Testimony

[protestantman]

I would like to get to know all of you, and I thought that it would be good to share testimonies. Feel free to share. If you are led, then please add anything else about your personal walk with Christ.

  I have been a christian for as long as I can remember.  I was raised in the church. My Father, a devoute christian, became a minister in Delaware when I was seven.  The church is a non-denominational church, that focuses on Gods word. Thanks to my father, I have a very strong faith in God.  I have spent a lot of time in the Bible, both alone and in study groups.  I love it when God reveals the meaning of scripture when I meditate on the word.  God has sent me to Gautemala, Belize, and various locations in the US, in order that I might serve him in the mission field.  Praise be to God for the miracles he performed on each trip.  I love telling people about my Saviour.  I try to bring him up in almost every conversation, with friends and family.  Every time I have the privelage to talk about God, it gives me great joy.  My biggest sorrow is that there are many of us, within the body of Christ, that are not unified.  I believe that whether protestant or Catholic or Orthodox, that we all share the same love for Christ. I only hope that we could put aside our petty dissagreements for the sake of unity.  I have recently found great joy in Apologetics; what a great way to streangthen my faith and understanding.  I love being persecuted for Christ, and I especially enjoy it when I am pointed out for being different.  Alas I am here. at 25 I have learned many things, but I have much more to learn.  I hope that I can learn from my Catholic brothers here on this forum.

God Bless

 

[GraceDK]

Hey protestantman :tiphat:
I saw you closed the other thread… a good choice… some people just want to slaugter others in a debate … I think they were called sofists at the time of Plato :whacky: …Truth comes with a great responsibility… and we must have patience with ourselves and others…

Brother I was thinking… your testimony is good but quite …mm… generel…and its good that you keep it short. But maybe you would like to share one or two stories about the wonders God has done infront of you… like, which experience in your evangelisation ministry is your favourite to think back on… maybe about someone that you met who was really moved by what you said about the Love of Jesus, or a time where God pulled you out of a sticky spot, taught you something in a revolutionary way, or where someone was healed during your laying on of hands… ?

By the way. Its funny, I assumed that you were older than me but then when I saw your age it also made sense to me… 25 is the time of good idealism and lots of spiritual growth.

As for me… I’ll give my testimony too if you would like to hear it… but I have to figure out a way to make it short… shorter than I have ever succeeded at making it thus far :juggle: .

 

[MarieVeronica]

God bless you, Protestantman… and welcome! :clapping: Like you, I too believe that Our dear Lord “works” in the hearts of ALL who believe in Him. The divisions cause me sadness, too. But I never lose my hope in Jesus, Our Lord.

I am a Cradle Catholic… who fell away from the Church for about 10 years. During that time, I floundered like a fish out of water. I returned to the Catholic Faith… a few years ago, and have never regretted it for one moment.

Jesus is the Light of my life! And I will stand tall on this internet “rooftop” and SHOUT it to the world! :extrahappy: I look forward to following your threads. God bless you!

 

[DL82]

Hi protestantman, I just thought I’d share my testimony, as I guess I’m coming from a similar past to yours. I was brought up a protestant in the Church of Scotland, but never really had a very strong faith upbringing in my family. I fell away from Christianity altogether when I was 12, dabbled in some bad stuff, then became a Christian again at the age of 18. I got involved in an Evangelical Christian church and began exploring what my faith meant.

Around the age of 22 I began to explore whether or not I might be called to some kind of monastic life, which came as a bit of a shock, as it was completely outside the realm of the Evangelical tradition I had been involved in. I found a group associated to the Anglican church who follow the rule of St Francis, and spent some time visiting them. I realised fairly quickly that I wasn’t called to religious life, but the witness of the Franciscans stayed with me, and led me to broaden my understanding of what it meant to live a life in accordance with the Gospel.

Fairly soon after this, I met a girl and fell in love, she wasn’t even a Christian when we first met, which concerned me, but she agreed to read the Bible just to see what all the fuss was about. After that, she decided to join the Catholic Church. The Anglican church I was going to at that time was having some difficulties with a new minister and I was looking to leave anyway. I began exploring both Catholicism and Orthodoxy, but the Catholic Church just seemed to have a sense of oneness and openness, while the Orthodox were quite culturally alien to my experience, though Orthodox theology still had a very strong pull for me. Then I met Deacon Richard, an English Deacon in the Melkite Eastern Catholic Church, who showed me that all the riches of the Eastern Church were also contained in Catholicism.

Anyway, the more I read, the more the Catholic Church made sense. At first, I read the Catechism looking for things I disagreed with so that I could find an excuse not to convert, but as time went on I found myself falling deeper and deeper into the experience of Catholic truth.

On Corpus Christi 2007 I went to Mass with a friend, and as the blessed sacrament was being processed around the Church, I just felt this overwhealming sense that Christ was really and physically present. I guess I’d mark that day as the day I accepted the Catholic faith for myself.

Anyway, I’ve been going through RCIA for the past six months, and am due to be received into the Church this Easter. Blessed be God, who has led me on such a journey. I could barely have imagined this journey at the start back when I first came back to Christ in 2000.

 

[water]

For 20 something years, I had been living in sins. Though, thanks to my earthly mother who advised me to pray 10 Hail Mary’s per day and she would finish the rest of the Rosary.

One night - it was in July 13, 2006, I decided to kneel down to pray the entire Rosary myself. For that, my life has been changed. The more I come closer to Virgin Mary, the more she helps me be closer to Jesus. I have begun to see more and more of who I actually am.

Thanks be to God for our Heavenly Mother - with Her graces and merits that God has given to Her, I am being changed from within.

“To Jesus Through Mary” is a sure way that God clearly wants me to follow. When Jesus lived here among us, He trusted His Mother in Her caring, I am praying that I would have His trust in Her also.

 

[ziapueblo]

What a wonderful thread!

I’m a cradle Catholic. Like many I was an alter boy growing up. What a joy that was. When I went away to college, I wouldn’t say that I lost my faith, but like most stopped going to church regularly. I may have questioned my faith more than once during that time period. After a couple of years something was missing. It was receiving the Eucharist and hearing Gods forgiveness in the sacrament of Reconciliation.

At that time a began reading the writings of the early Church Fathers of of the 1st century all the way to St. Augustine. After reading their writings I said to myself “wow, they believed exactly in what I do as a Catholic!” It strengthened my Faith.

I love to discuss my Catholic Faith with others. Whether they are Protestant, non-believers, or members of other religions. I also love apologetics. It has really strengthened my Faith as well.

Again…wonderful thread.

 

[protestantman]

Hey everyone, theank you for all your testimonies. Its good to hear every one. It looks like we have a lot of “Prodigal Sons”. What great rejoicing there is in heaven when a fallen lamb returns.

I want to expand my testimony a little, and tell you more about how God has used me in the mission field. I was first called to missions in 1998. The church I attend is small, around 100 people who are predominatley elderly. Thus the youth group was small as well, about 12 on a good day. A missionary, by the name of Paul Hatmacker, came to our church to lead a week of revival services. I must say a little more about him, as he is an extraordinary man of God. He has been a missionary to over 60+ countries. He has spent most of his time in China, where he meets with many who have been imprisoned just for mentioning the name of God. He is also responsible for leading my wife of 1 and 1/2 years to Christ. Anyway, during one of his messages he asked us if any in the congregation was being led by the spirit to answer a call to the mission field. 10 of us had been called. We were later told that we would be going to Guatemala with another church from the area, to a small town called San Jacinto. We were going with an ER doctor, who spends every single vacation day in a 3rd world country, to administer medicine, and to continue the building of an Orphanage. The orphanage was run by an older American couple, who would drive to the Dump in Guatemala City. This is where unwanted kids were left by their parents. The younger kids between 2 and 6 are cared for by the older ones who were only around 10. They would take as many as they could house back to the orphanage. Here the kids would have shelter, food and education. Our goal was to help double the facilities capacity, in a mere 10 days.

 

[protestantman]

…continued

We worked from sun up to 5 in the evening, hauling concrete(the only building material) up ramps and ladders that were made from rented wood(Yes rented:shrug: ) Every day at 9 PM, it rained buckets for about an hour. Always the same, rain followed by thunder and lightning (never the other way around) This is important later. One night after work I left with part of the group to go see a religious landmark that was a little walk from town(Up the mountain). $ of us stopped to get a drink for the walk. My cousin Steve , a man named Dan, a younger kid and Myself. We continued on to try and catch up with the others, but had missunderstood the directions and never did get there. Only me and my cousin spoke any Spanish,not much either. We realized after a while that we did not know how to get back to the compound, and tried to ask the locals how to get back. As communicating was difficult, we ended up walking for over 5 hours. It would soon be dark and we knew that the rain was coming. We knew if we didnt find our way back soon, it would be very hard to see at all, and that we would soon be very very wet. We agreed to stop and pray (should’ve thought of that earlier) that God would give us light and keep us dry. Back at the camp the others had gathered in the dinning area to discuss where we could be. They all held hands and began to pray for our safe return. After the four of us had prayed we continued to walk. As soon as it started to get almost too dark to see, it started to lightning, no rain only lightning. It was just enough so that we could continue down the mountain. For 30 min it did not rain and we found the town. Just as the first drops hit our heads, our bus driver saw us as he was driving by, and he drove us the rest of the way back. Even though it was such a small miracle, it was huge for the four of us. The whole time we were there, miles from a TV, indoor plumbing, or anything else I am used to, I had never been more at peace. I loved the kids, I loved the work, and I especially loved that at the end of it all, that nobody paid me for a thing. Even a penny would have taken my joy away. From that moment on, I knew I had been called to do missions.

 

[MarcoPolo]

I believe that whether protestant or Catholic or Orthodox, that we all share the same love for Christ. I only hope that we could put aside our petty dissagreements for the sake of unity.

Hi protestantman…bless you for your fire for Christ. May I offer one little suggestion pertaining to the quote here. Instead of praying for unity for the “sake of unity”, please pray for “unity by way that we practice the faith in the manner which You, our Heavenly Father, has called us to do.”

In this way, you are not elevating a denomination, yet you are also not seeking unity by way of focusing only on a common denominator. God bless!

 

[protestantman]

Hi protestantman…bless you for your fire for Christ. May I offer one little suggestion pertaining to the quote here. Instead of praying for unity for the “sake of unity”, please pray for “unity by way that we practice the faith in the manner which You, our Heavenly Father, has called us to do.”

In this way, you are not elevating a denomination, yet you are also not seeking unity by way of focusing only on a common denominator. God bless!

First of all, thank you for your kindness.
I definately do not intend to elevate an denomination over the other. However, If we are unified under the common denominator of Christ, what else matters? This is merely retorical so that we do not get off topic. If you wish to respond however, I would be more than happy to discuss it on another thread.

 

[MarcoPolo]

First of all, thank you for your kindness.
I definately do not intend to elevate an denomination over the other. However, If we are unified under the common denominator of Christ, what else matters? This is merely retorical so that we do not get off topic. If you wish to respond however, I would be more than happy to discuss it on another thread.

I agree nothing matters but completely following Christ in the manner He has called us to do.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

My biggest sorrow is that there are many of us, within the body of Christ, that are not unified. I believe that whether protestant or Catholic or Orthodox, that we all share the same love for Christ. I only hope that we could put aside our petty dissagreements for the sake of unity.

ProtestantMan,

You and I share the same “biggest sorrow.” Since my mother left the Catholic Church last year for a Protestant faith, I have felt the severe pain of Christian division. I believe God wants me to feel some small part of the saddness He feels as a result of our disunity.

That said, I disagree that our disagreements are petty. I believe the major obstacle to Christian unity is the fact that denominations disagree on fundamental teachings. For example, I could no sooner disbelieve in Christ’s True Presence in the Eucharist than I could sprout wings and fly.

May God guide all of His people to His Truth.

 

[Bennie_P]

Myself I was raised more or less in an evangelical church, accepted Christ as my savior when I was 18 while serving in the Army, was baptised two weeks later. I was partof a group of young Christians that more or less rejected traditonal church. Fell from grace do to addictions and confussion. When I was 28 I had another conversion experience and attended a Bible college for a semester. Fell into the social Gospel trap, drifted away from my faith little by little as I got involved in left-wing politics. I finally got wrapped uped into new age spirituallity for a period until my first child was born. Then I started looking back toward Christ. Three years ago I had a major spiritual crisis and started reading Purpose Driven Life. Got myself into a Christ-Centered Recovery Group. After joining a mega-Church, which I truly loved, I was called to join the Catholic Church with the blessing of my evangelical pastor. Christ is the one I follow and he puts me in contact with many Christians of all faiths. One thing I know, as long as I follow Christ and do as He leads me and let others follow Him as they understand Him, we all seem to do great work for Him. Don’t get me wrong I am very dogmatic about my Catholic faith and it will show in discussions on certain topics on the forums, but in day by day interaction with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ I know it is the Holy Spirit that leads us that love Him, so I try not to let my personal dogmatism be used to interfer in another’s journey.

Suggested reading:
Evangelicals & Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium by Various

Welcome to the forums:thumbsup:

 

[protestantman]

origionally from Bennie P

… I am very dogmatic about my Catholic faith [/QOUTE]

God bless that you are strong in your faith. It shows that you have been well rooted.

so I try not to let my personal dogmatism be used to interfer in another’s journey.

I do believe that this statement is key to unity. I try to practice this very principle too. It is not easy though, and sometimes my pride gets in the way.

Welcome to the forums:thumbsup

:
Thank you. I also must remark about the way you said that. As this is primarily a catholic forum, I feel like a guest in someone elses home. Thus I feel it important that I conduct myself in a way that is welcome.

 

[BennyBoy89]

Sheesh… where do I begin?

At age six I prayed the sinner’s prayer and was “born again.” To be honest, I felt no different, but because my family told me I was “saved,” I believed them, but I didn’t “feel” saved. When I was in elementary, the Left Behind books were all the rage among evangelicals. For whatever reason, as a small child, I thought that I might have “lost” my salvation. To be honest, everytime I sinned, I felt the need to confess it to my mother (foreshadowing? ), but I could never bring myself to tell her about my fear of not being “saved.”

When I was ten years old, I was baptized in a swimming pool at a hotel through a Southern Baptist church. For the first time, I felt “born-again.” I also felt God calling me to be a minister. Over the years, though, my fervor faded. My family was involved in the said SB church, and it was riddled with problems. My faith was stagnant; nothing seemed real. As I entered my teenage years, I began flirting with new age spirituality. I wavered back and forth. I started picking and choosing what I wanted to believe about the Bible.

A year ago last month, I attended my first Mass out of curiousity when our HS marching band took a trip to Florida. I didn’t like it, but I was curious; I wanted something more. A month later, I went to Florida again with one of my best friends on spring break. We stayed with his grandparents in St. Augustine, FL, and across the street from their neighborhood was St. Anastasia’s Catholic Church. My friend and I rode our bikes over there out of curiousity. The grounds of the Church are beautiful, and I stumbled across their Chapel of Our Lady. For whatever reason, I felt a strong desire to pray there. The next oppurtunity that I got, I went there and prayed. I talked to God; I confessed to Him my unfaithfulness as a Christian; I told Him that I couldn’t continue without Him. On Palm Sunday, my friend and I attended Mass. I knew that I wouldn’t find rest until I entered the Catholic Church; that was where God was calling me. Little did I know at the time how important that call was.

It’s been quite the journey since then. On January 12, 2008, I had my first confession, and I felt that “born-again” feeling that I had at baptism. I am a senior in HS, and I will be entering the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church on the Easter Vigil. I praise God for leading me Home.

This is the shortest way that I know of giving my testimony, because a lot happened in between the lines. (I almost became an Anglican somewhere in there). I must admit, coming from the stagnant, evangelical world, I have a lot against it. It breaks my heart when I see people hungering for the truth, and evangelical “pastors” tell them that they just need to “get saved” and dance around in church. I’m not a big fan of ecumenism, needless to say… unless they’re willing to admit their error.

 

[BennyBoy89]

This is a copy of a blog I posted on Myspace a few nights ago.

In three weeks, I begin my new life as a member of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. This is the biggest moment of all; this event will truly reshape the course of my life here on earth. Here I am on the brink of something profound, something monumental. Here I stand. Alone. I have few people in my life to share this with. My family looks at it as something unnecessary at best, something tragic at worst, a product of teenage rebellion coupled with punishment from God. My friends don’t understand it. Most see it as some crazy religious phase I’m going through. I am alone in this venture.

But then I think about the people that I do have with me. If it wasn’t for [my sponsor and English teacher], I would’ve given up a long time ago. That man has done amazing things, simply by being there. Then there are my priests, my pastors, my guides. I can call each one “Father” and truly mean it. Finally, I think of the Man of Sorrows Himself. He too walked alone, hated, despised, and misunderstood. But because of Him, I am not alone. He is there with me, guiding me, even if I can’t always see Him or understand His Presence, I know He is there. Here I stand, with Him there to hold me up when life bears down on me.

Life isn’t easy. And I’m not the easiest person for Him to work with. A certain someone in this universe is well aware of that, and he exploits it every oppurtunity he has. He is a “streetfighter,” as Father Dave told me. Is it any wonder that it’s been harder and harder to get along with those around me? Why else does my family seem to make my conversion harder, just as I begin to think they’re opening up? I am convinced that all of the problems I face in my day to day life can be directly linked to the event three weeks away. As Father Dave said, the battle we fight is one we must expect. It’s inevitable. Here I stand, unable to fight back, yet the One greater than the enemy is with me.

So here I stand. I am not perfect; I am a work in progress, but I try. I stumble; I fall; I am picked up and set back on my feet. I can’t undo past mistakes. I can’t reason with others that won’t be reasoned with. I can’t be perfect. I can’t expect others to understand me. I may care about others that don’t care about me, and I can’t do anything about it. But I can rely on faith. I can take this cross and bear it faithfully. And for all the things that I cannot do, He can do them for me.

Here I stand, between Him and His mother.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou amongst women, and
Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

 

[protestantman]

Life isn’t easy. And I’m not the easiest person for Him to work with. A certain someone in this universe is well aware of that, and he exploits it every oppurtunity he has. He is a “streetfighter,” as Father Dave told me. Is it any wonder that it’s been harder and harder to get along with those around me? Why else does my family seem to make my conversion harder, just as I begin to think they’re opening up? I am convinced that all of the problems I face in my day to day life can be directly linked to the event three weeks away. As Father Dave said, the battle we fight is one we must expect. It’s inevitable. Here I stand, unable to fight back, yet the One greater than the enemy is with me.

Amen.

 Now you know what Paul was talking about when he said that he must suffer for Christ. This is a thorn you will always carry my friend. Your struggles will give you streangth. Take comfort that your perserverance will be rewarded. 
 Pray for your family often that God will ease their doubts about your choice.

 

[teadough]

Welcome to CAF

May God continue to guide you in all areas of your life.

 

[BennyBoy89]

Now you know what Paul was talking about when he said that he must suffer for Christ. This is a thorn you will always carry my friend. Your struggles will give you streangth. Take comfort that your perserverance will be rewarded.
Pray for your family often that God will ease their doubts about your choice.

Oh trust me, protestantman, I pray for them. Haha… for their conversion that is. What better way to ease someone’s doubts? Thanks for the words of comfort.

 

[GraceDK]

Dear protestantman…
Good teastimony about what happend on your mission trip. I know exactly how that feels when God hears a prayer like that and your heart fills with amazement, gratitude and humility… you feel seen by the Most High… as the youngest son or dauther singled out for Dad’s attention . Praise Him for helping you then and at every moment.

As for my own story I will make it quite short.
In the beginning of 2003 when I was 20 years old I met the Lord. He had always been with me but on this day He liftet the veil from my eyes and I fell head over heals in love with Him.
Before I existed… now I lived.
It started when I read the books by the greek orthodox mystic Vassula Rydén. She is greatly controversial because her prophetical writings contain a strong call for true ecumenism and points out the pride and all the sicknesses in the Orthodox and Catholic Church and also to some extent in the protestant.
(Partly because of the extreme precision of these discriptions of the Church’s problems I believe in the autheticity of her ministry).
Vassula is quite controversial but when people ask me: “You became a believer through her writings?!!.. but don’t you know she is a sinner and she cannot be right because of so many things”. I answer only like the man who was asked by the pharisees about his healing by Jesus. He said: “If He is a sinner I do not know… all I know is I was blind and now I see”.
Those books launched me into Bible Reading… suddenly the Bible was alive to me… And I started to go to Church… wonderful… and to pray… In prayer we allow all the good to develop and as we ponder Jesus’ Love we are transformed from the inside by the Holy Spirit.
Since then I have tried to follow the voice of my Lord.
I became a Catholic after a visit in Medjugorje, Bosnia - place of marian apparitions for 25 years - where I felt a peace like nowhere else on the planet (exept maybe for the Holy Land). Here I felt drawn so much to the Sacraments, especially to the Eucharist, I could no longer give any excuse not to seek to partake of It.
I work for unity on a practical level. I have a lot of friends in the pentecostal church… I like the way they “have church” and I am now what we call a double-dipper. I go to two churches. I also have attended with great joy a Messianic congregation to which I long to return. Its not always easy, but they all have something I need… and something the Holy Spirit longs to give.
At this time I long and pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit as in a personal pentecost experience.
I read books from all traditions and find nourishment in them all… God continue to lead me through books I wish that more would be willing to read/hear all these testimonies and see how Jesus works. He is sooo good.
Now I cant write anymore.
Peace to you all and praised be Yeshua our Messiah.