Jiny T
My name is Jiny Thomas born in a Christian family. And I was born again by God's grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, on 20th December 2009 at the age of 17. "Prior to the days of my salvation, my life was like one of searching and enquiring on myself over and over again as of: * What is the purpose of life? * Is life worth it? * What does the future hold? " In telling how God saved me, let me first give some background of my years prior to that life-changing day. My upbringing was in a nominal Christian family. We were Kerala Marthomites, but due to unavailability of Marthoma church we used to go to a Roman Catholic church and I was bought up like a Roman Catholic. We lived in a place called Dichpally and did my elementary to junior college in the same place. Like any other Christian family my family used to attend the Sunday Mass and my life went on with same rituals and traditions that usually happens (Idol worship, candle light prayer chantings and what not!). After my Junior college, I joined for nursing degree at NIMS, Hyderabad. During those years of my education of nursing, because of one of my friends, I started attending Revival Church of Assembly of God, Fathenagar, Hyderabad. This place reminded me the time of religious awakening and feeling of nearness to God. This was the first time in my life I attended a worship of such kind, where I could see something above the rituals and traditions, wherein I could actually feel the presence of God, which gave me the answers for questions and solutions for all my "searching". I started committing myself to God and seeking his Kingdom, that is when God started talking to me through different verses in The Holy Bible which has transformed my life. From then every moment of my life is with love, kindness, hope, salvation which filled the emptiness that I had during the previous years of my life. I always had a burden about my family and their life but in no matter of time God has taken out my burden and made it into Joy and Happiness as they accepted Christ as their personal Savior. My church plays a vital role in my transformation, it told me of God's love and how he send his son Jesus Christ to earth to die on the cross and shed his blood and rise from the dead, so that by believing on him, I could have my sins forgiven and have everlasting life, which made me understand the Verse from The Holy Bible (John 3:16). Since then I placed my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “Amazing Grace – How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see” Accepting the fact that i was a sinner was never difficult for me, rather I felt that I was too great a sinner to be accepted by God. What a blessing to realize that it was not by my good works but by God's grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that I could be Saved. With a new life with Christ as my Savior came a purpose of living and the assurance of heaven when I die. I thank and praise God for his Grace which allowed a sinner like me to have forgiveness and the opportunity to serve and have fellowship with him now and forever!! YOU WILL NEVER REGRET BELIEVING IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND BECOMING A CHILD OF GOD WITH A NEW LIFE IN HIM.