Hello, new member here..

[JonoRH]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

 

[phil36]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

Hi JonoRH, welcome to CC. And welcome to the universal fellowship of those in Christ.

 

[Live4Him3]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

Welcome aboard, JonoRH.

 

[oyster67]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

So glad you came, brother Jono. Thank you for your testimony. We are born lost and live in a darkened world. Only by the grace of God can we see the light. It is precious. Hold to it tightly and ever seek a closer walk with our Lord and Savior.

Revelation 3
18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

God bless and Godspeed.

 

[Gideon300]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

Welcome. Now you know that Jesus is who He says He is, it's time to believe that you are who Jesus says that you are. When you realise that you really are a new creation, that the old "you" is dead and buried and that Jesus now lives in you, your life will begin to turn around. When you are "yoked" to Jesus, He does the hard work. He will keep you close to God and lead you along the straight path. We get in trouble when we imagine that we have to try to be good Christians. That is a recipe for a life of struggle and strife. Let Jesus lead you every step of the way, keep it simple and let God's word be the authority in your life. Study the New Testament to begin with. Ask God for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. God always answers that prayer!

 

[Magenta]

Welcome!

 

[JonoRH]

Wow thanks for the replies guys!

Welcome. Now you know that Jesus is who He says He is, it's time to believe that you are who Jesus says that you are. When you realise that you really are a new creation, that the old "you" is dead and buried and that Jesus now lives in you, your life will begin to turn around. When you are "yoked" to Jesus, He does the hard work. He will keep you close to God and lead you along the straight path. We get in trouble when we imagine that we have to try to be good Christians. That is a recipe for a life of struggle and strife. Let Jesus lead you every step of the way, keep it simple and let God's word be the authority in your life. Study the New Testament to begin with. Ask God for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. God always answers that prayer!

That is a very enightening reply sir, thank you! Believing i am who He says i am is very difficult for me with the things i have going on and the repetative willful sin i am stuck in. I guess i should elaborate and give my testimony.. Well, i have a lot going on and whilst i'm aware we all have a lot going on my life is actually extremely chaotic and full of self destructive behaviour. An abusive childhood, OCD, depression and self harm have all helped me put myself in a very dark place...

I am 35 now and have been a severe drug addict for well over a decade and generally using subtances for about 20 years total. This iniquity has brought nothing but chaos and misery and despite being a believer now i am still stuck in my addiction. In fact, i'm tempted to say things have become even harder since becoming a believer!! I won't go into too much detail regarding the chaos but as you can imagine it has been crazy and i have all kinds of things going on...

So, anyway, I was a mocker who believed basic science disproved Gods existence and one night in 2016 i found myself in a jail cell praying to a God i didn't even believe in out of pure desperation. I said "God if you exist and can help me out of this situation i promise to serve you for the rest of my life". I was released early the next morning and went on my way giving no more thought to this prayer. I had no intention of serving God as i didn't and couldn't believe He even exists as my belief in evolution was so strong... It was no more than 3 months after that night however that the penny dropped! I had all but forgotten that prayer and promise but i realised that during those 3 months i had begun to see the things God knew i needed to see for the deception to be lifted from my eyes and to be able to truly know God exists!! My whole worldview, a lifetime of false belief was upturned and I then realised that clearly God wasn't gonna allow me to make a promise to serve Him and then walk away not even believing in His existence so He gave me the eyes to see! Suddenly everywhere i looked i could see the beauty and wonders of creation!! This cannot be a coincidence, God MUST have lifted the deception from my eyes!! Anyway, this led me to finding out who this creator is and of course found that Jesus is the truth!!

Despite this, my addiction persists and my sinful ways continue and i do not know how to break free. I know He is real and I've called upon His name but my troubles have worsened. In what way will He give me rest? How will He free me from this mess? All these things were developed prior to being a believer but now i believe in Him it hasn't gotten any easier at all. I have an immense amount of questions but this post is getting awfully long so i will leave it there for now. Thank you for reading i look forward to any help and advice. God bless.

 

[Walter]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

Yes Sir, you are welcome here with us, if you come across anything you wanted to ask just feel free, ok?

Love, Walter and Debbie

 

[JonoRH]

Thanks i appreciate your kind words. My life is a complete mess in all honesty, pretty serious stuff going on and i'm not helping myself in the slightest. I'm yearning to be a faithful servant of our Lord and Saviour but i'm stuck doing the opposite. I want to be able to tell others about God without being a hypocrite too. People who know me are stunned by my belief in Christ as i am not considered the sort of person who would become a man of God. A lot of folks think i have gone crazy and the sad thing is i can fully understand their point of view because i too was once decieved like they and i once saw believers as nutjobs..

Anyhows.. may i ask for your input?... I've shared my testimony as to how i became a believer but i don't call myself saved as i don't think i am saved atm because i am living a life of iniquity and wilfully sinning daily. Am i saved despite being in so much sin still? I mean If there are believers who will in that day get told to depart from Him because He never knew them surely a believer living the way i currently am would qualify as one of those believers? Or, does the fact that i am bothered by my sin mean i am simply on my journey to repentance and am indeed saved? I am so lost. I guess in a way i have been waiting for God to magically cure me and change my ways for me but i don't know if that will happen. I cannot do this without His help and i am unsure of if and how this help will come. I have so so many questions and these are just a few of my basic concerns. Any help and input is greatly appreciated. Blessings and thanks in advance.8[/QUOTE]

 

[tourist]

Glad to have you onboard with us. Welcome to CC.

 

[oyster67]

i am not considered the sort of person who would become a man of God.

I am considered an outsider and have been banned from ministry for reasons I will not go into now. It does not matter what others say or think when you know you are loved and accepted by Jesus. He is all that matters. Let Him have His way in you. We all start out as dirty lumps of clay. Just give Him a chance. Stand back and watch what He can do.

Isaiah 64
6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. 8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 9Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

 

[Walter]

Thanks i appreciate your kind words. My life is a complete mess in all honesty, pretty serious stuff going on and i'm not helping myself in the slightest. I'm yearning to be a faithful servant of our Lord and Saviour but i'm stuck doing the opposite. I want to be able to tell others about God without being a hypocrite too. People who know me are stunned by my belief in Christ as i am not considered the sort of person who would become a man of God. A lot of folks think i have gone crazy and the sad thing is i can fully understand their point of view because i too was once decieved like they and i once saw believers as nutjobs..

Anyhows.. may i ask for your input?... I've shared my testimony as to how i became a believer but i don't call myself saved as i don't think i am saved atm because i am living a life of iniquity and wilfully sinning daily. Am i saved despite being in so much sin still? I mean If there are believers who will in that day get told to depart from Him because He never knew them surely a believer living the way i currently am would qualify as one of those believers? Or, does the fact that i am bothered by my sin mean i am simply on my journey to repentance and am indeed saved? I am so lost. I guess in a way i have been waiting for God to magically cure me and change my ways for me but i don't know if that will happen. I cannot do this without His help and i am unsure of if and how this help will come. I have so so many questions and these are just a few of my basic concerns. Any help and input is greatly appreciated. Blessings and thanks in advance.8

[/QUOTE]
Seems to me that you really need to seek ye 1st. the kingdom of God and His righteousness, but before that, if you learned about it, is to begin to do whatever The Lord tells you because He knows everything anyway, but you must first make sure that it is Him, ok?

Sir, the 1st. the thing that I did was I repented of the things that were wrong in His sight, then I started to learn more about what was pleasing to Him because I really to become a true Christian.

 

[JillianMarie]

Welcome, I hope you enjoy everyone here they are very kind.

 

[Walter]

Seems to me that you really need to seek ye 1st. the kingdom of God and His righteousness, but before that, if you learned about it, is to begin to do whatever The Lord tells you because He knows everything anyway, but you must first make sure that it is Him, ok?

Sir, the 1st. the thing that I did was I repented of the things that were wrong in His sight, then I started to learn more about what was pleasing to Him because I really to become a true Christian.[/QUOTE]
Proverbs 28:14 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Walter

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

Hi Jono,

Feel free to share your testimony anytime.

 

[Adstar]

Hi all, new here.. i'm also quite new to the truth in Christ Jesus after a lifetime of atheism and mocking and scoffing. I won't write my testimony here as it's quite long and i'm unsure if this is the place to do so but i will say that although i now know Jesus is exactly who He says He is i am still struggling in my walk with God. I have absolutely no fellowship with any believers as my family and friends are all either atheists or simply not interested in being saved so i hope to begin to find fellowship with like minded folks and that is what has led me here. Blessings.

Always great to hear from someone who has come to believe Jesus.. As a former atheist of the mocking and scoffing variety you may be well positioned to respond to current atheists when they start their mocking and scoffing at your belief..

In here you will find a lot of people who believe in God.. And you will get a lot of opinions about different things in regard to the will of God and the Way God has made for mankind to be saved.. You may come upon one or two heretics masquerading as Christians too.. So i strongly encourage you to read the Gospels and the letters of the New Testament, often praying as you do asking God for wisdom to understand what He needs you to understand..

Yes indeed God can and does speak to us through other Christians and that's why fellowship is one thing The LORD told us to not neglect.. It is good there are places like this where we can get some of that fellowship.. But there is Good fellowship and there is bad fellowship.. So as the Bible says::

1 Peter 5:
8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

 

[Adstar]

Wow thanks for the replies guys!

Believing i am who He says i am is very difficult for me with the things i have going on and the repetitive willful sin i am stuck in.

Willful sin is not just sin.. It is sinning with an in your face attitude towards God.. People who sin willfully don't regret it and have no remorse for it.. They do not desire the Atonement of the LORD Jesus.. If one hates their sin, if one longs to be without that sin. Then you have the rightious attitude towards God and His Word..

 

[Gideon300]

Wow thanks for the replies guys!



That is a very enightening reply sir, thank you! Believing i am who He says i am is very difficult for me with the things i have going on and the repetative willful sin i am stuck in. I guess i should elaborate and give my testimony.. Well, i have a lot going on and whilst i'm aware we all have a lot going on my life is actually extremely chaotic and full of self destructive behaviour. An abusive childhood, OCD, depression and self harm have all helped me put myself in a very dark place...

I am 35 now and have been a severe drug addict for well over a decade and generally using subtances for about 20 years total. This iniquity has brought nothing but chaos and misery and despite being a believer now i am still stuck in my addiction. In fact, i'm tempted to say things have become even harder since becoming a believer!! I won't go into too much detail regarding the chaos but as you can imagine it has been crazy and i have all kinds of things going on...

So, anyway, I was a mocker who believed basic science disproved Gods existence and one night in 2016 i found myself in a jail cell praying to a God i didn't even believe in out of pure desperation. I said "God if you exist and can help me out of this situation i promise to serve you for the rest of my life". I was released early the next morning and went on my way giving no more thought to this prayer. I had no intention of serving God as i didn't and couldn't believe He even exists as my belief in evolution was so strong... It was no more than 3 months after that night however that the penny dropped! I had all but forgotten that prayer and promise but i realised that during those 3 months i had begun to see the things God knew i needed to see for the deception to be lifted from my eyes and to be able to truly know God exists!! My whole worldview, a lifetime of false belief was upturned and I then realised that clearly God wasn't gonna allow me to make a promise to serve Him and then walk away not even believing in His existence so He gave me the eyes to see! Suddenly everywhere i looked i could see the beauty and wonders of creation!! This cannot be a coincidence, God MUST have lifted the deception from my eyes!! Anyway, this led me to finding out who this creator is and of course found that Jesus is the truth!!

Despite this, my addiction persists and my sinful ways continue and i do not know how to break free. I know He is real and I've called upon His name but my troubles have worsened. In what way will He give me rest? How will He free me from this mess? All these things were developed prior to being a believer but now i believe in Him it hasn't gotten any easier at all. I have an immense amount of questions but this post is getting awfully long so i will leave it there for now. Thank you for reading i look forward to any help and advice. God bless.

The night is always darkest just before dawn. I have a similar story, not quite as extreme as yours. I was born again 50 years ago. Before then, I was a drunk, nearly died from alcohol poisoning twice in two weeks, I was depressed and suicidal. I was not yet 21. My prayer consisted of "There must be more to life than this!"

Our problem is usually that we are focused on what we imagine is reality. Yes, we still suffer from bondages. I got drunk one more time after I was saved. I imagined that I could control my drinking now. I was perversely proud of my ability to drink. My liver was not so happy with me!

We need to know that we are not what we think or feel. This can only happen as the truth gets into our hearts and grows there. The truth is that Jesus is now your life. He is not your new set of rules or just your helper (although He does help). He lives in you to be in you all that God requires of you. One day I quit trying to be a good Christian. I told Jesus that it was all too hard for me. I said that if He wanted me to be victorious as a Christian, He would have to do it. I gave my whole life over to Him, nothing held back. That was hard for me. From that time on, things gradually changed. I am nothing like I used to be, as my fiancee will testify. I've known her for 40 years and she's seen the change.

Satan hates you and wants to render you ineffective as a Christian. He is a liar and destroyer. He accuses you before God. You need to know that you are forgiven and that the blood of Christ has paid for all your sin, including what you did a minute ago. Study God's word! Ask God to show you what His word means in experience. Theology saves no one. The truth sets us free.

I have to go, but I'm happy to help you any way I can.

 

[JonoRH]

Willful sin is not just sin.. It is sinning with an in your face attitude towards God.. People who sin willfully don't regret it and have no remorse for it.. They do not desire the Atonement of the LORD Jesus.. If one hates their sin, if one longs to be without that sin. Then you have the rightious attitude towards God and His Word..

Yes i can fully understand how it is an "in your face" attitude but believe it or not, although i am willfully sinning i do actually have remorse for it. If i had no remorse at all i wouldn't be here seeking advice and fellowship with believers and wishing to be different. I realise however that actions speak louder than words and common sense would have anyone say that if i really did have any remorse i would simply stop this repetative sin but it actually isn't as simple as that...

There are sins that i have stopped since becoming a believer such as blasphemy and fornication but my drug addiction continues despite my wishes to be free from it. There are many things intertwined with my addiction now which most people won't be able to understand fully...my circumstances and mental health issues are feeding my desire to use drugs and without elaborating on those things it will be even harder to understand but my point is it isn't something i can suddenly choose to stop doing, despite the fact that common sense says i do really have the power to do so as i am the one in control.. Crazy right?

It would actually be detrimental to my health if i abruptly ceased my drug use but i have substitute medication to avoid those problems so that is no excuse and neither are any of the other reasons why i continue to use but the fact remains i have mental health issues that are making it feel nigh on impossible to stop so i seriously need Gods help to do so. My frame of mind and personality changes so drastically and suddenly at different times making it hard to accomplish and achieve things in life and my new found lonliness and empty days are numbed with drug use.

I have cried out and prayed and begged God to remove my desire and need for drugs and replace it with a desire for Him and a desire to constantly seek Him and study His word but the opposite has begun to happen. I was many years into this addiction before i became a believer and have now been using drugs longer than the time i wasn't using drugs so simply stopping isn't gonna happen by my power alone. I lived all my life without God and just look at the mess i made!! Sorry for such a long reply but i hope you can understand that i do have remorse for my sins and do wish to change despite still sinning.

 

[Magenta]

CRA Christians in Recovery (anonymous) - Christian Chat Rooms & Forums

You may find that thread ^ helpful...