ChiomaMee:
Good evening everyone. So, the purpose of this thread is to help the newbies in Christianity(I'm one too).

I want us to rub minds together. Tell us how you got converted, a little of the life you lived before you got converted. To the spiritually mature Christians, tell us how we can reignite our spiritual fire. Threading the path of spirituality without backsliding.

Stay blessed

analice107:

It started when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I dreamed, i still dream. But the ones that left me breathless each time, were dreams of Rapture and i being left behind every time.

Fire, like snow balls dropping from the sky and everything exploding into flames, the sun becoming fire itself. People running from and to all directions with no where to hide. I usually wake up sweating and finding it hard to breath.

No one had told me anything about Rapture, what being left behind means, and what will happen to the left behinds. See? we were almost all Catholics in my very big family, very good Catholics who follow everything the Church teaches, and Rapture is not part of it.

We were told that, wen we die, we go to Purgatory where our living loved ones will pray for us to enter paradise. And, we pray such prayers too in Church.

I told my mum ones that i kept having these dreams, she told me that the Bible said something about that when the world will end. She didn't know any better then.


I believe what orchestrated my conversion happened when i was 10yrs old.

My most eldest sister had become a Christian in School, S.U. Believe me, that girl saw hell in our house as a result of that.

My little sister, about 10 months old was struck by deadly missiles. There was nothing to be done for her, was was going to die. she had stopped eating or breast feeding for two days previously. One Sunday morning, everyone had gone to church, only my mum and i were at home, when this child passed on. Just as my mum noticed that the child had finally stopped breathing, she was crying when a young man walked into our house,

He also had become i christian in school. Him and my sister, attended the same pentecostal church so while on weekend, he decided to come visit my mum. He met us crying. He took the child from my mum, knelt down and began to pray. By the time he handed over the child back to my mum, the baby was crying again (she had lost her voice too), He was completely soaked with his own sweat by the time he was done. I watched all this but didn't know the effect that will have on me later on.

He told my mum to breast feed the child, that she will feed, and she did. That was how that girl survived till today. she is a big beautiful girl today.
The left a lasting mark in me, and i think, in my mum too.

When i was 12, i went for Baptismal classes, i did very well, and got baptized. i took my first communion, another communion service came,i was in church to go for it when i heard someone say, 'Don't take it again, it's wrong'. I turned around to see who said that, but no one paid me any attention. I think that was the first time the Lord spoke audibly to me.
When others filed out to take communion, i couldn't. From then henceforth, i never went for communion.

When i was in SS1, My Mum got saved in Deeper Life Church. My mind was no longer in CC, but i kept going because of my Dad. I didn't want to face what my sister faced and was still facing.

After secondary school, i got admission and left for school. I could have stopped going to R.C.C since i was far from home, but i kept going.

This is what drove me out of Catholic Church.

I had a friend, we were like twins, we were look alikes and that's why we became friends. She lived big in school, but i hardly saw her around guys, and she wasn't from a wealthy family, so where was she getting her money from? I didn't know and she won't talk about it.

She was sooo devoted to Catholicism. I was encouraged to see a girl like that always going to church. She never missed morning Mass. She never called me to join her though, even though i'd have loved to go, i just see her returning every morning. Off course, we were living in different hostels so i never saw her go out.

Every Ash Wednesday, be sure to see ashes on her forehead all day. Nothing happened in church that she won't go. She never called me to join her, and i kept desiring to be that good, until i discovered why she was that devoted and secretive about it. She was dating the Parish Priest.

She had to be that close so that people won't suspect her of doing anything out of the way.

Then, came the diocesan Priestly Ordination. So many seminarians from different stations came to be ordained priests in our dioceses. Another Parish Priest from her own town dioceses came and was to stay in the same convent with the same Parish priest she was dating, there was going to be a debacle as she was also dating this priest. At this point, she led me in into what was going on.

Why? She wanted to use me.
She asked me to accompany her to the convent so that i can cover her up. She was to pretend to be the sister to the visiting priest, as they spoke the same language, while i engage the other priest, to distract any of them from concentrating on her and suspecting anything. She didn't want to miss the money she was to make from the visiting priest. What??. i said NO.

Okay, now i know too much, i had to be a player so that i could keep quiet. So, a priest was arranged for me, hahahahahahahahaha. NO.

Ah, i was told what i stood to gain from dating a priest. No heart breaks, no competition, steady cash flow, trips, clothes, anything i wanted, I would leave big in school, i said No, he is a priest. My friend laughed and said, Priests are humans too, with needs'. i said not in my life will i allow that thought to occupy my mind. I felt like i was told to have sex with Jesus. God for bit it.

By this time, something started revolting from within me. So i left attending Church.
I never opened my mouth to say a word about this to any of our other friends. I just stopped going to church. later i tried attending Presbyterian church, i couldn't mix. Catholicism had taken hold of me, so i just stayed back.

Then something else happened. Amongst all my friends, we were 7 friends, i was the only one who was a day student, they all were in boarding houses while in secondary school, and most of them were Lesbians. I never knew what lesbianism was, or that there was even something like that until then. And they smoked.

God kept me away from a whole lot. these girls were pared up in school, but it never knew it was beyond just friendship. Beds, where tented completely covered. Other girls complained about their room mates disturbing them with noises at nights, Ana never understood anything.

It was then i knew why my friend was not into men, just priests for money, she was a lesbian. I was almost attacked by another friend reasons being that i had snatched her girl friend. I never knew girl friend meant something other than girl friends.

I took the matter to one of her cousins, it was at this point i was told what lesbianism was. i was in my 200level then.

They actually thought I was into it and i had taken over this other girl from her girl friend. She was talking i was asking her innocent but stupid questions, when she realized i didn't know about what she was saying, she busted out laughing, then called others to join her laughed at my naivety. It was at this point she explained everything and i started seeing passed what was always in front of me, but never connected the dots.

I never judged them, but never did what they did. The foundation my mum had laid held me back.

While in school, although still a catholic, but i had what i referred to then as 'The God of my mother'. Anytime i was challenged, i would declare a three days fast and call on 'the God of my mother' for help, i didn't know how to pray, but i believed He'll hear me, and he did, all the time. this gave me confidence to always call upon Him.

One time, another of my friends lit a cigarette and put in my hand and said, smoke it, i just held it, she said, 'Nothing will happen to you, no fear, e no go turn your eyes, no be indian herm', i put it in my mouth and dragged in some smoke into my system, i choked terribly. Her boy friend who was present took it from me and told me never to do it again. everybody most not smoke.

What that guy said that day remained with me. He said, Ana, don't let anyone make you do what you don't want to do, be yourself and have your own identity. Till this day, i never touched it again.

I got out of school, travelled to spend sometime with my a friend and sister. They are born again Christians, spirit filled and tongues talking.
I had to follow them to their church. I loved their church. The music, the whole scenario. It was great, but i hated the Pastor.

In Catholic Church we were told that Pentecostals are false prophets Christ foretold. There was a conflict inside of me, my Mum is Pentecostal and i love her God, but these other pentecostals hmmm. fake and Ocultic.

Anytime that man climbed the Altar, i will switch off and wait for him to finish. Then one day...
Still remember the Message he preached, the Bible passage, it won't leave me, for that was the day i gave my life to Christ if you ask me.

He preached from Isaiah 6:1-9. As usual i had made up my mind he was fake just there to deceive people with fake miracles to steal their money. As i was minding my business not paying attention to the Pastor, i heard a voice which said 'How many times have you seen him perform miracles since you started coming here, does he need satanic power to preach the word, Can an agent of satan preach for thieves to stop stealing and call people to turn to Jesus?'
I turned around, everyone was looking at the pastor, then who spoke?

All of a sudden it dawned on me that the man has never really preached miracles or performed any, he has just been preaching the Pure word of God. Then my gaze was shifted to listen to what he had to say, and my mind broke. It dawned on me I was the one referred to in that passage as. 'A man of unclean lips', i needed to be saved.

At the end of the message, he asked us all to stand to our feet, he said, 'anyone who needed healing the Holy spirit should release the live coal from His altar to touch and heal. The Pastor just only blew breeze into his Microphone and i went down flat on the floor. When i realized i had fallen, i quickly tried to stand up, i went down again, i felt like my limps were wax. I laid down for awhile, regain my strength then stood up but couldn't stand, i sat down for the remaining time.

On our way home, my cousin, wanted to know what happened to me? I had always said, the pastors push people down. She asked me who pushed me, she was by me all the while and the pastor never came down from the Altar, so, who pushed you down? i was quiet through out the ride home

Something happened inside of me in that service that day.

In the evening of that day, it was Home Cell, held in a member's house. We went. while there, i sat by a kid of about 7years. a girl. When it was time to pray, i stood up and prayed 'Our Father who art in heaven, glory be to the father... and ended my prayers, but I think God put that child there for my sake.

This girl was just rattling prayers, I was hearing what she was saying and was amaze at what she was saying. My God!!!!, How could she know how to pray this well, she is just a kid? She was quoting scriptures oo. She broke out in tongues, i just had goose bumps running through me, i didn't know when i started crying.

After the service, i went to my senior Cousin and said 'Pls teach me how to pray', she laughed and said, no one can teach you how to pray, because no one knows your needs more than you.

She, said, "talk to God how you talk to your Dad".

She gave me my first Bible (May her soul rest in peace). She said 'Don't worry if you run out of what to say after 2minutes, if you kept at it, He will see that you are willing to talk to him, He will help you. So, i began. I lost concentration every now and then, but kept trying to pray.

Then, i had to content with doubt. I doubted everything i read from the Bible. i doubted every testimony i heard. i doubted all the miracles Jesus performed. Doubt fought me for long.

One day, i don't know if it was me who asked myself or the Holy Spirit asked me. The question was, " What do these people including Christ, have to gain or lose from this to make them lie?
immediately, like wax before heat, the whole doubt just dissolved in me. I began to believe.

Then, the trial came. I got involved in an accident. I was immobile for 10 years. This period Christ enrolled me into what i now know to be training for the ministry ahead of me.

It wasn't easy giving in to Christ oo. It was constant battle. I got offended at him often, I got angry at the fact that he let me suffer after telling me he loves me. I wanted out. i wanted to die. I was praying for healing, then will turn and start praying to die. I didn't know how the Word of Faith worked and how to apply it.

I asked most of the questions the atheists ask here. I said all sorts of things.


Since i love to read and i didn't have a choice anyways, with plenty of time in my hands, i read all kinds of books. All kinds. people came around me who almost took me away to their own beliefs.

Once, i almost became a god to myself "New Age". I didn't even know what that meant then. I didn't know i would have become an atheist.

I fell in love with Tuesday Lopsamrampa (not sure of the spelling), Mia Caro Sarassin here, told me he was a fraud, i didn't know that then.

Twice, i tried astral projections. Imagine someone who couldn't walk, wanting to fly.

Jehovah's Witness saved me from that and almost took me with them.

Since i was home and wasn't going to church, i had a brother who always came to study with me after their meetings. I had a lot of their materials. Then my Mum noticed i started talking differently, she started crying that my soul will be lost. I was all about Watch Tower and the people sacrificing their lives for Watch Tower.

These people have a way of building Watch Tower inside of you.

One day, the brother came with a new publication titled " Should Jesus be Worshipped?", they spend time detailing why Jesus should not be Worshiped.

The brother left me with the Magazine and rushed to somewhere believing we'd discussed when he came back, but i after reading that magazine, questions rose within me, Why didn't Jesus stopped those who worshipped him in the Bible?

The Angels won't accept worship, but Jesus did, many times, why did he accept people's worship?

When the brother came, we discussed and i asked him those questions, he tried to bring up scriptures which speculates and assumes who Jesus shd be. He said Jesus was a messenger of God, and he was an Angel.
Ah, na there, i no gree again. By this time I was one leg in, so I withdrew.

Then i met a Christian Scientist who wanted me to follow him to their Scientology. That one was something like Christianity, but not entirely Christianity. I dodged again.

My miracles plenty oo. i can't go into them.

With my experiences, i don't know how anyone can convince that there's no God.

My own God is very near.

Let me testify this here.

I just moved to another part of town. my house is just by a TJunction. At this Tjunction a group of dogs numbering from 8 to 10, gather to bark fight and attack themselves from 12 midnight till dawn, every night. No one sees them in the day time, they come from everywhere for their activities.

The first night after i moved in, they kept me awake, the second night again. When i woke up, i called my neighbours and asked how they have been managing with the kind of commotion those dogs caused? they said, they felt the same way when they came in too, that i would get use to it.

I laughed inside of me and went into my housr and picked my Bible, i opened to Gen 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

I am a man, so therefore, i take authority over every dog disturbing in this environment. i dispel them from this place, i command them to relocate to somewhere. Lord, you promised me Sweet sleep, nothing shall rob me of that which you have given to me. in Jesus name.

I opened to : Gen 9:2
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

I am a a human being and all animals ought to fear me. I decree my fear into this beasts, in Jesus' name.

The Word of God says, wherever the sole of my feet shall tread on, i shall take over.

I went to that spot, they start gathering by 11pm, i went @ 10pm with the blood of sprinkling. I walked around that junction, declaring the word, sprinkling the blood of Jesus.

When Jesus was crucified on the cross, immediately His blood touched the ground, the earth quaked, the sun ran and hid its face.

So, as this blood touches this ground, no dog shall be able to stand on this ground as long as i live in this environment.

Relocate. relocate, relocate, relocate, In Jesus name. i did that for three days.

From the first day, till this day, no one dog barks in this place. Praise God.

Now tell me how i won't serve this God

benodic:

the way you christians respond to things you do not understand always make laugh. like a child who is warned by the parents to beware of the bogeyman who might just capture him .

in ECKANKAR, we are not interested in convincing anyone or begging anyone to believe in its teachings. we simply put out the truth as we know it for those who wants to know more about life . nobody forces you and nobody entraps you into becoming a member such an action in itself is a violation of spiritual law.

the teachings are simply for souls who are ready for it.
so relax , the bogeyman is not out to get you.

benodic:

the way you christians respond to things you do not understand always make laugh. like a child who is warned by the parents to beware of the bogeyman who might just capture him .

in ECKANKAR, we are not interested in convincing anyone or begging anyone to believe in its teachings. we simply put out the truth as we know it for those who wants to know more about life . nobody forces you and nobody entraps you into becoming a member such an action in itself is a violation of spiritual law.

the teachings are simply for souls who are ready for it.
so relax , the bogeyman is not out to get you.

benodic:

the way you christians respond to things you do not understand always make laugh. like a child who is warned by the parents to beware of the bogeyman who might just capture him .

in ECKANKAR, we are not interested in convincing anyone or begging anyone to believe in its teachings. we simply put out the truth as we know it for those who wants to know more about life . nobody forces you and nobody entraps you into becoming a member such an action in itself is a violation of spiritual law.

the teachings are simply for souls who are ready for it.
so relax , the bogeyman is not out to get you.

kennygee:

There is a difference between doctrines and Christianity. Nowadays, pple are carried away with the doctrines of their church so much that they make it look like doctrines will take u to heaven. It is the person who is in right standing with God and exhibits the characteristics of Jesus that will make heaven. Not the women leader who looks like a sheep but is indeed a wolf behind closed doors. It is the person Whose hidden works can withstand the Light not the hypocrite that will make heaven.

Onyiibazz: When christians want to justify indecent dressing, they say we're no more in the era of the law i.e old testament but when they want to justify tithing, they will still go back to that old testament! Christianity is a fake religion!

nora544:

are you married?

did you know how hard it is for a wife when she know that her husband has every week a new girlfriend.
Why he send her to Uk, that he has a free house in Nigeria, or in south africa where he live now.

Do you know how this is, I feel no, and she make the right.

iamSi:

Of course there is hell but NO "hell fire" . You are correct on other facets

iamSi:

Of course there is hell but NO "hell fire" . You are correct on other facets