I'm asking this to further test out my own 'odd ball' situation.
I personally have never enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion, and maybe that is because, right back to my earliest childhood memories, I have always firmly believed in God and his interaction in my life.
My parents had two devastating life and heath losses before I was born and mother, who otherwise was a very sociable person, invited every visitor in for a drink and goodies. But when the visitor was JW, Salvation Army, Local Evangelicals etc., she always demanded that they should never mention the word 'God' whilst in her house.
(I think I might conversely have grown up to believe that there just had to be a God for her to have been so angry with him)
Amazingly my mother sent me to the Sunday school in the Evangelical Chapel on the opposite side of our road (presumably to get a bit of Sunday afternoon peace).
I remember my neighbour's ex army son giving my a tiny 'Forces' New Testament, to which I attached such value that it never left my shirt pocket whether at nursery school or at play.
I rarely read it but I remember how much importance I still placed on its presence when I later sat for the 11Plus exams for entry into Grammar School.
I was best friends with my desk mate at that time who was much higher placed at school than me, and when I passed the 11Plus exam, and he didn't, I put it down to the magical influence of my pocket New Testament.
When we were older I persuaded him to join the Young Men's Group that proceeded Sunday School and eventually he excepted the Lord as his Saviour, became my 'best man' when I married at the Chapel and, until the chapel closed last year, was their senior deacon.
We still write to each other and he reckons himself to be the "Jewel in my Crown " without which he would never have met his wife and brought up a lovely family of five.
BUT
I have never "enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion".
Is that the reason why I appear to some to be an 'Intellectual Believer' without a Saving Faith?
What say you all?
Have you ever had a Paranormal Spiritual Encounter?
Met Christ Face to Face?
Seen a blinding light?
Enjoyed a life changing moment?
Experienced a Reincarnation?
I personally have never enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion, and maybe that is because, right back to my earliest childhood memories, I have always firmly believed in God and his interaction in my life.
My parents had two devastating life and heath losses before I was born and mother, who otherwise was a very sociable person, invited every visitor in for a drink and goodies. But when the visitor was JW, Salvation Army, Local Evangelicals etc., she always demanded that they should never mention the word 'God' whilst in her house.
(I think I might conversely have grown up to believe that there just had to be a God for her to have been so angry with him)
Amazingly my mother sent me to the Sunday school in the Evangelical Chapel on the opposite side of our road (presumably to get a bit of Sunday afternoon peace).
I remember my neighbour's ex army son giving my a tiny 'Forces' New Testament, to which I attached such value that it never left my shirt pocket whether at nursery school or at play.
I rarely read it but I remember how much importance I still placed on its presence when I later sat for the 11Plus exams for entry into Grammar School.
I was best friends with my desk mate at that time who was much higher placed at school than me, and when I passed the 11Plus exam, and he didn't, I put it down to the magical influence of my pocket New Testament.
When we were older I persuaded him to join the Young Men's Group that proceeded Sunday School and eventually he excepted the Lord as his Saviour, became my 'best man' when I married at the Chapel and, until the chapel closed last year, was their senior deacon.
We still write to each other and he reckons himself to be the "Jewel in my Crown " without which he would never have met his wife and brought up a lovely family of five.
BUT
I have never "enjoyed anything remotely resembling a 'Road to Damascus' conversion".
Is that the reason why I appear to some to be an 'Intellectual Believer' without a Saving Faith?
What say you all?
Have you ever had a Paranormal Spiritual Encounter?
Met Christ Face to Face?
Seen a blinding light?
Enjoyed a life changing moment?
Experienced a Reincarnation?