This page consists of several testimony's of how some members of Omagh Baptist Church, have come to realise their need of salvation and put their trust in Jesus Christ.
Well a we bit about me, I'm 17 and doing my A-levels at Castlederg High school. I grew up going along to church, Sunday school and I knew the gospel message and how I needed to be saved from eternal punishment. As a young boy I had professed to be a Christian but it was never a true conversion to Christ.
I grew up getting further from Christ and deeper into the ways of the world. My aim was not to do God's perfect will, but live a life that was pleasing to me. My aim was to please my friends go to the pubs get a carry out when I was supposed to be at the school youth club, God had spoken to me and I resisted... Satan had deceived me; I was given the impression that I was young and could give my life to God later.
How foolish...
Proverbs 27 v 1
Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
And more so... ignoring a warning...
1 Peter 5 v 8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
But there came a time when God spoke again to me at faith mission camp 2005. I was 15 at the time; I was convicted of the reality of death. I recently found a illustration on death by Ray comfort in his book "Hollywood by thy name" and it goes something like this... The issue of God is a mystery until we think seriously about life for a moment.
The issue of God is a mystery until we think seriously about life for a moment
There's a Hugh elephant in the humanity room, and he's going to eventually stomp on all of us. His name is "death." when we realise this, it makes sense for each of us to see if there's any way we can avoid being stomped on. That's why people usually become interested in God.
We all have this problem and one day to we will be stomped on..
But what happens next?
Is there a God?
When God was convicting me these questions were running through my head I was 15, I felt that if I lived to 60, I would have lived a good long life. But hold on a minute a we alarm was going off in my head... 15 is a quarter of 60!!!! God had got my attention for the first time... I could try and ignore it... or listen up...
God had got my attention for the first time... I could try and ignore it... or listen up...
Matthew 7 v7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth;
and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
So I decided to seek out God. Our faith mission leader Leslie brush said that If you do anything when you leave this camp, be sure and spend a quiet time if even a few minutes, reading one verse... Just spend time getting to know God basically... And it stuck with me... I didn't feel under any pressure, and slowly but surely I realised my need of salvation from the scriptures.
I for along time went along with the flow and believed in the big bang and evolution for our origin but when I actually sat down and thought about it God revealed himself to me.
Think about it...
A Building is absolute proof that there is a builder,
A painting is absolute proof that there is a painter,
This creation is proof there is a creator.
This creation is proof there is a creator
And that made a lot more sense to me that the Idea of the big bang, think about it. What bomb creates harmony?? Ever since the Genesis when man first fell victim to sin.. God promised a messiah in Genesis ch3...
In the Old Testament we see hundred's of references to this coming messiah in the form of prophecy. Well Prophecy is foretelling an event in such detail before it happens so as to necessarily require divine guidance.
Well I'm sure you've all heard of how Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot for 30 pieces of silver, well this was no accident...
Zechariah 11 v 12 / 13
And I said unto them, if ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty
pieces of silver.
And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and
cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
The prophet Zechariah wrote 515 years before Jesus even walked on earth that the messiah would be sold for thirty pieces of silver and that the 30 pieces would then be thrown in the Temple and that the 30 pieces would then buy a potters field.
The holy Bible is God's only inspired revelation to man and the evidence is all there
The prophet's were instructed by God, The holy Bible is God's only inspired revelation to man and the evidence is all there... The fact that Jesus was crucified also shows the author of the scriptures... Because Jewish custom was to stone not crucify, this was done to fulfil psalm 22 v16 "they pierced my hands and my feet."
The Old Testament reveals everything about the messiah, when he was on the cross they would pierce his side and none of his bones would be broken. This also was strange as the custom was to break the legs of those on the cross and they did break the legs of the two thieves' on other side of Jesus.
The prophet Isaiah said the messiah would be preceded by a messenger,
Isaiah 40 v3 reads
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Even John the Baptist preaching repentance was all foretold, surely Jesus was the son of God.
All the proof is there and that is why I've have decided to follow Jesus
All the proof is there and that is why I've have decided to follow Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5v 17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.