winner01:
TheSixthSense, I praise God for your life. I've also been in such a situation. I stem from an islamic background and later professed Christ (after someone preached to me) even though I didnt even know what I was into. I sought to know the reality of the scriptures. Nigerian churches were not helping matters. During my service year, I had to stop going to church because the preaching and testimonies and even seats were clear show off, no single regard for the poor and needy. They had few churches around and most were the same. I remember my older brother who had just got converted telling me to just seek God and keep an open mind. I had told him earlier that i'm okay and I live a good life, I didnt need anybody to tell me what to do.
I didnt want to be affliated with religion or even atheism. I just wanted to be that free intelligent and self-reliant human. My parents also encouraged freedom of religion so that made it easy.

I "enjoyed" my life to the fullest. What we call enjoyment is actually killing us. I lost 2 of my friends to alcohol. One drowned while drunk, the other died while driving him to the hospital. I remember we had an accident while coming back from a club in lagos, the car summersaulted from overspeeding, no one was injured, we all got down laughing at our drunk friends who drove.

Recently one of my very close friends called me to tell me that she does not have a womb anymore. Do I need to talk about my battle with glaucoma. Most of the friends that I had are either addicts of alcohol, marijuana e.t.c. So I smile when atheists are telling me to enjoy my life. I actually live a better life right now than the sick, unrestrained and devil controlled life I've lived as a young man. I've noticed that the devil is in control of most of the lives of those people who think they are directing themselves.

My being sober still did not lead me to Christ, an ex-cultist made me see the world for what it really is. A man who was active in a spiritual realm controlled by demons started to tell me the inner workings of such government. I started to think to myself "are these things real?"...

Bros, lemme just stop here. I've seen things in this life. I'm more than convinced that Jesus is Lord. Maybe I should just open a thread on why I am a Christian.

and I will love to read your story...please?

[quote author=TheSixthSense post=48517984]Part 2: Road to Redemption

That I didn’t believe in God anymore didn’t make me a ‘moral' person, it wasn’t even like I was man of good ‘moral’ standing before I became an atheist but I would easily pass as one, probably from my appearance and the way I speak. But I was lonely - I’m still sort of a loner now but I certainly know the difference - an alcoholic - pretty normal in Nigeria now so we don’t see it as a problem, smoked heavily, had a heart filled with darkness but for the sake of anonymity I leave out the rest.

I also opened up to a lot of mystical beliefs, there had to be a bit of truth in everything other than christianity, Zodiac, psychic reading, law of attraction, New age positive thinking, and zen relaxation. Simply put, I was miles from being a good/nice guy, so becoming an atheist didn’t necessarily give me a pass to live as I please because I don’t think I had much of a conscience at that point-, it was for reasons I mentioned in part 1. But it actually created more room, and so I could clear out the remaining bit of conscience left, without premeditation, I would often argue against religion being the basis for morality like Richard Dawkins would, saying that morality isn’t from God/religion rather it’s by living by the ‘golden rule’ ‘do unto others what you would to yourself’

Anyway, my road to redemption started after I watched the movie 'The Conjuring’ not that I am a movie person but what sparked my interest was that it was based on a true story. So I got the book about the protagonists in the movie 'The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Loraine Warren.’ It describes the preternatural the way it can be understood by non-religious people, because it isn’t a religious book in itself. It explains the phenomena from personal experiences as demonologists (study of spirits), and I found that they keep an occult museum where they display paraphernalia such as photos, recordings, and objects from every case, for exhibition. Some quotes from the book: ‘Some of the objects and amulets stored are so negatively ‘charged’ that just by holding one of the items it is possible to provoke the original spirit to manifest or cause possession to occur instantly’ ‘there is the long black spike a satanic witch used long ago to murder her newborn infant as a sacrifice to the devil' also skulls as chalices for drinking blood etc were being kept in the museum. Now, I didn’t need to go to the museum to find out if they were true or not, I was just utterly disgusted by even reading about them.

In fact, if you get to that point in the book, you would have gotten a vivid picture of the wickedness and darkness people get involved with. How people can in the convenience of their bedroom summon/invoke all the evil in the world by simple rituals or simply attract them in ignorance by their actions. So that when you hear a christian say God said ‘The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked’ you cannot help but agree in your unbelief.

Anyway, having read and seen all that, I realised I had no spirit in me and had being in denial all along, without even knowing. And oh how vulnerable I was to the whims of the wicked. It was obvious that living in denial does not disprove anything but rather keeps one uninformed - but I love being informed- and unprepared if/when one encounters the phenomenon being denied and in the case of these demonic spirits, vulnerable. But it also makes you reflect too, because it also explains how people invite these unclean spirits sometimes from seemingly benign habits.

Now, the book doesn’t tell you to accept Jesus or anything like that, it just advises to steer clear of Ouija boards, spell books, necromancers, and objects you don’t understand. But it affirmed the power of the name of Jesus Christ and God, prayer and religious objects as the only things that overcome the most evil of these inhuman spirits.

Excerpts: [b]“...A particularly striking aspect to demoniacal phenomena is that the demonic spirit is actually moved to violence when exposed to religious articles, the recitation of prayers, or reference to God or Jesus Christ…the subject is not religious because I say it is or as I may want to believe, it is religious because that’s the only power that it - the demonic spirit - responds to.-
By your testimonies, others will change in Jesus name.Amen.

allanphash7:
I dont have much to say but take this image

That argument for atheism is dangerously flawed!

4everGod:


Atheists threads do not grace front page because Atheism is not popular so cannot generate traffic. Christianity on the other hand generates traffic which is why it always graces from page. Seun is not stupid with business. To Seun its business but to me its persecution yes you can take that conclusion to the bank.

The owner of nairaland is an Atheist so go figure especially when 80% of the Christian threads that hit front page are about the supposed evils in Christianity.

At least you are honest, the guy I quoted claimed that christian threads doesn't
grace front page which is a lie.

Isn't it weird that you equate crime threads with christian threads ?
Are you suggesting that any crime committed by christians should never
be on FP ?

If that is the case, no crime story will ever get reported because criminals
aren't aliens, there are christian, muslim , traditionalists and atheists criminals.

It is quite a pity that you felt responsible fro the crimes committed by your brothers'
and sisters' in faith

4everGod:


Atheists threads do not grace front page because Atheism is not popular so cannot generate traffic. Christianity on the other hand generates traffic which is why it always graces from page. Seun is not stupid with business. To Seun its business but to me its persecution yes you can take that conclusion to the bank.

The owner of nairaland is an Atheist so go figure especially when 80% of the Christian threads that hit front page are about the supposed evils in Christianity.

At least you are honest, the guy I quoted claimed that christian threads doesn't
grace front page which is a lie.

Isn't it weird that you equate crime threads with christian threads ?
Are you suggesting that any crime committed by christians should never
be on FP ?

If that is the case, no crime story will ever get reported because criminals
aren't aliens, there are christian, muslim , traditionalists and atheists criminals.

It is quite a pity that you felt responsible for the crimes committed by your brothers'
and sisters' in faith.

Truth be told if you are really I mean if you are indeed in Christ Jesus you will never and can never go back to belief in anything contrary if any body tells you that I converted to whatever he really have not seen the light in the first place no matter how devoted the person was in the Church because Christianity is actually a way of life and Church really is wherever brethen are gathered we are the Church not the building if you are an exceptional Christian you will bring more people to Christ than any crusade believe me. If two or more gathered in my name I am there with them. Note gathered in My Name.
There are too many Nicolaitians around today but guess what it has to be that way because the scriptures has to be fulfilled so don't expect fake prophets and pastors to go away it will in fact increase, it is left for you to seek the truth and become liberated from religion and strange beliefs.[color=#006600][/color]

SINGING

Demons tremble at your presence...
What a mighty God we serve...
Glory Glory Halleluyah...
Everything written about you is great.

Devil just lost another one.

4everGod:


You would wait for 100yrs for this to make front page. No thread that shows the weakness of Atheism has ever made it there. The anti christian conspiracy here is gargantuan.

Another reason to believe God. Have faith in God brethren. I prayed. God is putting His message out there.

To each his own. To me phuck religion.

From fry pan to fire

Typically personal! The amount of information and environmental experience make judgement of our beliefs. Theism, athiesm, agnostic, Christian or islam. The world will never come to an agreement over which is true, just up there someone already make a comment of d op coming to almight God via islam and not a trauin god in Christ and you are never wrong and so is the others according to our belief.

You story is so pessionate. Maybe God should get more busy with giving us all such personal experience. At least he is almighty and all doing.

Dont quote me to open my heart! I have always been.

#agnostic

Isn't it glorious? shouldn't this be additional evidence to believe that God is alive. In an Islam bias forum, my first topic makes front page, not even on a Sunday. Coincidence? I think not. God is faithful. He is the living God!, He died for you and He is calling.

I pray about every post I put up and for whoever reads it. The seed is being planted. You may not know it now, but the Holy Spirit would convict your hearts of sin, and you will see the need for repentance, and only Jesus Christ will save you. I cannot convince anyone like my bible tells me. It is our Father in heaven that draws us Matt 6:44

If you are looking for superior arguments, Maybe this post isn't for you. But if you have questions, or doubt my atheism. You are very welcome.

Looking at theism closely.. ..

It looks like stories of various greek gods.

Sending His son to die for sins! He should just change our heart. He is the claimed almighty.


Just not enough proof, just not enough!

And you story i must say great experience and worth been an evidence as u said.

But not just enough of so much said or we humans face.

#agnostic of this views

okay, nice write up, but all I see is another man's point of view
we all live a different lifestyle, some people will never have an encounter with God till they die...
as I always say we all met ourselves in this world, everyone was given birth to by a woman, we all grew up as little kids without knowledge of anything.... we were thought everything we claim to know today by a human who was once a kid with no knowledge.....
Not gonna argue about God's existence or not ... but no one actually knows the truth... if God is nice enough to show to you that he exists , it should be easy for him to show everyone...
at least we've seen stories in the bible , jesus going up into the sky, walking on water and all sort...
if there's truly a higher power then he should show us.
I'm not an atheist..... i'm a freethinker

TheSixthSense:


I tell you. Coming from their position, I know that arguments do little. Also when I read their posts, I can't stop thanking God for my life. They are slaves of sin blinded but they don't even know it. Here it is Rom 8:7-8 'The mind that is set on flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God' Anyway, the seed is planted and I pray they take heed.

Am almost in tears, I can relate with what you now have. I was born, raised and breed a Christian. Things went awry when everything started falling apart I couldn't get a job etc. I started doubting the existence of God though I still went to church was even a choir leader. I was towing away from Christ but any day I went to church d pastor in that church will preach me. Then I realized I was empty, my peace was gone things even got worse. I thought the answer was to be an atheist just to get back at God to make him pay for not loving me, I realized I couldn't even be an atheist cos I believed there's a God and am just angry at him, I thought about drug carrying, suicide etc. Until I heard deep inside of me the resounding love of this being.
I never knew or understood the summoning of spirit that u explained but I remembered the scripture said "come lets reason togeda......" I reasoned with God wrote it on my diary and we made a covenant. I found peace. Things have since then been changing. God is real,Jesus is real the holy spirit is real. I don't know how to explain it all friends.,,,,.they exist, they do.

I really love this TheSixthSense

What is your problem sir? Since the beginning of this thread, no one has implied that God is real simply because they say so. All the suggestions say "seek God and ask him to reveal himself to you and He will".

please read.

neocortex:


Wow , this is one of the greatest proof I have seen.
Pidggin says god is real , therefore it is the truth.

Amberon11:
What is your problem sir? Since the beginning of this thread, no one has implied that God is real simply because they say so. All the suggestions say "seek God and ask him to reveal himself to you and He will".

please read.

sister is this you?

youngestland:


pain atheist in the ass why? you sound like a young guy

athiesm is not a religion bros we are not competing for humans we believe everyone should use their head

i always tell people you cant be an athiest because of another person its personal you have to be the one to take that decision after you have carefully taught of it. please e no go pain us because we no they find followers abeg

nice one op I still hope I will get an evidence that there is a god because am seriously searching but till then I they my lane

Atheism is a religion of "there must be no God". They are just as Zealous as theists .

My own inference.

That is because he is a god.

Psalm 82: 6 I said , "You are gods , And all of you are children of the Most High.

Swizdom:
When I think about a writer who takes the seat of a driver to take one smoothly on a roller-coaster, this Op comes to mind.

[b] You write like a god!

[/b]

What's the name of the church.

From u wot u said,its like a church I know. Wen u step in d ushers will welcome u n direct u to ur sit, they don't clap,they only say amen. N dey play instruments such as,violin,viola,flute,trumpet no drumset.

itsawrapoutfitt:
The OP said mentioned alot of issues churches (called and uncalled) need to critically think about.

Are they really getting sinners to God and pushing them away? a rhetorically question only the ministers of the gospel can answer

The message of the cross is Jesus died to save us from sin and death. By His ressurection and the Holy Spirit we have overcome sin. Any church that doesn't preach against sin and is more concerned about money is dangerous. God is holy, and righteous, He is the unchangeable God. He didn't start liking sin and reckless living because that's the Christianity we see today. The Bible says many times that those that do these things would not inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus mostly preached against money 'You cannot serve God and money' 'the deceitful nature of money' 'Whoever thinks he is rich here isn't to God' 'Lay up treasues in heaven for where your treasure is is where your heart will be' Jesus didn't compromise in His message, many disciples left Him when He spoke the truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.

Besides, whatever you say to an unbeliever cannot convict him. It is the Holy Spirit that does. So why be sparing about the truth. Why say God came to bless you mightily and make you rich so accept Him, when money makes it even harder for you to remain in Christ, instead of 'If you continue living this way, you will perish'

I want to be in heaven with Jesus and I have decided to follow Him

If not for Jesus, the kind of Christianity being practised these days, One would have bcome an atheist. As for me I believe in Jesus and God but I no longer do organized religion. I am now more rational in my belief and it makes me to b humanistic.

adjoviomole:
What's the name of the church.

From u wot u said,its like a church I know. Wen u step in d ushers will welcome u n direct u to ur sit, they don't clap,they only say amen. N dey play instruments such as,violin,viola,flute,trumpet no drumset.

No that's not it. The church isn't the message here. It's Jesus Christ and a relationship with Him that is. I rarely invite people to church, except when I'm out with my church. But Jesus is the message not church.

Slimmos:
If not for Jesus, the kind of Christianity being practised these days, One would have bcome an atheist. As for me I believe in Jesus and God but I no longer do organized religion. I am now more rational in my belief and it makes me to b humanistic.

That's how it starts, the devil doesn't sleep, seek Jesus show effort you'll find Him, ask Him to lead you to where You can grow as a Christian. There are still good churches in Nigeria. You may not like the church, but it's normal just keep talking to Him about your concerns then you'll discover the church is usually for encouragement so you don't feel alone (although you're never alone with Jesus) walking in Spirit.

Slimmos:
If not for Jesus, the kind of Christianity being practised these days, One would have bcome an atheist. As for me I believe in Jesus and God but I no longer do organized religion. I am now more rational in my belief and it makes me to b humanistic.

You still get to go to hell. No be me talk am o.

Ranchhoddas:
You still get to go to hell. No be me talk am o.

y d threat about hell? Y did u even say so?

Slimmos:
y d threat about hell? Y did u even say so?

You dey fear?

Horlufemi:


Atheism is a religion of "there must be no God". They are just as Zealous as theists .

My own inference.

Atheism is not a religion. Every religion thrives on certain set rules that must be adhered to by its believers. Atheism, on the other hand, is not based on certain set rules. Every atheist get to decide his/her own principles to follow.

I would like to let you know that this response is not aimed at discrediting your experience. However, it still does not answer a question I have been asking for a long time now? What is exclusive to christians? I am agnostic but was born into a liberal christian family. My doubts developed in my early teens even before external influences such as books or Internet.

I can't deny that there were times during my late teens and early adulthood that I felt the emptiness. This made me consciously seek God but every time I sat in church I just could not comprehend what these guys were talking about or why they used very funny fatuous stories to explain passages. I gave up, it wasn't for me. ( Guess the devil really has a hold on me)

Back to my question, what is exclusive to christians? Money, happiness, long life? I respect the christian institution and what it has done for Africa but can't understand why people freak out when I choose not to live my life according to the principles of someone whose life did not cover such important areas like marriage and owning a business to name a few ( Being very basic here). I honestly wish I was in the born again bubble sometimes, I have really tried but like I said earlier it did not work.

Maybe God would find me one day like Paul. Until then I live my life happily as I can in this tough but promising country called Nigeria while not being an alcoholic, chain smoker or drug user. I refuse to believe I would be sent to burn in a special furnace for quenching my biological needs( thats the only "sin" I think I commit now). All the same I am happy for you OP

Ranchhoddas:
You dey fear?

Fear wat? I know wat I stand gor so I cant b afraid of hell. It is ur type that makes one to b come an atheist cuz of ur nonsense threat of hell fire..

4everGod:


smh. Where did he say he saved himself from himself or even where did he say he saved a man from himself?

I used the phrase because he left deceit to self destruction and claiming been saved by change in perception ( believes /God/religion )


you can as well pay attention to my signature