Being a child of a devout Catholic mother and an atheist father produced turmoil in my life, but also knowledge about God. I had a great deal of head knowledge about Jesus, but it wasn’t until I was 45 years old that I received Him as my personal Lord and Savior. It wasn’t because I was down and out. On the contrary! According to the world’s standards, I was “on top of the world.”

However, there was a longing in my heart, in my mind, and in my soul. I knew that “something” was missing. Until then, I lived my life totally dependent on myself—pursuing happiness the only way I knew how—making money and gaining power.

In my search for God's Truth, I explored many different religions. In the end, I was totally disillusioned by them all. I found out that religion is not the answer. Period.

I turned to the Bible, and was fortunate to be able to get away and study God’s Word without interpretation from any religion. Upon doing so, I did as I was instructed by God—not trusting any man (myself included), but letting the Holy Spirit be my guide and teacher. That is when everything changed.

I am  a living testimony of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” I depend on God for everything, and I am very grateful that Jesus is in my life. He and His kingdom are my focus, and in light of  eternity I can go through everything in my life victoriously.

Being totally disabled for the last seven years due to a spinal injury, I know constant pain and suffering. Here again, because of my faith in Jesus, I have been able to overcome depression, bitterness, anger, and despair, because He lives in me. He has given me love, joy, peace and hope in the midst of all my tribulations and suffering. Praise God! His miracles never stop.

My heart goes out to all of you who are without Jesus, as well as those who are still in the clutches of religion. I AM HERE FOR YOU.

                                                                                 Tony

“God I do believe, help my unbelief!” I cried out one day in utter desperation, and that was the beginning of what I call “The Incredible Journey with Jesus.” What a journey it is!

At that point I didn’t know anything about Jesus; never saw a Bible in my life, and proudly professed to be an atheist. I was 36 years old.

Born and raised in Prague, in the former Czechoslovakia, probably had a lot to do with my total ignorance about God, even though living in West Germany for three years and the USA for ten years didn’t bring me any closer to God. I do have to mention that twice since I came to America, some “Jesus” people tried to tell me about this Savior of the world, and invited me to a Christian meeting. I was too busy doing my “stuff,” so I never went.  Interestingly, those meetings were held only two blocks away from my house.

At age 36 my life collapsed. That is when I turned to God. “God, if you are real, reveal yourself to me; I want to know you,” was my cry. In a couple of days, I had received in my mail (I still don’t know from whom) a little book, In the Beginning. I learned that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. Next, I found a tiny booklet with Scripture verses on the ground, right next to my car, at a local supermarket. More Scripture verses came from a customer at work—a lady wearing a pin “Jesus loves you.”

“Who is this Jesus who loves me,” I asked myself?

One of my co-workers was so different from the rest of us that one day I asked him what was “wrong” with him. His response was “I am a Christian.” I asked him what it meant, and after his testimony, I wanted to know more and more about this Jesus who loves us so much. One day my co-worker gave me a Bible and told me to start with the gospel of John.

So here I was with the Word of God finally in my hands. Did I read it? The answer is a definite YES, and I have not stopped reading it since that day. My heart was “ready” for Jesus! I can honestly say that probably on the sixth page of the gospel of John I knew that this is the book I waited for all my life. I read at least two hours a day. I didn’t understand a lot, but I kept reading and reading, pondering and wondering. Seven months from the time I opened the Word of God for the first time, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. And He did! It was that simple. Jesus is just a prayer away.

At that moment my destiny changed. I passed from death to life—eternal life. Jesus came to live in me through the Holy Spirit, by whom I was sealed for eternity. Thank you Jesus! I became a child of the living God. God who loves me, accepted me, and totally forgave me in His Son. My identity changed. In the eyes of God, I am no longer a sinner, but a saint by calling. I am His child, His ambassador—minister of reconciliation. I am the light of the world. I am the salt of the earth.

All God’s promises are YES in Christ Jesus, and Jesus is mine, and I am His. Glory to God!

I would like to say I knew all this right away or that I was taught these important truths in the church I began to attend. It was not so. Religion—that is what I entered for a while.  But I kept reading the Word of God, and little by little the truth came forth through the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Now, I am experiencing the freedom Jesus promised to us, and I am going from victory to victory and from triumph to triumph, even in the midst of trials and tribulations. For I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)! Amen!  

                                                                                 Sonia