I am writing my testimony to show the Glory of God. I know that nothing I can do will I deserve God, but Christ gave His life to show His Glory. Praise God! I was raised in a great Christian home. My mom has always taught children about Jesus, and my dad believes in Christ. Through high school, I went to Christian schools. At a young age I believed in Jesus. I led a sheltered childhood, but near the end of middle school I made some really bad friend choices. (1 Cor. 15:33 states, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” Which I am not saying I was any better than the people I choose to spend time with, but good Christian friends makes the world of difference.) Before high school, I got involved with drinking and smoking pot and became apathetic towards God. In high school, I rode the fence a lot one week saying I was “saved” the next week doing my own thing. Until, my own thing was the only thing. Once age 21 hit, I drank and didn’t stop. Everyday I had to be drunk. Many nights I would cry to God for change, but the next day go right back into my sin.
God’s Love:
Then my mother invited me to a church service. I started attending Heartland Community Church, just to please her, but God got my attention there. During the services, I would still think about what I was going to do after the service like get drunk and have sex. The more I went to Heartland the more God convicted me of sin. Over time drunkenness and sex became less and less of a way of life until it was gone. (Although, I still struggle with lust which is just as much of a sin.) I cannot recall the exact day I came to the Lord (sometime in early spring of 2006) because it was over a course of months that I realized I needed Jesus to be the leader and Savior of my life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” I love that verse.
Today:
One important thing I have learned: God by His very nature will always be good. The question is? How good will I (we) let Him be in my (our) lives. Another lesson that I am trying to instill in my walk with Christ is Matt 16:24 sates, “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.” I love the word “forget” because who my I to live my life for myself. I think of God the Creator of endless galaxies or of the smallest subatomic particles, His Holiness, His Glory, His Love, His Wrath, His Mercies, and His Perfection. I think about Jesus the only one who is blameless. Then I think who am I that I think I should control my life? And everyday I struggle with this and want to do better for Jesus! Eph. 3:16-19 states, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” If I could even understand how huge the love of Christ is I would fear God more in the sense that I would not want to hurt my Father by sinning because He loves me so much!
encouragementofhope said
The beginning:
I am writing my testimony to show the Glory of God. I know that nothing I can do will I deserve God, but Christ gave His life to show His Glory. Praise God! I was raised in a great Christian home. My mom has always taught children about Jesus, and my dad believes in Christ. Through high school, I went to Christian schools. At a young age I believed in Jesus. I led a sheltered childhood, but near the end of middle school I made some really bad friend choices. (1 Cor. 15:33 states, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” Which I am not saying I was any better than the people I choose to spend time with, but good Christian friends makes the world of difference.) Before high school, I got involved with drinking and smoking pot and became apathetic towards God. In high school, I rode the fence a lot one week saying I was “saved” the next week doing my own thing. Until, my own thing was the only thing. Once age 21 hit, I drank and didn’t stop. Everyday I had to be drunk. Many nights I would cry to God for change, but the next day go right back into my sin.
God’s Love:
Then my mother invited me to a church service. I started attending Heartland Community Church, just to please her, but God got my attention there. During the services, I would still think about what I was going to do after the service like get drunk and have sex. The more I went to Heartland the more God convicted me of sin. Over time drunkenness and sex became less and less of a way of life until it was gone. (Although, I still struggle with lust which is just as much of a sin.) I cannot recall the exact day I came to the Lord (sometime in early spring of 2006) because it was over a course of months that I realized I needed Jesus to be the leader and Savior of my life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” I love that verse.
Today:
One important thing I have learned: God by His very nature will always be good. The question is? How good will I (we) let Him be in my (our) lives. Another lesson that I am trying to instill in my walk with Christ is Matt 16:24 sates, “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.” I love the word “forget” because who my I to live my life for myself. I think of God the Creator of endless galaxies or of the smallest subatomic particles, His Holiness, His Glory, His Love, His Wrath, His Mercies, and His Perfection. I think about Jesus the only one who is blameless. Then I think who am I that I think I should control my life? And everyday I struggle with this and want to do better for Jesus! Eph. 3:16-19 states, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” If I could even understand how huge the love of Christ is I would fear God more in the sense that I would not want to hurt my Father by sinning because He loves me so much!
Eric