|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
coming in from the cold
About the age of 15, something snapped inside me, as it does in many teenagers. Once easy-going and obedient to my parents, I became a rebel, fiercely asserting my independence. I grew my hair down to my shoulders, wore tattered jeans, and joined the many protest marches of the time.
Perhaps the biggest target of my rebellion was religion. I was convinced God didn't exist. In my view, the concept of God was just a tool people used to control the behavior of others. I lashed out scornfully at Christians and delighted in pointing out the Bible's apparent contradictions. Looking out for Number One became my motto. Selfish and arrogant, I became successful at work but certainly not at making friends.
One evening in the early 1980's I was helping an old high-school buddy move to a new home. It was a chance to catch up on events in our lives. I told my friend how three banks had all killed my application for a new car loan. This puzzled me, because I had a great job and my credit was good. Paul, a Christian, suggested that he pray for a supernatural answer to my problem. His only condition was that if God were to answer his prayer and give me this loan without further action on my part, I would have to attend church. I consented. After all, the loan was dead. Nothing would happen, and Paul would doubt his faith. It was a great opportunity to prove that God didn't exist. Paul prayed. We continued to talk.
A few minutes later there was a phone call for me. A loans officer at one of the banks I had spoken to several weeks before had inexplicably reopened my month-old file, recognized that a mistake was made, and approved the loan.
As I spoke with the loans officer at the bank, a cold chill ran up my spine. Every hair on the back of my neck stood on end. My hand trembled so hard I could barely hold the phone. Though I desperately tried to tell myself this must be a coincidence, it seemed impossible. Could it be possible that there was a God who cared about me personally? If God existed, then I was playing Russian Roulette with eternal life. I began to attend church and read the Bible with a spirit of intellectual honesty, determined to find the truth.
I studied the many prophesies about Jesus Christ, dating back more than 1,000 years before he was born. How could men have known so much about him? Could he really have been just a well-known teacher, or was he something more? I studied his teachings, and his claims. He claimed to be the very son of God. He claimed to be the only way to eternal life. I examined the remarkable changes that his disciples went through after his death and resurrection, each one willing to die for their faith. Would they die for a lie?
The evidence was overwhelming. In January 1983, about two years after that phone call, I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Since then God has dramatically changed me. God has made me a thoughtful, caring person -- someone who actually looks for opportunities to help others. I'm far from perfect, and too often do the things that I know I shouldn't do or say the wrong things. But I'm deeply changed. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ has filled me with forgiveness, love, joy, and peace. I have the freedom to enjoy life as never before. Every moment seems rich and vibrant, even in the most unpleasant circumstances. God is real, and he has made me a rebel with a cause. My greatest joy comes from serving him and sharing with others the exciting freedom of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Christian life is the greatest, most joyful adventure there is. Jesus loves you. Give him a chance to change your life.
The historical accuracy of the Bible
Would you like to know God personally?
dossier