Let me give you a little testimony of a christian,
I grew up with my christian mom since I could remember, we were poor and didn't have much. Was on welfare and lived in the projects. My mom would tell me christian stories all the time, listen to a teacher named Kay Arthur (my pretty aunt Kay lol). As a little kid, bout 4 years old, I would pray all the time with my mom, loved to hear about God, what Jesus did, all that stuff.
My mom got married again to a great man, my dad (stepdad but was dad to me), and we didn't get along for a while there. At the age of 7, I came to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, my mom didn't force me or anything I wanted to, I didn't know anything really about Hell, this was done out of love for the God I grew to knew. Up until I was 11, christianity was the only thing I knew until I first heard evolution lol, that's when they showed me a picture of a dolphin with feet, now the first thing that popped into my mind was... what kind of joke is this?
What made sense to me is what I see all the time, 2 dogs make another dog and there was no real difference between the puppy and the grown dogs. So I spoke up and said dolphins never had feet, so she was talking on how long it took for them to turn into fins so the next question I thought of is why didn't they just stay in the water in the first place?
Well other then evolution, I began to be introduced to many other faiths and of course atheists. As a young kid, I was blessed with knowledge and witnessed to different people with my mom. Well when I first met my father, my birth father, I was thrilled and it wasn't long before he started trouble with my mom again and we were in court for 4 years. So I was to go to his house every other weekend. I would bring my bible with me, my father was not christian, he was agnostic and didn't believe in the bible so I, of course, wanted God to use me to witness to him.
Well, it didn't go well for me lol. They would laugh at me when I would pray or tell them something about God. I was about 12 or 13 now and I had gotten depressed and stopped reading my bible, praying, basically I had backslidden in my faith. My father had gotten me into pornography at this point and tried every way for me to destory the innocence I hadwhen it came to girls. I started to question my faith and looked for other "answers". For a while there, I had no real regard for my faith.
But it would bother me every night, I knew I was wrong for this but I persisted and ignored it. Then I met a guy named Kevin, a performing arts director so I got to join his team with several of my friends. So we did a few shows and every tour we went on something wrong happened. This one time, out near St.Louis, our bus was malfunctioning. AC died then our engine died and it was over 90 degrees that night so we had to stop near a truck depot, got some snacks and sat outside waitin for the mechanic to fix it. Well, he couldn't find a problem with it. So my friends wanted to pray for it, so I was like w/e and we prayed. The second the last person was done, the bus lit up again, the AC blew in cool air again and we were ready to get on a move.
Mechanic was like ???? lol it was awesome. I said to myself, "God is still taking care of us..."
But throughout my life I experienced spiritual things, from a being in my room speaking to me (dunno what he said I was too scared lol), to simple things like fixing the bus, or seeing a difference God did by using me or someone else to help someone. For instance this one time, I was playing the part of Satan, gotta say it was fun lol, and this girl asked what's so terrible about Satan. So God used me again to show how terrible he really was, although it would never compare to the actual satan but God helped me do a good job at it. The whole play was about Jesus' triumph over Satan at the Cross.I would come out with my black clothes, makeup, and rolling my eyes up in my head so they would appear white and just act evil lol.
Well afterward she came up to me and thanked me for it saying it really showed her what was so terrible to being enslaved to him. God used our group to show how God works, how one can be saved, that evil is really out there and how to defeat it and afterward we would witness. Now, I wasn't on the right path yet, but I was again feeling God's presence and I wanted to get back right with Him. We would visit the homeless shelters, outside shows, shows at churches and youth centers. Everytime, incredible things were being done by God through us.
When I was 17, I decided to reveal my secret sin to my friend/director Kevin who was highly supportive and I repented of my sins to God. God again was speaking to me. Wasn't long before my mom knew and although she was upset greatly she showed me love and help me get rid of that horrid addiction. Its still hard to resist it but God indeed helps me stay away from it, when you can actually hear God and see what He can do its an awesome thing.
Alot of other things not really relevant to this I experienced, seeing a little in the spirit realm, demonic beings playing with the mind and such. But one of the greatest things is how God stopped my father from doing what he was doing and our prayers was answered when we asked God for a new judge that would listen to reason, He provided one. Court ended and my father was found to be the liar. Sad but relieving not to have him mess with us anymore.
I learned many things but one thing stood out, I would never again turn my back on God because of a few people laughing or mocking my faith even if they tried to hurt me over it I will never again turn my back because God has shown me so much mercy and kindness throughout my life, gave me things that I really didn't deserve. Although many people may deny God, disbelieve what I have said, you know what it don't matter because like me, God is going to have to deal with those people and after I have shared the truth all I can do is keep you all in prayer and hope you hear God speaking to you as well.
I read posts saying I left my faith and stuff, but as I read I realize two things, these people haven't accepted God truly, many people say they believe but yet they do not live their life for Him. Your life will reflect if you actually believe or not. Naw, no christian is perfect, we all have our flaws but that's no excuse not to be saved. Even now, I may doubt some things but God always provides me an answer and the things I may never know I am content till I die and I'll ask Him then.
I heard, try being an atheist... lol I did but God didn't allow me to stray too far to the left. Stuff that go against my faith now makes me stronger and makes me try harder to help people know because believe it or not we are living in the last days and Christ is coming really soon, the events of today shows it. I will continue to share my faith with those who do not know Him and is also trying to teach my little brother about Him so that he will grow even stronger then me.
Many people want their own way, but I came to realize it don't work that way whether you believe in God, go to work, rule a country, w/e you are under authority and even more you are under God's authority whether you believe or not. So I find it impossible to not believe in a God. I have also debated people from this group Rational Response Squad and they are stumped. There are agnostics, but no atheists because its safe to say they do not know if God exists or not no evidence to say He doesn't and they don't look at the evidence that say He does. But the greatest evidence is the one I have experienced, repentence and belief in Jesus and He will show you what you need.