(no subject)
I haven't blogged in ages. I blogged before because I was in a funk (before the song lyrics in October). I was having trouble because my worldly desires and pride were getting the best of me. I have been delivered, Hallelujah what a Savior!
It may be that its a story no one ever knows of how God used Signal Mountain Church of Christ to help pull me out of a dark pit of sin that I was willingly jumping into, not caring if I was a prisoner. I prayed for deliverance and I visited Signal Mountain and I was shown the light. I know it won't be my last test, but I am thankful for the inner tube i was thrown for now. I hope I can stay a float and keep swimming towards Christ. For as I have heard before...life is a river. If you are not continually swimming against the current towards Christ you will get carried away by this world. We can't just float where we want to go. We have to keep seeking him. We have to fight ourselves and our own desires tooth and nail.Even today I need to float less and swim more. I need to learn to LOVE to swim and HATE to float.
At the 2nd service I visited Sig M. I rededicated my heart. Its not that I stopped going to church..or started using foul language or drinking. Its not that anything in my life really changed that much. That's how Satan tricks you. You're like the frog sitting in water. The water gets warmer so gradually that by the time you realize you are boiling and about to be lunch you don't even know. Satan will steep you in your own sin so gradually you won't realize it until something opens your eyes. You're perfectly comfortable in your own sin. "Its a warm and pleasant bath in here! I am happy!" the frog may say. You may even know something bad is going to happen if you keep enjoying the warm enticing water of sin, but its so comfortable you can't leave it. I knew I was about to be boiling. I prayed to God over and over to deliver me from my temptation. I prayed to God to help Justin and I find a new church congregation that would help us grow. God never disappoints.
My heart was pricked when I heard Greg speak. He spoke about suffering. About how God wants us to be "Holy not Happy". The sermon in itself did relate to me personally since I was not currently suffering. But it made me realize what a blessing it is to suffer for God. And giving up my sin would be a sacrifice I would be happy to make.
So the next day I said no to sin. It was easy (thanks to the Word planted in my heart). And I never looked back.
This story is obviously somewhat diluted and vague. The details are between God and myself. Its more about the road I was going on and the things I was thinking in daily life that could have lead my down a path of destruction. I don't know that they WOULD have lead me down a bad road.But they COULD have. And my worldly thoughts were bad enough to make me despicable in the sight of God. That alone with no actions made me living in sin.
Justin was not yet convinced that this should be our church. I prayed that the Lord would help me make a good decision. Every time I visited another congregation I felt a longing to be at Signal Mountain. God literally made me itch to be in their presence regardless of how I was enjoying services elsewhere. I told Justin to keep praying because every fiber of my being seemed to be telling me something different than what he was feeling. Soon after he could not deny what I was feeling as well.
Thank you Lord for answering our prayers. We hope we have pleased you and interpreted Your will as you would have us too. Help us to be swimmers and not floaters. Help us to run the race that was laid out for us with endurance until we reach the final goal, and Oh Lord PLEASE say the words to us "well done good and faithful servants!". That is my hearts utmost desire, and Lord if my heart wavers and some other love takes its place, help me to change my heart so that it is forever Yours and Loves You above all things. Help me to change my heart now so that it is Yours, for I know I am so often distracted and You can see my heart more clearly than I can. Thank you Lord for prayer, for Your help, and for the Holy Spirit. Thank you so much for Your Son and His sacrifice. In Jesus name I ask these things, Amen.
It may be that its a story no one ever knows of how God used Signal Mountain Church of Christ to help pull me out of a dark pit of sin that I was willingly jumping into, not caring if I was a prisoner. I prayed for deliverance and I visited Signal Mountain and I was shown the light. I know it won't be my last test, but I am thankful for the inner tube i was thrown for now. I hope I can stay a float and keep swimming towards Christ. For as I have heard before...life is a river. If you are not continually swimming against the current towards Christ you will get carried away by this world. We can't just float where we want to go. We have to keep seeking him. We have to fight ourselves and our own desires tooth and nail.Even today I need to float less and swim more. I need to learn to LOVE to swim and HATE to float.
At the 2nd service I visited Sig M. I rededicated my heart. Its not that I stopped going to church..or started using foul language or drinking. Its not that anything in my life really changed that much. That's how Satan tricks you. You're like the frog sitting in water. The water gets warmer so gradually that by the time you realize you are boiling and about to be lunch you don't even know. Satan will steep you in your own sin so gradually you won't realize it until something opens your eyes. You're perfectly comfortable in your own sin. "Its a warm and pleasant bath in here! I am happy!" the frog may say. You may even know something bad is going to happen if you keep enjoying the warm enticing water of sin, but its so comfortable you can't leave it. I knew I was about to be boiling. I prayed to God over and over to deliver me from my temptation. I prayed to God to help Justin and I find a new church congregation that would help us grow. God never disappoints.
My heart was pricked when I heard Greg speak. He spoke about suffering. About how God wants us to be "Holy not Happy". The sermon in itself did relate to me personally since I was not currently suffering. But it made me realize what a blessing it is to suffer for God. And giving up my sin would be a sacrifice I would be happy to make.
So the next day I said no to sin. It was easy (thanks to the Word planted in my heart). And I never looked back.
This story is obviously somewhat diluted and vague. The details are between God and myself. Its more about the road I was going on and the things I was thinking in daily life that could have lead my down a path of destruction. I don't know that they WOULD have lead me down a bad road.But they COULD have. And my worldly thoughts were bad enough to make me despicable in the sight of God. That alone with no actions made me living in sin.
Justin was not yet convinced that this should be our church. I prayed that the Lord would help me make a good decision. Every time I visited another congregation I felt a longing to be at Signal Mountain. God literally made me itch to be in their presence regardless of how I was enjoying services elsewhere. I told Justin to keep praying because every fiber of my being seemed to be telling me something different than what he was feeling. Soon after he could not deny what I was feeling as well.
Thank you Lord for answering our prayers. We hope we have pleased you and interpreted Your will as you would have us too. Help us to be swimmers and not floaters. Help us to run the race that was laid out for us with endurance until we reach the final goal, and Oh Lord PLEASE say the words to us "well done good and faithful servants!". That is my hearts utmost desire, and Lord if my heart wavers and some other love takes its place, help me to change my heart so that it is forever Yours and Loves You above all things. Help me to change my heart now so that it is Yours, for I know I am so often distracted and You can see my heart more clearly than I can. Thank you Lord for prayer, for Your help, and for the Holy Spirit. Thank you so much for Your Son and His sacrifice. In Jesus name I ask these things, Amen.