Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 15
Monday


WHAT'S YOUR
STORY?

READ:
Acts 26:9-18
________________________________________

Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and you
will be saved.
__Acts 16:31
_______________________________________

Every believer has a unique story of encountering Christ. Ann, a receptionist at RBC Ministries, told me that she has kept a journal for much of her life. She treasures the account she recorded about her conversion when she was 15. Here is an excerpt, "[I] went to see Billy Graham. I got saved! I'm very happy.... When I got saved I felt warmth in my heart."

Years ago, in a personal evangelism course I taught, I asked the students to write out their story of how they came to faith in Christ. It struck me how different each journey was. Some were saved out of a life of drugs and immorality. Others were church attenders who came to Christ after years of biblical instruction.

Conversions vary. The apostle Paul had a crisis encounter with the Savior that turned him from a persecutor into a preacher of the gospel (Acts 26). In contrast, Timothy was quietly nurtured in the Scriptures from early childhood, resulting in his salvation experience (2 Tim. 3:14-15). No two faith journeys are identical. But each has the common element of turning to the Lord jesus in faith to be saved from sin and to receive a new heart.

Can you retrace the steps that God helped you take in coming to Christ? What's your story? __Dennis Fisher
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````````````````We once were held by Satan's chains,``````````````
````````````````````````Imprisoned by our sin;``````````````````
````````````````````Then Jesus Christ delivered us```````````````
````````````````````And made us new within. __Sper`````````````
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We need more than an new start__
we need a new heart!

*****************Today's Bible Reading __ Acts 26:9-18***********

9 I myself thought I must
do many things contrary to
the name of Jesus of
Nazareth. 10 This I also did
in Jerusalem, and many of
the saints I shut up in
prison.... 11 and... I
persecuted them even to
foreign cities.

12 While thus occupied, as
I journeyed to Damascus
with authority and
commission from the chief
preists, 13 at midday, O king,
along the road i saw a light
from heaven, birghter than
the sun, shining around me
and those who journeyed
with me. 14 And when we all
had fallen to the ground, I
heard a voice speaking to
me and saying in the
Hebrew language, "Saul,
Saul, why are you
persecuting Me? It is hard
for you to kick against the
goads."

15 So I said, "Who are You,
Lord?" And He said, "I am
Jesus, whom you are
persecuting. 16 But rise and
stand on your feet; for I
have appeared to you for
this purpose, to make you a
minister and a witness both
of the things which you
have seen and of the things
which I will yet reveal to
you. 17 I will deliver you
from the Jewish people, as
well as from the Gentiles, to
whom I now send you, 18 to
open their eyes, in order to
turn them from darkness to
light, and from the power of
Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins
and an inheritance among
those who are sanctified by
faith in Me."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

A personal testimony can be an effective witnessing tool. A simple
way of telling our story is to write down answers to three simple
questions: What chacterized my life before receiving Christ? What
were the circumstances when I chose to receive Him? How has my
life changed since I trusted Jesus for salvation? __Dennis Fisher