Memorable Conversions

Over the years fellow Christians have given me their stories as how they went from being unbelievers to believers in Jesus Christ. Even though I did not follow to know the lives of these people in every instance, I recall their testimonies.

In this thread I will recount some of the ones I remember.
You all can respond however you wish.
Try to make it constructive to the Forum in some way.

I once knew a lawyer in the Boston Area who had become a strong Christian. I asked him how he came to Jesus Christ. For some reason I never forgot the basics of what he said. I will call him here J B.

He told me that he was a court hardened attorney with no thought whatsoever of being a Christian. He was going through a painful divorce. He said he was staying in some motel. He was hurting bad because of the messy divorce.

JB said he sat across the motel bedroom from a Gideon Bible that was on the desk or table. He said he did not open it. He did not read it. He just sat there looking at it and thinking. He thought on God. He thought on his situation and his sadness.

Silently, in the loneliness of that motel JB just sat there for a long time just looking at that Bible. He had never thought of needing God before. Now he just contemplated, thought it over, looking at that Bible.

He must have thought. "Maybe, I need God. Maybe for the first time in my life, I need God."

JB, last time I knew him, was a vibrant lover of Jesus, still practicing law in the Boston area. I think Jesus helped him through his storm and became his Lord and Savior somehow around that time.

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My comment:

The power of just opening the heart to Jesus is not a small thing. Just a turn in the attitude is meaningful. JB didn't say he even opened the Bible. But just his change in heart towards God set his conversion in motion. He was born again somewhere in the mix when he accepted Christ.

The first testimonial I recall was of a middle age man. This one is about a little highschool girl.

Once in the early 70s I was sharing the Gospel to a crowd of highschool kids sitting on the grass outside after school. I don't remember what I taught them.

The next day, I think it was, I met one young lady who I did not recognize at all. But she told me that she had gotten saved by Jesus the night before. I asked her how.

She said that I was talking to a bunch of her friends about Jesus. That evening she prayed and told God something to this effect. " I am not that smart about this. If there is something true here about God you better show me."

Now she said she had a dream that she was on a large boat of ship. And somehow it tipped over or was sinking or something. In her dream she said she was in the water trying to stay alive. And a large hand came down and scooped her up.

The girl told me that Jesus was real to her after that dream.

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My comment:

The first case was a lawyer. The second was a highschool kid. Jesus Christ meets people right where they are. We have no ground to despise anyone as to how they turn to Christ.

In my opinion God answered that highschool kid's simply open hearted prayer. He gave her something she could understand. I may have said some perplexing things which went completely over her head. Jesus Christ honored her willingness to let God show her the truth.

I have no doubt that God did.

There is a man who had a prominent reputation as an advocate among homeless people in the San Francisco area. He doesn't know me. But I knew of him because he preached the Gospel before he was an advocate in California.

I will call him TH . I have no idea what TH is doing today. According to his testimony he had been doing drugs. He passed out and was lying on the grass. According to him, he could hear perfectly well. But he could not move a muscle or speak.

TH said he could not talk but could hear them suggesting that they move his limp body over in some bushes. They apparently suspected that he was so seriously out of it that he might even die. "Let's move him over here into these bushes" he heard someone say, to his horror.

He was very afraid. Then he heard a woman's voice off in the distance. The woman cried out " Lord Jesus help that boy!! " Something like that was cried out. Someone cried out aloud to Jesus Christ to HELP TH in his limp, unconscious condition.

TH said that when in his extreme fear, he heard that woman cry the name Jesus to help him, a great peace came over him. He said a great calming peace came over him.

I do not remember the rest of the story. I recall that this is how he said he first believed in Christ. I believe his account.

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My Comment:

No one, but NO ONE ... can do an inside job of rescue like the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This young man was helpless and about to be forsaken by friends and left for dead or near dead. Hearing the NAME of Jesus somehow facilitated faith in him. Jesus Christ as the life giving Spirit entered into him and he got saved in more ways than one.

" The last Adam became a life giving Spirit " (1 Cor. 15:45)

I hope TH is still walking with the Lord Jesus today. Maybe one day I'll look him up. He doesn't know me. But I know him.

PS When the song says "Somewhere in the Shadows You'll Find Jesus" someone knew what they were talking about.

The last account I will write today is of a Jewish man, I think and architect' artist or draftsman of some type. I will call him AK as I used his experience without personal permission as the above ones also.

In this instance what is memorable to me is not HOW AK became a Christian. I am not sure how that happened. What is memorable is that he said he was a STRONG Atheist. And he said he was a strong Atheist all through the Vietnam War where he actually saw action.

AK, said that when he was in the Vietnam War there were a couple of Christians who talked about God. He argued with them strongly for he was an Atheist. He told a group of us that one day in the heat of a fire fight on the battlefield one of these Christians got killed.

AK said that this caused him to be all the more bold to argue with the other remaining Christian. And AK said he argued something like this:

"You see?! This guy believed in God and what did it do for him? He got killed. How come God didn't save him from being killed? Your God does not exist."

AK was a real example that there are fox holes where atheists are. For there is a saying "There is no atheism in fox holes" meaning that bullets flying over your head on a war torn battlefield make everyone pray to God for protection.

AK was an exception and taunted the remaining Christian that his buddy got blown away regardless of his believing in Jesus and God.

I do not know for sure how AK became a Christian. But it wasn't on that battlefield. Maybe the very Christian who died, had his prayer answered and AK, a hardened Jewish Atheist, latter became a lover of Jesus.

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My Comment:

Today, AK is a lover of Jesus. Maybe one day I'll ask him if he plays chess. Then he could come and add a few more words to my recollection of his Vietnam experience. He's very talkative.

Originally posted by sonship
The first testimonial I recall was of a middle age man. This one is about a little highschool girl.

Once in the early 70s I was sharing the Gospel to a crowd of highschool kids sitting on the grass outside after school. I don't remember what I taught them.

The next day, I think it was, I met one young lady who I did not recognize at all. But she told ...[text shortened]... Christ honored her willingness to let God show her the truth.

I have no doubt that God did.

Not wanting to take anything away from her testimonial, but you say the day before she was 'talking to a bunch of her friends about Jesus.'

I know, through experience, that dreams are often influenced by events and conversations that happen during the day. Isn't it just as likely that she went to bed with God on her mind and that this then manifested itself in her dreams. - Why are you so adamant in your opinion that the dream came from God? (Apart from of course wanting to believe it so).

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke

Not wanting to take anything away from her testimonial, but you say the day before she was 'talking to a bunch of her friends about Jesus.'

I was the one talking to a group of young people. It was me who was talking on that day. She apparently was in the crowd listening to me. God had mercy on her in spite of my shortcomings then.

I wrote:

Once in the early 70s. I was sharing the Gospel to a crowd of highschool kids sitting on the grass outside after school. I don't remember what I taught them.

This was not a general blanket endorsement of dreams or all dreams. It was simply a recollection of one person's experience.

Originally posted by sonship

Not wanting to take anything away from her testimonial, but you say the day before she was 'talking to a bunch of her friends about Jesus.'

I was the one talking to a group of young people. It was me who was talking on that day. She apparently was in the crowd [b]listening to me. God had mercy on her in spite of my shortcomings then. ...[text shortened]... an endorsement of dreams or all dreams. It was simply a recollection of one person's experience.[/b]

Understood. My point was though, if someone talked to me at length about wild animals in the Serengeti, that night I might very well dream of elephants.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke

I know, through experience, that dreams are often influenced by events and conversations that happen during the day. Isn't it just as likely that she went to bed with God on her mind and that this then manifested itself in her dreams. - Why are you so adamant in your opinion that the dream came from God? (Apart from of course wanting to believe it so).

If you have the details correct now, I will respond.

What I believe is that she requested some sigh from God about the message of salvation. I think she got it.

Why not ? You never read " You have not because you ask not."

Jesus Christ is more about pointing to Himself than a method. That God would respond to a simple request in a simple yet confirming way, is not unusual. That He would continue that relationship would be unusual, that is always speak to that person through dreams.

But one initial speaking in response to a request that God make clear to her what was important to know ? That is quite believable.

Do I want to believe this? To say it didn't happen because I so much want it to be so would be a simple application of the Genetic Fallacy.

You are perfectly free to take it as a coincidence. Her demeanor suggested to me that it had been a life changing event, at least in terms of her realizing that Jesus was the Savior Who loved he and cared for her salvation.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Understood. My point was though, if someone talked to me at length about wild animals in the Serengeti, that night I might very well dream of elephants.

Yes. I do also dream of stuff that I thought on during the day.

NO ARGUMENT from me on that.

Okay, I have given a few positive testimonies. Remember, I just said that these were memorable conversions.

So, something on the more problematic side for those who think I am just naive.

I have known a couple of cases of very energetic Christians who became bitter latter. Let me tell you of one.

At Baruch College in NYC I met a boyfriend and his girlfriend, She was interested in coming to some Christian meetings. He was not. But he was interested in staying close to this girl.

When I approached him about the Christian meetings his girlfriend wanted to come to he snarled back at me -

" I don't fellowship with believers!"

Then I backed off obviously realizing that this guy was really hostile to the Gospel. He explained a bit more. He had become a Christian. And he had been very zealous. Somewhere along the line he became very bitter and was annoyed at Christians.

He then treated me to a Karate demonstration as the subject was left.

The last time a saw these two he had had a nice change of heart and they two had gotten married. How he had a change of heart, I don't know. I suspect that being with some of my Christian friends, with his girlfriend, caused him to soften up and realize that his natural ZEAL will often cause you to fall on your face.

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My Comment:

Some people are strong n themselves. Some people are just naturally strong in zeal no matter what they are. Like the disciple Peter, they figure that they will be SO ABSOLUTE. When such people encounter failure, they can become disallusioned and even extremely annoyed and even opposing to any further talk of pursuing God.

"I DONT FELLOWSHIP WITH BELIEVERS !!" was meant to show me that he looked down on Christians. He could find better people to associate with.

I suspect that he had gone out in the zeal of his natural being and found out like Peter, he was not reliable. Maybe he was not the leader of others that he imagined he was. Perhaps a little shameful backsliding into sin brought the condemnation of the Devil to him.

The accusation of Satan came probably -

"Oh, so YOU think you are going to follow Jesus? You can't follow Jesus. Just LOOK at how bad you are. Look what you did. And you think that you can be a Christian ?? Ha !!

Here they come again. Tell them what you think of them now."

Of course in the Bible Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Peter and other men of God fell flat on their faces when they trusted in their own zeal. Gradually we learn that it is God's power in the experience of the grace of Christ. It is not out of ourselves that we can do anything.

This brother was recovered from his bitter stand-offish cynicism latter. I thank the love of the believers to him and the mercy of God who knows perfectly well that He called many of his servants MORE than just one time.

Originally posted by sonship
Over the years fellow Christians have given me their stories as how they went from being unbelievers to believers in Jesus Christ. Even though I did not follow to know the lives of these people in every instance, I recall their testimonies.

In this thread I will recount some of the ones I remember.
You all can respond however you wish.
Try to make it constructive to the Forum in some way.

Would you like any stories about memorable conversations with people who went from being Christians to being Muslims? There might be people that find that "constructive" too.

Originally posted by FMF
Would you like any stories about memorable conversations with people who went from being Christians to being Muslims? There might be people that find that "constructive" too.

Here is a story of a Muslim converting to Christianity.
Riyadh: A Saudi man working with the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice recently killed his daughter for converting to Christianity.

According to sources close to the victim, the religious police member had cut the tongue of the girl and burned her to death following a heated debate on religion.

The death of the girl sent shockwaves and websites where the victim used to write with various nick names have allocated special space to mourn her, while some others closed temporarily in protest.

According to the Saudi Al Ukhdoud news website, the victim wrote an article on the blog of which she was a member under the nickname “Rania'' a few days before her murder.

She wrote that her life became an ordeal after her family members grew suspicious about her after a religious discussion with them.

She said that her brother found some Christian articles written by her as well as a cross sign on her computer screen. Since then he started to insult her and blamed the internet for pushing her to change her religion.

The “Free Copts'' website published a message which it received from a friend of the victim, revealing that the killer is in police custody and that he is being investigated for an honour related crime.

Saudi religious scholars have frequently warned against the dangers of Christian internet websites and satellite TV channels which attract Muslim youngsters to change their religion.

They decreed that watching these channels or browsing these websites which call for conversion to Christianity by various means is against the teachings of Islam.

But that probably was not something you were looking for.

Originally posted by FMF
Would you like any stories about memorable conversations with people who went from being Christians to being Muslims? There might be people that find that "constructive" too.

Sonship created this thread because the subject of people becoming Christian is close to his heart. Rather than doing your best to find something to derail or destroy his thread, perhaps you'd also like to start your own thread to cover this topic supposedly close to your heart, of people who have left Christianity in favor of Islam. We await your thread with interest. Enjoy yourself.

Originally posted by whodey
Here is a story of a Muslim converting to Christianity.
Riyadh: A Saudi man working with the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice recently killed his daughter for converting to Christianity.

According to sources close to the victim, the religious police member had cut the tongue of the girl and burned her to death following a heated ...[text shortened]... is against the teachings of Islam.

But that probably was not something you were looking for.

That's a horrible story, as are far too many stories coming out of that part of the world.