Sunday, August 5, 2012

When I accepted Christ into my life

I think this will be my favorite post so far on my blog so share with my readers. This specific moment in my life, I will never forget. Because that was the one day that changed my life forever. That day I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. Some of my friends who follow my blog hasn't yet heard my testimony of when I accepted Jesus into my heart. I think it is important to tell each others testimonies as Christians. To be a born again Christian, you have to have a testimony. Not everyones testimony is the same. Each one is different, each one unique. But there has to be that one time in your life where you gave it all to God. Repenting your sins and asking God for forgiveness. To come and give us a clean heart and to give everything we have to God. . . . So today I decided to share mine with y'all. 

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It's not like I was once an alcoholic, abuser, or drug dealer. . . It wasn't like I didn't know about the Lord. What's worse is that, I knew that there was a God who was worthy enough to accept the unacceptable... I knew that He was the only way to heaven. But that's my point! Others who haven't really heard of The Lord and His ways don't think anything is wrong with what they're doing. Or they do, but they don't think much about the consequences of their actions. I am growing up in a Christian home. My parents are devoted Christians..Living to please God and take care of their children. I always attended church with my parents, prayed at night and before meals, and tried to obey my parents. . But what I was really doing was faking myself out. Yes, I would go to church, or go into public and act like a Christian but then come home and not act as a Christian should act. I wouldn't want to devote my time to the Lord. I thought that I was doing good though, I had even prayed a prayer asking God into my heart, but that wasn't true repentance. I was only playing a role in a Christian home, telling myself that I was a good person and I'd make it to heaven. But here Matthew 21-23 says “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’  I was only faking myself into Christianity. This next part I'm about to say is my favorite part of this story. :)

One evening in January, 2011,  my Dad called us in for a family devotion. We would all sit around in our living room and listen to daddy read a verse or two in the Bible and then teach on that. I can't remember the exact verse we were reading but it was in John. It was so convicting and the whole time my parents were talking, I was thinking to myself how much of a sinner I was. I remember feeling how heavy my heart was because I knew I was only "playing" Christian before. My mom must have noticed the look on my face when He was reading because she asked if I were alright and understanding everything. I told her that I was understanding what he was saying but that I didn't think I was saved. I think it might have surprised her because I had an "experience" a couple years before that. I had prayed to God to come into my heart but it wasn't genuine . . . I told them that I knew that if I were to die right there, I would go to hell because I didn't truly repent of my sins and ask for forgiveness. So I asked if I could pray with my dad to accept Christ into my heart. So Daddy brought me to his room so we could have quiet time. He showed me these verses. . . Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.". I definitely felt that one hit me. I knew I had been sinning my whole life. Lying, Playing a fake Christian, quick to anger and attitude. I definitely knew I fell short of the glory of God. Dad also showed me these verses - Romans 3:10-18. When he read me those, I had knew without God's grace on me, I would be sent straight to hell without a doubt when I come to die. But after he showed me those verses about sin, he read me this. Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." . . I thought, Christ, who was blameless and perfect, gave His own life for me, a sinner.. Me, worthy of nothing but to be sent to hell. Then went on to read Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.". Daddy said that it was a life long choice to make but it would be the best decision of my life. So I asked Daddy to pray with me. As tears flowed down my face, I asked the Lord to forgive me of my sins. Thanking Him For dying on that cross for me. So that I could live with Him one day in Heaven. I then went on and asked the Lord to come and live inside me. To be my one and only personal Savior. To live in and through me and let His grace show through me. I asked Him to use me in every way I could to tell people about His great love He has for His children and how He changed my life in the best way. And after thanking Him over and over again for giving me a new life, I said "Amen". After I prayed that prayer, my heavy heart was so light and happy. I felt this warm feeling inside me. It was like I was a new person. And I was. I was born again!! I was so happy with tears of joy still dripping off my cheeks and chin. I thanked Daddy for praying with me and showing me those verses and then went to see my mom and sisters to tell them what just happened. They were so happy for me. That I now was a true believer in Jesus Christ! - Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  &  Romans 8:38-39 "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  . . . I had such a peace in my heart after I gave my life over to Christ. Now my goal is to grow closer and closer with my Lord.

So that is my Testimony of when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.
The best day of my my life. When everything changed. . .


Love to all my friends and family! 



18 comments:

  1. Wow! I love testimonies and this one is similar to mine, thank you :)

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  2. Isn't great to know that our lives are in the hands of God and that we are His Children..Forgiven and loved by Him! Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Rachel, your testimony truly touched me! Thanks for sharing!!

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  4. Sorry. That comment was from your cousin Sarah...

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    1. Aww, thank you Sarah! I am so glad you found it encouraging, I love you to bits dear!

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  5. Beautifully written and amazing how we strive with the deepest part of our being to live our life focusing on that which is important to Jesus...

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  6. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it! And yes, as Christians, striving to be like Christ and to honor Him should be our first priority before anything else. And it will be what we want to do most if we are truly saved! thank you again! :D

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  7. Awesome testimony! It's similar to mine, and I'm so glad you're born again, living for Christ. It has definitely encouraged and inspired me to keep pressing on. God bless you, my sister. Stay reading your Bible and praying, Jesus is coming soon!! We also need to snatch as many as we can out of the fire. May God help us :)
    -Brandon Fuaau (Instagram)

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  8. Thank you for stopping by and reading my testimony! And you are so right. We are living in the last days. The Lord will soon come to take His children up with Him. We need to be winning as many should to Christ before it's too late. Thank you again Brandon and you are still in my prayers. =)

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    1. I appreciate it! You are in my prayers as well :)

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  9. So I want to start by saying I respect you for having the courage to post this, I haven't had the best relationship with God and whenever I read about other peoples relationships with him I get emotion. I'm actually sitting in a movie theater crying right now while reading this. I hope some day I can get past whatever it is that is holding me back and have a relationship with God like you do. I've been a "christian" my whole life, but I've found myself blaming God for a lot of things and that has pushed me away from him. Now that I'm not close to him anymore I'm finding it very hard to get back to him.

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  10. Hi, I'm not sure who you are but I feel led to share a few words with you. First, thank you so much for reading this and for the kind compliments. It means a lot to me. I'm not sure where to begin. I'm blessed to see that you found my blog and i pray that it encourages you as you strive to seek Christ once more. It's not too late to gain a relationship with God. I'm not sure what you have gone through in your life for you to blame God but His arms are always open for those who put their trust in Him. God allows certain things to happen for certain reasons. I have learned that personally, several times. " If you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul " ( Deuteronomy 4:29 ) . . . I have known a couple people who have seem to have been in your kind of predicament. And once they started seeking the Lord diligently and fervently, God revealed Himself to them. . . I noticed you said you have been a "Christian" your whole life. As I have shared in the above post, there has to be one moment in your life where you realized you were a sinner in need of a Savior, to repent of your past sins and ask the Lord to make you a new person. I know some believe that certain people are born into Christianity, therefore don't have to have a testimony because they are already a child of God. "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. . . Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life" (John 6:44,47) . . . " . . . if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin. . ." ( 2 Chronicles 7:14). . . I want to let you know I will be praying for you personally. That you will want to seek a relationship with the Lord.

    In Christ alone,
    Rachel

    ...If you would like to email me anonymously, I would be more than happy to talk with you. My address is r.pursell104@gmail.com :)

    ~ Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation - Psalm 5:1-3 ~

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  11. Rachel, I loved your testimony! It has been such a blessing from the Lord for me to cultivate friendships with you and your family. I love ya'll... Can't wait to spend eternity with you :)

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    1. Thanks Ashley!! I'm so glad the Lord brought you to meet our family as well. We all love you! <3 And I'm glad you had the chance to read my testimony! It will be so glorious, that day, when we are all in heaven for eternity together!

      Love ya and can't wait to see you soon! <3

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  12. So precious and awesome lil sis:)

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  13. That is so AWESOME!!! Praise the LORD for His goodness. WOW!! I think it's awesome that your sharing this, because a lot of people are "christian" but not redeemed. SO glad you finally came to that place where you called on JESUS and gave it all to Him. Never gets old hearing about it. My heart rejoices like a choir is going off in there every time I hear of someone turning to Christ as their Savior. AWESOME!!

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  14. Amen! I wanted to show people that there is no reason to hide your faith. I am not ashamed of God so why keep back the wonderful things the Lord has done for me and so many others. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16) . . .

    Thank you for your comment Jason! :D

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