Brother Nathan

My family was Lutheran growing up. I went to church a few Sundays out of the year. In Junior High I even went through the Lutheran confirmation classes that were required of the church. I memorized a few things but nothing more than was required to pass. I was in High school when I first started being taught anything from the Bible about God, and I say that lightly. I visited a Church with a friend and it was different to say the least. Everyone was welcoming and it was the first time I was shown anything in the Bible to figure things out for myself instead of having the preacher just tell me what to believe. I remember being asked to go to one of the elders house shortly after attending services a few times to talk about my walk with God. He went through this bible that had marked pages that walked you through making the decision to get baptized or go to hell. So of course I was talked into getting baptized, a meaningless baptism I would later figure out. Looking back, after I was baptized everything changed. It went from everyone being nice and going out of their way to make sure I “knew” the word of God to Okay he has been baptized now, He is saved. No worries. That might be a little harsh sounding but in reality that’s what happened. It no longer had a church family feeling where people cared about your soul. It was more like a checkbox had been checked and they were done. I did however start reading the Bible because of that church. I wanted to see for myself what it said. I had really thought at the time that I was a good Christian and doing everything right. I had questions about things I would read in the Bible but they were always quickly dismissed with no real explanation or truth. It didn’t make sense to me but hey, I was baptized, and I read the Bible so I was good right. The devil was doing a good job at making me believe that I had to do nothing else but try to be a better person and if I messed up it was no big deal because i was saved. Needless to say that this made church more of a social event on my calendar when I decided to make it. That was not healthy nor did it last. Fast forward a few years and I stopped going to church all together. I stopped reading the Bible. I didn’t even know what praying looked like anymore. Deep down I knew I needed something but It was so ingrained in my head that I was saved already that I never put any real focus on getting back to Jesus. I started hanging around people who drank so I started drinking. Drinking became my god in a very short time. I still got everything done that I needed to do and I was still an overall good person and I was saved. I talked myself into believing that all was good. Then my life started to really fall apart where I couldn’t hide from it. My marriage fell apart. Then shortly after my Dad got cancer and within a year he passed. Then months later my mom got cancer and passed away too. I turned to the only god that I really knew, alcohol. I was in a deep dark place and I didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. I didn’t care too much about anything at that point except when my next drink would be. This got me into a lot of trouble and I eventually was arrested for drinking and driving. I had my license taken away and all the other fun stuff that goes along with a DWI. Shortly after all that I found a job close enough to be able to walk to work if necessary and just did what I had to do to survive this pointless life I was living. I had noticed my boss was clearly a person who went to church a lot. I was curious but I was in a place where I didn’t want to ask about it because of my situation and I really didn’t want anyone telling me that I needed to go to church or change in any way. I was saved already, remember. A couple of months went by and one day we were having a conversation and something was said that reminded me of something I had read in the Bible before and I brought it up. She agreed and had more bible verses that she quoted of the top of her head. I felt a little ashamed of myself because I thought I was this good Christian who read the Bible before yet here I was barely saying something I read before and this person had literal quotes of the top of their head. The conversation wasn’t long but It stayed with me. I don’t think I talked to her about it again but the thought of how I didn’t know Jesus or the Bible as well as I thought stuck with me in the back of my mind for months. Then one night I was working late with the district manager (who also went to that same church) learning something I didn’t know how to do yet for work and kept wanting to ask about their church again but kept putting it off. Finally I got the courage and asked. I fully expected a very generic answer that wouldn’t really answer any of the questions I had and we would just continue working like I never said anything. I was surprised when she took all of her focus and brought it to actually talk about her church and a short testimony of why she goes there. After that conversation and seeing someone else able to share what they believe and have bible verses memorized backing it up, I had to see this place for myself. Little did I know but at this point the whole church was praying for me too. I visited the Change of life Pentecostal Tabernacle the next Sunday. It was a feeling of “I’m home” almost immediately. There was no feelings of people being fake just to get you to stay or anything. Everyone was so genuine and real. The first sermon I heard from Pastor was that morning and I had never heard someone preach the Bible like that before. It was finally the truth from the Bible that I had always wanted and needed. I can’t explain it but that morning in the sermon he addressed some of the questions I had from when I read the Bible earlier in my life that I never received an answer too. I went in to church that morning fully expecting to leave later confused about what I believed and questioning everything because I just knew I was going to hear something that I didn’t believe. It was so different than that though. I couldn’t argue with the truth that was being preached. I couldn’t argue that Jesus was present in this church. It was clear that this is where I was supposed to be. This was the truth. I was recently baptized again in the name of Jesus, The way the Bible tells you it should be done. I have only been in this church for a couple of months and I know more about Jesus and His Word than I ever did. I have seen miracles and experienced them. I know that I am home now. I know this church will help me be the man God intended me to be. This church will help me get to heaven. I was so lost and confused but now I have peace in my life for the first time. I have a family who actually cares for my soul. I have the Truth. Praise the Lord!