10 Answers

I was not raised in or around a church.. as a matter of fact I always thought the Bible was a fairy tale.. kinda like snow white. After reading it and other text. I came to realize there was something to it ... I then saught out a church that could help me understand same thing that i did not....ppl really were not happy with my questioning every aspect of a faith they took so blindly. But I am convinced that I loved by God that jesus was born of a virgin and that he die on the cross so that I may be forgiven. AND LORD KNOWS I NEED TO BE FORGIVEN. I believe he dead and rose again... I became a believer when I was 20 yrs old.

A little about me-63, retired, disabled, Christian, X Harley-Davidson Dealer, oil field pumper, Ins. salesman, electrician, plumbing, mechanic, father of 4, married. I was saved and sanctified in Feb. 1988. It was at a revival service at The First Church of the Nazarene with evangelist Laddie Henderson preaching. Although he was a great evangelist when I came to this service I was having all kinds of problems and had decided to go to the altar as soon as the call was made and I don’t even remember the message. I just know that I needed to make some changes and could not wait for the message to end so I could go and ask God to forgive me and save me. When the altar call was made I was the first one there and I know several people also came forward so the message must have been good. I was saved at that time and sanctified a few weeks later under the leading of Rev. Davidson. I was raised in the church, but at 17-18 I decided that it was all junk and I knew better and I entered my life of sin and freewill, making all the wrong choices. Thank GOD for my mothers prayers that brought me back to GOD and a life of love. I still have problems but now I have a personal relationship with GOD and can ask for help with everything I do. Now my main prayer is for my kids, (2 more to go) as mother prayed for me.

I came to my faith through suffering. I am 49 years old and my life has been full of great loss and hardship. Throughout all the heartache and pain, there was something that upheld me. It is sometimes hard to explain because it comes from a place so deep within. I know it is real and also the only reason I haven't put myself out of my own misery. My faith comes from believing Jesus Christ is the living son of God. He was born of the virgin Mary, was cruixified, buried, rose again & is now with God waiting for the time he will return to earth. When he went to be with His Father God, he left us with His Holy Spirit. Once we ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord & Savior, admit we have messed up and say we're sorry for it, he comes to us in a way that again, is so hard to explain. It's His Holy Spirit that lives within us and helps guide and direct us in this thing called life. Jesus lived on this earth and he knows its not easy. He prays continually for us to God the father. He is on our side and he loves us. My faith came to be because I felt his love and I know it's true. I've been hurt, misled and failed in many areas of my life; however, I know, that I know, that there is something real about Jesus and what he has to offer.

On my knees in prayer.

I meet my wife 14 years ago.she is a CHRISTIAN and she led me to JESUS.

I was a 16 year old runaway. Fairly good kid, but had problems with issues involving my parents divorce and a father who loved Vodka. I hated school and authority. Came close to reform school after a grand larceny incident, but received probation and working a farm job for the state. Then dropped out of school and decided to run.

A friend and I left Oregon with a tank of gas and a single loaf of bread. Came close to being picked up several time from stealing gas and such. Ended up in Casper, Wyoming where my uncle and aunt allowed us into their home. My uncle/aunt were Christians, which meant nothing to me. My background had no history or involvement with anything religious. Bottom line, on a beautiful Sunday morning, my Uncle persuaded me to attend church. During the service, an alter call was made. However, rather than go forward, I ran out of the building and up the street. My uncle who was 6'4" was able to catch up... After some words, he persuaded me to return to the sanctuary. That led me to the alter and acceptance of Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I learned later that my twin brother had accepted Christ the same morning while attending church in Coos Bay, Oregon. Was that coincidental or what? Eventually, he retired as an army chaplain.

I am a free-thinker, hence also a free-believer.

I found my own, personal faith by observing, thinking, concluding and, very important, listening to my heart.

I am from a mixed background. I'm half Nicaraguan, half German, and live in Costa Rica.

I was brought up with three different sects of 'born again' Christians. They said I should read the bible which I did KJ from cover to cover. Then I concluded there was something very wrong about religion and religious history when there were so many sects that claimed to be Christian but their histories and actions belied the facts. So I started asking questions and got put off with frivolous and patronizing answers. I wanted a verse by verse explanation of the bible books Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. "You will understand when you are older." " I wish I was older."

Even though I had been baptized as a born again Christian I was relieved when I heard I had qualified for a C of E Education. I swiftly when to the top of the class in RI by virtue of being the only one including some teachers that had ever read the bible right through and could recite long passages by heart but still not getting questions answered. I learned destructive teachings like evolution, higher criticize, and British Colonial Nationalism.

To cut the story shorter my spirituality collapsed when I was forced to serve an apprenticeship in a foul mouthed shipyard and engine works. My parents were poor and my father disabled. There was no benefit system in the the 50,s. If you did not work you did not eat and your family starved as well. Meanwhile I read and studied everything I could about different religions and when to different churches. I feared that I would become an atheist and was quite relieved to find I was an agnostic. So after that I settled down to a secular career in the British Merchant Navy served my time all over again and rose to the dizzy heights of a senior engineer in full charge.

One day I came home to find two bible punchers and a 'born again' insurance agents chatting with my mother. I was not going to have that. The insurance agent remembered me as a lad fourteen years earlier and was convinced I would go to heaven. 'Once saved always saved he said,' I said well here's another lot that thinks are going to heaven. 'Oh no my dear' said the lady 'We hope to be two of the meek that will inherit the earth.

If she had hit me with a hammer she could not have done a better job. I had never heard that in that context before. I did not think I was good enough to go to heaven. On-the-other hand I did not think I deserved the other place either. The insurance agent cleared off with tail between legs, and I crossed swords with the ladies husband.

"I think that some of the biggest liars on the face of this earth wear their collars back to front," I said. " I absolutely agree with you." he said, "and further more---------- He went it to a tirade that would have made the devil blush. "Are you not suppose to be getting me back to church?" No! he said I am here to to help you find the answers you have been searching for.

I when I went back to sea with a bible and books giving the verse by verse explanations of Daniel Ezekiel and Revelation. About a year later after baptism I began my ministry and started on six clergymen of different sects and could not believe how corrupt their teachings were. Did I convert any? No! my job was to find the lost sheep not to saw the horns of the silly old goats. Other people did respond though and proved to be very successful. One gentleman brought 20 members of his family to the truth of Gods word.

This is turning out to be a memoirs so I will have to give you more chapters another time.

Im from NC, raised Methodist and taught christianity. Now I claim christianity and stick with those beliefs to an extent. I believe people can claim what they may but we each have our own relationship with our own god.