I spent the first 26 years of my life living for my own selfish wants and desires.  I didn't know God and had no desire to know him.  God was some far off being that couldn't and didn't do anything for me.  Through a series of events I was presented with some truths about who God is and how he relates to me. 

I was told that God loves me and wants what is best for me.  I was told there was a man named Jesus Christ who lived and walked on earth and who claimed to be God.  I was told that Jesus was God.  I was told that Jesus lived a perfect life and never sinned once.  I was told Jesus healed the sick, brought people back from the dead and did many miracles that only God could do.   I was told my life fell short of the standard God considered acceptable and that there was only one way to reconcile myself to God.  I was told that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to reconcile myself to God.  I was told that by believing Jesus Christ was God that all of my sins would be forgiven.  

Upon first hearing these truths I scoffed.  When people tried to present these truths to me I would jokingly harass them and try to find ways to poke holes in there faith.  I had long discussions with Christians about there faith.  While discussing and mocking Christians I was beginning to sense of tugging on my heart from God.  I started to sense that maybe these truths were valid.  I had lived my life searching for something to grasp onto, searching for the truth of who I am and why God put me on this earth.  I remember one of the reasons I started smoking cigarettes in 7th grade was so that I would have something to look forward to.  I read biographies of great men, self help books and philosophy books searching for something to grasp onto in life. 

My initial plan was to interview someone from the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Catholic and Christian faiths.  From the results of the interviews I would be able to discern which religion was the right religion, the one and only true religion that I could put my faith and hope into. 

I was dating a Christian girl at the time.  She brought me to a youth rally at a church in Fridley.  I sensed a whole lot of love and truth in that church.  I told God in my heart if he was responsible for the love in that room I was ready to believe.  I still was very confused and had a lot of questions.  

3 days later I received an urgent call from a business associate Joel Stockel whom I knew to be one of these "born agains".  He wanted to have lunch that day because someone was improperly making long distance calls at his business.  After discussing business for an hour I asked Joel if I could ask him some questions about his beliefs.  After about 45 minutes of drilling questions about his faith I said to him:  "You mean to tell me that if I don't believe in this Jesus Christ guy that I am going to hell?" He looked me directly in the eye and said "yes".   

I knew I was sinner.  I was convicted of all the bad things I had done in my life.  I wanted to go to heaven.  I wanted to be right with God.  I didn't want to go to hell.  During that lunch I came to believe that by rejecting Jesus Christ I was rejecting God himself.  That was my deciding factor.  That was what made my decision easy.  I was ready to accept this Jesus Christ and do whatever it took to make myself right with God.  I remember the truck I was driving at the time, I remember how the front end swayed back and forth.  I remember not feeling all that safe in that truck.  I remember not wanting to get up from that chair until I was right with God!!

I told Joel that I too wanted to make myself right with God.  I didn't know exactly what to do however.  I thought I needed to fill out an application or get approved by a board of spiritual people.  He told me that it was quite simple he said "Say a prayer to God.  Admit to God you are a sinner and have fallen short of his requirements.  Tell God you believe in his son Jesus Christ and that you believe Jesus Christ has the ability to forgive your sins.  Ask God to forgive your sins in the name of Jesus Christ and believe they are forgiven.  And finally agree to read the bible and to follow to the best of your ability what he has written in it." 

I followed the instructions Joel gave me.  I told God I was a sinner.  I told him I had fallen short of his glory.  I told him I believed Jesus Christ was God.  I asked God to forgive my sins through my faith in Jesus Christ.  I told God I agreed to read the bible and to follow its teachings as close as possible.  That day I became a child of God through my faith in Jesus Christ.   

Wow! Life has not been the same since!  I now have a purpose in life.  I now have something to hope in.  I now know how I should act, how I should live, how I should think.  And most of all I now know that I am forgiven.  I know that I am a Son of God.  I know that when God looks at me he doesn't see my shortcomings and sin.  I know that when God looks at me he sees the perfect sinless life of his son Jesus Christ.  I know that my name is written in the book of life.  I know that God will never leave me nor forsake me because I have believed in his one and only son Jesus Christ. 

What a change of perspective I had that day.  Life is so much more than looking out for myself.  Life has so much more meaning when God is involved!  This is the testimony of how I first became a believer in Jesus Christ.  This was just the beginning and happened over 10 years ago.  God has done many more wonderful things in my life.  I will, when time permits document some of the wonderful things God has done for me on this website also. 

Thank you for reading the story of how I let God into my life.

Roger