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So the Holy Spirit kinda drift in and out ...??? So does He return after one does 3 Hail Marys and 3 Our Fathers?

LOL Mom. Much of the time, the priest told me to say 5 Hail Marys and 5 our fathers. I called it the 5 squared rule. 😀 I went to confession every Saturday, because I thought I was such a terrible sinner, and I was sure I committed mortal sins every day, and I really was a terrible sinner. I was always sure my good works would get me a warm corner of Hell. That was the only unanswered question I had. Why couldn't I go to Heaven? Of course, I found the answer to my unanswered question in John 3:3 and Romans 4:3. Of course, for the benefit of some on these threads, you need to CAREFULLY define what it means to "believe," but you get the gist of what I am saying. 😇

Mark ... it was my father's death in 1981 that led me to the Lord

I remember staring at him in the casket and wondering; "Where did yoiu go?"My brothers were ticked that I wasn't bawling my eyes out ... they didn't know the cerebral excersize I was having

A few months later, because I had started a friendship with "Jude", a cool catholic priest at a "Newman Center" in a college town ... I was in conversation with him and the opening for me to ask "Where is my Dad" came up and he replied ... "I don't know, and no one CAN know, 'cause no one's cvome back from the dead to tell us"

Which I bought because ... he was a priest and I had been reared to be Catholic and etc., etc.

A few MORE months later, I was at a party ... and havinhg not met a girl to sleep with, and being righteously stoned ... I was fading into dreamland when it hit me (I know NOW the words to say, but back then ... it hit me .. )

I flashed to that converrsation with Jude and realized ...

I don't know where my father is ...

YOU don't know where my father is ...

You're no closer to God than I am ...
A few MORE months later and I was facing a couple of felonies and I went on the run

I went to a guy I knew to ask for his help getting out of the state and .... he was a Messianic Jew, and led me to the Lord

The key element in my receiving Jesus was the bac and forth;

You DO know you've screwed up, knarf"

Yeah

"Did you ever stop to think Jesus died that you would not be such a screw up?"

Naaahhhh

"Have you ever asked Jesus to come into your life and make you into a new and better man?"

"Why not?

Why not indeed .... so I did

so at about 7:45 on August 18, 1981, I recieved Jesus as my saviour up _____________ Rd, in __________, WV, at ______________'s kitchen table

I stayed the night, awoke refreshed ... and had this insane desire to turn myself in

Which I did

I spent two months in pre-trial, the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of my accusers (I WAS guilty) and my felony was dropped to a misdemeanor ... which I pled to, and walked.

While in jail, I read the bible for the first time in my life and was so ANGRY that no one had EVER suggested I actually READ THE BIBLE !!

I had a great desire to be baptised which is very, VERY weird for a Catholic (I still did not comprehend His salvation) ... but, anyway ... I looked in the phone book for a Baptist church .... sounded like the right thing to do at the time

The preacher on the otherr end had a bapticostal fit when I so innocently told and explained myself ... I was picked up the next Sunday, and for the first time in my life I heard a man speak the most profound words of wisdom I had EVER heard and I HAD to come back next week ...

That was 34 years ago .... still in an independent, fundamental Baptist congregation.

Interesting that you focus upon this at this time. The close friend who led me to Christ more than forty-five years ago died Sunday. He was only a couple of years older than me. We roomed together in college when he got out of OCS. When he got saved, got born again in 1972, he and his wife immediately drove down to Alabama to share the good news with me, and I too came to Christ for Salvation. When that happened, The Holy Spirit sealed my spirit.

He, The Holy Spirit, has had a busy time these past decades teaching me how to get out of His way and let Christ live through a stubborn me. But God is true to His promises and He has never left me and has at times been long suffering with me grieving Him.

My friend is in Him and I too am in Him. Since I believe the Rapture will happen any moment, from now until 2017, I believe I will see my friend again, soon, and he will be in a well, glorified body. The last picture I took of my friend eleven days ago, he had an oxygen line running to his nose and he looked frail. He's not frail any more! I thank God for my friend coming to tell me of his being born again. It broke through a blindfold I had in my college days. I believed in God, but in a Deist way, as my beloved grandfather had believed. I knew nothing of being born again, like ol' Nic who came to Jesus at night, to ask Him what was up! (John 3)