My Testimony

Thoughts from My Heart and Home

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My Personal Christian Testimony

My Personal Christian Testimony...From Karla

Karla's Christian Testimony
I grew up in a wonderful home with a great family. From a very early age a have found a sincere love for God. Before I was even 10, I prayed, kneeling beside my bed, just about every night. I thought about God throughout the days- between playing, riding my bike, and going to school. I was always trying to know God better, I had Him on my mind a lot.

I went to Sunday School starting in pre-school. I was dropped off or rode the Sunday School bus. When I was about 9 years old I learned that needed a Savior because everyone sins and needs a Savior for forgiveness. Even good people who try to live a good life. It never is as good as God's standard of goodness. And I didn't want to go to hell. So I layed on the grass looking at the clouds, by myself and asked Jesus to come into my heart. I didn't think I had anyone to share this with or have anyone to show me how I could grow in my faith.

When I was a little older, I became more aware of the fact that I felt different. I was called a 'miss-goody-two-shoes' by friends and family. And as I grew, I didn't want to be so different then everyone else. So I strayed away from God, in my teen years. I wasn't doing what was pleasing to God. I started going along with the crowd whether right or wrong. And I did a lot of things wrong! I was constantly disobedient to God. And I knew it.

I wanted to be good for God, but I wanted to keep the door open with the world. I had sinful desires, temptations, and made lots of wrong choices. God protected me in big ways through my teen-age years and through all my years. He was with me through even my hardest years. I felt like I was living a double life. The world's life and my life with my God.

I met Brian and we dated and fell in love. I remember once thinking and saying out loud to him 'I love you so much, I love you more then G...'. I almost said I loved him more than God. God wants us to put HIM first! I stopped what I was saying, suddenly realized that I was putting others and myself before God. I needed to start making some better choices for me and my for my Lord.

What If I told my friends I wanted to change my ways. I still loved my friends, but I was well aware of a sin problem. What would they say? I knew I had to change some things in my life. I wanted God to be number One of my life. I knew the first thing I needed to do was , "Love the Lord your God with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind." I knew what I had to do. I realized I had to put God first in every part of my life. No matter what others thought, or whatever it would cost me, that was it! I was Putting God first.

I made a choice to put God first above anything. I came to the point that I just wanted to do what God wanted me to do. I had a hunger and thirst for God. I really trusted Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior. I started really loving God with my whole heart! I rededicated my life to Him. I wanted to follow Him because of my love for Him, not because I feared him. But because I really truly loved the Lord. It seemed like God was protecting me in ways that I couldn't explain and now I had PEACE in my life. Changes didn't happened over night, it was more of a growing in my faith process! And it sure don't mean I'm perfect now! I stumble all the time, but this time I have a motive to to God first.

I was baptized in the Shiawassee river right after I rededicated my life to follow Christ, I started reading the Bible again, this time understanding it much better. I started praying again. This time with asking God what He would want of me, instead of trying to tell God what to do for me!

I attended Bible studies. I really started understanding what Jesus did for me. That he died on the cross for me. He forgave me of my sin. And He gave me eternal life.

I hope you will trust in the Lord for your salvation. It's not just "saying" you believe there is a God. Even the demons believe that. Even people of false religions believe that. But it's sincerely living for Jesus and living your life for him. There's a verse in Matt. 7:21 that says (Jesus said) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

These Bible verses made more sense to me:

(Some are King James and some are NIV)

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstartes his love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 10:9-13 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess are are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

1 Corintians 15:3-4 "For what I recieved I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to thte Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then the Twelve. After that, he apeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time,"

Me on the right.

Me, my senior picture.

Our wedding day, Brian and Karla-(me!)

me.

If you would like to recieve Jesus christ as your personal Savior, It's as easy as ABC--

A Admit that you are a sinner, and need a Savior. No one does right 100% of the time. (Even good people stumble at least at some point in their lives and sin.)

In the Bible it says: in Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Isaiah 53:6 "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way."

Romans 6:23- "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Our own attempts won't remedy the sin problem. The Bible says...

Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death."

Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated you from God: and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

Good works won't save us, going to church won't save us, having a religious expierence won't save us, philosophy, and morality won't save us. We needed a perfect Savior from God to save us.

B Believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. Jesus came to save us from our sin. Be willing to turn from your sin.

The Bible says...

1 Timothy 2:5 "...God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, Himself man, is between them to bring them together..."

1 Pet. 3:18a "For christ also has suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

God provided the way... we must make the choice.

C Confess- Confess your sin. God drew you to him; now Come to God in prayer and invite him into your heart and into your life.

Confess your rebellion, your disbelieve, your separation from God..

Revelation 3:20 "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me."

John 1:12 "But as many recieved Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."

Romans 10:9 "...If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Pray and invite Christ into your life.

You can pray something like: (It's not the words, it's really the change in your heart. Just saying words without meaning it or changing anything in your life, doesn't mean anything. But when you really believe Jesus is your Savior and He is your Lord of your life, you love him and want to live for him, that's when your heart changes.)

"Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that you died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite you to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow you as MY Lord and Savior."

In Jesus name, Amen"

Romans 10:13 "For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

If you sincerely invited Jesus Christ to come into your life, He is with you right now. The Holy Spirit lives in you when you recieved Jesus as your Savior.

Eph. 2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

D Devote your live to God. He has given you knew life. Eternal life with him. Sometimes life is not easy, but we're never alone. When we have our knew life in christ, we can be assured God is always with us. When we recieve Christ, he gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us. He's our counselor and our guide. He will NEVER leave us!