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.
1. His mother's illness made him believe in the Lord.
This was a Christian family: Their 92 years old mother was a Christian, two among the three children were Christians, but the son was not. Although he was raised in a Christian family, he remained stubborn and unbelieving after many years of persuasion.
A few years ago, when their old mother was ill, the sisters advised him: "Believe in the Lord, we can pray for mother every day with one heart, asking the Lord to heal her with the help of doctors' medical skills and medicine". But he said, "I do not care about those things, I will believe only the person who can cure my mother's disease". With the prayers of their mother, the two sisters, and that of some church members, after active treatment in the hospital for some time, the lung cancer-stricken 92-year-old mother had an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan and other examinations. The doctor was surprised to find that the lung cancer of the old mother was calcified, which meant that she was cured!
Having personally experienced this testimony of the Lord's healing, the brother said, "I was too stubborn, now I surrender to God!" He decided to believe in the Lord. So he was led by his sister to the church, and after a while, he was finally baptized and converted.
2. Helpless after her husband's death, she became a Christian.
This sister was a mid-level official in a state-owned enterprise and a former believer in another religion. After retirement, she spent time at home with her husband, enjoying her later years, burning incense and chanting Buddha; she felt very happy every day. Unfortunately, one day, her husband suddenly had a headache. After the ambulance took her husband to the hospital, the doctor announced that he suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away.
Immersed in indescribable grief, she spent all day alone at home lying in bed, with her face bathed in tears, helpless. At that time, a neighboring sister who believed in the Lord, comforted her, enlightened her and preached the gospel to her. She also reflected: Why did my husband pass away so early when I had been devoting myself to burning incense and chanting Buddha for so long? So suddenly? What kind of "evil" is in the house? So she followed the old sister to the church. After a few meetings, listening to the gospel and cultivation by believers, she suddenly repented and invited the church members to her home to get rid of her idols. She returned to the Lord Jesus Christ and actively dedicated herself to the ministry, becoming the leader of a fellowship in the church. Now she and her son, both Christians, serve in different groups in the church and are happy and blessed in Christ.
3. His mother led him to Christ.
His mother believed in the Lord since the 1930s. The son was influenced by his mother since he was a child to believe in the Lord and imperceptibly had a vague understanding. But he still did not believe in the Lord. After the reform and opening up, the church resumed and his mother went to the church for meetings every Sunday. As the only son, his wife was busy with housework, his child was also little, and there was no other person, so he always had to take his mother to church. After arriving at the church, he would seat at the back or corner waiting for his mother's meeting to end and take her home. His mother did not deliberately demand that he believe in the Lord, she only asked him to take her to church; she believed that her son would believe in the Lord sooner or later.
Every time he went to church, he listened passively. He also knew that it was a temple and that he had to obey the rules. He prayed silently in his heart for the health of his old mother. But he had no true spiritual faith in his heart. After several years, in the process of accompanying his mother, the truth of God slowly moistened his heart. Finally, one day through the grace of Christ, he received the call of the priest, stood before the altar, became a catechumen and participated in the training. A year later, he passed the exam. After believing in the Lord, he said emotionally, "Thank God! My mother led me to believe in the Lord". His mother said: It is not me, it is God.
4. He believed in the Lord while he was ill.
The old brother had been frail and sickly since he was a child. After the hard work and hard life working in the fields, he suffered from heart disease, stomach disease, tracheitis and other diseases in his middle age. He spent some of his salaries on medical treatment every year. Although there were some effects, it was a disaster. He felt empty and vague in his heart: What can a man in his fifties do? Where is the future?
His wife was a believer, and besides praying silently for her husband every day, she influenced him at home by her caring for him. One Sunday he suddenly said to his wife, "I too will go to church". His wife was very happy to accompany him to the church. On that day, it happened that the head pastor was preaching. He listened to the sermon and felt a warmth and hope in his heart. He said, "My heart suddenly opened up, I felt that the pastor was speaking to me".
He followed his wife to church every Sunday to listen to the sermon and to pray and praise like other believers. After a while, he received the pastor's call, he was trained in the church, baptized and became a believer. Now his health is much better than before, and he is much more energetic. He said that people should not be afraid of diseases; more importantly, they should not have disease in their hearts, the heart should be strong so that God can help us to fight the disease and we can live a healthier life.
5. Amid internal and external difficulties, he followed Jesus Christ.
The first half of his life felt very hard, but after going through rough times, he had a successful career and a happy family, the family of three people lived in harmony. He claimed to be an atheist and believed in nothing. But when he was 55, his wife suddenly had leukemia; she spent all her savings yet she lost her life. His small company was insolvent due to its negligence in managing its losses. His only daughter was also depressed because of the death of her mother and was unable to work. At that moment, he was troubled internally and externally and was mentally exhausted.
One weekend, he called one of his friends and asked, "What are you doing on Sunday?" His friend said "I'm going to church. Are you going?" He did not know why, but without thinking or hesitating, he said, "I will go!"
When his friend took him to the church, he listened to the hymn before the sermon and wept. His friend handed him a piece of tissue and said "Wipe your tears, don't cry." It was so strange! He entered the church and listened to the sermon once, got moved by the spirit, and his heart was softened by the Lord's mercy.
From then on, he went to church every Sunday to attend services and listen to sermons. He purchased a Bible, newly compiled hymns, and other necessary books, and carefully took notes during sermons. When the time was right, God chose him, and he believed in the Lord.
After believing in the Lord, he was no longer depressed. Although he could not continue running his business, he got off his high horse and worked as a security guard in a company. In his spare time, he accompanied his daughter to go out for relaxation and sometimes took her to church. Gradually, his daughter began to smile and was willing to communicate with others. Although he was not as rich as when he was a boss, he saw changes in his child, felt the grace of the Lord, and was filled with hope for life.
6. He accepted Jesus after reading the Bible.
He was a middle-aged man who was admitted into university after the reform and opening up to study history. He loved reading since he was a child. Especially in those turbulent times, he was hungry for knowledge. He once bought a Bible at a secondhand bookstall and began to read it. At that time, he barely understood the scriptures of the Bible. In his workplace, he served as the executive vice president of the company, and he had no energy to read the Bible anymore.
He found the Bible again by chance and began to read. It seemed to deeply read it. He began with Psalms, Proverbs, and the gospels, and then proceeded from Genesis through to Revelation. Gradually, he was deeply attracted by the truth in the Bible and felt the charm of believing in God. So, one day, he asked for the venue and time of the local church meeting, and then went to church on his own initiative.
At the church, he was warmly received by the sisters who served, who shared some general knowledge about the faith with him. The pastor of the church also especially had an hour of private communication with him. He was inspired and enlightened. From then on, he went to church every Sunday evening to worship, listened to sermons, and took notes. After several training sessions in a catechism class, he took a catechism exam and was baptized into the Lord. After that, he said, "Thank God! It is this Bible that brought me into the truth of faith and made me a believer in the Lord."
To be continued…
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times)
上帝爱世人。我们每个人蒙神的拣选，信仰上帝都是恩典，也都有背后不同的经历和故事。现将我所听到、看到的40个信仰背后的故事和经历整理出来，与大家分享。也许这里就有你的信仰背后故事。
一、 老妈的病愈使他信主了
这是一个基督化的家庭：老母亲92岁了，是基督徒，家里的三个儿女，其中两个女儿是基督徒。但是儿子不是。虽然受着信主家庭的熏陶，多年来规劝了多少次仍然是“顽固不化”，仍然不信。
几年前，老母亲生病的时候，姐姐们就劝他：你信主吧，我们每天可以为老妈妈同心合意的祷告，求主借助医生的医术和药物治好老妈妈的病。他却说，我不管那些事，谁能医治我妈妈的病，我就信谁。在老妈妈自己的祷告和两个姐姐祷告以及教会的一些肢体祷告的同时，经过积极的在医院各种治疗了一段时间，92岁的老妈妈的肺癌经过核磁共振等复查，医生惊奇的发现，老妈妈的肺癌居然钙化了，这就是说老妈妈病愈了！
亲身经历了这个主医治的见证，这时候弟兄说：我原来太顽固，这次我服了上帝了！决定信主。于是他在姐姐的带领下，到了教会，经过一段时间，最后受洗归主了。
二、丈夫去世后无助的她信主了
这位老姊妹是一个国有企业的中层干部、曾经信仰过其他宗教。退休后和老伴在家里颐养天年，烧香念佛，感觉每天都很快乐。但是很不幸，有一天，她的丈夫突然就觉得头痛。等急救车把她丈夫拉到医院以后，医生经过检查宣布，病人已经去世了，患的是脑出血。
沉浸在无比悲痛的她，一个人在家里整天躺在床上以泪洗面，很是无助。这时，邻居一位信主的姊妹，来到她的身边，给她安慰，开导她，向她传福音。她也反思：为什么我长年虔诚的烧香念佛，我的丈夫还早早的就去世了？这么突然？家里摊上这样的“恶事”？于是她就跟着这位老姐妹来到了教会。经过几场的聚会、听道，信徒栽培后，她幡然悔悟，把教会的人请到家里移除了偶像，她归向了主耶稣基督，并且在日后的事工当中积极奉献，成为教会一个团契的负责人。
现在她和儿子，都是基督徒，母子俩在教会分别不同的班组服侍，在基督里很是喜乐健康和蒙福。
三、老妈带他信主
老妈是上个世纪30年代就信主的老信徒。儿子从小就耳濡目染，无形中有了模糊的认识。但是在那个极左的年代他没有信主、也无法信主。改革开放以后，教会复堂了，老妈每个礼拜日都到教堂去聚会。因为是独子，家里妻子也忙于家务，孩子也小，也没有其他人，所以儿子要送妈妈去教堂。到了教堂以后，他坐在后面或角落里，等候妈妈聚会送她回家。老妈并没有刻意的苛求他信主，就是有意的要求他必须送到教会，老妈妈相信儿子早晚要信主的。
这样他每次到教堂，都是在被动的听道。他也知道这是圣殿，要守规矩。他在心里也默默的祷告老妈妈身体健康。但是他内心没有真正属灵的信仰。这样经过了几年之后，在陪伴老妈的过程中，神的道慢慢地在滋润他的心灵。终于有一天在基督的恩典中他接受了牧师的呼召，站到圣台前，成为慕道友，参加了培训。一年之后，他经过考道信主了。
信主以后，他不无感慨的说，感谢神！是我妈带领我信主的。而老妈妈则说：不是我，是神的带领。
四、病中的他信主了
老弟兄从小就身体孱弱多病，又经过上山下乡的劳动和艰苦生活，进入中年以后心脏病、胃病、气管炎等等疾病都出现在他的身上。他每年都把自己的一些工资用在了治病上。虽然有些效果，但就是病病殃殃的。而且他内心里感到很空虚、渺茫：才五十几岁的人，怎么办呢？前途在哪里呀？
他的妻子是一个信徒，除了每天默默地为她的丈夫祷告以外，在家里以自己对丈夫的关照来影响着他。那是一个礼拜天，他突然对妻子说：我也去教堂吧。妻子很高兴的陪着他来到了教堂，那天恰好是教堂的主任牧师在讲道，他听着牧师的讲道，他感到内心有一种温暖和希望，他说，我心里突然就敞亮了，感觉牧师就是给我讲的。
于是他就每个礼拜日都跟着妻子到教堂来听道，也学着其他信徒的模样祷告、跟着赞美。这样，经过了一段时间，他接受牧师的呼召，到教会接受培训，考道之后接受了洗礼，成为了信徒。现在他的身体比以前好多了，人也精神多了。
他说人有病不怕，更重要的是心里不能有疾病，心里要刚强，这样上帝也能帮助我们战胜疾病，我们能够更健康的活着。
五、 内外交困中他信主了
他的前半生感觉挺辛苦的，但是顺风顺水，事业有成，家庭也很幸福，一家三口人其乐融融。他自称是无神论者，什么也不信。可是当他55岁的时候，妻子突然得了白血病，花去了所有的积蓄，也没留住她的生命。而他的小公司由于忽于打理亏损，也支不抵债了。由于母亲的去世，他的独生女也得了忧郁症，不能工作了。此时此刻的他是内外交困，心力憔悴了。
一个周末，他打电话问他的一个朋友，你礼拜天干什么去呀？他说我要去教堂，你去吗？也不知道是怎么回事，他毫不犹豫、不假思索的就说，我去！
当他的朋友领他进入教堂入座之后，他听着证道前的赞美诗，就流泪了。朋友递给他一张纸巾，说：擦擦泪，不要哭了。就是这样的奇异！他只进入教堂一次、听了一次讲道，就被圣灵感动，就被主的慈悲融化了。
从此以后，他每个礼拜天都到教堂来参加礼拜、听道。并且自己到书房买了圣经、新编赞美诗等必备书籍，认真做听道笔记。当时机成熟的时候，神拣选了他，他信主了。
信主后的他，再也不萎靡不振了。生意虽然不能做了，他就放下架子到一家公司做了保安，业余时间陪着女儿出去散心，有时候也带着女儿去教堂，慢慢的，女儿也开始有了笑容，愿意和别人交流了。
现在的他，虽然不如当老板时候那么富足，但是他看到了孩子的变化，感觉到了主的恩典，内心充满生活的希望。
六、阅读圣经后他信主了
他是一个改革开放以后考入大学的，学习历史专业的中年人。他自幼就爱读书。尤其在那个动荡的年代，他如饥似渴，一次在一个旧书摊上，他买到了一本圣经，就开始阅读。那个时候对圣经的经文似懂非懂。在职场，他担任公司的常务副总，以后就没有精力再读书了。
但是一个偶然的机会，他再次找出了这本圣经，开始阅读。似乎他读进去了。起初是从诗篇、箴言和新约四福音开始读，以后就开始从创世记通读，一直读到启示录。逐渐的他被圣经里的真理深深的吸引了，感觉到信仰上帝的魅力。于是，有一天他自己就打听当地的教会在哪里、聚会的时间，他主动的到教会去了。
在教会里，他受到了服务的姊妹的热情接待，并且给他讲了信仰方面的一些常识；教会的牧师还特意和他做了一个小时的单独交流。他受到鼓舞和启发。从此，他就每个礼拜天晚上都到教会参加晚场敬拜、赞美、听道，并且做笔记。在慕道班的几次培训以后，他参加了考道，他在教会的圣洗礼当中，受洗归主。
事后他说，感谢上帝！就是这本圣经，把我带到了信仰的真理里面，使我成为了主的信徒。
未完待续……
（本文作者为福音时报特约撰稿人。未完待续。）
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/portal/article/index/id/56054
信仰背后的40个故事（一）
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.
1. His mother's illness made him believe in the Lord.
This was a Christian family: Their 92 years old mother was a Christian, two among the three children were Christians, but the son was not. Although he was raised in a Christian family, he remained stubborn and unbelieving after many years of persuasion.
A few years ago, when their old mother was ill, the sisters advised him: "Believe in the Lord, we can pray for mother every day with one heart, asking the Lord to heal her with the help of doctors' medical skills and medicine". But he said, "I do not care about those things, I will believe only the person who can cure my mother's disease". With the prayers of their mother, the two sisters, and that of some church members, after active treatment in the hospital for some time, the lung cancer-stricken 92-year-old mother had an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan and other examinations. The doctor was surprised to find that the lung cancer of the old mother was calcified, which meant that she was cured!
Having personally experienced this testimony of the Lord's healing, the brother said, "I was too stubborn, now I surrender to God!" He decided to believe in the Lord. So he was led by his sister to the church, and after a while, he was finally baptized and converted.
2. Helpless after her husband's death, she became a Christian.
This sister was a mid-level official in a state-owned enterprise and a former believer in another religion. After retirement, she spent time at home with her husband, enjoying her later years, burning incense and chanting Buddha; she felt very happy every day. Unfortunately, one day, her husband suddenly had a headache. After the ambulance took her husband to the hospital, the doctor announced that he suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away.
Immersed in indescribable grief, she spent all day alone at home lying in bed, with her face bathed in tears, helpless. At that time, a neighboring sister who believed in the Lord, comforted her, enlightened her and preached the gospel to her. She also reflected: Why did my husband pass away so early when I had been devoting myself to burning incense and chanting Buddha for so long? So suddenly? What kind of "evil" is in the house? So she followed the old sister to the church. After a few meetings, listening to the gospel and cultivation by believers, she suddenly repented and invited the church members to her home to get rid of her idols. She returned to the Lord Jesus Christ and actively dedicated herself to the ministry, becoming the leader of a fellowship in the church. Now she and her son, both Christians, serve in different groups in the church and are happy and blessed in Christ.
3. His mother led him to Christ.
His mother believed in the Lord since the 1930s. The son was influenced by his mother since he was a child to believe in the Lord and imperceptibly had a vague understanding. But he still did not believe in the Lord. After the reform and opening up, the church resumed and his mother went to the church for meetings every Sunday. As the only son, his wife was busy with housework, his child was also little, and there was no other person, so he always had to take his mother to church. After arriving at the church, he would seat at the back or corner waiting for his mother's meeting to end and take her home. His mother did not deliberately demand that he believe in the Lord, she only asked him to take her to church; she believed that her son would believe in the Lord sooner or later.
Every time he went to church, he listened passively. He also knew that it was a temple and that he had to obey the rules. He prayed silently in his heart for the health of his old mother. But he had no true spiritual faith in his heart. After several years, in the process of accompanying his mother, the truth of God slowly moistened his heart. Finally, one day through the grace of Christ, he received the call of the priest, stood before the altar, became a catechumen and participated in the training. A year later, he passed the exam. After believing in the Lord, he said emotionally, "Thank God! My mother led me to believe in the Lord". His mother said: It is not me, it is God.
4. He believed in the Lord while he was ill.
The old brother had been frail and sickly since he was a child. After the hard work and hard life working in the fields, he suffered from heart disease, stomach disease, tracheitis and other diseases in his middle age. He spent some of his salaries on medical treatment every year. Although there were some effects, it was a disaster. He felt empty and vague in his heart: What can a man in his fifties do? Where is the future?
His wife was a believer, and besides praying silently for her husband every day, she influenced him at home by her caring for him. One Sunday he suddenly said to his wife, "I too will go to church". His wife was very happy to accompany him to the church. On that day, it happened that the head pastor was preaching. He listened to the sermon and felt a warmth and hope in his heart. He said, "My heart suddenly opened up, I felt that the pastor was speaking to me".
He followed his wife to church every Sunday to listen to the sermon and to pray and praise like other believers. After a while, he received the pastor's call, he was trained in the church, baptized and became a believer. Now his health is much better than before, and he is much more energetic. He said that people should not be afraid of diseases; more importantly, they should not have disease in their hearts, the heart should be strong so that God can help us to fight the disease and we can live a healthier life.
5. Amid internal and external difficulties, he followed Jesus Christ.
The first half of his life felt very hard, but after going through rough times, he had a successful career and a happy family, the family of three people lived in harmony. He claimed to be an atheist and believed in nothing. But when he was 55, his wife suddenly had leukemia; she spent all her savings yet she lost her life. His small company was insolvent due to its negligence in managing its losses. His only daughter was also depressed because of the death of her mother and was unable to work. At that moment, he was troubled internally and externally and was mentally exhausted.
One weekend, he called one of his friends and asked, "What are you doing on Sunday?" His friend said "I'm going to church. Are you going?" He did not know why, but without thinking or hesitating, he said, "I will go!"
When his friend took him to the church, he listened to the hymn before the sermon and wept. His friend handed him a piece of tissue and said "Wipe your tears, don't cry." It was so strange! He entered the church and listened to the sermon once, got moved by the spirit, and his heart was softened by the Lord's mercy.
From then on, he went to church every Sunday to attend services and listen to sermons. He purchased a Bible, newly compiled hymns, and other necessary books, and carefully took notes during sermons. When the time was right, God chose him, and he believed in the Lord.
After believing in the Lord, he was no longer depressed. Although he could not continue running his business, he got off his high horse and worked as a security guard in a company. In his spare time, he accompanied his daughter to go out for relaxation and sometimes took her to church. Gradually, his daughter began to smile and was willing to communicate with others. Although he was not as rich as when he was a boss, he saw changes in his child, felt the grace of the Lord, and was filled with hope for life.
6. He accepted Jesus after reading the Bible.
He was a middle-aged man who was admitted into university after the reform and opening up to study history. He loved reading since he was a child. Especially in those turbulent times, he was hungry for knowledge. He once bought a Bible at a secondhand bookstall and began to read it. At that time, he barely understood the scriptures of the Bible. In his workplace, he served as the executive vice president of the company, and he had no energy to read the Bible anymore.
He found the Bible again by chance and began to read. It seemed to deeply read it. He began with Psalms, Proverbs, and the gospels, and then proceeded from Genesis through to Revelation. Gradually, he was deeply attracted by the truth in the Bible and felt the charm of believing in God. So, one day, he asked for the venue and time of the local church meeting, and then went to church on his own initiative.
At the church, he was warmly received by the sisters who served, who shared some general knowledge about the faith with him. The pastor of the church also especially had an hour of private communication with him. He was inspired and enlightened. From then on, he went to church every Sunday evening to worship, listened to sermons, and took notes. After several training sessions in a catechism class, he took a catechism exam and was baptized into the Lord. After that, he said, "Thank God! It is this Bible that brought me into the truth of faith and made me a believer in the Lord."
To be continued…
(The article is originally published by Gospel Times)
40 Christian Faith Stories (Part I)
