Από την Ιαπωνία μοναχή στην Ιερά Μονή Τιμίου Προδρόμου στην Λάρισα,ακολουθώντας την φωνή της καρδιάς της

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Nicolae Steinhardt: A Jewish Convert to Orthodoxy

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Nicolae Steinhardt (July 12, 1912 – March 29, 1989) was a Romanian writer, Orthodox hermit and father confessor.

Early life

He was born in Pantelimon commune, near Bucharest, from a Jewish father and a Romanian mother. His father was an engineer, architect and decorated World War I participant (following the Battle of M?r??ti). Due to his lineage from his father side, he was to be subject to anti-semitic discrimination during the fascist governments of World War II Romania.

Between 1919 and 1929, he attended Spiru Haret primary school and college in Bucharest, where, despite his background, he was taught Religion by a Christian priest. His talent for writing was first noticed when he joined the Sbur?torul literary circle.

Early career and World War II

In 1934, he took his license diploma from the Law and Literature School of the University of Bucharest. Under the pseudonym Antisthius, one of La Bruyères Caractères, he published his first volume, the parodic novel În genul lui Cioran, Noica, Eliade… (“In the Manner of Cioran, Noica, Eliade…”). In 1936, he took his PhD in Constitutional Law, and between 1937 and 1938, he traveled to Switzerland, Austria, France and England.

In 1939 Steinhardt worked as an editor for Revista Funda?iilor Regale (a government-sponsored literary magazine), losing his job between 1940 and 1944, during the ethnic cleansing under the Iron Guard regime (the National Legionary State) and the Ion Antonescu one. Despite his problems with the latter, he would forgive Antonescu, and even praise him for allegedly having saved several hundred thousands Jews (which he claimed had occurred after a face-to-face debate with Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden).

Communist persecutions and imprisonment

In 1944 he was reinstated at the Revista Funda?iilor Regale, and held his job until 1948, when King Michael I was forced to abdicate by the Communist Party of Romania.

From 1948 until 1959, he witnessed a new period of deprivation, this time from the Romanian Communist regime – when non-communist intellectuals were deemed “enemies of the people”. In 1959, during the kangaroo court trial of his former school colleague Constantin Noica, he refused to take part as a witness against him. As a consequence, he was accused of “crimes of conspiracy against social order”, he was included in the “batch of mystical-Iron Guardist intellectuals”, and sentenced to thirteen years of forced labor, in gulag-like prisons. He would serve his penalty at Jilava, Gherla, Aiud and other communist jails.

While in prison, he was baptized Orthodox Christian, on March 15, 1960, by fellow convict Mina Dobzeu, a well known Bessarabian hermit, having as godfather Emanuel Vidra?cu, a former chief of staff and adjutant of Antonescu. Witnesses to the event were also Alexandru Paleologu, two Roman Catholic priests, two Greek-Catholic priests and a Protestant priest. He would later state that his baptism had had an “ecumenical character”. This episode would be the base for his best-known and most celebrated work, the Happiness Diary.

Later years

After his release in 1964, he had a successful and notable activity as translator and publisher. His first celebrated literary works, Între via?? ?i c?r?i (“Between Life and Books”), and Incertitudini literare (“Literary Uncertainties”) were published in 1976 and 1980, respectively.

A new chapter in Steinhardt’s life began in 1980, after being accepted in Rohia Monastery. He worked as the monastery’s librarian, while at the same time dedicating himself to writing. During this time, his fame as a counselor and father-confessor had grown, attracting dozens of visitors weekly to Rohia.

He died at Baia Mare city hospital. His funeral, under surveillance by the Securitate, was attended by many of his close friends and admirers.

The Happiness Diary

The first edition was confiscated by the Securitate in 1972, and restituted in 1975, after censorship intervention. Meanwhile, he had finished writing a second version of the book, which is in its turn confiscated in 1984. In the end, Steinhardt edited several versions, one of which had reached Monica Lovinescu and Virgil Ierunca in Paris; Monica Lovinescu would later broadcast the book in a series of episodes, via Radio Free Europe.

Magicians Who Converted to Christianity

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By John Sanidopoulos

Throughout the history of Christianity, many magicians are recorded to have abandoned their ancient art and accepted the Christian faith, not because magic was found to be “fake” or “debunked”, but because they came to believe that in the eternal light of truth of the Triune God what they thought had spiritual power was in fact darkness, evil and a demonic lie.

Among the first magicians to abandon their craft after having witnessed the greater power of Christ were certain Ephesians in the middle of the first century after being visited by the Apostle Paul. Acts 19:11-20 records this astonishing event:

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

Many other magicians converted during the early centuries of Christianity, when paganism prevailed and Christians were persecuted by the pagans. Among them were St. Gargalos (Sept. 29) who was a pagan priest under King Sapor of Persia and was martyred with Sts. Dada and Gobdelaas in the fourth century, St. Athanasius (Apr. 23) who was a magician under Emperor Diocletian and was martyred in 303 A.D. after witnessing the sufferings of St. George, and St. Marus (May 31) who was a magician and martyr under the Procunsel of Comana Sebastian in the second century and converted after failing to be able to poison St. Hermias the Great Martyr.

The most famous magician of the early Church to have converted to Christianity is the Holy Martyr Cyprian (Oct. 2). Cyprian was a pagan magician of Antioch who was dealing with demons. By their aid he sought to bring St. Justina, a Christian virgin, to ruin; but she foiled the threefold attacks of the devils by the sign of the cross. Brought to despair, Cyprian made the sign of the cross himself and in this way was freed from the grip of Satan. The story of St. Cyprian became especially popular among Christians during the reign of Julian the Apostate, who in the middle of the fourth century tried to revive paganism in the Roman Empire, and his tale strengthened Christians to not sacrifice to the pagan gods, whose power was nothing before the Cross of Christ. Sts. Cyprian and Justina are even today invoked as patrons of those who have become influenced by demons and magic.

Even in our modern times there are examples of those who practiced the dark arts and converted to Christianity. Vladimir Bykov was a well-known Spiritualist in Russia who abandoned his craft after meeting with the holy spiritual fathers of Optina Monastery. He wrote a book titledCalm Havens for the Respite of a Suffering Soul. He would come to say:

“Spiritism is demonic! Orthodox Christianity is your answer.”

Vladimir eventually became an Orthodox Christian priest and in 1924 or 1925 was martyred for his Orthodox faith by the atheist communists.

More recently in Greece a former magician, Evangelos Koutroubelis, became an Orthodox Christian, and wrote a book against magic and the dark arts, titled The Deceiver of People(published by “Astir” in 1994).

Source: Mystagogy

Ιάπωνας παλαιστής βαφτίστηκε Ορθόδοξος Χριστ ιανός

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Από τα παιδικά του χρόνια ασχολήθηκε με τις πολεμικές τέχνες, οι οποίες τον ώθησαν στην μελέτη των παραδοσιακών ανατολικών θρησκειών και ειδικά στον Βουδισμό.

Μετά από διάστημα πολλών χρόνων ο Τοκάσι Κίσι γνώρισε τον Χριστιανισμό, με αποτέλεσμα να διαβάσει πάρα πολλά βιβλία.

Ο Χριστιανισμός για τον Τοκάσι ήταν μια ακόμη ηθική διδασκαλία και φάνηκε σ΄ αυτόν κάτι σαν τον Βουδισμό.

Μετά από μια επίσκεψή του στην Ρωσία, ένιωσε εσωτερικά μια επιθυμία να μάθει περισσότερα για την ορθοδοξία.

Η επιθυμία του να γίνει Χριστιανός έγινε ακόμη πιο ισχυρή μετά την επιστροφή του στην Ιαπωνία, όπου μετά από Κατήχηση στην Ιαπωνική γλώσσα, αναγνώρισε την Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία.

Επισκεπτόμενος πριν λίγο καιρό ξανά την Ρωσία, ανακοίνωσε την επιθυμία του να βαπτισθεί Ορθόδοξος Χριστιανός.

Τελικά με ευλογία του Μητροπολίτη Μπέλγκοροντ κ. Ιωάννη, ο Ιάπωνας μαχητής πολεμικών τεχνών, βαπτίστηκε και έλαβε το όνομα του Αγίου και Βαπτιστού Ιωάννη.

My Road to Orthodoxy

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by Elizabeth Markovich

I was interested in religion from an early age. My grandmother first exposed me to real religious conviction. She was “First Christian” and quite involved. I read the New Testament and it really spoke to me – especially the words of Jesus. He seemed to be speaking about revolutionary change in oneself, an inner metamorphosis, and a radically different way of looking at the world. I did not see the same spirit reflected in the Christians and churches around me. I wondered if there were secrets I didn’t know yet – perhaps they would tell me in the commencement classes.

We went to a Presbyterian church most of the time and I went to commencement class there. I was taught the Protestant view of salvation. I was surprised there was so little to it. It just didn’t seem right that God was offended by Adam’s fall and continued to hold this against humanity. We were supposed to learn the Apostles creed. I had some questions about it – what was the Holy Catholic Church?  I had to swear to this creed didn’t I? Apparently our leader was short on time and only said – “don’t worry, you won’t have to say it.” The day came and I indeed did have to stand with the group and say the creed. It seemed clear to me that they didn’t really care what I believed. Of course I was at the age when one so easily knows more than one’s elders.  It was my last time attending that Presbyterian Church, I was 14.

After that I read widely – the Tibetan book of the Dead, the Bhagavad-Gita, some of the Book of Mormon, the Koran, and many others. I attended Unitarian church for a while.  My parents didn’t have much to say about it all. I found a group studying G. I. Gurdjieff’s teachings. “The Work” was very compelling to me. I especially related to the writings of Maurice Nichol, as he used a Christian frame of reference.  I liked the idea of the development and evolution of the soul. It seemed right that “The Divine” never changed but we could. The Gurdjieff group moved to New York. I was married by then and my husband was not so interested.

I found some spiritual support in Unity.   Unity is a Protestant denomination. It is less traditional than many churches, but unlike the Unitarians, they believe they are applying Christ’s teachings. They are great believers in changing yourself through change in your thoughts and attitudes, and in spiritual evolution. I learned to work on my habitual thoughts and beliefs about others, and myself and realize that I was the only one I could change.  I took lots of classes, was on the board.  What began to bother me was the “you mix it and fix it yourself” aspect. People would often announce that they had invented a new ritual—written a prayer, lit candles, perhaps a group would carry this out.  Essentially we were trying to uplift ourselves with very uncertain input from anything higher.  We had no tradition of more experienced or advanced teachers. People did get some results, out of body experiences, strangely fortunate events, and “signs” – but where were these coming from?   Were we the first or only humans to work on spiritual development? We studied and had some contacts with other traditions – Tibetan monks, etc. We felt they were all the same at the core.  What had happened to the Christian tradition?  Was the true teaching lost? I stayed with Unity because it did not contradict my inner voice (or contradict anything for that matter, since it is so open-ended) but knew there was something missing there.

My first conscious contact with Orthodox theology was a big surprise. My best friend in grade school was Greek and I had attended the Greek Orthodox Church with her, but it was very ethnic and, I think, even most of the members understood little about the theology.  In fact I didn’t realize that I had seen some of these ideas before: Gurdjieff had incorporated many elements from his own Orthodox upbringing into his teachings.

Orthodoxy has always regarded salvation as coming both from our own efforts and help or “Grace” from above us.  We must reach a level of some purity before we can understand and be reached by Divine Grace.  They call the process Theosis or Deification.  There are three phases: Purification, Illumination, and Deification. It is not that we become God, but we can draw closer and more attuned to the divine. The Orthodox define Sin as “missing the mark” in it’s original Greek meaning.  We are separated from God and therefore are innately deviating from the Divine, therefore sinners. This is important to realize and humility is much valued, as we need to keep always in mind that we cannot progress or be saved form our own level, from our own efforts alone.  Purification comes through fasting, prayer, and giving alms. Illumination comes from above – from God and divine persons.  The original and genuine Christian tradition of Saints has also been preserved in Orthodoxy.  They are examples and inspiration of those who have gone on the path before us and can help us.  The monasteries provide a spiritually supportive environment and anchor.   Orthodoxy also understands the human need for ritual in understanding. We are not just intellectual beings but also the body and senses and emotions. The services and practices involve the senses with icons, incense, kneeling and prostrations as well as involving the mind and heart in prayer, especially the repetitious “Jesus prayer”.   The Orthodox life is actually structured to keep one aware of our goals, our souls’ mission.  The week and the calendar commemorate the saints and events in Christ’s life and teaching constantly so we live through it each week and year.

Soon after I started attending the Orthodox liturgies, my old Greek Orthodox friend commented “you’ll appreciate the ‘green Patriarch’” – as they call the leader of all the Orthodox “jurisdictions” who is very active in environmental issues. They teach that humans are the stewards of the Earth, and have a responsibility for its welfare.

Though Orthodoxy resembles Catholicism on the surface, the meaning and emphasis is really quite different.  To the Orthodox, God is not at all offended by mankind’s errors. Christ was sent because humanity could no longer be reached in any other way.  The concept of salvation has a medical framework in Orthodoxy. The Church is said to be spiritual hospital.  Since we have free will, God will not intervene except through our actions. We cannot judge the condition of others, or even know who may be saved or be in fact part of Christ’s Church.  Orthodoxy does see itself as the truest preserved tradition of Jesus’ teachings, the continuation of his ministry, and the surest path for humankind to draw closer to God.

Historically, the Orthodox Church has continued without interruption and with little change for over 2000 years, miraculously surviving through the Byzantines, and when they fell to the Moslems, the Russian Church took up the standard.  Just as Russia fell to communism, Russian missionaries brought Orthodoxy to America. Admittedly, Orthodoxy in America has many problems, especially with the confusion of many ethnic branches of the church.  Historically and theologically there should be only one American Orthodox Church and the main focus should be on the spiritual life and salvation, and preservation of Christ’s teaching, not on preservation of ethnic traditions.  No, the Church is not perfect, as humans are not perfect, but it’s good enough for me!

http://journeytoorthodoxy.com/2012/08/26/i-went-the-long-way-around/

From Baptist to Orthodox

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The Journey of Fr. John Wehling

by Sharon Dargay

Spiritually speaking, the Rev. John Wehling has spent most of his 43 years searching for a home.

He found it eight years ago in the Orthodox priesthood, a calling that brought the married, father of three and his family to Livonia in July.

Wehling will celebrate his first Christmas as pastor of Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church this Sunday, Dec. 25, amid incense and icons, in a markedly different way than he did as a Methodist minister just 12 years ago.

The Orthodox liturgy won’t look or sound like anything he experienced as an evangelical teenager, growing up in a Southern Baptist home.

“In some ways, the liturgy is very traditional. Some people call it formal, but I don’t like that word because it sounds stodgy,”

Wehling said.

“You feel very much at home in the liturgy. But there’s a real sense of reverence and holiness, so that you’re not too comfortable. We do believe the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. You feel the presence of God. You really are conscious of the presence of God.”

Byzantine-style icons painted in eye-popping colors on the walls, ceiling and around the altar, visually maintain that presence and remind parishioners of their communion with the saints. Christ is everywhere in the Biblical scenes that adorn the church. Church fathers and mothers, prophets and apostles, line the nave walls.

“There’s a very strong sense in the Orthodox church, that the church on earth is united with the church in heaven. When an Orthodox Christian stands in church and you’re surrounded by icons, you have a real visual sense that you are praying to the Lord with all those who have gone before you. In Hebrews, it talks about how we have to run the race and cross the finish line to the kingdom of God. We’re in the stadium surrounded by the witnesses who are cheering us on.“

Long journey

When Wehling started running his own spiritual marathon, friends rather than saints, witnessed his faith transformation.

“I grew up in a small town called Towanda, just 20 miles outside of Wichita. I was raised Southern Baptist and I started going to the Methodist church while I was in high school. We didn’t have a lot of kids in the Baptist church I was attending and most of my friends went to the Methodist church.”

As a teenager he got involved in the charismatic movement and learned about missionaries who smuggled Bibles into Russia. It was the kind of life he envisioned for himself, but his pastor counseled him to pursue college first.

He entered Central College, a small Christian school, where he met Anne Marie Edwards, an evangelical Christian and a Royal Oak native who grew up in Holly. They married during their sophomore year in 1989, had their first child a year and a half later and then moved to Kentucky where Wehling entered the seminary. After seminary he returned to Kansas to pastor a Free Methodist Church. He stayed in the job for four years.

“It was at that time I began to read about the ancient church. I was frustrated and there were a lot of reasons. But I was disaffected by certain things. In the evangelical church as a whole, there was an emphasis on church growth almost like marketing the church. Worship services were becoming more like rock concerts. I was put off by these sorts of things and at the same time I was reading the writings of the church fathers. The more I explored, I had to choose. I was really drawn to the Orthodox tradition.

“I was smitten by the Orthodox church and I couldn’t very well become Orthodox and be a Protestant pastor.”

A new faith

Wehling said his wife also was moving toward Orthodoxy, but at a much slower pace. She questioned his plan to quit his job, leave his faith and move the family to Spring Arbor where they would attend an Orthodox church and he would look for a job.

“If you’re an evangelical and you come into this church and they are swinging a censer and lighting candles and the priest is making the sign of the cross and they are singing everything they say, it’s strange. But once she began to explore it, she was sold. You know, if I went home today and said, I decided to do something else, she’d say ‘Have fun. I’m Orthodox and I’m not leaving.’”

A year after the family settled in Michigan, an Orthodox bishop suggested Wehling enter Orthodox seminary. He completed his studies in Pennsylvania and was ordained in 2003. He pastored a small church in Green Bay, Wisc., for eight years, before transferring to Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church after its longtime pastor, the Rev. Michael Matsko retired in June.

Since his arrival he has officiated at two weddings, two baptisms, a funeral and recently welcomed new converts to the faith. His homilies are delivered with preparation but without notes or talking points.

“Everything is new. Everything is a first for me right now, these feasts and fasting seasons,”

Wehling said.

“And it’s new for these folks. The priest before me, Fr. Michael, has really done all the work. I’m just stepping in.”

Source

© 2011, Journey To Orthodoxy | The Orthodox Christian 'Welcome Home' Network for Converts. All rights reserved. On republishing this, please provide a link to the original post. Thank you and may God richly bless you.

Read more: From Baptist to Orthodox : Journey To Orthodoxy | The Orthodox Christian 'Welcome Home' Network for Converts 

'Ένας Τούρκος Μουσουλμάνος στόν Χριστιανισμό.

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Δεν ξέρω πως ακριβώς να αρχίσω αυτό το μήνυμα. Πριν σας καταθέσω τη μαρτυρία μου προσεύχομαι το Άγιο Πνεύμα να με φωτίσει και η μαρτυρία μου αυτή να βοηθήσει όσο γίνεται περισσότερους ανθρώπους να γνωρίζουν τον Κύριο.

Με λένε Rϋstϋ και είμαι γεννημένος το 1987 από μουσουλμανική οικογένεια. Παρ’ όλο που οι γονείς μου δεν επέμεναν σ’ αυτό, από 6 ετών παρακολούθησα μαθήματα μελέτης του Κορανίου και απόκτησα πολλές γνώσεις σχετικά με το Ισλάμ. Το περιβάλλον μου ήταν μουσουλμανικό και τα άτομα που με συμβούλευαν ήταν από τα πιο αφοσιωμένα στο Ισλάμ. Για το λόγο αυτό, αρχικά, προχωρούσα με ταχείς ρυθμούς προς την Ισλαμική θρησκεία και πίστευα βαθειά στο Θεό. Όσο μεγάλωνα πλήθαιναν οι αναζητήσεις μου και αποκτούσα όλο και περισσότερες γνώσεις. Αργότερα έγινα μέλος κάποιων πολύ φανατικών κοινοτήτων όμως δεν μπορούσα εκεί να βρω το Θεό που αναζητούσα. Δεν με ικανοποιούσε η λατρεία, δεν με ανέπαυε. Αντιμετώπισα δυσκολίες πνευματικές και υλικές. Είχα προβλήματα με την οικογένειά μου και το φιλικό μου περιβάλλον που μαζί με τα ψυχικά προβλήματα με οδηγούσαν στο γκρεμό.

Οι άνθρωποι της κοινότητάς μου δεν παρακολουθούσαν τηλεόραση, δεν διάβαζαν εφημερίδα ούτε και είχαν κάποια άλλη κοινωνική δραστηριότητα. Γι’ αυτούς τα πάντα ήταν αμαρτία και λάθος: το φλερτ, η μουσική, το τραγούδι, το ποδόσφαιρο, η συζήτηση με άτομα του αντιθέτου φύλου και όλα τα παρόμοια απαγορεύονταν αυστηρά. Όμως εγώ σκεφτόμουν διαφορετικά από αυτούς. Διέφερα σαφώς στο εξής: δεν έκανα ποτέ αυτά που έκαναν και δεν προσάρμοσα ποτέ τη ζωή μου στα πιστεύω τους. Με άλλα λόγια δεν ήμουν φανατικός. Το καθετί το μετρούσα, το περνούσα από το μυαλό μου, το κριτίκαρα, το εξέταζα. Βλέποντας αυτή την τακτική μου πολλοί αντιτίθονταν και με προειδοποιούσαν: Μου έλεγαν «Θα πάθεις κάτι κακό!», «Ο Θεός θα σου δώσει ένα χαστούκι» ή κάτι παρόμοιο. Ασκούσαν πάνω μου πνευματική τρομοκρατία. Όμως επειδή δεν είχα γίνει σαν αυτούς άρχισα να ερευνώ βαθύτερα το Ισλάμ επειδή ακριβώς η ψυχή και το μυαλό μου δεν συμφωνούσε με όλες αυτές τις πρακτικές. Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν να απαλλαγώ από τα ταμπού μου και να βρεθώ στο δρόμο της αθεΐας. Τα προβλήματα και οι στεναχώριες που ζούσα εκείνη την εποχή με οδηγούσαν στην αυτοκτονία. Είχα αποφασίσει να βγάλω από την καρδιά και το μυαλό μου την έννοια του Θεού.

Συνέχισα να ερευνώ αλλά δεν μπορούσα να γεμίσω το κενό της ψυχής μου. Άρχισα να ερευνώ τον χριστιανισμό και τον Ιησού Χριστό. Έστειλαe-mail σε μια εκκλησία εξηγώντας ότι αντιμετωπίζω μεγάλες δυσκολίες, ότι δεν βρίσκω εσωτερική ανάπαυση, δεν ξέρω σε τι να πιστέψω, δεν ξέρω τι να κάνω κι ότι θέλω να γνωρίσω το χριστιανισμό. Μου ήρθε σε λίγο μια απάντηση: με προσκαλούσαν στην εκκλησία. Την Κυριακή πήγα στην εκκλησία και βρέθηκα μπροστά σε μια υπέροχη συνάθροιση. Βίωσα όμορφα συναισθήματα αλλά στο κεφάλι μου στριφογύριζαν πολλά ερωτηματικά. Είχα χάσει την πίστη μου στο Θεό. Από αυτούς τους ανθρώπους που με αντιμετώπισαν με μεγάλη αγάπη ζήτησα μια Καινή Διαθήκη. Μου έδωσαν και τη διάβασα για ώρες πολλές. Προσπάθησα να την καταλάβω. Παράλληλα συνέχισα να συναντιέμαι με αυτούς τους ανθρώπους. Ξανακέρδισα την πίστη μου στον Θεό. Σκεφτόμουν πως ήταν άδικο να Τον «σβήσω» μονοκοντυλιά και να Τον πετάξω από τη ζωή μου. Τελικά αποδέχτηκα τον Ιησού ως σωτήρα μου και πίστεψα ότι πέθανε για τις δικές μου αμαρτίες. Δυστυχώς, εξαιτίας της μουσουλμανικής πίστης της οικογένειας και του περιβάλλοντός μου προέκυψε κάτι οδυνηρό: απειλήθηκα από τους δικούς μου, σκοτίστηκε το μυαλό μου και για λίγο καιρό έμεινα μακριά από τον Κύριο. Εγώ λέω πως ήμουν εξωμότης.

Αργότερα προσπάθησα να μαζέψω το μυαλό μου και να σκεφτώ. Εν τω μεταξύ γνωρίστηκα με τους γονείς του ατόμου που με είχε καλέσει στην Εκκλησία. Το παράδοξο είναι πως αυτούς τους ανθρώπους τους ήξερα από παλιά, ήταν παλιοί μας γείτονες. Ο Κύριος τους έφερε στη ζωή μου εκ νέου κάτω από άλλες συνθήκες. Αυτό το ηλικιωμένο ζευγάρι με αγαπούσε πολύ και με συμβούλευε σε όλα τα θέματα και με βοηθούσε. Ο άντρας είχε σαν εμένα κριτικό και ερευνητικό πνεύμα και ήταν αντικειμενικός. Είχα κερδίσει έναν υπέροχο σύντροφο, το ίδιο έλεγε συνεχώς κι εκείνος για μένα. Με αυτό το ζευγάρι μίλησα για την Αγία Γραφή, για το χριστιανισμό, για τον Ιησού Χριστό και για πολλά άλλα θέματα, ώρες ολόκληρες. Με άκουσαν υπομονετικά χωρίς να με βαρεθούν. Ήθελα να προσέλθω εκ νέου στον Ιησού, την αξία του οποίου δεν είχα γνωρίσει. Όμως αντιμετώπιζαν αρνητικά πολλά φαινόμενα. Δεν ήθελα να μείνω μακριά από το Θεό. Ήθελα να γνωρίσω το Θεό που έδωσε τη ζωή Του για μένα, να κοιτάξω το Θεό που με αγαπούσε περισσότερο κι από μένα τον ίδιο και να πάρω δύναμη από Αυτόν! Ο Θεός «χρησιμοποιούσε» αυτούς τους ανθρώπους για μένα. Μέσω αυτών ήθελε να με βοηθήσει.

Άρχισα να μελετώ βαθύτερα τη Γραφή στο σπίτι αυτών των ανθρώπων επειδή η αδελφή μου είχε κάψει 3 Καινές Διαθήκες μου ή τις είχε πετάξει στα σκουπίδια. Μου το είπε η ίδια. Μου απέμεινε μια Αγία Γραφή. Για να μην μου την πετάξει κι αυτή αναγκαζόμουν να τη μελετάω στο σπίτι αυτού του ζεύγους. Έμεινα έκπληκτος από τις θαυμαστές προφητείες. Δεν κατάφερα να κρύψω την έκπληξή μου μπροστά σε ποικίλα βιβλικά γεγονότα. Σκέφτηκα καλύτερα, μετάνιωσα και ζήτησα το έλεος του Κυρίου. Του είπα ότι Τον αγαπώ πολύ κι ότι τον αποδέχομαι ως Σωτήρα μου. Ήμουν μπροστά σε μια νέα σελίδα, δεν είχε νόημα να κοιτάω πίσω και να στενοχωριέμαι.

Πέρασαν μήνες. Περίμενα ένα σημάδι από το Θεό. Επηρεάστηκα από τις απίστευτες μαρτυρίες που διάβασα σε αυτό το φόρουμ. Όταν τις διάβαζα έλεγα: «Κύριε, ας γινόταν να είμαι μαζί Σου και να δω κι εγώ τη Δόξα Σου και να σε προσκυνήσω!» και προσευχόμουνα.

Ένα βράδυ όλη η οικογένειά μου κοιμόταν, μόνον εγώ ξενυχτούσα. Καθόμουν στον καναπέ και σκεφτόμουν βαθιά. Όλα τα φώτα ήταν κλειστά. Έκλεισα τα μάτια μου, έβαλα τα χέρια μου στο στήθος μου και δόθηκα στην προσευχή. Ζήτησα κάποιο σημάδι από το Θεό, Του είπα ότι Τον θέλω κοντά μου. «Θεέ μου, προστάτευσε με από τον πονηρό, μείνε κοντά μου και δείξε μου ότι είσαι μαζί μου» επανέλαβα αρκετές φορές πολύ ένθερμα. Όταν ένιωσα την ανάγκη να ανοίξω τα μάτια μου έλαμψε μπροστά μου ένα ολόλαμπρο Φως σε σχήμα ανθρώπου. Τρόμαξα πολύ όμως η καρδιά μου γέμισε χαρά! Ο Θεός μου, είχε δείξει ότι είναι κοντά μου κι ότι δεν θα με εγκαταλείψει. Γεμάτος χαρά Τον ευχαρίστησα ένθερμα.

Όλα πάνε κατ’ ευχήν και προοδεύω στην οδόν του Κυρίου. Μόλις ο Κύριος μπήκε στη ζωή μου, συνέβησαν πολλές αλλαγές. Παλιότερα νευρίαζα εύκολα και έβριζα. Τώρα όμως λυτρώθηκα από αυτή την κακή συνήθεια. Αυτό ήταν πολύ δύσκολο για μένα αλλά ο Κύριος ήταν μαζί μου και με βοήθησε να νικήσω το πάθος μου. Και πολλά άλλα σαν αυτό άλλαξε ο Κύριος. Όσα ευχαριστώ και να του πω είναι λίγα. Αλληλούια!

Πόσο ευτυχείς είναι οι περιπατούντες την Οδόν του Κυρίου και οι πιστεύοντες εις Αυτόν!

Θέλω να πω κάτι σε όσους διαβάζουν αυτό το γραπτό μου: Υπάρχει ένας Θεός που έδωσε τη Ζωή Του για σας, αναστήθηκε την Τρίτη ημέρα και σας αγαπάει περισσότερο από τον ίδιο σας τον εαυτό. Σας αγαπάει πολύ. Αναζητήστε Τον και βρείτε Τον!

Οφθαλμοί Κυρίου επί δικαίους, και ώτα αυτού εις δέησιν αυτών

(Ψαλ.33:16)

Μετάφραση Α. Α.

Πηγή: http://www.hristiyanforum.com/-Ο.Ο.Δ.Ε