| Author | Message | ||
| Lifeanew Registered user Username: Lifeanew Post Number: 166 Registered: 10-2007 |
I knew about God and Jesus from my childhood and my church upbringing. In know God was good and holy and righteous. I knew Jesus was sent to die for all humanity, making it possible for people to get to heaven. I loved God with all my heart and understanding, and wanted to be with him forever in heaven. I tried to be good for God's sake to try to please him. But I know that as wonderful and pure and holy as God is I wasn't good enough to be fully accepted by him. So here I was, not good enough for heaven, but not bad enough (so I thought) for hell. The stress of not knowing was a continual part of my life. I knew that if I died and someone in heaven told me, "Sorry, you missed out on step six,"It would be too late to make any changes. I thought I had to have everything in order here in this life. When I asked people in my church, "How can I be sure if I'm going to heaven?" I didn't get answers that I could understand. They usually said something like, "it depends on your state of grace", without explaining exactly what that meant. Furthermore, they seemed to think that no one could really know that they were going to heaven, and that those who claimed they did know were either arrogant or naive. They told me to keep trying to do everything I could to stay morally upright and honest. That would be enough, surely God would honor my good efforts. But that advice didn't ease my fear that I might be on my way to hell forever. That, combined with the exhaustion of "trying harder" to work my way to heaven and the feeling that I wasn't working hard enough, was robbing me of the peace and joy that I felt as a child. Several years later I went to a Christian businessperson's dinner meeting. The speaker told us that, as Christians, we could know for sure that we were saved, I stepped forward for counseling and was shown 1 John 5:13: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." The counselor repeated what I had heard in the main session, that Jesus paid the price for my sin out of his great love for me, and that he wanted to take me to heaven, and not my basket full of good works. I learned that if I accepted Jesus' completed work on the cross, I would be clothed in his robe of righteousness and the God would see me, through his Son, as sinless. That scripture verse and the counselor's words rang true in my soul. I thanked Jesus right then and there for paying that awful price to get this little insignificant someone off this dusty planet. I praised him for taking me away from the hell that I deserved and into his glorious kingdom. I accepted him as my Savior. The peace I have now is beautiful. I have no more fear about what is to become of me after death. My life has become more joy filled, and my good works are now done solely out of love for others and out of thanksgiving for what Jesus has done for me. My hunger and love for God's word has grown, and I feel that God guides, instructs and comforts me through his promises in Scripture. I have a relationship with God , one that didn't exist before when I was trying so hard to fill my life with good works. I know exactly what I want to say to God when I see him face to face on that glorious day when he calls me home: "Nothing in my hand I bring, only to the cross I cling." I'm trusting Jesus 100 percent for my salvation, and not relying on the good works that I had been trying to amass for myself. I didn't write this, but was amazed to see how closely this aligned with my experience and I am sure with many of you. We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. My husband shared this story with me that he found today in his NIV Bible (The Journey, Seeker Stories, Zondervan Pub. 1984, pg. 1631, Judson Poling, general editor and writer) Happy Thanksgiving to you all Blessings and Peace Jan | ||
| Larry Registered user Username: Larry Post Number: 765 Registered: 5-2007 |
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Romans 9:15-17 Praise God! You have been chosen! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9034 Registered: 12-2003  |
Jan, thank you for sharing this post! I was thinking yesterday that I wanted to thank God publicly for His recent grace and healing. You all know that about two months ago Richard's back collapsed, and the doctor said he would not be able to make the trip to Israel. You on this forum began to pray for him, and we submitted the situation to God. We knew that God had totally given us the possibility of going on that trip—and we also knew that Richard would have to manage the wheelchair of a woman with bad arthritis. The combination of a bulging disk and pushing a wheelchair was not only deadly, it was impossible. For five days Richard couldn't get up from bed for any reason. At the end of that time, he gingerly began to get up, and some friends came and prayed for him. You all know the story...he became stronger and stronger, and we went on that trip. Last week Richard talked to the doctor who said, "I told you not to go on the trip, but I'm glad you went. Knowing how bad your back was, knowing that you had to push that wheelchair for two weeks, and seeing that you are back to normal, I have to say there's only one explanation: God healed you." The woman Richard pushed has said the trip was a deep blessing in her life, and she was overwhelmed that anyone would agree to help her. She said if she would have gone with her own church, there would not have been people who would have agreed to help her get around on a consistent basis. She was not only blessed, she was a blessing to us. Then, yesterday (just to show you that when God works He brings about multiple blessings) a woman in a position of leadership who had been on the trip told me that she had arrived in Israel with some deep feelings of disappointment and sadness regarding some unnamed unkindness she had experienced from some church members. She told me that when she watched Richard pushing that wheelchair and genuinely caring for that lady throughout the trip, it was a huge blessing to her. Her eyes filled with tears, and she said, "Watching him care for her reassured me that church members really can care for each other. It was a HUGE blessing to me to see him look out for her." And she actually had trouble stopping her tears. At any rate, I went into church overwhelmed myself. God glorified Himself, and He did so through the expanding effects that began with all our prayers and touched even people who were not directly involved with the "wheelchair event". I am SO thankful for our Father's love and care and provision and lavish reassurance of His acceptance of us. The fact that He gives us roles to play in His story is amazing. I pray we will always honor Him and be vehicles through which He can glorify Himself! Colleen | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 567 Registered: 11-2007  |
Awesome story Colleen - and how God uses everything for His glory - is so amazing. Thank you for sharing the fruit that came from Richard being healed. Wonderful testimony!!! | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 6038 Registered: 3-2004  |
Colleen, As I have learned from you, God does not waste a thing. Praise God for healing Richard and the affect it had on others on the trip. God is so Good and so awesome. What a wonderful testimony!! Diana L | ||
| Animal Registered user Username: Animal Post Number: 321 Registered: 7-2008  |
I hope eveyone has a happy Gobble Gobble day. We can know that we are special to God because God doesnt make junk !!! So smile..God has a picture of you on His refrigerator !!! Peace to all...Animal | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 6041 Registered: 3-2004 |
Animal, My 12 step program really helped clear the cobwebs of adventism from my brain. One of the ways it did this is that the members of my program would say, "God does not make junk". The 12 step program served as my spiritual home until I left adventism. So, I do agree with you that God does not make junk and we are very special to Him. Smile everyone, God loves you and will never let go of you. Have a thankful Thanksgiving day and enjoy the company and food. Diana L | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9053 Registered: 12-2003 |
I love it, Animal—"God has a picture of you on His refrigerator!" It's also impressive that Animal recommends a happy Gobble-Gobble Day! Very open of you, Animal! (We would never eat our Anima!) Colleen | ||
| Animal Registered user Username: Animal Post Number: 323 Registered: 7-2008 |
Colleen.... Bless you !!!!!!! |
