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Salvation, Paganism, and 6 years.
Nov. 5th, 2010 03:32 pmon October 20th i had reached my 6th year of salvation. on that day 6 years ago i left my pagan convent of one year and found Christ. this will be a long article so please forgive me. i just finished arguing with one of the people i care most for in this world. she is slowly leaving paganism for Catholicism. i tried explaining to her the powers of God over the powers of the devil and salvation as well.
but i never have much luck at explanations, ill give the hardest one available and just like today they uselessly walk off offended. i hate offending people although the bible says people will be offended i would much rather lead people to the lord then to have every one walk off confused and offended.
she said that i was out of tough with other peoples mindsets just cause i asked her to read a Chick tract.
I Know Chick offends some people, this is largely do to the fact that he got into believing a large amount of conspiracy theroys most infomaous being his belief that Catholicism is evil and the pope is the future Antichrist.
however his salvation tracts are still the best in the world and with the most simplest explanation, they lead more people to the lord then any other tract.
it is sad that his conspiracy theory's are a stumbling block but i think it serves a reminder to us that know Christ that our own hypocrisy, conspiracy theroys, and weaknesses are a stumbling block to others.
i agree with Chick on one part of his conspiracy theory. i truly believe the Antichrist will be someone calming to be christian and that he wont be Athist, Muslem, Budist, Wiccan or any other belief. he will be some one claiming to be a christian.
one thing though before i return to subject. i once belived i had the power to control the wind, harness energy and reuse it, and many other powers that later came when i joined paganism.
i run into many people now who believe they have powers.
now i dont belive it is a clam I truly believed (when i was 11) that i could change the flow of the wind and harness energy. i could see the effects i could truly do it.
however i now know that that power and the powers i later believed i had when i was in paganism was not of God.
the truth is (Ill go from lest common to most) that there are many ways to tell that a power is not from God.
1. God does not give you power that you yourself controls.
2. God does not grant powers to the unsaved. (salvation will be explaned later)
3. Gods powers will never feel like a burden
4. if your not in a close relationship with God, you would not be able to see these powers, otherwise if your not with God then any powers you do see are not from him.
5. as with 3, you could only feel Joy useing the powers off God
6. any powers outside of 1st Corinthians 12:7 - 11 are not gifts from God.
7. seeing ghost is not a power at all. (I know betting a bush but some people belive it takes real sperital power.)
Satin makes people believe they have special abilities to lead them away from every saying a prayer of salvation.
it works by simply making people believe they (Themselves) have a special obility, then when Christians don't have any explanation or can only say that the obilitys are demonic the person starts becoming angry at believers and even confused.
then comes a occultist, (doesn't even have to be a pagan). who says they can explane this power.
it can be numerous amount of story's all leading away from Christ.
some even lead you to a point were you think theses powers are Gods Gifts.
any person who thinks these believes they are secure and therefore they wont pray a prayer of salvation because of it.
people who semply say that its demons causeing it say that simply because they dont know any way to explane.
when they say that to someone the person thanks right off the bat that the other person is calling them evil
or a servent of satin
its a fact
Demons opress born again christian more then any other people in the world
people who live in the fleash are a waist of time for demons cause there already away from God
they wont try to lead anyone to God
but if you can get the people that are actualy trying to get people to know God. look evil, hypocritical, or get them to be hypocritical and backslide. they will have a less likely chance of reaching the lost.
if a demons oppressing (note: oppression doesn't always mean attack in this Fraze, it also means tricking) you, weather your saved or not. you are not evil.
ok now off the very wide rabbit trail to the real subject.
what does one do to be saved.
is it by living a good life.
No
is it by going through some rituals
No
it is a simple prayer.
nothing else
so easy its unbelievable
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
none of use are perfect, nobody can lead a sinless life, none of us can cover our sins with any amount of works.
and if rituals did work wouldnt we have to repet them the next day because of our sins.
God however sends us a way out.
Romans 3:24-25 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Romans 5:6-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
and by christ being our savor he is the only way.
John 14:6-7 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
so Christ dieing for your sins all you have to do is come to him
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
in faith
Ephesians 2:8-9
repenting
Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Accepting him as lord
Hebrews 5:9
and Savor
John 3:16
a person who does this will be saved, he will go to heaven he will be born again, he will become a new creature.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ephesians 2:1-6 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And you will get to have a personal relationship with God
John 14:6-7
John 10:26-30 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.
this is a wonderful gift from God
it is simple
by faith praying repenting of your sins, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savor.
thats it.
so easy.
my testimony is dificalt, i dont like to look at my life before Christ.
not that i was this super evil murderor or something.
through life i went through many religions.
Agnostic to Catholism, to pseudo Christianity (This means i thought i was a Christian but wasnt), to Vampiric, to Pagan ( a very obscure branch of paganism, most pagans would laugh at what i was involved in.) till finally i found Christ.
i was Pagan at the time,and had gone off and on in depression all my life. one day i had such depression and met up with a friend from my Pseudo Christian days. who asked the avrige question.
hey how are you.
I was in one of my depressive fazes so i answered.
"Not so good"
he asked,
"hows your relationship with Christ?"
it hit me then that i didnt have a relationship with Christ, i had belived for a short time that my powers came from God then my beliefs switched to they came from the earth. it hit me hard that thought that i didnt ever have a relationship with Christ.
so i went to my dorm and got out a bible my grandma gave me.
so i prayed and said "God if you want me then please talk to me, i need you." (Note most words a pharaphrased)
so opened the bible and it landed on this verse.
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
the very first line hit me,
Sin of Witchcraft.
Witchcraft is a sin.
i went into paganism beliveing that Witchcraft was not a sin, i was truely fooled.
and even worse, fooled by myself.
God then took me through exodus 20:3-18 the ten comandments
Exodus 20:3-18 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
and i relised that i had broken every single one in some way or another. i had not kept one commandment.
God then led me to another verse and the words formed and it said, "are you ready to serve me"
and in a weeping whisper i said "Yes lord yes"
I had repented, accepted him as lord, then i accepted Jesus as savor.
the next day i truely felt like a new creature and i never returned to paganism of any form.
that is my testimony.
if you read this far thank you so much for reading.
but i never have much luck at explanations, ill give the hardest one available and just like today they uselessly walk off offended. i hate offending people although the bible says people will be offended i would much rather lead people to the lord then to have every one walk off confused and offended.
she said that i was out of tough with other peoples mindsets just cause i asked her to read a Chick tract.
I Know Chick offends some people, this is largely do to the fact that he got into believing a large amount of conspiracy theroys most infomaous being his belief that Catholicism is evil and the pope is the future Antichrist.
however his salvation tracts are still the best in the world and with the most simplest explanation, they lead more people to the lord then any other tract.
it is sad that his conspiracy theory's are a stumbling block but i think it serves a reminder to us that know Christ that our own hypocrisy, conspiracy theroys, and weaknesses are a stumbling block to others.
i agree with Chick on one part of his conspiracy theory. i truly believe the Antichrist will be someone calming to be christian and that he wont be Athist, Muslem, Budist, Wiccan or any other belief. he will be some one claiming to be a christian.
one thing though before i return to subject. i once belived i had the power to control the wind, harness energy and reuse it, and many other powers that later came when i joined paganism.
i run into many people now who believe they have powers.
now i dont belive it is a clam I truly believed (when i was 11) that i could change the flow of the wind and harness energy. i could see the effects i could truly do it.
however i now know that that power and the powers i later believed i had when i was in paganism was not of God.
the truth is (Ill go from lest common to most) that there are many ways to tell that a power is not from God.
1. God does not give you power that you yourself controls.
2. God does not grant powers to the unsaved. (salvation will be explaned later)
3. Gods powers will never feel like a burden
4. if your not in a close relationship with God, you would not be able to see these powers, otherwise if your not with God then any powers you do see are not from him.
5. as with 3, you could only feel Joy useing the powers off God
6. any powers outside of 1st Corinthians 12:7 - 11 are not gifts from God.
7. seeing ghost is not a power at all. (I know betting a bush but some people belive it takes real sperital power.)
Satin makes people believe they have special abilities to lead them away from every saying a prayer of salvation.
it works by simply making people believe they (Themselves) have a special obility, then when Christians don't have any explanation or can only say that the obilitys are demonic the person starts becoming angry at believers and even confused.
then comes a occultist, (doesn't even have to be a pagan). who says they can explane this power.
it can be numerous amount of story's all leading away from Christ.
some even lead you to a point were you think theses powers are Gods Gifts.
any person who thinks these believes they are secure and therefore they wont pray a prayer of salvation because of it.
people who semply say that its demons causeing it say that simply because they dont know any way to explane.
when they say that to someone the person thanks right off the bat that the other person is calling them evil
or a servent of satin
its a fact
Demons opress born again christian more then any other people in the world
people who live in the fleash are a waist of time for demons cause there already away from God
they wont try to lead anyone to God
but if you can get the people that are actualy trying to get people to know God. look evil, hypocritical, or get them to be hypocritical and backslide. they will have a less likely chance of reaching the lost.
if a demons oppressing (note: oppression doesn't always mean attack in this Fraze, it also means tricking) you, weather your saved or not. you are not evil.
ok now off the very wide rabbit trail to the real subject.
what does one do to be saved.
is it by living a good life.
No
is it by going through some rituals
No
it is a simple prayer.
nothing else
so easy its unbelievable
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
none of use are perfect, nobody can lead a sinless life, none of us can cover our sins with any amount of works.
and if rituals did work wouldnt we have to repet them the next day because of our sins.
God however sends us a way out.
Romans 3:24-25 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Romans 5:6-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
and by christ being our savor he is the only way.
John 14:6-7 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
so Christ dieing for your sins all you have to do is come to him
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
in faith
Ephesians 2:8-9
repenting
Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Accepting him as lord
Hebrews 5:9
and Savor
John 3:16
a person who does this will be saved, he will go to heaven he will be born again, he will become a new creature.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Ephesians 2:1-6 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And you will get to have a personal relationship with God
John 14:6-7
John 10:26-30 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.
this is a wonderful gift from God
it is simple
by faith praying repenting of your sins, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savor.
thats it.
so easy.
my testimony is dificalt, i dont like to look at my life before Christ.
not that i was this super evil murderor or something.
through life i went through many religions.
Agnostic to Catholism, to pseudo Christianity (This means i thought i was a Christian but wasnt), to Vampiric, to Pagan ( a very obscure branch of paganism, most pagans would laugh at what i was involved in.) till finally i found Christ.
i was Pagan at the time,and had gone off and on in depression all my life. one day i had such depression and met up with a friend from my Pseudo Christian days. who asked the avrige question.
hey how are you.
I was in one of my depressive fazes so i answered.
"Not so good"
he asked,
"hows your relationship with Christ?"
it hit me then that i didnt have a relationship with Christ, i had belived for a short time that my powers came from God then my beliefs switched to they came from the earth. it hit me hard that thought that i didnt ever have a relationship with Christ.
so i went to my dorm and got out a bible my grandma gave me.
so i prayed and said "God if you want me then please talk to me, i need you." (Note most words a pharaphrased)
so opened the bible and it landed on this verse.
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
the very first line hit me,
Sin of Witchcraft.
Witchcraft is a sin.
i went into paganism beliveing that Witchcraft was not a sin, i was truely fooled.
and even worse, fooled by myself.
God then took me through exodus 20:3-18 the ten comandments
Exodus 20:3-18 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
and i relised that i had broken every single one in some way or another. i had not kept one commandment.
God then led me to another verse and the words formed and it said, "are you ready to serve me"
and in a weeping whisper i said "Yes lord yes"
I had repented, accepted him as lord, then i accepted Jesus as savor.
the next day i truely felt like a new creature and i never returned to paganism of any form.
that is my testimony.
if you read this far thank you so much for reading.
