How Did You Get There?

gloryseeker · #1 07-23-2008, 05:27 PM

What is interesting to me is that the majority of people on this forum are OP's, yet within that definition there is a wide variety of opinions.

I am curious if people would be interested in sharing their testimony of how they arrived at their current belief system?

What were the biggest influences that formed your belief (could be an event, Bible College, etc)?
Who (don't specifically put their name, Pastor, parents, etc would be good) made the biggest impact on your belief system.
It would be especially interesting to hear about people who changed positions somewhere along the way. Why, what influenced it.

What I would hope, if people decide to participate in this post, is that people are not challenged for what got them where they are, but that it is just an exchange of personal testimonies.

Nahum · #2 07-23-2008, 08:10 PM

I am a died-in-the-wool Oneness Pentecostal believer raised in the holiness tradition.

My mom and dad came to Pentecost when I was seven years old. They raised me in it, sent me to a (UPC) Oneness Pentecostal Christian school, and then backslid the year I graduated.

My whole family, including me, followed them into sin. Two years later, a friend invited me to the ALJC church in our town. I went out of respect to him. The Lord moved on me that night through a word of prophecy from a visiting evangelist.

I rededicated my life to God, accepted a call to preach, sat under the ministry of the local ALJC pastor for two years, and then moved to St. Louis to attend Gateway.

At Gateway my belief system began to shift from the strict holiness message I was taught as a child. There were many students from varied backgrounds. It opened my eyes to just how big of a tent Pentecost really is.

I guess I underwent a spiritual revolution in the mid-nineties. I questioned every belief I had ever held. I came out stronger than ever on core doctrine, but decidedly more liberal in lifestyle.

Planting a church affirmed my core concepts regarding doctrine and lifestyle.

gloryseeker · #3 07-23-2008, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

They raised me in it, sent me to a (UPC) Oneness Pentecostal Christian school, and then backslid the year I graduated.

It is a very interesting subject to me as why people backslide. Do you know what caused it, or is it something you can elaborate on?

Quote:

I questioned every belief I had ever held.

After questioning did you come to the same conclusion (besides the strict holiness) or did you change areas of our belief. If you changed, I would be very interested if you shared what they were.

Quote:

Planting a church affirmed my core concepts regarding doctrine and lifestyle.

It is hard enough to Pastor, but planting a church is a tough walk of faith.

mizpeh · #4 07-23-2008, 09:23 PM

God had mercy on me and let me know I didn't have much longer to live. I asked for His mercy and He graciously heard my prayer. It took about 6 months before someone witnessed to me but during that time I went from being an atheist to believing God existed. That day that I prayed and asked God to let me live was the starting point of faith.

The person who made the biggest impact on my walk with God (besides God) was my first pastor. He is the best Christian I have ever known. I never heard him speak evil of anyone even the saints who left the fellowship I was in. His teaching rooted me and established me in the truth of the word of God. My basic beliefs have not changed but have only grown stronger and deeper and more well established over the years.

gloryseeker · #5 07-23-2008, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizpeh

God had mercy on me and let me know I didn't have much longer to live.

Can I ask about the above? Were you healed of something?

mizpeh · #6 07-23-2008, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloryseeker

Can I ask about the above? Were you healed of something?

I wasn't sick. There was nothing physically or mentally wrong with me. I was only 22 years old and quite healthy.

I had what I guess you would call a foreboding that I was going to die soon. This sense of impending doom lasted for two weeks before I finally broke down and cried out to God that He would let me live. After I prayed, it went away.

Blubayou · #7 07-23-2008, 10:32 PM

I was raised in a home that was half Pentecostal - my mom and half Baptist- my dad. Part of the deal my parents had was that we kids could not make any profession of faith until we were adults. We alternated attending church every other Sunday with each parent. It was a strange background and I found it very difficult as a child. We participated in all the activities at school. My mom would not give us money to purchase make up or pants, but would not stop us from having them. The only thing she ever forbade me from doing was frosting my hair!!! The problem was I never fit in at either church! As a teenager I began to invite some of my friends to the Pentecostal church, because it was so different. I began to date a guy in the Pentecostal church my senior year in high school. We dated for one year before I made a move to the altar. . After I received the Holy Ghost, I pretty much accepted the UPC belief system without question. As I matured as a Christian I began to study and search out what the scriptures said and make decisions based on that.

gloryseeker · #8 07-23-2008, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blubayou

As I matured as a Christian I began to study and search out what the scriptures said and make decisions based on that.

Very interesting. I can only imagine how difficult that must have been.

I'm interested in your last statement. What caused you to start looking at the scriptures and can you share some of the decisions you made?

Sept5SavedTeen · #9 07-28-2008, 10:49 AM

I have been to over 75 different houses of worship, ranging from Baptist, to Catholic, Muslim, to Jewish, to Three-GOD, Two-GOD and One-GOD Pentecost, along with the Mormons, JW's, Pilgrim Holiness, Church of Christ, Conservative Mennonite, and a ton of others.

My mom's parents are Methodists, my dad's parents Catholic, both my parents are not practicing, and all four my grandparents are very practicing (religion skips a generation I guess, let it not be with my kids, though- when I have kids that is). I was christened Catholic, recieved Communion at the Congregational/United Church of Christ, started watching Joyce Meyer at 10, and went to the Methodist church with my grandparents at 12 when I became "Born Again." After a year, I left to go to the AG church, because I had recieved the HG one night while praying in my bedroom. I was AG for 2 years and baptised with them. I was witnessed to by Apostolics when I was AG, and I left and went to the UPC church for 3 years. I then left the UPC church to go to an independent Apostolic church where I am not, although my sister still attend the UPC church (she wants to be indep), I still love my UPC brethren although we disagree on a lot of issues.

I went from being ultra-con Apostolic to where I am now. Some of the conclusions I've come to in regards to standards bother some people, but I still consider myself conservative, although I am not trying to conserve 100 year old Pentecost, but 2000 year old Apostolic Christianity.

GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex

gloryseeker · #10 07-28-2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sept5SavedTeen

I have been to over 75 different houses of worship, ranging from Baptist, to Catholic, Muslim, to Jewish, to Three-GOD, Two-GOD and One-GOD Pentecost, along with the Mormons, JW's, Pilgrim Holiness, Church of Christ, Conservative Mennonite, and a ton of others.

My mom's parents are Methodists, my dad's parents Catholic, both my parents are not practicing, and all four my grandparents are very practicing (religion skips a generation I guess, let it not be with my kids, though- when I have kids that is). I was christened Catholic, recieved Communion at the Congregational/United Church of Christ, started watching Joyce Meyer at 10, and went to the Methodist church with my grandparents at 12 when I became "Born Again." After a year, I left to go to the AG church, because I had recieved the HG one night while praying in my bedroom. I was AG for 2 years and baptised with them. I was witnessed to by Apostolics when I was AG, and I left and went to the UPC church for 3 years. I then left the UPC church to go to an independent Apostolic church where I am not, although my sister still attend the UPC church (she wants to be indep), I still love my UPC brethren although we disagree on a lot of issues.

I went from being ultra-con Apostolic to where I am now. Some of the conclusions I've come to in regards to standards bother some people, but I still consider myself conservative, although I am not trying to conserve 100 year old Pentecost, but 2000 year old Apostolic Christianity.

GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex

Wow!!! That's interesting. I don't know that I have ever met anyone who has had such a broad and diverse background.