Deeper Conference

My Testimony

I was brought up in a Christian home. My mom and dad were church going people, and at age 9 I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I spent my days after that, with no change in my life. I grew up putting all my faith in the fact that I believed in Jesus and that He was in my heart, that I was going to heaven. But in the bible, in Matthew 15:8 It says This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. That was me. I lived for myself, and my desires. But if you would have asked me, I would have told you I was a born again Christian, even though I don’t really live like one. This is what is called a False Conversion. The bible says, I was a goat, masquerading as a sheep. I went on in my twenties to start playing guitar in a local rock band. I was fairly successful, and my friend’s Travis and Jeff, who are now saved by the grace of God, were in my band as well. We lived the rock n roll lifestyle , the way of life you see in the rock videos. Party it up, live it up, who cares about anything. But I was headed straight to Hell. I was deceived into thinking because I said a prayer when I was 9 that I was saved. According to Matthew 7:13 I was on the broad way. But a couple of years ago, my good friend Travis got saved. And he was all wrapped up in it. I agreed with what he had to say, but I thought he was going overboard. He was just saying what was in the bible. I still claimed I was a Christian, but still I was far from it. I slowly started making my way back to church. It wasn’t until I was invited to go to a conference called Transformed , that I really found out what true Christianity was. At this conference, I learned that Jesus considered looking with lust at a woman was considered adultery, and that if I hated anyone or was angry with someone, that He considers this murder. He judges the heart. And that if I stole just one thing, no matter how small the value, I was a thief in His eyes. And also, if I told one lie , I was a liar in His site. And the bible says, no liar , no thief, nor adulterer will inherit the kingdom of heaven. But hey, I thought God was forgiving. That God is love. And besides, I said that prayer when I was 9. But I learned that without repentence, without coming lowly before a righteous and Holy God, there is no forgiveness. You have to humble yourself. God hates pride, and gives grace to the humble. And I also learned you have to put your complete trust in Jesus Christ. Not just lip service, but deep trust, like you would a parachute, if you were jumping out of a plane. So many people are deceived into thinking, their good works will get them into heaven. We are saved by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ, and not by works, lest any man boast. This verse in Matthew 7:21 should be a wake up call to all who claim to know Christ, but don’t: Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’, will entere the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, ‘ I never knew you , depart from Me , you who practice lawlessness. This scripture made me realize, I hadn’t done the will of the father for my whole life. I just lived out my own desires. But Jesus says, If you repent, which means forsake your sins, turn from them, and put your faith and trust in Him, he will grant you everlasting life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come. That’s what God did for me. He changed my life. To God be the Glory !!