ninicat
Member
I think the hymn Amazing Grace sums up salvation best “…once I was blind, but now I see”. I was blind to God’s Truth for the first 18 years of my life until He opened my eyes to see that Truth is Jesus Christ.
I was raised in a culturally Christian home, the youngest of three siblings, a sister and brother. We went to church sometimes, however, it was not central to our family life. My father was a WWII and Korean War veteran and an alcoholic. By the time I was old enough to be self-aware, I began using alcohol and cigarettes as an escape and to self-medicate.
As a pre-teen, I became intrigued with witchcraft and read everything about it I could get my hands on. I was introduced to the occult through literature, comic books, cartoons and tv shows. When I was about 15 years old, my friend and I were playing with my Ouija Board. It had never “worked” for me before. We asked, “Are you a witch?” It said “no”. “Are you the devil?” When it started moving toward “yes”, I threw it across the room, never to touch one of those things again. We burned it in the ditch outside my house.
I believe that encounter triggered my search for Truth, and I came face to face with it as a freshman at Sam Houston State University in Fall 1977. I saw a movie called The Omen with my friends and became curious about the antichrist and end times. My friend told me that Jesus was coming back to Earth, and I was ashamed that I didn’t know that. I didn’t have a Bible, and I was too embarrassed to ask for one at the library. I wanted to attend a campus Bible Study, but I was too shy - I even walked up to the door and then walked away. I ended up at the college bookstore and found the Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay, which is about prophecy, Revelation, the Rapture of the Church, and the Second Coming of Christ.
This was a turning point for me. Through that book, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin (Romans 3:23), and I prayed to accept Christ as my Savior. I had walked the aisle at a friend’s church two years prior at her insistence, but this was different - I knew I needed a personal Savior. My reflection in the mirror looked the same; however, according to God’s Word, I was a brand-new creation - the old had passed away (2 Cor 5:17). The moment that I accepted Christ (1 John 1:13), I moved from death to life.
At first, I read His Word diligently and soaked it up, even the Old Testament which is so foreign to modern readers. It made sense, whereas before it had been meaningless and boring when I tried to read it. God had opened my eyes to His Truth (1 Cor 2:14). But gradually I fell away – the things of this life and this world continued to pull me like an invisible cord wrapped around my mind and heart. Jesus said that nothing can separate me from His love, and nothing can remove me from His Father’s hand. Even bad choices. (This was the disco era! - lots of partying, drinking and smoking - praise God I never got into heavy drugs)
There is only one way to Hell. All you need to do is reject the gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for you (and me) on the cross at Calvary. No matter what you’ve done, bad choices you’ve made, until the moment you draw your last breath of life, you can still receive forgiveness and eternal life in Christ.
I know it’s hard to imagine, but whatever it is that you or I chase…whatever it is that occupies our thoughts… God’s Word says those things will evaporate one day. This world is not our permanent home. My prayer and hope for you is that you will take Him at His Word and make your permanent home with Him! Believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved. It really is that simple!! May the Lord bless you and keep you,
I was raised in a culturally Christian home, the youngest of three siblings, a sister and brother. We went to church sometimes, however, it was not central to our family life. My father was a WWII and Korean War veteran and an alcoholic. By the time I was old enough to be self-aware, I began using alcohol and cigarettes as an escape and to self-medicate.
As a pre-teen, I became intrigued with witchcraft and read everything about it I could get my hands on. I was introduced to the occult through literature, comic books, cartoons and tv shows. When I was about 15 years old, my friend and I were playing with my Ouija Board. It had never “worked” for me before. We asked, “Are you a witch?” It said “no”. “Are you the devil?” When it started moving toward “yes”, I threw it across the room, never to touch one of those things again. We burned it in the ditch outside my house.
I believe that encounter triggered my search for Truth, and I came face to face with it as a freshman at Sam Houston State University in Fall 1977. I saw a movie called The Omen with my friends and became curious about the antichrist and end times. My friend told me that Jesus was coming back to Earth, and I was ashamed that I didn’t know that. I didn’t have a Bible, and I was too embarrassed to ask for one at the library. I wanted to attend a campus Bible Study, but I was too shy - I even walked up to the door and then walked away. I ended up at the college bookstore and found the Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay, which is about prophecy, Revelation, the Rapture of the Church, and the Second Coming of Christ.
This was a turning point for me. Through that book, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin (Romans 3:23), and I prayed to accept Christ as my Savior. I had walked the aisle at a friend’s church two years prior at her insistence, but this was different - I knew I needed a personal Savior. My reflection in the mirror looked the same; however, according to God’s Word, I was a brand-new creation - the old had passed away (2 Cor 5:17). The moment that I accepted Christ (1 John 1:13), I moved from death to life.
At first, I read His Word diligently and soaked it up, even the Old Testament which is so foreign to modern readers. It made sense, whereas before it had been meaningless and boring when I tried to read it. God had opened my eyes to His Truth (1 Cor 2:14). But gradually I fell away – the things of this life and this world continued to pull me like an invisible cord wrapped around my mind and heart. Jesus said that nothing can separate me from His love, and nothing can remove me from His Father’s hand. Even bad choices. (This was the disco era! - lots of partying, drinking and smoking - praise God I never got into heavy drugs)
There is only one way to Hell. All you need to do is reject the gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for you (and me) on the cross at Calvary. No matter what you’ve done, bad choices you’ve made, until the moment you draw your last breath of life, you can still receive forgiveness and eternal life in Christ.
I know it’s hard to imagine, but whatever it is that you or I chase…whatever it is that occupies our thoughts… God’s Word says those things will evaporate one day. This world is not our permanent home. My prayer and hope for you is that you will take Him at His Word and make your permanent home with Him! Believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved. It really is that simple!! May the Lord bless you and keep you,
It never ceases to amaze me how God is working in people to bring them to salvation.