A Reason to Change

My name is John.* I am 16 years old.

Though I was taught about my faith at a young age, I never actually studied the Bible. Yet I was pretty convinced about my beliefs and once said, “I will never change my religion!”

But last December, I met a guy named Jose. He’s also 16 years old and a Sabbathkeeper. When we first met, we talked about our religious beliefs. I was initially very hardheaded and refused to listen to the Bible facts he attempted to share with me.

Then one day he introduced me to an Amazing Facts DVD called The Final Events of Bible Prophecy. As I watched it, I realized that my beliefs about the Bible were broken. I had been taught that when people died, they went straight to heaven. I was also brought up to believe in a place called purgatory and that we should pray to saints. My understanding of communion, Sunday worship, and more were all based on traditions, but not on the Bible.

A Patient Lord Waits
Even though I began to conclude that my beliefs were based on errors and not on the truth, I wasn’t ready to walk away from the faith of my childhood. I started watching Pastor Doug Batchelor’s sermons online. Jose continued to share his beliefs with me, and I began to earnestly study my Bible. He showed me Scripture texts that explained how Saturday is the Sabbath, and not Sunday.

For a while I tried to retain my old beliefs while trying to hold onto my new beliefs, but it just wasn’t working. I started worshiping the Lord on Saturday by myself but still hadn’t completely let go of my former views. I thought to myself, “I don’t really need to attend church. I can just learn about God on my own.” After a couple of weeks, I realized that was wrong. I finally made the decision to turn away completely from my former beliefs and decided I would become a Sabbathkeeping Christian.

My parents were not very happy about my choice. I tried to share from the Bible about my beliefs, but they refused to listen. My dad said I was not properly interpreting the Bible. My mother said that her church was correct and is the church God created. But in my heart, I knew this was all wrong because I had studied the Bible for myself and knew what it said.

Letting God Work
My life has changed so much since choosing to move toward becoming a biblical Christian. I no longer eat unclean meats. My choice of activities on Sabbath is different. I don’t listen to the same type of music. The Word of God now guides my decisions.

Please pray for me as I continue to seek to honor my parents and follow God. We have had many difficult discussions. They are not very happy about my spiritual journey and want me to change. My dad was pressuring me to help renovate our home on Saturdays, and my mom says we don’t have the luxury of taking a day off to sit around.

Yet I keep praying for my parents, that they will someday come to see the truth in the Word of God. I feel sad that so many people are confused by the traditions of men instead of knowing for themselves what the Bible actually teaches. I also pray for my sisters. I hope they will one day ask me about my newfound faith and come to understand the truths I have found in God’s Word.

I thank God every day for my best friend Jose, who taught me to study God’s Word and led me to Amazing Facts. Most Sabbaths I watch Amazing Facts TV and listen to Pastor Doug. I also really enjoy listening to Bible Answers Live. Your ministry has helped me to truly consider the facts from the Bible. Thank you so much, and God bless you!

Update! We are thrilled to report that John has since been baptized and continues to seek your prayers for his family.

*John is not his real name; we have changed it here to protect his identity.

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