Why am I a Believer?

I'm born in a Hindu family that believe idols are gods, astrology and horoscope helps them lead their future rather than God Himself, believe that their Hindu family background is true, without any questions or thorough knowledge about it. That's how everyone in my family, relatives and majority of our friends lives and believes the Hindu religion is of true God(gods for them). 

It's true there are lot of religions in this world, not only Hinduism, Judaism, Islamic, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism,  Catholicism(it is not Christianity), Satanism, Witch craft. But I believe that there is only one God. Religions leads to traditions, customs, not to the true God. Religions are man made and I don't want to prove it to you, as you all already know it. But this life of mine proves that there is only one true God. I'm using the word 'true' because many people really don't know their God. Because of all these false gods, I have to introduce Him as a true God. Here comes my life..

As a child, I remember my days asking all the questions to my mom regarding her poojas and worships to hindu gods. She has no answers to my questions. She simply follows what her family followed and does it and makes me follow that too. I spent hours of time in prayer, cleaning and doing all the decorations to those idol gods, with flowers, incense, sandal wood paste and vermilion paste. I have asked my mom why we are doing this, and she usually don't answer but gets angry upon me. 

I remember once, my mom is cleaning an elephant idol god and dressing it with a white cloth around it. I asked her if she likes that because she is also fat like that. She just stared angrily at me. May be this is a ridiculous question, but it makes me think, why an elephant is god, as it is just an animal in the forest. And she is dressing it with a cloth and making sweets as if  it is going to eat. I have watched movie regarding this elephant god, but everyone knows that it is not true. But they believe because they are hindus. Because, the elephant can't become god just by replacing an elephant head to a man, or by riding in a mouse, or by eating ladoos(a sweet). Even if they sing hymns about this god, it is mere an animal, a created one, not the Creator!

I'm studying well and I usually pray to get good marks and be first in studies. And it happens too. But whenever I pray, I used to have a doubt if this idol listens to me. I thought if these idols are really helping me getting marks or just happen by chance of studying well. So, to test this, I stopped praying to the idols when I'm in fourth grade. Nothing went wrong. For two years, I forgot these idols and their worships. But because my family is religious, they will take me to temples and do all the poojas they want. My life is rotten inside without any aim in life. 

Then in my high school, I went to a different residential school, where I feel alone, but have many friends, not of my age, but kids. I was bold enough that I don't even call my parents, but they called me through phone. My life is going like a routine school life. One day, one of the kids called me to a prayer meeting at afternoon. I'm really not interested to go. So, I asked her a lot of questions regarding hindu gods and the god she is asking me to worship. I think she is only 4th grade but she answered all my confusing questions. Later I realized that she didn't answer, that is the Spirit of God that talked through her. Then I told yes to her but for the next day. The prayer meet happened every day afternoon at the lunch break and a senior student conduct it and all others are girls from all grades. Even Muslim and Hindu students were there, and I'm really excited to see them. We learn new songs, Bible verses and come to know the true God. So, here comes the important part- how I came to know that He is the true one? I was always wondering during my childhood, if the gods I worship, hear my prayers. And the first thing I hear from this meeting is, that this God hears your prayers and not only that, He answers and speaks back to you. I'm really excited that I find Him, the lover of my Soul. 

And this truth is also sealed by another incident in my life. One week passed by..I burrowed a Bible from my Hindu hostel mates, who were believers already. They are also from Hindu family but are believers of true God. Next week, we are informed that God exists as Spirit and He can anoint us with His Spirit and that helps to talk to Him in the spiritual realm. This is the day I'm expecting. I fasted that Wednesday and waiting for afternoon meeting. I got His anointing that day. I felt Him coming on me as an electric shock so powerful and I'm speaking in a different language that I don't understand. I'm very happy and on that day onward, He begins to talk with me. He talks with me how to behave, He points me of my wrongdoings and makes me repent, gives me the desires of my heart when I asks Him. My life is going happy and I attain what  searched all my childhood days. 

Then comes my Baptism. In simple words, baptism is like a passport to Heaven, where you can live with the Lord. Because, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself have done it as an example for His sons and daughters. I got baptism by the help of my friend's family. I'm named Lydia- one whose heart is opened by the Lord. My life changed and I talk to the Lord daily as a friend. I still feel alone but this time I'm happy with my Lord. I revealed that I became a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm no more a secret Christian. No one likes that in my family. But still I don't want to leave the true God and the truth from my life. Many wonders why people convert themselves from their religion, traditions and customs. Here are my reasons:

There is no gods those give their life for us. But Jesus has faced death and He resurrects for us. The truth behind this is- all men have sinned and that separates them from God. So, the wages of sin is death. So men have to face death for sinning. According to spiritual law, blood should be shed for sins, that's why in other religion, animals are sacrificed to get rid off their sins. But man sinned again and again, even though they sacrifice every time they go to worship. So, there is no remedy for their sins, unless their own death. Death happens to everyone but where they end up, is the matter- Heaven or hell. In order to redeem mankind from this death and go to hell, Jesus, the God of the whole Universe died for our sins. In simple words, He bears the sins of theft, murder, adultery, fornication etc.. on Himself to save us. He don't know how to sin, bears those sins for us and He Himself gave His life in the cross, because one who dies on a tree or wood is considered cursed according to the law. So, He became curse for us, in our place. And He died and He is buried in the tomb but He resurrects because He has nothing to do with death as He has done nothing wrong. You know that the wages of sin is death and He didn't sin, so He raised from dead. These are spiritual laws, same as gravity that this universe obeys. Now He still reigns and waiting for all His people to know the truth and attain the true salvation and live with Him in Heaven. This spiritual truth is not taught by any religion. 

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

You shall have no other gods before me. 

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:2-6

Jesus is the only God who says that He is God. Not in any religion, the gods says they are true gods. Jesus is only God who teaches us not to worship any gods in this whole universe other than Him. No religion says that boldly. Jesus has told in the Bible that you should not have any other God other than me, don't make gods for yourself like the image of birds of the sky, animals  of this earth or animals of seas or any thing of this universe. And don't carve any idols for yourself and worship them as your God. Your God is very jealous and He will judge you until fourth generation. So, idol worship is the greatest sin that one can do, without knowing the true God. 

All men are searching for the true god, even if they are born in a religious background. That's is because deep inside their heart they have this search and lot of questions about the gods they are worshiping.  In my future posts, I shall clear all the questions about the origin of these idols. And Jesus is not only our God but He let us call Him as Abba Father. So He is our Father God , not like other religions. He offered Himself as a sacrifice, not asking us for any kind of sacrifice. 

He is living God, not like idols that don't talk even though it has lips, don't breathe even though they have nostrils, don't walk even though they have legs and we need to carry them, don't dress themselves even though they have hands, we need to dress and undress them, don't hear our prayers even though they have ears. Jesus is living and He performs all miracles for His people who believes, He heals them, casts out the demons and even resurrects the death. If you see a person of different tradition or religion believes Him, that is because He is still a living God, not like other idols. 

I have no doubts or questions that I believe a True God. That's why I'm a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ! I believe He is my Creator, my Protector, my Helper, my Healer, the Lover of my Soul, and my Everything!