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08-21-2010, 04:35 PM
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Mama to four little angels.
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,053
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Testimonies
I've been considering testimonies I've read and heard and wondering if my perception is accurate.
It seems a testimony goes something like this: 1. I was a sinner (insert sin of choice in some cases) 2. I found Jesus and got saved. 3. Now I'm doing this, this, and this for Jesus!
Where is the part where people admit how challenging the transition from living in sin to living for God can be? Is this included in testimonies I haven't looked at? I know I have read books and heard stories that include the challenges of living for God and walking with Him, but that's not really what I'm talking about.
What do you think? Should the challenges and the journey of transitioning from a former lifestyle to the lifestyle God desires be included in testimonies? Or should it be painted as rosy, and yes, most I've read definitely lean towards rosy, pie in the sky, even if they acknowledge difficulties while living for God...the doubt, questions, even shock from a sharply transitioning lifestyle is something I don't see!
__________________
You become free from who you have become, by becoming who you were meant to be. ~Mark from another forum I post on
God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. ~Romans 3:24 from The Message
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08-21-2010, 04:54 PM
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Registered Member
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 11,467
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Re: Testimonies
You make a good point. The transition for me was incredibly difficult, leaving everything I knew, family, friends, the state I was living in, the lifestyle I was living in. My husband and I did this together, with little help and a lot of condemnation for not doing it good enough.
I never really thought before about what you wrote above, but testimonies are often whitewashed.
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Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the people doing it. ~Chinese Proverb
When I was young and clever, I wanted to change the world. Now that I am older and wiser, I strive to change myself. ~
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08-21-2010, 07:18 PM
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mary
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Midwest
Posts: 3,002
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Re: Testimonies
Most people paint things rosy... no offense, but so does a car dealer, or any other salesperson.
We've been talking about this in Sunday School. Often, people don't relate to rosy. They do relate to people that are just as human as they are.
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What we make of the Bible will never be as great a thing as what the Bible will - if we let it - make of us.~Rich Mullins
I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.~Galileo Galilei
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08-21-2010, 07:24 PM
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Go Dodgers!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
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Re: Testimonies
Sorry but Im one of those rare persons that when I heard the call I left all and trusted in God and it was not a hardship to do.
I did not feel oppressed. I did not miss my old life. I didn't find it too hard to be a Christian.
However since then has my life been without troubles? Of course not but I do have a wonderful savior to lean on now as opposed to before.
__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
- There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
- The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
- Every sinner must repent of their sins.
- That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
- That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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08-21-2010, 07:27 PM
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Jesus' Name Pentecostal
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: near Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 17,805
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Re: Testimonies
Over half a century as a Christian I've heard lots of good testimonies as people told about what the Lord had done for them. Some have been very uplifting and encouraging.
Of course I've heard lots of "canned" testimonies and tales of woe also.
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08-21-2010, 07:35 PM
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Mama to four little angels.
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,053
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Re: Testimonies
Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
Sorry but Im one of those rare persons that when I heard the call I left all and trusted in God and it was not a hardship to do.
I did not feel oppressed. I did not miss my old life. I didn't find it too hard to be a Christian.
However since then has my life been without troubles? Of course not but I do have a wonderful savior to lean on now as opposed to before.
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I get this too.  I just sort of hope I'm not really the only one out here who's struggled as much as I have, and still do. Honest is good, and appreciated on either side of the coin. I'm grateful for those who get to just turn and that's it, but sometimes I wonder if something's wrong with me that it's been so difficult and I rarely hear about anyone else who has struggled.
__________________
You become free from who you have become, by becoming who you were meant to be. ~Mark from another forum I post on
God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. ~Romans 3:24 from The Message
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08-21-2010, 07:39 PM
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Mama to four little angels.
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,053
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Re: Testimonies
Quote:
Originally Posted by missourimary
Most people paint things rosy... no offense, but so does a car dealer, or any other salesperson.
We've been talking about this in Sunday School. Often, people don't relate to rosy. They do relate to people that are just as human as they are.
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Sure, people do paint things rosy, but aren't Christians supposed to be honest?  Really mostly tongue in cheek, but I think that's what I'm getting at in my thoughts right now. If Christianity is better, is the ideal, is what we want the world to turn to, then isn't it a problem to misrepresent it to those most likely to call us on it and use such misrepresentation as an excuse not to seek God or turn to Him?
__________________
You become free from who you have become, by becoming who you were meant to be. ~Mark from another forum I post on
God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. ~Romans 3:24 from The Message
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08-21-2010, 07:40 PM
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Go Dodgers!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 45,794
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Re: Testimonies
Quote:
Originally Posted by nahkoe
I get this too. I just sort of hope I'm not really the only one out here who's struggled as much as I have, and still do. Honest is good, and appreciated on either side of the coin. I'm grateful for those who get to just turn and that's it, but sometimes I wonder if something's wrong with me that it's been so difficult and I rarely hear about anyone else who has struggled. |
What do you mean by struggling? It was my impression by "testimony" what was meant was our coming to the Lord, not the trials we face since then
__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
- There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
- The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
- Every sinner must repent of their sins.
- That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
- That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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08-21-2010, 07:42 PM
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Go Dodgers!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 45,794
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Re: Testimonies
Quote:
Originally Posted by nahkoe
Sure, people do paint things rosy, but aren't Christians supposed to be honest? Really mostly tongue in cheek, but I think that's what I'm getting at in my thoughts right now. If Christianity is better, is the ideal, is what we want the world to turn to, then isn't it a problem to misrepresent it to those most likely to call us on it and use such misrepresentation as an excuse not to seek God or turn to Him? |
Being honest and blathering on and on and on and on for an hour about everything are not the same thing.
A 'testimony' is supposed to be about HIM. It's supposed to be about what HE has done.
Christianity is about being saved, being in a right relationship with Him.
It's not better because it's a better way to heaven. It's the only way.
We are wrong though when or if we mislead people into believing Christianity is about a Joel Osteen smiley moment. 
__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
- There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
- The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
- Every sinner must repent of their sins.
- That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
- That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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08-21-2010, 08:02 PM
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Mama to four little angels.
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,053
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Re: Testimonies
Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
What do you mean by struggling? It was my impression by "testimony" what was meant was our coming to the Lord, not the trials we face since then
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I do mean the testimony of salvation, the coming to the Lord, not the life since. For me, this has been a long, interesting, quite twisted process.
__________________
You become free from who you have become, by becoming who you were meant to be. ~Mark from another forum I post on
God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. ~Romans 3:24 from The Message
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