Posted this in the "Welcome Mat" to introduce myself but my intention when I registered was to get prayer. God is dealing with me
heavy to get back into church but don't know where to go. Here's my testimony/prayer:
Hi all,
Was searching online for help. You see, when I was 22 years old God started drawing me. I had no religious upbringing as both my parents were agnostics. Had no bible knowledge at all. I hadn't even held a bible in my life. But God started drawing me. I had ran away from home at 18 and by the time I was 22 I was living in New Orleans and was what you would call a "partier". That's all I looked for - the next party. I acted happy but inside I was empty and miserable. I guess it was at this time when God put me in a place where He could start to deal with me. I rented a house right by the Mississippi river and then got into a bad motorcycle accident. I was layed up for a bit and during this recovery time I found that my neighbor was a believer. Well, not a Christian by most people's standards. He smoked pot, had long hair and worked on the docks of the river on the barges but he had a real thirst for finding the truth and he was a constant bible reader. He had notes all along the margins of his bible. His thing was he wanted to be a jew. He wanted to be like God's "chosen people"
I had never met anyone like "Ralph" and when he saw that I had never really met a Christian before but was intrigued he gave me a pocket new testament.
I was seeing someone before I had moved to my house on front St. but had broken up with them and was still healing from it and around a month after I had moved in I was feeling down and wanted to talk to someone so I called Ralph and told him how miserable I was and he started telling me about the "Holy Spirit" and how God wanted to live in my heart and I could get this by simply repenting and asking God into my life. Well right then over the phone I started praying and pouring my heart out to God and I started weeping and saying I how I didn't want to be the same anymore and I wanted God's help and His Holy Spririt to come into my heart. Well praise God He heard me and filled me right then with the Holy Ghost and I started speaking in tongues. I felt so clean and happy. It was a awesome feeling. Unfortunatley I had nobody to tell me about church or where to go to church so nothing really changed.
A couple of months later I finally got a car and moved to California like I had always dreamed about doing. God was still working on me though and I had a dog, "Barney" was his name and I had had him since I was a kid so I wasn't going to give him up even though I couldn't find a place that would accept a dog. But God was working on drawing me to Him even though I didn't realize it at the time. I found a Ad for an apartment and called the lady about it and started telling her about my dilemma. She said she had a dog and a large yard and would be willing to take care of my dog for me and I could rent an apt in her building in downtown San Jose. Wow I was happy! I could still see my dog and yet have a place to live. God was still tugging on my heart and one day a dude came to my door and started talking about God. He asked if I would like a bible study and I said sure. Turns out there was a Apostolic church 2 blocks down the street. I didn't know anything about church at all. He invited me after a few weeks of bible study. Now I'm from New England and where I grew up it was all white; I had never met a Hispanic til I met the guy teaching me a bible study and his church was mostly Hispanic. I was hesitant because of the cultural differences but when I read in
Acts 2:38 that I needed to be baptized I went for it and did it and God re-filled me with the Holy Ghost. Soon after I started doing construction work with a guy that was working on a property up in the Santa Cruz mountains above Cupertino CA. And after a while the guy that was renting the property told me I could rent the apt space in the barn so I moved up there and got my dog back. Soon after I was riding my motorcycle thru a part of Cupertino called Monte Vista and took my bike down going around the corner. I couldn't get it started and started knocking on doors so I could use the phone but nobody was answering then I looked across the street and there was a church service going on (this was on a sunday morning) and I went inside and asked if I could use their phone. Well the usher just said to sit in the back for a bit and then I could. Well turns out he just wanted me to hear the service. I got impatient and then decieded to walk my bike to a gas station. Well the preacher saw me leaving and came outside and started talking to me and offered to give me a bible study so I accepted and that summer I learned a lot at the Monte Vista church and then my job situation changed and I moved up the peninsula and that was that.
Never went back to church but God has never stopped dealing with me. I read the bible almost every day and I still speak in tongues. With all of what's happening in the middle east and in this country I think God is really dealing with me to get back in church but I have no idea where to go.
I live in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I've always kept what I've learned and haven't backed down from it:
1. God is ONE.
2. Baptism in Jesus Name not titles.
3. Infilling of the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues.
4. Holiness.
5. Seperation from the world and all pagan holiday's.
6. Post trib believer; there is no secret rapture.
7. King James bible is the most reliable.
If anyone knows a bible believing church that has all 7 of those please let me know. My email is
victorysaint@outlook.com
Please keep me in your prayers because this is a important decision for me; as I am not very learnered in the bible and I don't want to go to a church where I would be deceived. We are living in that time of heavy deception and I want to go to a church that will give me what I need to make it to heaven to be with Jesus.
God Bless You!
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