JesusAlive.cc History
This ministry began on April 30, 1999 as a chat room called JesusAlive, with this website being created just over 3 years later. This journey actually began 4 years after I was born again on Oct. 27, 1994 at a Billy Graham Crusade (see: Steve’s Testimony). In Sept 1998, I awoke on a Saturday morning. While I laid there, I was praying and felt God leading me to get a computer and get on the internet. I really had no desire to have a computer, as I kind of abhorred them (hard to imagine not having one now), but I compromised and got something called a webtv to get on the internet that same day. (Several years later, I finally got the computer.)
After a short time, God led me into chat rooms. As I watched what was said, and talked to the people in these rooms, I began to see for the first time how many people, Christians and non-Christians, had questions about the Bible, and needed answers. Some were hurting, and in pain. They knew God and the Bible held the answers they sought, but didn’t know what they were. This started the beginning of a passion in me. I wanted to be a person who could supply those answers. As I saw questions I could not answer or things I needed to know, and I went to the Bible for answers. I poured over the Bible, studying, searching, using concordances and commentaries. I could not get enough. I would spend nearly every free moment studying. I had a passion I never expected would happen to ME over things of the Lord.
On Oct 10, 1998, while witnessing to a person in chat from my hometown, God gave me the opportunity to help lead my first person to the Lord. (I was so excited I didn’t sleep for two days afterwards.) After 6 more months of growing, learning, and evangelizing with the help of an ordained minister, I, and several others, felt led, after much prayer, to open a room of our own. We called this room: JesusAlive.
For a while, God used this room miraculously, with dozens of people praying to receive Christ. We were answering questions, seeing lives transformed, praying for people’s needs, and more. But, we were also pretty immature in the Lord, and soon after, life altering problems came for all of us, likely because of all of the good that we were doing. Soon after, the room fell apart.
During this time of trial, I began to become more involved in church. (Because of my immaturity and bad church past, I really hadn’t been involved before.) God used this time to slowly heal me. He also began to give me more and more “real life” (not chat) opportunities to share the things I had learned. I joined small groups, taught a Bible study at my house, and God even gave me the opportunity to work in a local ministry.
Through that major trial, and the trials I have faced since, I have come to know God in a whole new way. He has carried me through the worst times of my life. When I look back at the road He has brought me down, I can only sit in awe. The answered prayer, the times He has spoken clearly to comfort me, the signs He has given me in my low points; He is indeed a loving Father…. Prayerfully, I am able to use some of what I have learned during these times to help you.
In August 2002, after much prayer, I felt led by God to start this website, and put the studies I had written on it. Since that time, I have added many more studies, and continue adding as many as I can with God’s help. God has truly blessed this site over the years, and I pray that He gets all of the honor and glory as I try to provide solid Bible answers to those He leads here.
I thank all of you who have prayed for me, helped me, and encouraged me along the way. Without you using your God-given gifts to help me over the years, I do not believe this ministry could even exist. I thank you ALL!
– Your brother in Christ, Steve
P.S. The banner and background for this page comes from when the JesusAlive website began.