at an early age and was almost in the same boat as I. Her parents were divorced and we shared a lot of the same life experiences. Neither of us had lost our virginity and that was a source of pride with us both. We dated for several years before marrying (we just celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary) and then moved to Mosheim in Greene County after several more years. More time passed and I floated from job to job not knowing what God had planned for me because I wasn’t listening. I finally broke down and acknowledged that I needed Christ once again in my life. I HAD to have him in charge of everything that I do and say. My wife and I got down on our knees in our bedroom one night and rededicated our life to him. A load was lifted from our minds as we once again let our Lord take over the driver’s seat again. I eventually landed a job at Wal-Mart with steady hours and a steady income. I feel as if the Lord wants me at Wal-Mart as of right now until a chance to go back and finish school opens up.
The idea of having children was discussed frequently in our marriage, but we had always put any plans off. Partly because I didn’t feel comfortable bringing up a child in this world the way it is. I truly believe Jesus changed my heart and attitude towards having children because we started planning on having a child this past year. It only took three weeks of trying and our son was conceived. Then over nine months later, our son Daniel was born. Talk about a true blessing!! My wife and I continually thank God for this small child of happiness. We look forward each day to sharing the Lord’s love with him and bringing him up in the Christian way of life.
The past couple of months my wife and I read a wonderful book called Living the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. This book completely spells out one’s purpose in God’s world and what one is called to do in the time that we have on earth. I have taken this book to heart as a directive from God. I thoroughly recommend it if you haven’t read it already.
All of what I have been talking about has led to this. I now know that Jesus wants me to be his voice, his hands, his heart. I am to tell everyone about him, to share his love with all I come into contact with. Time is short on this earth. I believe that soon his majesty Jesus Christ will return and call his children and people to himself and judge that one’s who refused to know him. The saved will live in his shining presence for ever and ever!
Do you know Jesus? If you died today, do you know where you will spend eternity? It’s very simple. We are all sinners. By our nature, our heart runs from God and rebels against him. We are not perfect and can never be without the help of the supreme ruler Jesus Christ. He loves us and wants to save us from sin. To give us this gift of salvation, Jesus Christ died for us. You receive this gift by faith alone. You demonstrate this gift by genuine repentance and changed actions in your life. Romans 10:9 says “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
If you are choosing right now to believe that Jesus died for your sins and wants you to spend eternity with him in heaven, pray a prayer similar to this one:
Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died to forgive me of my sins. I know accept Your offer of eternal life. Thank You for forgiving me of my sin. Thank You for my new life. From this day forward, I will choose to follow you.
If you just prayed that prayer, please let someone here know about it so we can pray for you in your walk with our Lord. This thread will always be here so that we can all talk about our life and our walk with God. If you have questions, feel free to ask them. We are all friends here. May God bless you all in your daily lives!