Any on the PB who come from non-Christian upbring?

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It is certainly very humbling and touching to read so much wonderful testimonies.
The strong hand of our Lord in our wretched lives to snatch us from destruction is an obvious testimony of His great love. How can we doubt that God chose us before we chose Him. Amazing grace! Praise the Lord
 
etexas;

I know this is a personal question, but I was curious.

I know this is a thread jack, but I'm curious, how is this a 'personal question'?

I don't see it as such, asking someone if they've had a sexually transmitted disease...okay, I can see how that would be a personal question...but when asking about someone's testimony I don't see that as personal...especially when Scripture tells us we are to be ready to give an account to anyone who asks..
 
etexas;

I know this is a personal question, but I was curious.

I know this is a thread jack, but I'm curious, how is this a 'personal question'?

I don't see it as such, asking someone if they've had a sexually transmitted disease...okay, I can see how that would be a personal question...but when asking about someone's testimony I don't see that as personal...especially when Scripture tells us we are to be ready to give an account to anyone who asks..
Good question, I meant "personal" in the sense the in the Reformed community their is not a big emphasis on a "personal testimony" tank you for the question. I could have been more clear on that.:pilgrim:
 
I am in tears as I read through these testimonies of God's relentless, pursuant, and victorious grace. I often ask myself (along with the Psalmist), "Father, what is man that you are mindful of him?" Praise be to our glorious God, Who reigns on high. He is glorious, mighty, lofty, alone worthy, yet he condescends and saves sinners. Blesse be His NAME! I am so thankful.
Amen Brother, I got a little misty looking at a number of these myself.

This is an encouragement to me, too! Thanks!
 
etexas;

Good question, I meant "personal" in the sense the in the Reformed community their is not a big emphasis on a "personal testimony" tank you for the question. I could have been more clear on that.:pilgrim:

Yes, I understand there is not an emphasis on a person's testimony within the reformed community, but maybe there should be..as a person has many testimonies, not just that of salvation, but how God has worked in their lives in other ways.

How many different ways since our salvation has God worked in our life?
All of those are testimonies to how God has worked in our lives, so how God worked to bring us to salvation is not the only testimony we can share or that can be used to edify and encourage the body.

I have found, when we share openly how God has worked in our lives, no matter the circumstances, it draws us closer as a body, and shows us all the more God's Glory, it should be an honor for us to share with others how God has/is worked/working in our lives. As we read through the scriptures, we see the Glory of God through the very testimonies of men and women as God worked in their lives through their sin and the sins of others, open for all to see, and it's not all pretty and fluff, but there it is written for all to see and read..

Not that we should all do the same in all cases, but when a brother or sister (or even when a non-believer) is struggling or asks we should be willing to share how we too struggled or struggle with certain things and how God has and is working through those things in our lives..even today 2000- 4000+ years later...it shows others God is NOT DEAD!!! And that He still cares for His creation,

so yes, maybe we should encourage others to open up and share a testimony of how God is working in our lives.
 
etexas;

Good question, I meant "personal" in the sense the in the Reformed community their is not a big emphasis on a "personal testimony" tank you for the question. I could have been more clear on that.:pilgrim:

Yes, I understand there is not an emphasis on a person's testimony within the reformed community, but maybe there should be..as a person has many testimonies, not just that of salvation, but how God has worked in their lives in other ways.

How many different ways since our salvation has God worked in our life?
All of those are testimonies to how God has worked in our lives, so how God worked to bring us to salvation is not the only testimony we can share or that can be used to edify and encourage the body.

I have found, when we share openly how God has worked in our lives, no matter the circumstances, it draws us closer as a body, and shows us all the more God's Glory, it should be an honor for us to share with others how God has/is worked/working in our lives. As we read through the scriptures, we see the Glory of God through the very testimonies of men and women as God worked in their lives through their sin and the sins of others, open for all to see, and it's not all pretty and fluff, but there it is written for all to see and read..

Not that we should all do the same in all cases, but when a brother or sister (or even when a non-believer) is struggling or asks we should be willing to share how we too struggled or struggle with certain things and how God has and is working through those things in our lives..even today 2000- 4000+ years later...it shows others God is NOT DEAD!!! And that He still cares for His creation,

so yes, maybe we should encourage others to open up and share a testimony of how God is working in our lives.
Perhaps we should.:2cents:
 
I grew up a Baptist but became a Christian in college. (wait a minute, that doesn't sound quite right). :think:

My family was agnostic with some occult influence on my mother (Casey) stuff. She encouraged me to read Casey and play with Ouija boards. However in Junior High I started going with a neighbor to a Southern Baptist church because I felt it was the right thing to do. My mother did not discourage me but she thought it was odd. Unfortunately when I made my profession of faith I had some doubts but the pastor said not to worry. Later when he was fired for some shady financial dealings I felt my doubts were justified.

In college I met a solidly Reformed Christian who invited us to his RPCES church (Liberty Reformed Presbyterian Church in Olney, MD. Mark Pett was the pastor. There I met an incredible young lady, Joni Eareckson). About 6 of us became Christians including two former Roman Catholics, two atheists and a couple of agnotics (who says Calvinists don't evangelize!).
 
My parents always belived in God, but I was an atheist since I thought about the question of existance and my pressupositions were naturalistic (something I still struggle with I might add). But buy his grace he brought me to him for with my abudant need for a universal ethic code and arminian apologetics.
 
I wasn't raised in a church environment my dad was raised in The Protestant Reformed Church (Herman Hokesma was his pastor) he became an atheist my mom was raised in The Disciples of Christ but she was never really trully converted.
 
Nominal here also. My stepfather was raised in a Christian home, my mother wasn't. My mother mixed a bit from here and there together. My stepfather made certain that I was in church every Lord's Day and taking my siblings and cousin/foster brother with me...by general means of a church bus (there were only three years my parents attended church consistently with us and that included all three services throughout the week). As a teen I started attending church with my future husband and brought the children I was a nanny for with me (yeah, lots of "are those your kids", uhm no, we are not married, I babysit). As soon as I was out of the house, my brothers were no longer required to attend. Church has always been important to me though and I was certain of my salvation by the time I was 6yrs. I know I even stated some Calvinistic things when I was 3-4 (I remember because my Arminian stepfather about blew a gasket) and honestly I have no clue where I got such ideas, they just came out of my mouth...I had grandmothers and greatgrandmothers that always shared the gospel with me at every opportunity and prayed for me. I think they tried harder with me because of the belief of "generational cursing" and I wasn't a blood grandchild...funny thing is, I'm the ONLY grandchild that is a believing Christian today and not "nominal" or "christian by culture". Don't ever underestimate your influence.
 
I was raised a papist until the Lord removed the scales from my eyes, and I started to see not only the error of Romanism, but the truth of the glorious gospel of free grace. The Lord even slammed the door for me to enter the priest craft. I had already applied to a Roman seminary when the Lord graciously converted my heart. What a wonderful God He is.
 
I was born into the ISKCON movement. That's me on the bottom left of the attached photo. It was a humble upbringing surrounded with superstition, austerity, idol worship, and a never ending attempt to reach transcendental bliss through petty works. I remained in the cult until college, where I discovered (apparently along with everyone else) that my life was a lie and drifted into agnosticism. By God's grace I came to Christ in my mid 20's.

I've only belonged to one church in my life and it is Reformed. My blessings cannot be numbered.
 
My background is a mixed bag of sorts. My parents are not religious or spiritual in anyway. I believe my father was baptized in the old German Evangelical and Reformed Church (now the Unitied Church of Christ), but I don't think he ever darken the door of the church again. He's been to a few weddings and funerals in churches but that's about it. He's never heard me preach.

My mother 'walked the aisle' in the church that I later joined. She has been an infrequent attender since. She has heard me preach a couple of times.

I don't know of anyone other than an uncle who attends church either on my Dad's or Mom's side of the family, with the exception of my uncle who attends a Missouri Synod church and is very active. It is a bit of a stretch to say that he is a believer.

There is only one explanation for my being a Christian...God's grace! Thankfully I was introduced to the doctrines of grace by Roger Ellsworth, who was my pastor when I was in undergraduate school. Of course, God's Hand was in that too.

I was a little bit of a trouble-maker in my early days as a believer in the little Arminian church (SBC). I was asking a lot of questions that a Calvinist would ask. Do you know what I read to cause me to ask those questions???....well, the Bible, of course!
 
Raised a nominal Roman Catholic.
Saved while on LSD at the age of 19 while in college.
The Lord is good.
 
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