†REDEEMED†

I grew up in an average, liberal, catholic family in NJ. church was boring growing up. Like every other kid in my hometown, i had already gone through most of the sacraments of the catholic institution by the time i was 13. in high school, i became depressed by the issues of life and i turned to music and friends for comfort in the midst of my sin and wickedness. i was basically into the punk/emo/post-hardcore music scene for awhile, and i was also into the occult. going to concerts, being suicidal, hanging out with friends, and the opposite sex were my main interests, basically. i became so depressed that i felt as if i was walking through life in a fog. i had never read a Bible before. how could i know the things of God without someone telling me the things of God? I was prideful and thought that just because i went to the catholic church on sunday and confession once a year that i was going to heaven. The only reason that I never got involved in drinking or drugs was because a family member of mine had somewhat of a drinking problem when I was growing up. This family member and I got into physical fights a lot, and it was horrible. I am so ashamed of how I treated this person before I was saved, and I also now forgive them for the years of turmoil that we had . It is only through Christ that I can forgive or love anyone. I was an extremely perverted and selfish person growing up, and i had a short temper. there is still nothing good in me, but the only difference is that Jesus snatched me from the fires of hell and from my formerly sinful lifestyle. the Lord constantly reminds me of where he took me from. The Bible says that there is no one that is good..even Jesus said that "There is no one good but God." i was not seeking after God because i was living for myself. my friend invited me on a charismatic catholic retreat my sophomore year of high school and it seemed interesting. i became very interested in the catholic religion and i bought a catholic bible, and i became deceived by the false messages presented on the charismatic catholic retreats. since i had no where else to turn, i fell for their lies, hook and sinker.
I was still catholic during high school and for some of my freshman year of college. During my first year of college, I started to study the differences between the protestant and the catholic faith, and I began to see how the Scriptures from the Bible in the catholic faith are twisted to make catholics think that their church is the one true church, when indeed it is not. I feel that the catholic church is just as disgusting as the lukewarm protestant church.
I eventually left the catholic church and got into the protestant faith, but it wasn't time for God to save me yet. I started to be awakened to some Scriptural truths when God sent someone in my life to encourage me to question my salvation during the summer of 2006. This person had prompted me to ask God to save me from hell in my own words (rather than just reciting some man made prayer). I did do that, but because I was prideful, I thought that it was ridiculous to ask God to save me again since I had said prayers to accept Jesus that I had found in books before (I didn't realize that I was still lost until a little bit later). Attaining salvation is more than just saying some magic prayer to 'accept Christ' though; that "Jesus savior" prayer that some protestants teach that you have to 'recite' is found nowhere in the Bible. the Christian life is about a total denial of self, for Jesus says things in His Word like "Deny yourself," "pick up your cross," and "follow me." The interpretations that one sees of Christianity in most churches today and especially on television are false, and Jesus said in the end times in His Word that false teachers and false prophets would come to deceive people,and the Bible also says that people will turn away from sound doctrine and go after what their itching ears want to hear. if you study Christianity, you will see that either Jesus is the Absolute Truth, or that He is Absolutely insane. Christianity is not some form of psychological placation; it is not a 'fairy tale' to believe in just so one can make themselves feel better about their life. true Christianity does not promise you a better life. But, what you are promised is perseuction (being mocked/made fun of/etc. for your faith) and eternal life, a relationship with God for now and for all eternity, freedom from the bondage of sin, and salvation from hell.
Another time during that summer, I was reading someone's blog where they spoke of the righteousness of God, and how when we die, we will all have to give an account to Christ of ourselves. I had heard this type of preaching before, but it never really hit me until this past summer (2006). God is Holy, and His standard for Goodness is the 10 commandments. The Ten Commandments are like a mirror that show us our sinfulness and wickedness. Romans 3:19 is a passage in the Bible and it talks about how the law (10 commandments) stops every sinner's mouth so that the whole world may be guilty before God. it is so interesting, how everyone has just 'happened' to break the 10 commandments. The ninth commandment says "You shall not lie." I have lied, therefore I am a liar. It doesn't matter how many lies I've told or what kind of lie it is, if I've told even one lie, then I am still a liar. The 8th Commandment says "You shall not steal." When I was younger, I stole something from our school's library. I've also downloaded music illegally over the internet in the past. Time doesn't erase sin..whether I rob a bank, steal a candy cane, or cheat on my taxes, it is still theft. The third Commandment tells us that we cannot take the name of the Lord our God in vain. I have used God's name in vain in my past.. ever wonder why the name of "Jesus" is used as a curse word even amongst atheists? why is that? why isn't some other 'god' 's name like 'allah' used as a curse word? Could it be that the 'gods' of other religions are false and that as Jesus said in His Word he is the "One True God?" (John 17:3). Using God's name as a curse word (even saying "Oh my G-d") is blasphemy. It is taking the name of a Holy God who gave you life and bringing it down to the level of a four letter filth word. Jesus also said on the sermon on the mount that you should not commit adultery (the Seventh Commandment), but He brought the standard a little higher and 'raised the bar,' so to speak. He said that even if you LOOK upon someone with lust you've already committed adultery with them in your HEART. He knows our secret life..our thoughts are not hidden from Him, as His Word says. He said the same about murder, that if you are even angry with someone or hate them then you are guilty of murder in God's eyes(thus breaking the 6th Commandment). We are all guilty under God's law, and we are all hell deserving sinners. The book of James says for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking the whole thing. we've only gone through a few of the 10 commandments. i am guilty of breaking these, and if you're honest with yourself, so are you. The Only Thing that could ever get anyone into heaven is the perfect, sinless, person of Jesus Christ , fully human and divine, who came to earth over 2,000 years ago and died as a criminal died back then, by crucifixion. The Book of Romans talks about how for a just or good person someone might die, but God proved His Love towards us in that while we were still SINNERS, Christ died for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that "He made Him who KNEW NO SIN to BE SIN for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." That means that since Jesus is God, and never committed a sin because He is Holy, He still took the punishment of those who would repent and follow Him upon Himself..God's wrath was poured out upon His Son who took the punishment of His elect upon Himself for every time they've cursed his name, committed sexual sin, rebelled, etc... and He paved the way to heaven with His Blood. Then, He rose from His tomb three days later, defeating death ! He is the only 'founder' of 'his religion' that is still alive ! He's alive in heaven. Oh, and he's also the only 'founder' of 'his religion' whose body is still not where it was buried. That's 'cause He rose from the grave and is seated at the right hand of the Father, according to the Bible.
The Bible also says that "whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" and John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall never perish but have eternal life." but Jesus also warned "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.." and John 3:36 says that God's wrath abides on those who do not believe in Jesus. But it's more than just believing in Him, because the Book of James says that even the demons believe and tremble. We must repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. He does not love you in your sin, He does not want you to stay in it. Psalm 7:11 says that God is angry with the wicked everyday. Acts 17:30-31 talks about how "God calls all people everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained." Verse 31 goes on to say "He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." He's coming back to judge the world in righteousness, and to take vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).
I had realized all of this my freshman year of college (about the 10 commandments and how I had broken them) from a website that I saw which explains this better, but it wasn't until the summer of 2006 that it really hit me personally and I was left to weep for the opportunities that I had missed to tell others of the salvation that saves us from hell. That had happened just a little while after the day that I had asked the Lord to save me for the first time when I was first led to question my salvation. Since then, the Lord convicted me that summer through a sermon called "Examine Yourself" by Paul Washer, in which he goes through the Book of 1st John--the "marks" of a true Christian. I became really convicted and I realized by that sermon that i was never converted during my high school years nor during my first year of college when i left the catholic church. God also led me to cry out to Him through another sermon that I had heard in the beginning of my sophomore year of college called "8 Marks of a True Christian" by Pastor David Downs, in which I became 'poor in Spirit." I realized that every 'good thing' that I had tried to do to gain his acceptance when I became interested in the catholic faith, and everything that I tried to do for Him after I left the catholic faith for the true Biblical Christian faith was (as the Book of Isaiah says) 'filthy rags' in his sight. I started crying out to God for salvation a lot after I starting hearing Pastor Dave's sermons. I realized that God does have the power to save me from all of my sins if i would only repent and follow Him! Salvation is a gift from God; no one can 'earn' it (Eph 2:8-9). Because I was awakened to the realities of my sin and truths in Scripture so many times from the summer of 2006 to the months beyond, it is hard to pinpoint the exact moment when God saved me, but I do know that throughout 2006-2007, I became convicted by the terrors of God's Holy Law and His wrath. I know that there has been a genuine change in my life since then. I know that Jesus has made me a regenerate believer... a new creation, and i became born again. He granted me repentance and saving faith.
To be saved you must be born again (John 3:3). Those who are born again by God's Spirit become new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). They hate the sin that they once loved, and they love God instead. You must confess your sin to God and REPENT which means to do a 180 degree turn AWAY from your sinful lifestyle..turning from your sin to serve God. you must believe in the Gospel, and follow Jesus Christ for all of your life, and if you are truly His , His Holy Spirit will give you the Grace to do this.
John 3
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. "(Isaiah 55:7)
Isaiah 1
18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD,"Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Romans 10
9Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.
Matthew 10
37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
"Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3:19)
If you become a true Christian, His Word says that he wants you to follow in the footsteps of Jesus..'picking up your cross to follow Him' as Jesus says to do..remembering that this world is not your true home.. living your life as a living sacrifice 'poured out' for the Lord who deserves all the Glory. For a Christian, reading the Bible everyday is extremely important, since it is God's Word, as well as praying and being in fellowship with other Christians. You can message me if you want more information, or if you want to be my friend on here. Some great information on becoming a Christian can also be found at this site. Much love. <3
Job 8
11 "Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds flourish without water?
12 While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish,
14 Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is a spider’s web.
15 He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
Psalm 119
141 I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
Ecclesiastes 1
17And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
Lamentations 3
22It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
1 Peter 2
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Paul Washer--"God's Man"
CrossTV-"The Holy Spirit Told Me"?
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Atheist questions Darwinism after hearing Kirk Cameron
Steve Lawson on "Whitefield's Rock":
Paul Washer's thoughts on true repentance and justification: