Thread: God's effectual calling in your life

Just curious to see how God has worked in our lives here.

[Edited on 11-23-2005 by Solo Christo]

Exposed to Christ through Roman Catholicism>>>>>>>Calvary Chapel>>>>>Particular Baptist>>>>>>Presbyterian

Presbyterian (PCUSA) -> Assembly of God -> Baptist -> Roman Catholicism -> Presbyterian (Reformed)

Methodist > Athiest > Baptist > Reformed Baptist > ?

My mother believes much like John MacArthur, but I grew up a full fledged Arminian. I was grounded heavily in the Lord though (thankfully) and was surrounded by many in my childhood who put Christ first and formost.

I came to the reformed view once Arminianism and my human efforts exhausted and depressed me to a point that I cried out to God to show me what I was doing wrong.

Sorry about the length, I started and couldn't stop:

I was baptized as an infant in a Methodist Church, my parents were unbelievers. My mom was and is a new-age occultist. In my early teens I played with Ouija boards and Tarot cards but got bored with them. In my later teens I dreamed spiritual dreams and attended Catholic churches. I began to play organs in churches of all kinds and thought that music was the only reason to go to church.

I also farmed during that time. I listened to J. Vernon McGee on the tractor radio and made fun of him by imitating his discourse on Hagar the handmaiden. I worked in Iraq and read the Bible for the first time because I wanted to know about the land. I visited Ur and bought snacks from a small shop near the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates (named Abraham's Store). I thought the Bible was interesting for history and that Jesus really existed and that I was OK because I acknowledged that fact. I also bought a concordance and began to learn a little Greek so I could study Paul's letters, but I didn't follow through on that. In short, I believed that Christianity was good for those who really needed it, but I resented anybody coming up to me as asking me directly if I believed Jesus was Lord. Of course he was, I'd say, in a general and far off sort of sense. But not right now and not for me here.

I fell into ever increasing sin and was living a fairly fun life in the sense of adventure and pleasure. I married, divorced, remarried, and tried to be a moral and neutral person. I briefly thought that Ayn Rand demonstrated that one could be moral without God, but then I realized that her morality broke down personally and in theory because, at the bottom of everything, man reverts to nastiness.

My wife was converted before me. Her friend had kept telling her that the Bible was the Word of God. My wife told me one day that she opened up Genesis and by the 3rd verse she said to herself, "Uhoh, Cindy is right. This is the Word of God." A few days later, she said that while she was walking it hit her that her life was not her own, but was owned by God, and that Jesus Christ was her present and sovereign Lord.

As Jacob did with Joseph, I sort of scoffed, but I kept these things in my heart. I knew she was right, but I could not bring myself to publicly say the same. One week later, when elders from the local EFC church came to our house to interview my wife (she wanted to join the church), my resistance completely dissolved as well. I knew the truth and publicly acknowledged it to them. I felt like all my life was meant for that moment.

My wife and I studied scripture daily, read lots of books, and became more knowledgeable about theology. After a year or so, we left the EFC because we didn't like the sloppy theology coming through the praise band songs.

We worshipped for a few years with a Brethren Assembly who took scripture very seriously (by the way, I first heard of the regulative principle of worship from them). Eventually, however, we missed expository preaching and ultimately found our way to a wonderful Reformed Baptist Church. One question many asked us was when we had come to know the doctrines of grace. It seemed an odd question because what is called Calvinism seemed to be the straightforward teaching of the Bible that we had read for ourselves over and over. We were never very impressed with dispensationalism because we tried to read the Bible in its own context.

God is good, he saved my wife and me in our middle age. We both acknowledge that we were tremendously wicked and like to be undone, even though our circumstances were comfortable.

Vic

[Edited on 11-23-2005 by victorbravo]

I am glad you wrote all that Vic! In my line of work I am so tempted to just give up on adults. I needed the encouragement.

I was raised in the Dutch Reformed, and after 46 years switched to Presbyterian, and now wanting to go back to Dutch Reformed. Its not that I ever switched allegiances to the confessional standards; its more like that I added the WS to the TFU because they were complimentary. I like the TFU system more.

Roman Catholic - Atheist - Lone Ranger Charismatic - United Brethren (Wesleyan) - Brethren in Christ - Independent Seeker Sensitive - Confessional Presbyterian.

*insert breath of fresh air after Confessional Presbyterian*

Raised in an unconverted family who didn't go to Church. Drugs, Alcohol, and demonism were my motif' in my teen years. Became utterly convinced that I deserved Hell, if there was a God, about 6 months after joining the Navy. Cried out to God for mercy and started reading the New Testament. My eyes were opened when I read John 8:58. I saw Jesus was God. I had grown up watching the Ten Commandments on the TV. God said His name was I AM. Jesus said He was I AM. Read John 15:16 before I was involved with any ministry or anyone and believed it.
Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Was directed to the Navigator Ministry on base and attended a Reformed Baptist Church. Been kept by God for 24 years now.



[Edited on 11-23-2005 by puritancovenanter]

http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/vi...=1427#pid40966

See this thread too.

Grew up in a God-less home. My father was converted at the age of 42 after being in the hospital for 10 months with kidney failure and a host of other problems. I seen God deliver my father from near death and from a 15+ year heroine addiction. It was like an instant change and I knew that no one else but God could have done it.

God called me out of darkness and into His marvelous light at the age of 13.

Since then my journey looked something like this:

Pentecostal/AoG>Seeker Sensitive mega church>Macarthur like Baptitst Church>Reformed Baptist

[Edited on 11-24-2005 by Joseph Ringling]

Lutheran->Bible Baptist->Lutheran->Baptist (Soutern/American)->Charismatic->Word of Faith->Neo-Pentecostal->New Age->Charismatic->Baptist/Dispy/Cutlic-Sect (Greater Grace World Outreach)->Presbyterian

... does reading this make you confused? Imagaine what I was until becoming Presbyterian . . . now it's all perfectly clear

Originally posted by BrianBowman
Lutheran->Bible Baptist->Lutheran->Baptist (Soutern/American)->Charismatic->Word of Faith->Neo-Pentecostal->New Age->Charismatic->Baptist/Dispy/Cutlic-Sect (Greater Grace World Outreach)->Presbyterian

... does reading this make you confused? Imagaine what I was until becoming Presbyterian . . . now it's all perfectly clear

Wow Brian. You could be the focus of the new "Kevin Bacon Game" for believers!

Roman Catholic - Hare krsna - Arminian Baptist disp. - Reformed

Raised Southern Baptist and in church every time the door opened, went to a Methodist Universityand married a Methodist girl but kept going faithfully to Southern Baptist churches until I got to this town where I joined an interdenominational charismatic mega church, then switched to a smaller version of the same, then to home groups...abandoned fellowship of any kind after being deceived and devastated by some bible teachers who were actually really wicked...then to nothing but family worship at home and listening to tapes of preacher personalities...then...out of nowhere...Providence PCA. Providentially.

Roman Catholic >> (involved w/PCUSA) >> (experimented w/Hare Krishna) >> Baha'i >> Arminian, Non-Denominational Bible Church >> (experimented w/Church of Christ) >> Reformed Presbyterian (PCA, RPCNA, Presbyterian Reformed Church)

Ah, I love reading this thread.

Born and raised Southern Baptist; thought I was converted at age 12, but took about three years for any fruit to show up --> came to understand Reformed theology at 16, but had to stay with parents' church until I graduated --> will join the PCA Dec. 11.