Question for the Christians here...

[Aimeedyan]

Jason, you've been told some great things here. I don't feel that most people feel an "ah-hah" moment, but instead, slowly evolve into a place of believing... I think that continues over your entire lifetime, in seeking to become closer to Him, so don't feel that you're unusual because you haven't had that moment of enlightment or whatever. I never really did... just as I grew older and matured, things made sense and I made my decision to follow Christ public. There will always be times when you second guess yourself, esp as you study more... and as life throws you stinky things to handle.

Don't feel rushed into anything. Obviously, you'll know when you're ready to hand it all over to Him. I think people usually rush this process because they are anxious to ensure salvation, etc etc but it doesn't have to be. God knows your heart, and he'll know when you've fully made the decision anyways, whether or not you try to rush things and make it public. Sometimes, a person will feel the Holy Spirit working in them for years and years before they feel ready and confident in making the decusion to follow Christ - and that's okay!!!!! Those are usually hte people that rarely struggle with their faith, and are more confident in their relationship.

If it takes 2 more weeks, or 10 years, doesnt matter. Tkae things slowly and on the right time for you.

As many others have said, feel free to PM me if you have any questions =)

 

[Aimeedyan]

Missy, everyone hits highs and lows in their daily walk with God. What you are feeling is normal, but doesn't have to stay that way =) Some thoughts... are you and your family involved in ministry somewhere? Active ministry is really the element that allows you to play out your faith, and totally excites me! I know you haven't founda church home... what about doing some volunteer work with a womans shelter, food panty, etc? Many people come to find a church home through volunteer work and meeting others who are also working for Him, they create a relationship and then worship together.

Finding a church home is all about relationships. There will always be Sundays when you don't feel anything, and others that will be excellent. Its the relationships you have with the fellow church members that make all the difference. I encourage you to seek relationships with other Christians in your area and find out where they attend =) It also makes you feel less awkward when you know someone!

Hope you feel better soon =)

 

[LScot]

While I think the popular answer would be "It is NOT you, Missyc"--I believe that it probably is you.

I do realize that churches aren't perfect places ( you can even refer to the churches mentioned in Revelation--we deal with the SAME problems within churches today).

That being said, the Holy Spirit dwells within each Christian. YOU are His dwelling place! Sure, one can feel the Spirit of God at church, but you can feel the Holy Spirit of God anywhere! When Christ left the Earth He gave us His Holy Spirit. We are told in the Bible that He dwells within us. That is why I believe that what you are experiencing comes from within.

I think I am right because I have experienced similar "feelings". I play tug of war every so often with God. I am a control freak and have trouble giving Him total control and letting Him be Lord of my life. A few years back I was able to do this and life was so incrediably different. I remember thinking, why would one not want to live like this with Christ really ruling your life? LOL, then, I slowly started to rebel. I might not pray as often, study as much or skip church and fellowshiping with Christian friends. I haven't done anything bad, just haven't been doing exactly what God wants me to do. Slowly, slowly I have felt seperated from Him. The nudges to pray or study or whatever are fewer and fewer between. God is letting me do what I want. That is the kind of God He is.

And trust me, being the boss and filling the void with other things ain't working (as Dr. Phil might say LOL). But the problem isn't that God isn't showing up on Sunday mornings at my church. He is there and working. The problem lies within myself. I know this because His Spirit dwells within me. God just doesn't force Himself on me. He waits for me to draw closer.

I don't want you to think I'm making my "problems" with my walk with God your problems. I'm not. What I'm saying is why I think the problem comes from within you. You may not have visited the church God has for you yet. Best wishes to you in finding the right place--I believe it is out there, Missy.

 

[goofy4tink]

You'll find the right 'home' Missy. I am so lucky that my spiritual home since 1958 is still the 'right' place for me. It has been not so right at times, but it's my church and I'm not leaving. It constantly changes. Just in different ways. You will find a good fit. Don't give up. God will lead you there. Remember (and this is a hard one for me to remember myself!) God gives you what you need, not what you want.

Otto's Doll...you are so very right. I'm listening every day. And sometimes...I hear!!! It's like a church deacon told me..."When God decides to talk to you, you'll know. And He will."

 

[KristaTX]

Originally posted by Aimeedyan
Finding a church home is all about relationships. There will always be Sundays when you don't feel anything, and others that will be excellent. Its the relationships you have with the fellow church members that make all the difference.

. I have learned from experience that the church really is simply the people and our relationships with one another and with God. The institution, the building, the preaching, the staff members, the music, the classes, the programs, the activities - all those things are just tools. In and of themselves they are useless; they cannot love. And love is THE thing (Krista's one sentence paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13 ).

 

[dmadman43]

treesinger, I agree this is an interesting thread. First off, I don't believe in "being saved". I believe that you accept Jesus as your Savior, then you must keep the commandments and follow his teachings in order to be saved. The Bible teaches that every man on this Earth that has ever lived on this Earth has received the gift of salvation from the Savior. By that I mean everyone will be resurrected. After that, you will then be judged on your faith and works.

Now, as for how you embard on that journey to gaining what I will call a testimony. For me, I just felt something missing in my live, so I searched, investigated, read the scriptures, talked with church leaders. I then stumbled across a passage in James 1:5:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

I had read that scripture a number of times, but it wasn't until I had been in my current state of mind of wanting to know that the scripture stood out at me.

I did do as the scripture asked and did receive an answer, but it wasn't immediate. Here is what I've learned over time.

While there seems to be no exact formula by which each of us receives a testimony, there does seem to be a discernable pattern. Though prayer is important in gaining a testimony, we cannot merely ask in prayer for a testimony and expect it to be given immediately to us.

Generally, testimony emerges over time and through life’s experiences. We can compare testimony to the process of watching a photograph develop. Powerful impressions of the Spirit come like flashes of light on receptive photographic film. Like the chemicals needed to develop the picture, certain spiritual conditions and experiences are needed in our lives for our personal testimony to develop into a certain truth and knowledge. And like a photograph, a testimony, if not carefully preserved, will fade with time.

Testimonies often come when there is willingness to serve where we are called. They come when a decision is made to strive to be obedient. Testimonies come during efforts to help, lift, and strengthen others. They come from prayer and from studying the scriptures and applying them in our lives. Whatever our circumstances, there seem to be moments in each of our lives when we can be given the knowledge that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. There is no greater search in life that we can embark upon than the quest to gain a testimony of the truth.

While each of our lives is different, I believe we can, with some confidence, outline from the testimony of others, and our personal experience the process and phases we go through to gain a testimony:

Continue to pray. Have a sincere desire to know the truth and express that desire in humble prayer to our Heavenly Father.

Search the scriptures. The scriptures are filled with the testimonies of those who have gone before. Even they, though long dead, can reach our heart and bring peace to our minds and direction to our lives.

Ponder gospel principles. Think about them. Test them with further prayer. Relate them to what we know and feel. All the truths we will learn can eventually fit together into a fervent, undoubting testimony.

Be humble and receptive. Have ears to hear when Heavenly Father leads us to someone who can teach us about the gospel of Jesus Christ. This may be a teacher, family member, neighbor, friend, or acquaintance. But know that once we pray, study, and have faith with a desire to learn spiritual matters, the Lord will provide a way for us to gain further light and knowledge.

Live our testimony. We must obediently follow the Savior’s teachings. Our testimony and example will assist others who are searching for the truth.

Share our testimony. Let others know that we know. Bear our testimony in fast meeting. Tell our family; tell our friends. We will find when we share our testimony it becomes stronger, and there are many others around us who also want to embrace the truth.

Be willing to endure the test of time. Do not think that it is easy to maintain a testimony. Others will test us. Sometimes they will point the finger of mockery and scorn. Sometimes they may persecute you openly. Be prepared. Know in advance that the best of God’s children have had the courage of true conviction and were willing to suffer ridicule, deprivation, and even death for the sake of true testimony.

Each of us will be tested, tempted, and tried for our testimonies and to find out if we will remain true and faithful through these trials of our faith.

We also know that if we do not continue faithful in the testimony that is imparted to us by the Spirit, then the light dwindles until it is extinguished. A testimony must be constantly nourished and defended, or it will waste away.

 

[hipporina]

Wow, what an interesting, and largely uplifting, thread. I was saved when I was 6, so for me it was not a bolt of lightning, life changing moment. For some it is. I do believe, however, that salvation does come down to a simple moment when you choose to believe and accept, and following your analogy, take the other path. But I believe once you accept Christ and turn down that path, there is no going back.

Salvation is a gift that God is offering us. We really have two choices, we either accept it or reject it. By God's grace, when we choose to reject it, he continues to offer it to us again. When we accept it, it is ours forever. Unfortunately, if we delay accepting for too long, sometimes we run out of time.

I think far too many people wait to make the choice until they feel that they have all the answers and have their lives in order. It simply doesn't work that way. If we waited until our lives were right for Christ, we would never get there. Instead, with Him in charge of our lives, then we can get them straight.

While I believe salvation occurs in a moment, our relationship with Christ is constantly changing. I've been a Christian for 18 years, but I'm still not where I want to be. There have been times in my life where I am following God closely, and times when I am lagging further behind, but He is always with me. I long to know him better and work towards that daily.

Jason, it sounds like the Holy Spirit is working in your life. God is calling and you are listening. Search your heart and see what it is that is holding you back from this decision, and that should answer most of your questions. Do you feel unworthy of salvation? We all are, and that is the beauty of grace and mercy. Are you afraid of the changes that will come with the commitment? The rewards of having Christ in your life far outweigh the sacrifices we make, so much so that they don't feel like we are losing anything. Are you unsure that your feeling is genuine? If you truly want that relationship with Christ, that is what matters. It doesn't have to be a heart wrenching moment. It is about faith, not emotion. God knows the desires of your heart. Whatever is holding you back, work on figuring it out and then you will know where to look for answers.

Feel free to PM me also if you have any questions. I will keep you in my prayers.

Kristy

 

[LScot]

great post, hipporina!

I thought of another book that you may want to look into. In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado. Very easy read.

 

[spacemountain]

I think that you can be raised to believe in God all your life but there is a point where you go from just knowing He's there to making your faith your own. I was fortunate to have this happen fairly early in my life, when I was in 7th grade. I went to a Catholic grade school and so we had Religion class. The teacher I had for Religion in 7th grade was amazing, and she inspired me. She made a relationship with God look like something I wanted to have. I'll never forget sitting in Religion class that year and seeing my teacher's eyes light up like a little kid on Christmas morning when she would so willingly share the excitement of the Lord with her class. That's when I made my faith my own and developed my relationship with God. It was one of the best things I could have done with my life, whenever I'm feeling so alone and hopeless I know that God is with me and I am suddenly filled with hope and know everything will be ok. I wish you the best of luck on your journey. If you have any questions you can PM me and I'll answer within the next couple of days.

 

[treesinger]

There isn't a large enough smilie that I can leave for all of you here!

The posts here have moved me quite a bit, and I'm not the type that gets moved easily. (Normally takes something like the ending of "Mr. Holland's Opus"). I already feel like I'm much closer to "making the leap". By nature, I'm a very deliberate person, so my feelings will stew a bit longer I think.

Y'all should know that this thread is doing everything I was hoping it could do. The rest, as y'all have said, is up to me. To wax allegorically, I was on the same street as you, but now I'm standing at the doorstep.

It's quite exciting, actually!

 

[treesinger]

And if I may be so bold...

There has been so many inspiring words here that, should there ever be a "religion" board at the DIS, I think this would serve as a wonderful "sticky" thread for those that feel they are in the same search as I am.

 

[Lanshark]

Jason,

I believe there used to be a spiritual board. I don't believe it was popular enough to maintain it separately. I could be mistaken

 

[Otto's Doll]

Jason, we do have a Christian Music thread where we sing songs and pray for one another. Stop by and say hi!

 

[Kallison]

I'm a work in progress

 

[treesinger]

Originally posted by Lanshark
Jason,

I believe there used to be a spiritual board. I don't believe it was popular enough to maintain it separately. I could be mistaken

I seem to remember that too, tough I couldn't find it. I guess they are all allowed to post on the CB as long as they follow the guidelines!

 

[treesinger]

Originally posted by Otto's Doll
Jason, we do have a Christian Music thread where we sing songs and pray for one another. Stop by and say hi!

I actually listen to a Christian station on the radio. Well, my wife listens I and I listen with her. I don't know how far up in PA you live, but you might get it as well. WXHL.com.

 

[Otto's Doll]

Jason, I listen to Sound Of Life (you can get it online at soundoflife.org too. It is a very good station. We are headed to Hershey in a few weeks, so I will look up the one you mentioned... what is the radio number for that station?

 

[LScot]

Jason,

I thought of you (and myself) last night while listening to a Beth Moore clip on my computer.

She was talking about how God is a God of commitment (my generation are known as commitment phobic in church ) and that you can't be "middle of the road". God isn't a middle of the road God. Anyway, it made me think of you and the place you were at while starting this thread and of myself for trying to take control of my own life and not doing as well as God would do if He were in control. So, upon listening, I said a prayer for us both. I love the idea of a board that deals with such. The old IB wasn't the same as I picture the needed one to be.

 

[sunni]

My walk with the Lord has been on and off the path through the years until I realized how tired I was of being off that path and that I only had myself to blame if I didn't know Him well enough. I suppose it might be because I accepted Christ at a young age (8) but went thru the teenage years and 20's like everyone else: tempted by worldly things and giving in. Not that I didn't believe in Him, I did believe and I tried to be good, but I didn't have a relationship with Him other than occasional prayers and attending church for worship. It was most often a very one way relationship (what a friend He is!). I was not putting Him first in my life. As much as I said I loved God, I wanted to be in control and He was not my first priority. I can't say exactly when that change in me really occured. I know that it happened when I found a church that was about more than just feeling good or worshipping on Sundays, one that wants it's members to grow spiritually and puts a huge emphasis on having a relationship with the Lord, studying His word, fellowship with others, prayer, and serving. I also came to understand that we were created for His pleasure, to worship Him. I know it's not because I'm older now, because I know teens that are as mature in their walk as I am, I think it's because I'm less selfish and more open. I also feel less of "how will God help me?" and more of "how can I serve Him?" I only wish these realizations came to me sooner in life, but then I likely wouldn't have the husband & family I have now... so I accept that there is a purpose for everything, even my mistakes can be used for good.

I have a simple sign above my computer, it reminds me of my purpose. It says:
Love * Serve * Worship

 

[LScot]

Sunni,
How beautiful! Change the age to 10 yrs. old and I could have written that post! (If I wrote as well as you, that is! )