Been There Done That...It's Not an Excuse
Good afternoon sisters in Christ,
I pray all is well with you today.
Just as the verse above says 'and such were some of you', we rejoice that who we were is not who we are today!
Brother Jim likes to share with people that we weren't born this way. You know, that look you get for being obedient to God's Word (because you love Him John 14:15) and you dress the temple of the Holy Spirit (your body) in the way God commands. People tend to think that you came from an Amish or Mennonite background so we make sure to tell them we didn't. The power of God's word transformed us inside and then because we love God, we obey on the outside.
I thought, as an encouragement, I would share with you that there isn't much I (we) haven't been through and totally understand the struggles others have when leaving their old life, beginning a new life in Christ and walking steadfastly in it.
I know what it's like to...
* Lose every single person you love because of Christ. (Parents, grandparents, best friends etc.)
* Have your children alienate you because of Christ.
* Slay my flesh and submit to my husband.
* Trust God that He's guiding my husband.
* Learn to have a meek and quiet spirit.
* Live with an unbelieving relative.
* Suffer abuse in my past.
* Be a single parent, working 2 jobs while raising children on my own, in my past.
* Leave a successful career in my past.
* Be suicidal in my past.
* Be addicted to cigarettes, alcohol and drugs in my past.
* Be addicted to music in my past.
* Be so vain I had eating disorders in my past.
* Be so ill I was close to death.
* Be influenced by demonic activity in my past.
* Be poor in my past.
* Be depressed in my past.
* Be a feminist in my past.
* Fight the thoughts of the tribulation coming.
* Be a gazing stock to the world by being biblically headcovered and dressed.
* Have people we love, die, and not want us to see them because they hated the things of God.
* Be mocked, laughed at and lied about.
* Live on the streets in the midst of the world, while the world hates you.
* Stand in the middle of thousands of angry religious people who hate you for proclaiming the truth.
* Stand in the middle of thousands of rowdy worldly people who hate you for proclaiming the truth.
* Have professed brothers and sisters that you dearly love, stab you in the back.
* Watch professed believers turn from the faith and return to their vomit (sin).
* Be wrongfully judged.
* Be hassled by the police because the religious people hate you.
* Watch my husband be physically threatened.
* Receive creepy threats from people in word and deed.
* There are other issues I don't want to list here.
(Brother Jim has been through most of these.)
Some people like to use the excuses that we all have our own world view, or we see things differently because of how we were raised and what we've been through.
My bible tells me that once a person is born again, they have a new heart and new mind and ALL THINGS ARE NEW.
Read that again...old things are past and ALL things become new.
PRAISE GOD!!!
That means whoever you were before is either dead or you are killing it and it's not who you are today. We cannot use such things as excuses for not obeying God's Word. Yes, some old issues can certainly cause some troubles in your walk but that's what crucifying the flesh is all about.
We have the power of God in us, if we are truly born again, so we CAN overcome ALL if we follow after Christ. The Holy Spirit is here to comfort, teach (through the Word) and convict us so we can be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Many of the hard things we've been through were before Christ and I'll tell you what, if I had to go through them again today as a follower of Christ, it would be much easier so I (we) know for a fact what it's like to walk the hard road.
The longer you diligently and obediently follow Christ, the more hurdles you overcome and the stronger you get. I hope this encourages you.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Ephesians 6:10
Have a joyous evening sisters and rejoice that we are in Christ.
Love and blessings,
Sister Deb
I pray all is well with you today.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11Just as the verse above says 'and such were some of you', we rejoice that who we were is not who we are today!
Brother Jim likes to share with people that we weren't born this way. You know, that look you get for being obedient to God's Word (because you love Him John 14:15) and you dress the temple of the Holy Spirit (your body) in the way God commands. People tend to think that you came from an Amish or Mennonite background so we make sure to tell them we didn't. The power of God's word transformed us inside and then because we love God, we obey on the outside.
I thought, as an encouragement, I would share with you that there isn't much I (we) haven't been through and totally understand the struggles others have when leaving their old life, beginning a new life in Christ and walking steadfastly in it.
I know what it's like to...
* Lose every single person you love because of Christ. (Parents, grandparents, best friends etc.)
* Have your children alienate you because of Christ.
* Slay my flesh and submit to my husband.
* Trust God that He's guiding my husband.
* Learn to have a meek and quiet spirit.
* Live with an unbelieving relative.
* Suffer abuse in my past.
* Be a single parent, working 2 jobs while raising children on my own, in my past.
* Leave a successful career in my past.
* Be suicidal in my past.
* Be addicted to cigarettes, alcohol and drugs in my past.
* Be addicted to music in my past.
* Be so vain I had eating disorders in my past.
* Be so ill I was close to death.
* Be influenced by demonic activity in my past.
* Be poor in my past.
* Be depressed in my past.
* Be a feminist in my past.
* Fight the thoughts of the tribulation coming.
* Be a gazing stock to the world by being biblically headcovered and dressed.
* Have people we love, die, and not want us to see them because they hated the things of God.
* Be mocked, laughed at and lied about.
* Live on the streets in the midst of the world, while the world hates you.
* Stand in the middle of thousands of angry religious people who hate you for proclaiming the truth.
* Stand in the middle of thousands of rowdy worldly people who hate you for proclaiming the truth.
* Have professed brothers and sisters that you dearly love, stab you in the back.
* Watch professed believers turn from the faith and return to their vomit (sin).
* Be wrongfully judged.
* Be hassled by the police because the religious people hate you.
* Watch my husband be physically threatened.
* Receive creepy threats from people in word and deed.
* There are other issues I don't want to list here.
(Brother Jim has been through most of these.)
Some people like to use the excuses that we all have our own world view, or we see things differently because of how we were raised and what we've been through.
My bible tells me that once a person is born again, they have a new heart and new mind and ALL THINGS ARE NEW.
Read that again...old things are past and ALL things become new.
PRAISE GOD!!!
That means whoever you were before is either dead or you are killing it and it's not who you are today. We cannot use such things as excuses for not obeying God's Word. Yes, some old issues can certainly cause some troubles in your walk but that's what crucifying the flesh is all about.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:16-17We have the power of God in us, if we are truly born again, so we CAN overcome ALL if we follow after Christ. The Holy Spirit is here to comfort, teach (through the Word) and convict us so we can be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Tmothy 3:17Many of the hard things we've been through were before Christ and I'll tell you what, if I had to go through them again today as a follower of Christ, it would be much easier so I (we) know for a fact what it's like to walk the hard road.
The longer you diligently and obediently follow Christ, the more hurdles you overcome and the stronger you get. I hope this encourages you.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Ephesians 6:10
Have a joyous evening sisters and rejoice that we are in Christ.
Love and blessings,
Sister Deb
The biblical gospel...