by choosing life 31 Replies latest jw friends
I have read on this board that several posters have had a religious experience or were saved. I am curious about such experiences. What exactly was it like? How did you know it was from God?
I have the utmost respect for everyone's experience with the divine. I am just curious as I have never had such an event in my life. Can you explain?
Yup, but I never discuss it online. The only thing I will say is that it was accompanied with an overwhelming sense of peace and a heightening of the senses. What came after, in the days, weeks, months and years, was even more sublime.
It's hard enough to communicate using cold, hard text, without attempting to describe something that was precious and life-changing. Besides, if it has become the focal point of a life then it has missed the mark. I should also state, for the record, that I don't believe such "Damascus Road Conversions" are necessary, and in fact people who experience them appear to be in the minority.
I had an emotional time when I was saved. It was a big deal to me. I got baptised on the fourth floor of a huge sanctuary overlooking 2,000 people. The minister told my story to the group and then dunked me. I can't say it was spiritual though. It was just emotional.
Now I have had times when I just knew God was there. I do evangelism once a week. Its a lot different from JW door knocking. We actually go where people are, wear plain clothes, and do not offer books or even take donations. We only give them a tract and that's if they will talk for a bit.
I know that God was there because things just worked out. We found people we knew we just needed to be with that night time and time again. For the past few years, our group hadn't found any JWs but I actually ran into 8 JWs at two different times and a family of Mormons. Another group also talked with a JW and I am supposed to go speak with her soon. I have just found that these visits really seemed like divine appointments. A lot of the time people were brought to tears. They hugged me and we found people that were in need of financial support and we were able to give them food and clothes. It was just a dramatically different experience than it was door knocking with JWs.
I never remember finding someone that gave me a hug like I was just in the right place at the right time for her in the JW field ministry. I never remember finding every single time worthwhile like I did with this group. I promise you, I can just feel the Holy Spirit. And that is the reason for my faith.
it's just like the great feeling, and the emotianal closeness to Jehovah and his Son when you start studying with the Dubs.
You are willing to give up everything because you have found that "pearl"
You read every book you can get your hands on from the witnesses, you pioneer and stay out until
11 pm preaching and teaching. You feel close to your creator and feel his approval.
Until you realize it's a lie.
Others have the same experience with Jesus as a born again, others by strapping a bomb around their chest and
kill innocent people and getting 70 virgins in heaven, the catholic that kisses and hugs the statue of St.Anthony and bows down to it and also worship the german pope
Same emotianal feeling that the Canaanites got when they burned their kids to the god Molech and the Aztecs that sacrificed their virgins to the Sun God.
They all had the truth and would die for it.
I got saved a couple of times, but it didnt take. In my opinion its just a thinking thing. Just like the 144,000 think there going to heaven. You just put your self in a state of mind then your gwine up to heaven. I was told once your saved you cant be unsaved. So I guess I'm good to go.
Actually what you do is pray the sinners prayer and ask jesus to come into your life. Then you go to church on Sunday. Then you give 10 percent of your gross. If somebody tells you that aint so. Just wait a while. They soften you up just like the witnesses do. Then they get that 10% hook in you.
Now if your saved to the baptist persuasion and you run into a fellow baptist in the liquor store, you say hello brother. But if your a pentacostal and you see another tounge speaker in the liquor store, you shun him while hes in the liquor store. Neither of you acknowledge the other till you are out of the liquor store.
Hope this helps, oh yeah and if your cars seen going down the road without you in it, thats because you were raptured. You done went up to heaven. The rapture is the Christians armegeddon. They are a little more sophisticated than the witnesses as they dont give it a date. That way it never expires. It can always be pulled out and used again and again. After all the Christians go up to heaven us apostates, pagans and heathens down here are going to have to go thru the great tribulation I think,correct me if I'm wrong for seven years. It's going to be hell here on earth then we can get another chance and repent and go to heaven. All in all I think it's a much better deal than the wathctower society offers. Like I said they havent put a date on the rapture. Now you have to be careful you get saved to Jesus and not and independent church like JIm Jones took with him to Ghihanna and the magic coolaid incident. And you dont want to get save to a cult like David Koresh had. I would recommend if you want to get saved you stick with the main stream franchises. Baptist, Pentacostal, Assemblies of God. Then your dealing with the name brands like Jerry fallwell. D. James Kennedy, Jimmy Swaggart. Jimmy and Tammy Baker, Pat Robertson. They all want your money but they havent got a reputation of bringing out the coolaid. With some of them if you give your 10 percent they will put in a word with the lord for you to have mega blessings. Its like a pissing contest, you will find that you cant out give the Lord. At least thats what they told me. My problem is I am the man of little faith. I keep thinking of that addage "Once bitten Twice shy".
Thanks for your help jaguarbass
Well, I was really angry with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and an angry fist in the other screaming at God that if he would give me a weapon to fight the injustices of the Watchtower I would take it and use it. With tears running down my face I came to the end of myself, I surrendered.
I'm starting to use the weapons of God a little better now.....whiskey no longer needed.
I was told once your saved you cant be unsaved. So I guess I'm good to
That's true that we believe once saved always saved. But we also belive that some seeds are planted on rocky soil and whither and die. So only if you are genuinely saved can you always be saved.
This logic then will never bite you in the butt. If someone gets saved and then acts like a heathen then we will just say that those were only words they said and they weren't really one of the elect.
And I don't know about this money thing. I get envelopes mailed to me but no one ever asks me for any money. I heard more about money as a JW by far. All churches are different though.
"whiskey no longer needed."
But it's still optional, right? :)
How's the little one, bro?
I was on a search for God after learning jw was wrong.
I was listening to church sermons on podcasts trying to figure out what was right and wrong. Soon I was attending two community churches in my city.
At Easter the pastor asked who, for the first time, believed Jesus to be your Savior. I was starting to see Him that way and walked to the front.
I didn't know the relavance of what I was doing, but I was becoming saved.
There were no fireworks, but my SPIRIT CHANGED!
I began to take my stand seriously as being truthful and something to be pursued. Soon I was joyful! My actions were motivated by love. I was starting to feel WHOLE. I became confident and peaceful.
There is an excitement within me. I think of the feelings inside me as the Snoopy JOY dance. I also began to realize that my feelings were just like that of being in love with Jesus! All happy and excited about Him. Not crazily either, just happily!
I KNOW that I am NOT the person I was before that happened. I KNOW that I am different! I have never felt such happiness and joy in my life! I never feel alone. I feel He is WITH me.
I have felt this for a year now. I still try to comprehend what happened. Trying to figure if this could have come from something outside of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me it is the REAL thing! I can't explain it any other way.
It isn't a genie you can use for any problem or difficulty. But it IS a change WITHIN you and a burning desire for spiritual things. You wil NEVER be the same after it happens.
I am still in shock. I wasn't looking for such an experience. And even while searching I WAS interested in what BORN AGAIN people thought, I had NO idea I was becoming one!
