God loves the world. Each of us is chosen by God, and we all have different experiences and stories behind our faith in God. Here are 40 stories and experiences behind people's faiths that I have heard and seen. Maybe the story behind your faith might be here.
While part 1 contains the stories of six Christians, part 2 concerns five believers who encountered God in their hard times, and part 3 tells four stories of people who believed in the Lord as a result of love and family influence, and part 4 recounts five testimonies of ordinary people, the fifth episode tells the testimonies of a young pastor, three ordinary Christians, and an elderly couple.
23. Under the influence of his neighbor's aunt, he believed in the Lord and later became His faithful servant.
Pastor Ren was a young senior pastor of the church. In those days, his family lived in a large compound occupied by many families. There was an aunt in the neighborhood who was very kind. He would go to her house to listen to discussions about the Christian faith, and he also enjoyed reading the Bible.
So, at the age of 18, he went to church and listened to the preacher's sermons. When he graduated from high school, he did not take the general college entrance examination, but enrolled in the seminary despite all the obstacles he was faced with.
At the seminary, he studied hard and excelled. After graduation, he served in a rural church.
He preached sermons that were down-to-earth and relatable to the locals. He was able to integrate biblical truths and theology into the testimony of the believers, combining the sermon with their everyday affairs. After serving in the church for many years, the city council made him the senior pastor.
He made the church his home and worked there almost ten hours a day. What was once a church of strife and discord is now well-managed in an orderly manner.
24. Because of her critically ill daughter, she became a Christian and grew to become the "bellwether" of the church.
She was originally an unbeliever, from a family of three, and owned a small store in town. She did not seek to make huge profits in her business but sold affordable goods.
Suddenly, one day, her daughter, who was in high school, felt unwell and developed a fever. The hospital diagnosed her daughter with kidney disease, which was quite severe.
She was seeking medical help for her daughter when she suddenly remembered that there was a church in town and she wanted to ask the "foreign bodhisattva (god)" to heal her. She was led to the church by one of her female classmates who believed in Christ.
The preacher of the church comforted her. She felt that the church was different from those who worshipped Bodhisattva, as they did not ask for money and did not burn incense. So, on her first day in church, she bought a Bible and went home to read it.
Afterward, the preachers, believers from the church often visited and prayed for her daughter. She attended the church's weekly meetings on time.
After treatment, her daughter was almost healed and was able to return to school. She was baptized into the Lord as a result of this testimony. Not only that, but she also asked her husband, her mother-in-law, and her daughter to join the faith.
Eight years later, her daughter graduated from university and joined the workforce in a first-tier city. Her faith grew deeper and deeper, and she has received training at the two Christian associations and seminaries in the city and county many times. She has now become the leader of the church.
25. A believer who owns a beauty salon and tithes all year round.
In a church logistic group, there is a middle-aged sister who stands at the church door to welcome the congregation into the church no matter how cold it is during the winter, and during the summer, even if it is hot, she will come to the church early to serve the congregation.
She is a beauty salon owner, but she is not flamboyant and does not show off. Every day she drives to the church, parks her car far away, walks to the church, then puts on church clothes and serves the congregation.
Not only that, but she also gives a tenth of the profits she makes from her shop to the church every month, which is not a small amount, but she does so discreetly every time.
Her beauty salon is doing better and better, and when her daughter took the college entrance examination, she was admitted to a good university.
26. A sister who works in a famous Buddhist scenic spot but is a Christian.
She works at a national 5A-level Buddhist scenic spot and is one of the main people in charge of the scenic spot.
Due to her job and duties, she attends the evening service every Sunday, sitting in an inconspicuous place to read the Bible, pray, worship, and praise.
Not only that, she led her own son's family to conversion; she also exhorted those around her not to worship Buddhist idols and waste their money but to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. So some people followed her to church.
After retirement, she became more involved in church activities.
27. In a bid to "trail" his wife, he became a believer.
The elderly couple, both in their 70s, has spent decades in quarrels and bickering but live in harmony. However, there was a period of time when the elderly brother suddenly noticed that his partner was no longer so unhappy, nor did she stay at home silently facing the television, doing nothing all day long. Instead, she went out every day with a small backpack and returned in the afternoon, singing songs he did not understand and was very happy. He could not help but suspect something.
So one day, when his wife picked up the backpack and left, he quietly began to follow her. She took a bus, walked to a church, went in, and sat in the front row. He stalked her for weeks, sitting in the back of the church so he wouldn't be seen.
So one day, when his wife picked up her school bag and left again, he quietly began to follow behind. He saw her take the bus, walk to the door of a church, go in, and take a seat in the front row. He sat at the back of the church so as not to be noticed, and he followed her for several weeks.
After a while, he felt the church was good and actually began to read the Bible and pray along with the believers in praise. So one day, when the pastor made an altar call, he stood before the altar to accept Christ.
Now the elderly couple comes to church together, holding hands, every Sunday or when there are meetings or events.
To be continued...
(The author of this article is a staff writer at the Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
