What has God done for you?

[interzone]

In the "how be it...." thread, we debate the existence of God. Here's a chance to talk about what great things God has done for your life. Look inside your hearts and bring out Gods best efforts in your lives. If their is supposedly all these Christians here, then give a brief testimony of your faith. Hasn't God done something amazing in your life? Don't worry about whether your story will be believed, just tell it.

Please limit it to your personal experiences, not what you have seen God do for other people, but what God has done for you.

[cjc]

O.K. here goes........

most of my late teens and just about all of my early and mid twenties were spent addicted to some drug or another. Never crack and never heroin, but just about everything else that was out there I've tried or have done on a regular basis. I never really got into pills either but tried some. Anyway when I was 22 it all came to an head. I was very addicted to cocaine and I was spending hundreds of dollar a week on the junk. I would frequently call out of work cause I was up all night and when I did make it to work I would screw up so bad that they should have fired me or I was so messed up that I could have hurt someone or myself. the only reason I'm still there is because 1) it's a union and 2) my mom worked there. I would go on binges and not sleep for days. I almost died a couple times. I should be dead. But by the grace of God I live. My wife, who was my girl friend at the time, stuck with me through all that and helped introduce me to Jesus and He saved my life and gave me (allowed me to have) this wonderful family.

[interzone]

Thank you for sharing that story with us cjc.

I remember once when I was 14. I was walking down the street, and a kid a little older then me tried to start a fight. He was bigger then me and just as he started to swing. I told him that he couldn't hit me because Jesus wouldn't let him. He raised his fist a few times and explained to me that if he wanted to, he could hit me. I kept telling him that "no you can't cause Jesus won't let you." A few times of this and he finally got upset and walked away calling me a Jesus freak. This was my first step of faith that I ever took.

I hope others will take out the time and give a testimony also. Jesus has done so much in my life, and I want to share all of it, but I want to hear from others too. I know that I come up very short from being a great example of a Christian. However, Jesus keeps hanging in their with me, and so I continue to keep trying.

[fan101]

good idea for a post. thanks for posting the picture cjc, its cool to put a face with the name

anyway, God's done a lot in my life and I have to say that Im very thankful. Although, there is strong foundation for my faith that makes believing the Bible and walking it out reasonable, the main reason I believe is because of how God has met me. Here goes,

Ive been a Christian since I was about three years old thanks to the wonderful family God placed me in. Throughout most of my teenage years I struggled with typical sexual tempation (i dont really want to write the m word) and felt guilty for it because over time God had put a desire in my heart to pure and honor him in this particular area. I had joy in my life and God was certainly blessing me but this was always nagging at me, asking: if you really love God wouldnt you stop sinning in this area?

Well, I was praying and asking to God to show me who He made me to be in particular, what made me unique in His eyes. Well I felt like he spoke the word warrior (came from nowhere and is a word I didnt think about) so I wrote it down in my journal. Not a warrior in the physical sense as in violent, but competing for my faith and being aggresive fighting for my faith and for others. Well God has spoken this about two weeks b4 we had a conference on the prophetic(hearing God's voice, a very Biblical idea) and a member of our church came up and said that God wanted him to pray for me. He had never prayed for me before and I didnt know him well, but I said yes because I wanted to see want God had for me. Well he was praying for me and saying some things that matched up with what God was doing in my life and I felt God's presence at lot. Then he said it: God has called you to be a warrior. I started weeping because I knew that I had heard God write on my own and He loved me enough to send somebody to pray for me and confirm what He has spoken. Well that changed my life, being the first time I heard God's voice in that way and for the next year and a half I didnt fall into any sexual temptation one time. And the best part of it was it was easy. Iam in love with Jesus Christ and He met my needs through His Word, the Holy Spirit, and other Christians. Ive had that same word warrior spoken over me multiple times by various people who never heard my story, I know its who God's made me to be. God's done a lot of powerful things since then but that was when I really knew that God was the God of the whole Bible, was real, speaks and is powerful/willing to act. I still have my journal where I wrote down what God has spoken and multiple people to confirm this testimony.

[cjc]

Thanks for shareing that fan101. I'ts always cool when words from God are confirmed through other brothers and sisters in Christ.

[interzone]

It's interesting that you bring up the whole warrior issue about yourself fan101. Me and my mom are always talking about God and the what have yous. Anyways, I was talking to her about the how be it... thread and whenever I would mention you, she would say, now he's the one we refer to as the young warrior right?

[vineyardite]

So, I like fan101 was blessed with a Christian family and excepted Christ when I was very young, but I was so fake, in relationships with friends and even Jesus, that it made me sick and I thought it was normal. Then two years ago I came into an awsome church and I found out the secret that many Christians don't know. God is real and wants to be involved with us! That was a cool realization and it was the beginning of something good. Then I went on a sharp, painful, learning curve on who God's calling me to be. It hasn't been easy, but God has been faithful as he said he'd be. I've dug my roots deep, so I'm not going anywhere despite myself. Man, I've learned so much its amazing how clueless I was before. I feel bad though, mine is an unfinished story, but I have this feeling that its only going to get better. Real soon!

[cjc]

What a cool relization to come to viney! I can imagine how you felt when you realized that!

[fan101]

thanks for the positive feedback, its cool what your mom said, I really believe that over time God has truly made me more of the warrior that he created me to be, its fun to be able to tell our stories, I could go on and on about miraculous things God has done but I tried to limit it to just one for the sake of parsimony, He is so good its just good to stop and thank/praise Him, I love you Jesus, you have been so real, and good to me, Im encouraged by the online fellowship(funny concept) weve been able to have and its been great to hear all of your stories as well

[interzone]

Vineyardite gave a really good testimony. It always drove me nuts when I would have a fake tell me how it is back in the day. Mainly cause I never hid my walk. If I was in sin, I would come out with it. No point in hiding it.

Now days, I really don't care if I take on the appearance of a perfect Christian, because at least I take on the appearance of a truthful person. When hell gets thrown in my face, my response back is one of two things "well, I might be going to hell, but I'll scream the name of Jesus all the way there." Or I'll say "gee that's funny, I don't recall Jesus hanging around perfect people. In fact, what I see is him hanging around with is murders, thieves, prostitutes. You know the people in need of a savior" these are some of the things I say depending on who the person is, and their angle of attack.

Vineyardite. That is so cool that you woke up along the way to heaven. Now you'll start establishing a real walk and a real testimony of your faith. My walk wasn't always perfect ether. during 15-22 I walked away from God. Then one day when I was sitting in a roach motel thinking how I was gonna rebuild by life. The Holy Spirit came to me and said. "By the way. Did you know, if you was to die right now, you would go to hell?" I dropped to my knees and wept. I told the Lord that I didn't want to go to hell, but that I hated Christians and that I didn't see how it was a better life. I told the Lord that I knew deep in my heart that being a Christian was a better life, but that it was up to Him to lead me out of the darkness I was in. I prayed that night and wept. I asked Jesus for His forgiveness. I believe that night I was forgiven. It was 3 weeks later that I meet the Christians that would help me begin my Journey back to my maker.

[cjc]

God is good........He is good indeed!